Does This Leak Make Me Look Fat - Part V: Surgery

The Leak

The Bike was right!  Skipper is trying to save me! He told me that the professional Boat Doctor told him that Skipper couldn't find the leak because there were so many of them and they couldn't be isolated.

That's a death sentence for a boat, but Skipper wouldn't accept that. He said that we'd been together for almost 40 years and he wasn't going to let me slip away without a fight. Skipper bought himself a book on Sunfish Doctory and learned how to fix leaks that couldn't be found.

I had the surgery last week.  He started by taking of my rub rail. That tickled, except when the drill slipped and it nicked my gelcoat. Then he inspected the whole joint where my deck meets my hull.  And guess what? He found the leaks! One huge one and two little ones, plus a couple of cavities that just needed filling.

In the Recovery Room

All of my leaks are fixed. I'm resting comfortably and should be on the back water next week.  I'm dry inside and I'm feeling weak, but pretty good.  The best part was that it rained really hard for a couple of days, and I didn't get any water inside me at all! Skipper says that he's going to do some cosmetic work and give me a good polishing as soon as I'm strong enough.

Does This Leak Make Me Look Fat? Part IV - Going Home

Going Home - I hope not for the last time!

Skipper came to see me at Winter Camp. He usually comes to see me on Sundays when we race. But this was on a Friday. He never comes on Fridays. He packed me up onto the trailer and we went home.  He didn't say much again, and seemed to be upset.

The bike was in the van, and said to cheer up. He told me that a few weeks ago he was in rough shape too, not shifting right and wobbly wheels and bad bar tape.  He said that Skipper just took him and spent a whole day fixing him, and now he's as good as new and that maybe Skipper's going to fix me too.  The Van said that Skipper and Mrs Skipper had been talking a lot about me. And about the Harlot. She didn't know much, but said that Mrs Skipper was shouting about boats not being worth it and Skipper was just shaking his head a lot.

Now I'm sitting in the driveway at home, away from my friends, and I'm still scared.

Does This Leak Make Me Look Fat - Part III: Seeing the Professionals - and the Professionals Seeing Me

Putting the water back where it should be

About a month ago, Skipper gave up on my leak.  He took me to a boat doctor.  I was scared when he left me there alone in a snowstorm, but the nice people at the boat hospital took me in and checked me over.  Then they put me back outside. They didn't even do anything! Skipper came and got me a couple of days later. He didn't say much, just "Come on girl, let's go home."

When I got back to Winter Camp. my friends there said that it wasn't a good sign. They said that boat doctors will always fix you up if there is something wrong with you, and if they don't, it means that you are a goner.  That week there was a pretty bad rain storm, and part of my boat cover blew off. I was full of rainwater and felt bloated and awful.  The next time Skipper came to race, he was asking people if they knew anyone selling newer Sunfish. I didn't feel well from all the bloating, and Skipper was preoccupied and not concentrating, so we spent most of the day in the back of the fleet.

I'm scared.