Today we set off from Kenora Ontario to Muskegon Michigan to pick up our O'Day25. The pickup crew consisted of myself and a good friend that graciously volunteered to help make the journey. This was a good thing for me since he happens to be an automotive mechanic. Although we had planned to leave a lot earlier, we did not get on the highway until after 7:30pm. We made it just past Duluth before calling it a night with hopes of arriving in Muskegon Saturday night.

After a good breakfast we set off and did not stop until lunch, which was somewhere before Madison Wisconsin. It wasn't long before heavy jackets and snow boots were exchanged for shoes and t-shirts, eventually hitting a high of 18C. We continued south from Rockford to LaSalle Illinois before turning east to cross through the southern tip of Chicago. It was in Chicago that the weather took a turn for the worst, lighting up the skies with an incredible electrical storm soon followed by buckets of rain. It was shortly after Chicago we realized we needed supper and had a nasty craving for Pizza. We passed several stops with no pizza to be found and finally decided on burgers, commenting that after we ate greasy burgers we would probably pass a pizza joint. What we didn't notice was the time... it was now after 10pm and the food places were all closing. Having to give up on burgers we continued on. Wouldn't you know it, the next stop had pizza! Of course it was way off the beaten path and we almost got lost, but in the end we dined. After our late supper we continued on and it seemed ever stop we passed after that... had pizza. Arriving in Muskegon at around 1am, we quickly grabbed a motel and hit the sack.

Waking to a clear and sunny blue sky, we headed down to Torreson Marine where the boat had been purchased. We had arranged for the boat and trailer to be waiting for us in the yard, with the remaining gear being brought down later in the day. Although Torreson Marine had assured me a number of times the trailer was solid and we would have no problems returning to Canada, my buddy set to work checking tires, bearings and replacing one of the signal lamps that was smashed at the back. I set to work strapping down the mast, stays and anything else that might flap around during the long trip home. Even though our truck had a towing package, we discovered it did not have an electric trailer brake module. Wasting a few hours driving around, we eventually found one and installed it. Each hour that passed it became colder and more cloudy out and by the time we were hooked up and ready to go, it was after 6pm. Hoping to knock a few hours off the trip home we set out, soon to be met with rain and high winds. Slightly north of Benton Harbor we blew a trailer fuse and had to turn off the highway. The wiring on the trailer was shorting out somewhere so we would have to find a motel and fix the problem first thing in the morning. Lucky for us we found a beautiful motel that had just opened and had special grand opening rates. It was the nicest place we stayed the entire trip.

We flipped on the TV to see todays forecast only to discover a number of tornados had touched down in the surrounding area. We had a great breakfast at the motel and set to work fixing the iwring problem on the trailer. It turned out to be the second last light grounding out on the frame. Once fixed we were on our way. As we got close to Michigan City, we pulled over at a weigh scale to check the tires and bearings. The trooper at the scales informed us we needed another strap on our load so we made a stop just down the road to pick one up. Next came Chicago where an incredible amount of road construction was taking place. This made for very slow progress but eventually we made it out and headed west to LaSalle. From LaSalle we headed north towards Rockford and it was here we suddenly noticed how strong the wind actually was. Until now we had been heading straight into the wind but now it was hitting us hard from the side. About 2 miles north of Troy Grove we looked back and saw the boat had shifted. To our horror we also saw the I-beam start to sway back and forth. It did this about 3 times then both beams twisted sideways and lost all their strength… causing the entire load to crash down onto the interstate. Sparks flew everywhere and fortunately for us we skidded in a straight line, eventually coming to rest at the side of the road.

So here we sat, 2:15pm on March the 13th. The trailer frame a swisted piece of metal still smoking from the horrific event. I was in shock... what do we do now? There was obviously no possible way to continue our return trip. There was a bit of good news. Not only had we made it through this terrible incident, both the truck and sailboat had survived unscathed. I pulled out the cell phone I brought along and called 411 for the police in the next town, who in turn put me in touch with the closest state trooper. He arrived within 5 minutes and called for a tow truck. About 15 minutes later the tow truck arrived but because of the size and weight of the load he called for reinforcements. Senica Towing out of LaSalle were about 20 minutes away and brought a giant flatbed designed specifically to remove wrecks off the road. These guys were obviously pros and within no time had the entire mess picked up. 20 minutes later we were back at the wrecking yard faced with the question of what to do next. There was nothing to do but admit defeat, leave the boat and trailer at the yard and return home empty handed. As we walked back to the truck we heard someone shouting, turning just in time to see a large truck towing a trailer rolling across the yard right in our direction. We made an attempt to stop it but there was not enought time... as it plowed into the back of our truck. Yes, there was damage. As we made our way back to the interstate, spirits were not high. Especially when we had the privilege of passing ground zero once again and reliving the moment in our heads. Eventually the cold winds brought snow flurries and by Eau Claire it was very late and time to call it quits.

The motel we found was a dump and upon entering the room found it to be equivalent to a meat locker. As a lay shivering I couldn't help but think about how hopeless the entire situation seemed. The next morning we woke to about a half foot of ice and snow. The highways were even worse and road conditions forced us to join a parade of cars and trucks moving at about 2 miles an hour. What should have taken about an hour to get to Minneapolis took about 3 and I was on edge the entire ride. After a brief stop for lunch we headed out, only to narrowly miss a 4x4 wooded beam laying in the middle of the highway. One can only image the damage this would have caused had we not been able to exit the lane seconds before impact. Fortunately the rest of the highway to the border was clear and nerves started to settle. Finally, reaching the border we were asked to produce our drivers licenses. I opened my wallet only to find an empty compartment. A look of shock and disbelief fell across my face as I realized I had given it to the state trooper when he arrived at the accident scene. Once again I had the privilege of reliving the event as I explained it to the border guard. Shortly there after we were on the final 3 hours of our return home.

Spent the entire day on the phone with insurance companies and trying to track down another trailer to rent or buy. I could not find something big enough to rent but eventually one company suggested using a transport company (Walker Marine Group) out of Cincinnati that specializes in transporting large boats. This would be a third the cost of having to purchase a new trailer and I would not have to make the long trip back to LaSalle.

Still making arrangements with various companies. I also talked with Canada Customs to make sure I had all the proper paperwork so our boat would make it across the border without problems. Walker Marine told me they had lost a couple of drivers and were playing "catch up" with shipments but would be getting to mine very shortly. Gary at Northern Harbour here in Kenora said he would be able to unload our boat and find space in the yard for a few weeks until the ice in the harbour melted. After such a disastrous March, it seems April is the light at the end of the tunnel.

Today I received a call from Walker Marine... they just dropped off a shipment here in Kenora and would be heading down to LaSalle within the next couple of days to pick up our boat. Everything was suddenly falling right into place. I called Senica Towing to let them know the truck was coming. Next came Northern Harbour and Canada Customs. The weather was nice, the paper work was prepared and the boat was on its way.

This morning I headed to the Canada/US border which is about 3 hours from our house. The plan was to meet Scott (of Walker Marine) at Noon in hopes of clearing customs quickly. I arrived at Customs a bit early and took a seat. As the clock hit 12:00 a large transport slowly made its way around the corner. I looked on in anticipation and finally... there it was. It was beautiful and it was almost home. I met Scott at his truck then went back inside to do the paperwork. To my amazement everything went quick and painless... well, it was somewhat painful to hand over my Visa card but other than that, we were on our way in about 20 minutes. At 3pm we arrived at Northern Harbour. Exactly 1 month to the day, our new boat was finally home.

Today I went out to Northern Harbour at lunch time to meet with Gary and raise the mast. He grabbed 2 other guys from the yard and all four of us, in what seemed like a single quick movement, pushed the mast up into position. With the harbour now clear of ice, I knew it wouldn't be long before we would be navigating our new sailing vessel the last few miles to its new home.