Challenge: Float this Boat!

[Dune]

At low tide, get every barrel lashed under her, attach rub rails, lighten the load as much as you can, wait for high tide, pull like hell. If that doesn't work, resort to LeftRoamin's Pyrat Rum idea.

[Inthewind]

Looks like your going to need two power boats with long tow lines. One boat will need to have one tow line hoisted to the top of the mast with the halyard and secured for a masthead pull. The other boat will have it's towline on the bow. There will have to be a man in the boat also to work the lines and the pumps.

Looks like from the pictures, there is some wave action and that will help do some of the work. The boat looks like it is going to be healed over to the other side toward the open water. And best to do it at high tide.

When all is set and ready and both boats positioned. Easily have the man on the masthead pull the boat over to the other side while the other boat slowly pulls the bow around. With some wave action to help with lift and high tide, it should come out of there.

If it is not out of there yet, I fear the damage that is already done to the hull and especially to the keel.

Has anyone tried to put a pump in the boat yet to see if it can keep up with the water coming in? I have seen boats in the postion where the keel totally came off and three gas pump would not keep up with the incoming water dramatically making the salvage much more complicated. Good luck

[donw_s11]

Seems to me you have about 2 options to get the boat off of the reef intact. (There are plenty of options where the boat is demolished ;-)

1) Lift the boat so that the keel is clear of the reef and tow it out. The lifting effect will have to be substantial as the boat and keel probably weigh at least 4000 lbs. If you are going to try this route, your best bet is to have something that can be attached submerged, and then filled with air. (Salvage lift bags, hydrohoist pontoons, barrels, etc)

2) Heel the boat over far enough so that it floats on its side with the keel clear of the reef. In your post you said that the water over the reef is 2+ feet deep, and it looks like it from the picture as well. I'll bet that if the boat is heeled over to the railing, she'll float by herself in that much water, so try attaching to the top of the mast, and pulling it down. (Gently, so as not to break the rig and dismast her). Make sure to close up the boat as much as possible, and pump out the water already inside the boat. From the pic, and the way the waves are breaking it appears that deeper water is maybe 20 to 30 yards out to sea, so have a tow boat already attached and ready to pull when she starts to float, or you'll have her further up on the reef.

Good luck!

Don

[Boracay]

It's easy to comment when one doesn't have any money on the table but I'd be thinking in terms of rolling the boat further on its side so an empty 44 gal (220litre!) drum can be lashed under (on one side of) the keel.

It might be possible to facilitate this by pulling down the tip of the mast.

Then, with the pump working the boat should float (on it's side, keel being lifted by the drum) as the tide comes in. Tow it off.

[Santana]

Looking at the photo closer, I don't think that you could raise the keel high enough to float her off without the hull digging into the bottom. That's why you should put the timbers under her side and drag her off sideways and let the timbers take the abuse

[Hud3]

She's still sitting on the reef. Greg had to get permission from the Nevis "Receiver of Wrecks" to even go out to look at her. I've never heard of a "Receiver of Wrecks"! Still contemplating how best to go about it, or even if it's worth it.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll report back when there are developments.

[Santana]

Hey Hud,
Sounds like a new office to sell more permits.. Although Nevis has always been kind of laid back though. At least so last time I visited..GOOD LUCK

[Celestialsailor]

How far is it on the hard coral? If not far, lash 3/4" ply to her freeboard and pull from the top of the mast. That will keep the keel off from digging in and the ply will act like a skid. This is a do or die method if the rigging is strong enough but it usually works.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Hud3

Greg had to get permission from the Nevis "Receiver of Wrecks" to even go out to look at her. I've never heard of a "Receiver of Wrecks"!

Isn't Davey Jones the Receiver of Wrecks?

TaoJones

[Jolly Roger]

It's a relic of the old British time. His job was to determine who actually owned a wrecked ship, so he could determine salvage and such things. They still have them in the Old Country.

[holomoku]

Here's what I was thinking of.....................

[Bella Sera]

Any possibility they could just undo the keel bolts and plug the holes? Hull should pull off easily at that point, and perhaps they could recover the keel later with a small barge?

[drew.ward]

I might be a little late chiming in on this, but so far it sounds like this needs to be as low cost and low tech as possible.

Since it's on hard coral only 2-3.5 feet deep, what about organizing a group of people. Pump out everything that's in the boat, and like mentioned above pull out as much weight as you can.

Then do as quick of a temp patch as you can on the crack, secure a good spot for a strong tow rope.

Get your group of sailors nice and beer'd then have them actually stand on the hard around the boat (should be possible in only 2-3 feet of water.

Slip some ropes or 2x4's or whatever under the hull and as the high tide comes in have the group as a whole give the boat a big heave to get it that last little bit up off the snag.

Have your tow rope tied off to someone with a good powerboat and pull like hell with everyone lifting.

If it works it would take a bit of finagling to organize, but the boat should be free and floating without much effort or damage. If it doesn't work, get everybody back into the boat that brought them there, set a funerary pyre of the fibreglass kind, get more beer and enjoy the show.

[hellosailor]

Hud, when you say Greg is organizing the "rescue" of the boat, do you mean that the owners have authorized him to save it? Or, simply that he is trying to undertake the salvage of the boat, whether for altruistic or financial reasons?

As I understand it, a Receiver of Wrecks has no involvement IF the actual owner or their agent is the party handling things. That would imply Greg is, legally, just a salvor.

With a C&C 27 in good condition with running engine worth very roughly $10,000 US these days, what would that one be worth, in need of a rudder, keel repairs, and engine? Six grand? Still some opportunity for salvage (or rescue) but sitting on a reef and pounding for a couple of weeks, there soon will be no hull left to save. One would expect time to be of the essence.

[Little Otter]

Or you could just get 5 or 6 empty 50gal. drums tie them together with a rope barely long enough to let the drums sit on either side and force them underwater under the hull and then tie more of to it, one the tide comes in the barrels will lift the boat, make it ride a little high but it would get it off the reef.