I have such a good time during the gatherings, sharing stories and adventure tales. I hope this is the appropriate place to share my story, and that more people take advantage of this area of the forum. The following is from one of my trips to the Caribbean:
The previous day we had run under the bridge and anchored in the inland lagoon on St. Martin, in the Caribbean. I was sitting in my cockpit, having morning coffee, when I realized I was staring down into the cockpit of a sunken yacht.
I learned that this lagoon was considered the best "hurricane hole" in the Caribbean and that many boats spent the season anchored safely right here. Problem was that the year before, a storm had danced down the islands and stalled for a day, right over the anchorage. Only a few boats of many dozens, were left floating. Many were driven by the surge and wind up onto the mud flats, or worse onto the bolder riprap that bordered the lagoon. There were hulks everywhere.
During the weeks that we were there, I observed several salvage efforts, both professional and by the locals. With two equal sized sailboats driven ashore on the flats, results were the same but methodology went in different directions.
I watched as a large barge with dragline ditched its way slowly through the mud flat, up to a stranded keelboat, ran slings under the boat, and slowly lifted it into the ditch, and floated it out to the lagoon. It cost the owner or insurance company two week's charges, but the boat was safe.
Then, a few days later, I watched two locals slowly back a dump truck down the bank in the same area. I saw a small boat being rowed across the lagoon, towing a heavy rope behind it. With one end fastened to their sailboat and the other to the bumper of the truck, the boat was slowly inched out into the lagoon. Costs were one day and a couple gallons of gas. Same results.
On many of the islands, self sufficiency wasn't an option. I was amazed at how resourceful these folks could be.
The previous day we had run under the bridge and anchored in the inland lagoon on St. Martin, in the Caribbean. I was sitting in my cockpit, having morning coffee, when I realized I was staring down into the cockpit of a sunken yacht.
I learned that this lagoon was considered the best "hurricane hole" in the Caribbean and that many boats spent the season anchored safely right here. Problem was that the year before, a storm had danced down the islands and stalled for a day, right over the anchorage. Only a few boats of many dozens, were left floating. Many were driven by the surge and wind up onto the mud flats, or worse onto the bolder riprap that bordered the lagoon. There were hulks everywhere.
During the weeks that we were there, I observed several salvage efforts, both professional and by the locals. With two equal sized sailboats driven ashore on the flats, results were the same but methodology went in different directions.
I watched as a large barge with dragline ditched its way slowly through the mud flat, up to a stranded keelboat, ran slings under the boat, and slowly lifted it into the ditch, and floated it out to the lagoon. It cost the owner or insurance company two week's charges, but the boat was safe.
Then, a few days later, I watched two locals slowly back a dump truck down the bank in the same area. I saw a small boat being rowed across the lagoon, towing a heavy rope behind it. With one end fastened to their sailboat and the other to the bumper of the truck, the boat was slowly inched out into the lagoon. Costs were one day and a couple gallons of gas. Same results.
On many of the islands, self sufficiency wasn't an option. I was amazed at how resourceful these folks could be.