Page 28 - Yachter Autumn/Winter 2022

28 CRUISING REPORTS
of the rows of moorings.The anchor bit and we started to swing to the wind when slowly and gracefully we stopped, with the wind on our port bow.We had run aground on grass covered soft sand rather than coral, thankfully.
Two things to do, using the provided mobile we contacted the charter company and tried to ascertain why the starboard engine wasn’t working. David donning googles jumped over the side and with
feet just touching the bottom confirmed
we had no prop on the sail drive.The charter company originally suggested
that we strapped the tender alongside and manoeuvred using the tender, but then they arranged a local boat to come and assist pulling us off the sand and onto a mooring. Whilst waiting for them to arrange this we tried dropping the kedge anchor and hauling ourselves toward a mooring buoy. It was a standfast light-weight anchor which held originally as it hauled us to windward, but as the boat swivelled on the sand it jumped out and reset. Rather than risk having it jump out when we had the main anchor lifted, I
decided to await the local boat and leave the risk in the hands of the charter company. This had only taken about 40 minutes, but we were safe, main anchor down and on the sand.Then the fun started.
Lunch was called for with a cold beer, charter company rang to say that Frenchie was on his way with his fishing boat to pull us off and secure us to a mooring buoy. Whilst we were waiting, a couple of boat crew kitted out in matching gear from a large cat anchored the other side of the sand bar and in a splendid rib with a 35 hp motor came over to us.They said that they had noticed that we were lying at an odd angle and could they help.The only people to show any interest at all.We thanked them but told them we had assistance on its way.
We knew Frenchie was arriving when we saw spray coming from bow of the oldest, tattiest fishing boat, he proceeded to ram the port transom corner punching a hole in the side of his boat and crazing the gel on ours. Circling around he said he would tow us onto the nearest buoy. It seemed that he only had string on board but eventually we
attached a line. Remember we had main and kedge anchor down. First attempt proved that with a single engine and single line
it wasn’t going to work despite Frenchie yelling incoherently at his crew. Stage two was to put a bridle onto Frenchie’s boat that helped and with full revs, remember it’s still blowing 25 knots, he managed to slowly drag us off the sand. Now we are making slow headway toward the anchors, the crew on Frenchie’s boat grabbed our kedge line and started to haul on-board, great, when
he was over anchor he could recover and
put aboard. No, that wasn’t his plan, he was instructed to tie a fender to the line and
cut the kedge, he did and cut the kedge rope.We retrieved the kedge rope with, would you believe the fender attached. In disbelief we were dragged on and managed to retrieve the main anchor without amiss. We were now approaching the buoy and had prepared the bitter end of the kedge rope
as it was obvious that our normal mooring lines would not be long enough. Eventually with lots of BVIian swearing and shouting Frenchie attached the kedge to the buoy,