Last night I was rudely awakened
at exactly 11:06pm
by a loud air horn blaring just behind me. A boat that came in late the night before was dragging anchor. I sat in the cockpit watching them anchor about sunset thinking they were very close to being out in the channel. When they anchored, the wind was blowing from the south, but last night a storm came through with 30mph winds and turned to the north. *See the circle where they WERE. Imagine the wind coming from the other direction, so all the boats are turned around. They motored way up into that circle and dropped their anchor. When the wind changed they were turned facing ME! I ran up on deck - the cold rainy, windy deck - in my underwear and watched in horror as their lights were shining toward me. Then i saw the other boats behind them, where they were going to drag toward, were up on their decks turning on all their lights in a form of magic protection. "If i have my lights on, they can see me and wont hit me?" The dragging boat tried three times before they finally were able to catch their anchor and wedge back up into that circle. Part of their vessel was actually in the channel, an illegal area.
This is how close they appeared to me when i rushed up on deck last night. (lights pointed at me) It's actually taken at 8am when they tucked their tale between their legs and motored away. I dont know where they went, but i'm glad they're gone.
UPDATE added Wed 1/30. I motored over (2 days later) and met the couple on the Catamaran just to the left of the crash zone circle. I asked them if that dragging boat scared them? (i knew the answer as they had turned on all their deck lights and stood out on the bow in the cold blowing wind before i got up and after i went to bed.) The lady told me, "we didnt get much sleep as we watched their boat till 4am."
UPDATE added Wed 1/30. I motored over (2 days later) and met the couple on the Catamaran just to the left of the crash zone circle. I asked them if that dragging boat scared them? (i knew the answer as they had turned on all their deck lights and stood out on the bow in the cold blowing wind before i got up and after i went to bed.) The lady told me, "we didnt get much sleep as we watched their boat till 4am."
AFTER my coffee and my breakfast routine this morning, i gathered up my 'broken' hand held VHF radio and Bahama chart books. My plan for the day was to get a new VHF radio battery. In addition i had a 10am appointment with Anne, Roland and Lena on their boat Kokamo to discuss their 40 years knowledge of their trips to the Bahamas. I met Anne last week and she asked if she could buddy boat across the Gulf Stream when i went. She is a single handed sailor from New Hampshire. Roland and Lena are her neighbors on the next mooring.
THANKS Roland for all the knowledge. I'll try to make you proud!
Great news, my VHF is still under warranty. I bought the extended warranty on it back in 2015. So they gave me a new one. (I bought another extended warranty on this one too!)
I hope everything YOU have is working, or under warranty!
-Skip
