Boom Boom in the Boat Yard

For the last couple of seasons, we’ve stored our Olson 30 La Gamelle at the St. Maarten Shipyard. It’s a bit of a funky place, but we really like Hank, the guy who runs is.

Just the other day Peter Johnstone of Gunboats posted the top photo, which shows that the boom on the yard’s ancient 90-ton P&H crane fell onto the boom of what looks like a Lagoon 440 or 50. Based on the photo, it almost looks as if the crane boom came out the big loser.

We’re quite familiar with this very P&H crane, as it’s been used a number of times to lift La Gamelle and move her around. In fact, we’ve spent quite a bit of time beneath her, not knowing what danger we were in.

This isn’t the greatest development for Johnstone, as he’s at the yard rushing to get the first Gunboat G4 planing catamaran up and running in time for next week’s Voiles de St. Barth. We wish him luck — although at least the cat is in the water.

Things falling on boats is unusual, but not unheard of. A month or so ago we saw a photo of the mini-megayacht Blind Date with a Lauderdale bridge having fallen on it. Ouch, that had to hurt, too.

We don’t know about you, but we’re done with standing beneath cranes, unless absolutely necessary.