Boat Disaster

Friday 29 March 2019

Our plans to press on with pouring the other bit of floor slab by the stove came to an abrupt stop when we received a phone call at 7am.  Our boat had hit the pontoon and sunk.  This is not good.  We raced down to see, but the wind and waves were still fierce.  Fishing boats were upside down and two yachts were aground on the beach, but we had gone straight down into the mud.

The rest of the morning was spent at the Port Police, trying to recover copies of the boat papers (which were on the boat), and making a statement.  Divers were arranged for the next morning, and a space in the boatyard for Monday morning.  

We met the divers at nine on Sunday morning, and the slow process of raising her began.  It took until eleven o'clock that night.  We came and went, beachcombing for bits that had floated away, going for coffee with Paris and Rosa who came past, and later, going for dinner at the nearest restaurant so we could pop back easily if we were needed.  

 The first couple of flotation bags at the bow.  Twelve noon.  Apparently she had settled into over a metre of mud, so it was really difficult to break the suction and get her nose up.

 Five forty-five: surrounded by bags, the cockpit starts to emerge from the murk.

 As the cockpit came clear of the sea, three pumps were put on board to start emptying the cockpit and then the interior

 Six thirty: the deck is mostly above water

 Ten pm.  We can see the damage to the sugar scoop.  We sidled off home at this point.  The divers said they'd ring when they finished and let us know if we were needed to do anything.  Conny from the pontoon offered to wake up every two hours through the night to check her and ring the divers if there was a problem. 

 Next morning (as the clocks had gone back, nine o'clock but really eight o'clock) we were back on the pontoon.  And there she was, floating again, if rather battered.

We had a bit of a look inside but it was deep in mud and all the floorboards had floated up and resettled anyhow so it was a bit treacherous.  We'll get into wet weather gear on Monday in the yard and hose her out.

 The hole