When I woke-up this morning,
emergency surgery on my left hand was NOT on my "to-do list".

We lived and traveled aboard Shibumi for the past three months.
It was, by design, a very safe trip.
Every decision, every activity, every destination was reached/executed after passing the 'is it safe?' test.
And so it was this morning when Jill and decided to turn the ship around at the dock.
We had her tied starboard side to.
For easy exit from the canal and convienent access to shore power (electricity), Shibumi normally lies port-side to the dock.
The wind and the flow of the tide was right this morning to swing her around.
Could it be done safely?
Absolutely.
We have done this safely many times.
Today, due to one of my idiotic mental lapses, I let my hand get caught between the ship and the dock.
That is something I am always cautioning others about.
Shibumi weighs 41,000 pounds.
You just don't get between her and a fixed object.

Dr. Russell was called into the hospital to operate on the hand.
It took him only twenty-minutes to repair a torn muscle and close an ugly gash.
At least that's what he told me.
I was sedated and don't remember a thing about the operation.
He said everything went as planned.
I should be back to normal in a few weeks.

There is a moral here somewhere. I would say it is this:
'Good seamanship and boating safety can not end when you reach the dock'.
A lesson hard learned is a lesson not soon forgotten.

You are also invited to visit my blog: AS I SEE IT