Looking at the weather log that we jot down every morning at 6:30, I see that we are more than half way through January and it's been a long time since I've updated our journal. Most of that time has been spent here in the Jumentos where there isn't much besides tiny islands and lots of sealife. Our freezer is full of lobster, conch and a fish. Most of the time has been spent traveling and hunting with our friends on "Fine Lion", "Night Hawk" and "Sam the Skull"... but for the last 5 days we've been hunkered down by ourselves in a Raccoon Cay cove. The wind has been blowing 20 to 30 knots and we've had 100 percent cloud cover with numerous squalls to 35 or 40 knots. This morning there are a few patches of blue sky and the wind is supposed to subside a little this afternoon.
Yesterday there was a Vhf call from a boat that had dragged anchor and was on the rocks. At first they sounded like they had things under control and were simply waiting for the high tide around 4 p.m. A little later however, there was another call that sounded like there were worried and needed some assistance.
We were about 4 miles to their north and the closest to their position. Most of the boats in the Jumentos were anchored at Hog Cay which is about 10 miles (as the crow flies) to our south. I had been planning on making the trip as high tide approached but tone of her voice on the radio forced me get ready for the trip immediately.
Although they were only 4 miles away, there was little protection from the Ocean swells and wind chop that had been building for days. I wasn't looking forward to the dinghy ride. As I got things ready...life jacket, radio, dry shirt, "Lucky Touch" who was anchored to our south called to say that Claus would make the trip with me. I picked him up on the way along with a 500 coil of inch line and we were off.
Before we got to the really bad stretch we found a Bahamian fishing boat anchored out of the weather and stopped to relay the news of the boat on the rocks and they promised to assist around high tide if we gave them a call.
Off we went through the cut using tiny islands and rocks as we could for a little cover. I have no idea of the size of the seas because I was too busy keeping the dinghy under control. Suffice it to say that most of the time all I could see was water. We took one wave over the side but kept going despite the water sloshing around in the dinghy.
We arrive to find disaster. The boat had dragged in the night about ½ mile and had come to rest on the southern end of a needle rock island. Actually, although we could step from the island to the boat in two or three spots, it wasn't actually touching the needle rock. The keel was holding firmly in the shallows inches away from the island. It was listing at about 45 degrees toward the island was almost impossible to move around. The wind was blowing about 20 knots and the seas in the anchorage were running about 2 feet smashing into the boat broad side and trying to push her further on the rocks. Dave had rigged two lines, one forward and one aft, to anchors that were doing a good job of countering the forces of the wind and the waves.
As we arrived and anchored in the lee of the island, Bill from "Veranda" arrived from Hog Cay about 6 miles to the south. He had brought along a large fortress anchor and after a couple of minutes of minutes surveying the situation, went to work getting it in place as a third anchor line.
By this time the rising tide was beginning to effect the grounded boat lifting and rolling it slightly with about every third wave. Two of the three anchoring lines were attached to winches and the third, to the windlass. We took turns tightening each to them every 10 minutes to force the boat more upright instead of rolling further on the rocks.
Bill and I decided that lumber might serve to pad the hull from the rock in the event that one of the anchors gave way so we took a walk searching for anything that would be of use. We found a few odds and ends of washed up boards and Bill went to work. I continued the search for more lumber and found a timber that was big enough to really do some good. Sitting in needle rock at the transom, Bill was able to wedge the timber between the rock and the bottom of the boat so that every roll that the vessel made was on the timber and not the rocky bottom. As the boat rose and we tighten the winches, he altered the position of the timber to buffer the movement of the boat.
At this point Steve from "Fine Lion" arrived and went to work with Bill fending the boat off the rocks with lumber scavenged from the island.
Dave and Kathy on "Dyad", the real stars of the day, were on their way north from Ragged Island to attempt to haul the boat to deeper water, and were trying to time their arrival with the tide. "Dyad" is a large power cat... and by far the most powerful boat currently in the Jumentos. In order to reduce the amount of damage to the hull, keel and rudder during the tow off, it was evident that we had to roll the boat on the keel away from the rocks. As the tide continued to rise, we but enough tension on the lines that on a particularly high wave she rolled of her own accord.
"Dyad" arrived just before high tide and up a position off the starboard bow at about 100 yards. Steve and I tied the tow line on the harness that had been created at the bow of the boat and then played out the tow line to "Dyad". Unfortunately, it was too short so Bill dinghied out to "Dyad" to bring a heavy line to us from them. After joining the two lines we got out of the way and watched. (remember that there are two plus seas and each wave came over the bow as these maneuvers were made) Bill returned to the stricken vessel to help Dave and Claus kedge as "Dyad" pulled. The boat pivoted, putting the rudder skeg at grave risk, but didn't come free. As "Dyad' churned the sand with who knows how many tons of force, the tow line broke.
Steve and I moved back into position and tied a bowline in the end of the remaining line and ferried it back to Kathy on the bow of "Dyad." There was success on the next attempt. During the time it took Steve and I rearrange the tow line, the tide had risen just enough that with "Dyad" next tug the vessel aground was floating free. There was a moment of concern when we noticed that there was no water coming out of the exhaust but ... after opening the thru hull valve the problem was solved.
It appeared that other than some cosmetic damage, there were not problems, the rudder, prop and hull seemed to be in working order as Dave powered back to their original anchorage. Steve and I retrieved the dinghies which were still anchored off the rocky island. With everything under control, Claus and I prepared ourselves for our return trip which now cornering into the wind was considerably rougher that our voyage down. But... we made the trip safely and were back on our boats by about 4:30 happy to have been a small part of a successful day.