With Rose and Oskar aboard we were anxious to get over to Moorea for some world-class snorkeling. We planned a quick one-night stop in Arue, but ended up staying much longer due to a series of setbacks. First, Jody got sick, then the weather turned bad, and finally - the anchor got stuck! I'm not kidding. After all our efforts to get a good set, the big Fortress won't come up. I tried all the usual tricks without success before sliding a heavy ring down the rode to pull the anchor out by its base (not its shank) with 250' of line from the dinghy. Unfortunately, that didn't work either. We were obviously hooked on an old mooring block or something heavy.
With the anchor stuck I start considering my options. If a 25,000lb boat powered to 5 knots won't break it free, it needs to be looked at! The depth is 70' deep, and the idea donning my dive gear to clear it doesn't set well with Jody or me. So I go into the local dive shop to hire a pro. The owner says I've probably hooked the sewer pipe in that area, but he's busy until the following day. I ask him the price - he's says "don't worry" in his heavy French accent. As promised, the next day he comes alongside Huzzah in his dive boat with another man. Both in their mid-fifties, one descended down the anchor chain while the other maneuvered the dive boat. I worked Huzzah in 12 knots of wind to keep tension off the 200' of chain we paid out for the process. After about 20 minutes, the diver surfaced and motioned me to pull up the chain. Soon enough, up came the Fortress anchor. I shouted Hi Hip Huzzah as the diver smiled. Once back at the helm, I backed Huzzah toward the dive boat and motioned that I wanted to pay him. He simply waved me off and said "no problem". After another attempt, he said "no, enjoy your cruise". Wow, another example of the super kind people we've met in Polynesia! I was so busy I forgot to get a single picture, but he looked happy to be helping me. Life here is pretty sweet - amongst all the thoughtful local people.