We were safely back in our beloved anchorage of the East Lemmons visiting with friends, when one of the most unfortunate of events happened.
We heard a Vessel In Distress call, and we and our friends on Matador along with two other boats were on the scene within 10 minutes. An older couple in a catamaran were taking on water and had beached the boat in an effort to save it.
We quickly went into action…. With ropes, buckets, a pump we borrowed from a nearby island, and put out a call for others to help.
At first, we felt helpless, and we rallied and put together a plan of attack.
Day 1 we saved the boat from filling entirely – although one hull was completely submerged. There was the six of us that day trying everything we could do to help save the boat from falling deeper into the steep bank of the island.
We were fortunate when the Armada boat came to help turn the boat so it was bows into the sand instead of sideways, as our dinghies and the 6 of us were not able to do it with the amount of water the boat was taking on.
By the end of the first day, after hours of bailing, and a bucket train to assist our exhausting energy levels, we had to call it quits, as we thought there was not much more we could do that day.
Day two we rounded up more people, more pumps, and the cruising Community came together in efforts to save a fellow cruisers boat and home. We were disheartened to find upon our return ont he second morning that our exhausting efforts of the day before were eliminated when the boat was at the same degree of water ingress as it was the first day.
It’s amazing what can be accomplished with determined people. We had a bucket train going moving about 2600 gallons an hour, and three power pumps moving less than that each. Stuffing fenders in the new airspace and a huge floaty toy under the transom helped keep the catamaran afloat.
In about 4 hours, we drained the boat of water!!! It was amazing.
By 4 pm, a dinghy Train towed the boat, floating, to our common Anchorage and a Celebration party ensued.
The cruising Community really pulled together and we are happy to be part. The boat is safe, the owners are ok, and now, the cleanup begins.