Yet another near disaster

'Sarf & West mate, Sarf & West'
Pete Bernfeld
Tue 20 Aug 2013 12:31
With Spring tides in the offing, at low water a couple of times I bounced off the bottom. Nothing too violent but not comfortable. More in hope than anything else I started the emergency elektrikery and started the engine in forward gear. We have movement. OK, up anchor and slowly motor round to the official anchorage. Dropped the hook but I swung too close to Inspiration Lady. No drama, give me five to get my breath back, put on some latex gloves to protect the by now open blisters from the mast climbing exercise . I asked for somebody to come and steer for me whilst I hauled up and re-spotted. Don from Inspiration Lady and right now I can't remember the name of the gent from Malalla came over. Started the emergency elektrikery again but this time no joy getting the engine going.

Sam (Sail Indonesia) called and said the rescue boat could tow me to a new spot. It came out, I gave them a line and away we went, me pulling the anchor up in slow time. The rescue boat started having some sort of problem but due to language problems we didn't know what. Then we both started drifting back towards the moored fishing boats and the rocks. A police boat which had previously declined to help cast off his moorings and came over. He promptly got a rope around a prop and he did go on the rocks. The rescue boat went to help, whatever problem he had seemingly gone. I continued to slowly drift back.

Dingies arrived. By now I was very close to the rocks and a fishing boat so I  let go the anchor. The rescue boat arrived back, again with some sort of engine problem and dropped his anchor right by mine and the fishing boat mooring. He then drifted behind me, his anchor line under Troutbridge. There we sat, swinging periodically very close to the rocks. Dingies were attached to me but we couldn't do anything until the rescue boat was clear. I was now unable to start the emergency elektrikery and so couldn't start the main engine.

The operator of the rescue boat went into a sulk and wouldn't attempt to communicate. Eventually a very disgruntled fisherman arrived in a small canoe and prepared to go fishing for the night, leaving his canoe on the mooring. Dingies powered the rescue boat clear and suddenly he powered up and was away with a derisive blast of his horn.

We now started moving Troutbridge clear but we discovered that my anchor had now fouled the mooring chain of the fishing boat. We started to drag the canoe along with us. That came loose and Norman went off t retrieve it. we managed to power Troutbridge into the spot that we had originally thought of and dropped the hook in 15 metres.

So, here I am with 4X scope wondering what will go wrong next. What should have been a simple exercise, and indeed started out that way, turned into a real drama. My sincere thanks for all the help and my apologies to those who didn't make the gala dinner because they were helping me. This is not a complete list but my thanks to
Inspiration Lady
Norsa
Camomile
Malalla