Resident of Mobile county for 50 yrs here. I grew up fishing the river from the Jackson bridge, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. I can tell you, there’s a very good possibility that the tug boat “loosened” a stuck log from the muddy river bottom, (or perhaps even the bank,) & you guys were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’ve personally seen this occur, & there’s nothing that can be done to avoid it. Also, 35 yrs of boat ownership has shown me many insurance companies do their best to avoid paying marine claims. Lastly, I love your videos! Thank You very much for posting, & I wish you all good luck on your journey.

That was a catastrophic impact. So lucky you didn't lose the boat!

The feel of a big boat grounding is horrible.Glad all of you are safe. i know it feels no fun but, strong boat, took the hit and kept you going. 👍 Remember the loop is not a vacation its an accomplishment, and those are hard to come by these days.

Something under the water doesn't care who was driving,it was just an accident that happened,no one's fault,don't blame yourself,the lead boat could have easily hit it,just an unfortunate thing,andromeda will be back on the water soon,look forward to your future videos of the east coast trip

I want to take a moment to thank you for this video. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I think it was a great idea to sit down with your viewers and have a talk. Hopefully you had a wonderful holiday!

The two of you are so inspiring. No one can ever see what lies beneath the water. Can happen to anyone. My wife and I plan to do the loop as well in retirement 2years. Love will get you both through it. We had a terrible house fire lost everything our love for each other is what made us get through it. Count on each other. Insurance is so trying but it all will be resolved.... Thanks for letting us join you during this difficult time..

I just want to hug you both and give extra treats to Ollie. I can feel the raw emotion as you explain the situation in more depth. I hope better days are to come and when Andromeda comes to Canada hopefully we can cross wakes. Take care of each other breath deep and take each day at a time

It’s always good practice to show up every day at the boatyard “just checking on things and seeing how it’s going”. If you arrive with a box of hot Krispy Kreem donuts for the shop you might move forward (ever more slightly) faster. Total bummer on your unscheduled trip to the yard. Welcome to cruising: working on your boat in strange and foreign places while occasionally giving your marriage a stress test. Good luck, you are due for some!

I feel so bad for y'all. Thank goodness that Sea Ray's are built like an A-10 Warthog.........What a great documentary!! Thanks!

Dear, Thank you very much for the explanations about the damage caused to your beloved Andromeda. They give an idea that the impact was very severe. But as I already told you, Andromeda is a very robust SeaRay and with the corresponding repairs it will be ready again to continue your adventure. I wish you a lot of strength and happiness from Spain.

Glad to see your making lemonade while life serves you lemons. I believe that’s the right attitude, and happy your unexpected stop in Alabama is working out. Loved the “prop shot!” Enjoying your content Sincerely, Chris Sheehan

My wife and I just retired payed off are mortgage and everything thing was great.Then hurricane Ian came along in Ft. Myers Florida.We lost are home cars and everything we own. We didn't know what to do. Insurance short change us.We are are ok and things get better in time.Do you know why? Because we still have each other.We could have died that day came very close.Keep your head up it will be ok😊.

I had been considering an IPS powered boat for the Loop, I’m rethinking that plan in a big way now! Maybe an older Hatteras is the way to go!

I look forward to where this goes. You seem like good people and I like the positive attitude. Hang in there! Prayers to you

Wow! So many thoughts and feelings running through your heads I'm sure! There's a silver lining in there somewhere. Gkad you guys are ok ❤

You guys are awesome & handling everything with grace, love, & a great attitude. But wow, my stomach started hurting a little bit just watching. I can only imagine what you both must have felt. Love the shot from the prop 😂 good job! And Kathy.... You Rock! Hoping to see you guys right back at it & soon!

Glad to get update and see you all in good spirits given the situation. Can only hope being April 7 that everything came together and the next video will be you guys getting back on the boat 🙏🙏🙏

Good luck you guys, we hope all gets fixed and you can get going again. Safe travels and best wishes.

It was very emotional for me to finally see you get off the hard. I too hit something on the Tenn-Tom so hard that one of the propeller shafts sheared off. Made it to Dog River marina in mobile where Sonny and his crew put us back together and on to to Destin

I live in Mobile, AL. and watching the progress....good luck with it all.

While you were talking sitting on the bench, your puppy seemed to know you needed consoling. He came up nudging you saying everything will be okay! You're handling it well!!

Thanks for the updates and explanation of your situation. Your experience has given me a lot of food for thought as I am researching a Great Loop trip of my own. I was in Orange Beach with my family a year ago and spent an afternoon at the Wharf shopping, eating and dreaming about owning a boat. Thanks again for your reflections and best of luck to both of you.

Sorry to hear about the damage, been there!…💸💸💸

It's April 2024 now wondering about progress. I'm originally from Michigan and recognized several parts that need replacing as I made them years ago. The rudders have a stainless shaft that in the days of old would have been bronze. In the video of the hull I noticed a lack of a backing plate for the struts. That probably wouldn't have changed much at the point of collision but should have minimized hull damage. You both did extremely well from the point of impact to getting into safe harbor. Situational awareness is key to survival and response is critical. I salute you both in getting through this ordeal. This Michigan native is proud of you.

And me asking video before last if you'd be to Georgia around Easter, since my wife and I were going to be in Darien/Jekyll area that weekend. Watching this video is heart breaking. Waiting for the next which will hopefully say Andromeda repaired and back in water. God bless the 2 of you.

Gives me cold chills to hear your story, i had the same experience on a boat identical to yours... its like i am hearing someone tell the same story... we had a boat full of people, i was driving and watched people fly across the lower deck, it was horrible... no one hurt thankfully, still haunts me to this day... glad yall are ok!!!

Nothing worth having or to experience comes easy. As I always say, everything happens for a reason (good or bad). You may not know it yet but someday there will be an Ah Ha moment and you will be prepared because of this. It could have happened to whom ever was at the helm, and Kathy had you panicked, it could have been a lot worse. I call it a win ❤and you rock…

Just found you today. Grew up in Mobile, and learned to sail on Mobile bay, got married in Fairhope and spend time in the area several times every year. So glad you had the chance to enjoy some of the area. Hope you ate at Sundowner Cafe in Fairhope and Pirate ‘s Cove in Orange Beach. Do come back!

Love the series, especially the part on the Tenn-Tom Waterway- I grew up south of Columbus on the River between the locks, and in recent years while up there visiting I recall seeing vessels like y'all's usually going south, sometimes in groups, and I always wondered what that was about, and now I know!! What an awesome adventure, and I really hope y'all can get back on track and complete this incredible journey. All my best, from Gulfport, MS (been to Fairhope Yacht Club several times, lovely place at the bottom of the hill).

I hope you get good news while gone for the holidays. Safe travels!

Great that you took some time after the incident to process everything and decompress before making this video. It looks like it was therapeutic for you both.

Hi guys. I’ve been watching since you left Michigan and have very much been enjoying the way your videos show a map and all the information you give. As far as your hit on the river, I totally agree with McClure metals. There’s no way to know about something on the bottom of the river. The river changes with every rain fall, the most experienced captain on the river would have the same result. Looking forward to a new video. Enjoy

Missed you guys after watching your videos in two days I was worried about you two...good luck and I missed you both.

Hang in there!

There are worse places to be stuck in than Orange Beach. Sorry for your trials but we love the Alabama coast! Hoping everything works out.

Didn't say it in last video, but now that you're talking about the "speed" run down Mobile Bay, exactly the right thing to do. None boaters may have been confused because it was such a small leak. Things change quickly on a boat and there was no idea what the true extent of the damage was. Tow captains knew and so did the USCG

Why did you go from Orange Beach to Mobile to go I-65 north? You realize you could have taken the toll road ( which now isn't any tolls) at the Wharf go north to I10 go west 1 exit which is state hwy 59 go north to get on I-65 at the mile marker 45 or so? Yall drove all the way to Mobile to get on I-65 North..you'll save about 50 miles the other way..

In a year or two this will be a distant memory! If it was easy everyone would do it. I've always found the icw and rivers beautiful but much trickier than going to the Bahamas where the water is gin clear and more open water boating. They both have their place and it's whatever one likes or maybe one likes both. Just don't be hard on yourself and somehow turn this into a positive! You're healthy and living an incredible life! And boatyards vary in how things are done. Some are better than others.

It is boating, hang in there it will get better

You two are awesome!! Thank you for sharing this difficult and dare i say some what heart wrenching video. You said you would show the G,B,U. And you did , bless you and your travels. The man upstairs never gives you more than you can handle...how bad do you want it ? You two slayed the dragon and came out as WARRIOR'S !!! Whoever was at the helm would have done the same. Fair winds and following seas, god bless. P.S. im so super happy ya'll made it to the Bahamas and I enjoy the pics.

Watching from Gulf Shores I hope y’all are doing well

Best laundry on the loop. So sorry for you issues

I feel for you! I lost all power on my 40 ft sailboat passing Jackson, Alabama going North. Its been 12 months and she is still stuck there. Its kind of odd if not funny to hear you distress about only being able to make 11 kts going down river. I was making 5.5 kts going up. Best of luck to you!

Had the opportunity in the early 2000's to sail the Bahamas, particularly the Abacos. I know this is several months after the vid was made but I hope you've been able to fulfill that dream of getting to the Bahamas, or almost there.. Hope too you got the Gulf crossing in by now and enjoying Springtime in the Bahamas. May in the Abacos is a dream time to be in the Islands. Glad the folks in OB took care of you given the circumstances. In the nautical world, I learned real quick that BOAT means Bring Out Another Thousand. In the aviation world I'm still trying to figure out what AIRPLANE means, but like boats it means big bucks too. Safe journey!

I have been following from the beginning from purchasing your boat. I was so sorry to hear of your bad news as I watched your last video. I don't know what you might have hit but it sure did a lot of damage. I love your KZfaq channel and I am researching to maybe do the loop one day myself. I am approaching 72 Y.O. so time is getting short. I love your editing, special effects and music. Maybe you could include which musicians and songs you are listening to and add them into your Website and Contact Information. I Can’t wait to see you off the hard and cruising again. Good Luck and God Bless!

Wow. Just incredible the damage done to the boat…seems hard to imagine that a log or tree could’ve caused it, but I guess it doesn’t really matter in the long run. Your recap of that awful day certainly conveyed the fear and stress. Maybe I’m remembering wrong, but when you first found Andromeda, wasn’t she being repaired from having been damaged, and that’s why the owners were ready to sell? If so, that’s a weird coincidence. But Kathy, I’m glad you aren’t being hard on yourself - could’ve happened to anyone at anytime. I’ll look forward to next installments to learn more about the repairs, but I sure hope by now you are back on the water and continuing the trip with the drama left behind in your wake! (BTW, miss seeing you on the boat, but love all of the Ollie footage when you were sitting in the little gazebo!)

Thanks for going thru this shit. You are now showing my worst nightmare of doing the loop with our boat that is just like yours… kinda. Now, I guess, we could get thru it too. How has the interactions with insurance been? Are they helpful or assholes? What about the yard that knows insurance is in the mix?

I'm really surprised that the drive system isn't designed with a shear pin or that the keys in the shaft hubs wouldn't shear to protect from this kind of damage. That was an insane amount of force to transmit all the way to the engine mounts.

Keep your chin up...

Pre-Dee-doo

Any update on your repairs?

I know it’d be expensive but can you modify it to have shrouded props?

What year did you run the GL? Sorry about the boat striking something, that really sucks. Looks like a fun place to be broke down though

After watching your following video and 1/2 of this one, I feel your insurance is letting you down. They have had plenty of time to assess and specify the repairs (especially after the next video). They haven't been analyzing for 7 weeks, they've done almost nothing. They are dragging their feet. I hope you have a good resolution but I'm concerned your insurance provider may be the problem.

Hope your insurance pays for the repairs!!! $$$$

I'm suprised you made it as far as you did without serious damage. The loop is something l wouldn't even consider even if money wasn't an issue. Time is money.... Rivers have destroyed more vessels than any great lake...

PS stopped again Y 11 knots

Per’dido, not per’i’dido

What the hell did you guys hit anyhow? You don't know of course but good god something in the water clearly didn't like you. Would like to go back there with a good sidescan sonar or something.

I had to stop the vid Progect Manager it is you Boat yard manger it is them Problems have been diagnosed Insurance well that could take 2 years prop damage yaa but you have back up hawl damage 2days ill fix it shafts strutl look all right whats the problem >>>I land time>>> insurance beokracy Hall you can fix youre self drive line well you have spare propse You manage the other managers and inxurance well if you want to wait for them to make a diction (on what) was it captains error were you off the channel low water (what really pisses me off i have to wait a week thats my rant will continue watching there could be more pauses and i am sure another rant coming LOL

When you look at the whole situation, it's still better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick........ take care guys. 🍻🍻🍻🍻🫶💙