My Neighbor Blew Up...

At 2:30 in the morning my neighbor's tool shed, which backs up to my boat garage (it's been there long before there was a neighbor) caught fire and welding tanks that were inside blew up. That's the sound that me and Cathy woke up to. I pulled on pants and shoes, grabbed my keys, backed up to the boat which had a mostly full tank of gas, hitched the trailer up, a sheriff's deputy on the scene kicked out the trailer chocks  and I pulled my boat away from a pickup that was burning just over the property line. The fire department arrived and began putting the fire out. All that happened faster than I can type about it and within an hour all the official vehicles were gone. 

The neighbor is ok and thankfully I pulled the boat with it's gas tank away or that might have blown in the firemen's faces so things could have been worse. The most costly damage to me is that all the plastic parts on my 7 year old outboard motor melted. I think it's a complete loss as is the trailer lights, wiring and the sonar transducer. The neighbor's tools which he used for some kind of side car repair business are completely lost. Insurance will cover a bit and the neighbor said let him know my loss. 

Fortunately it's all only money and Cathy says go buy a new outboard. We had just made a stop at Lake Jacksonville to see her brother and sister in law and they took us for a ride in their new pontoon boat and on the way home we discussed carpet and seat upgrades but the thought of a motor upgrade was not on our minds. 

The boat platform is all ok so maybe the next time you see us on the lake (it might take a bit) we will be sporting a new look. Seems like someone mentioned customizing a boat purple here lately so we will see. 

Amazedly there seems to be no damage to the neighbor's house, the ski tube next to the boat (a $200 item) and the plastic canoe did not melt.  

See you on the lake, later rather than sooner.