I should have just Googled it! One of those stories that makes you want to ask a thousand questions, but of course you weren't there.
https://www.blockislandtimes.com/art...-aground/61534
Text from story:
On Tuesday, November 8, 2022 around 11:15 a.m., Harbormaster Kate McConville received a call that there was a sailboat very close to shore on the west side of the island. When she got to the scene, McConville told
The Block Island Times, the vessel was among the rocks just south of the entrance to Dorry’s Cove. There was “one individual on board, alone, no injuries. We spoke via
VHF radio and I notified the United States Coast Guard,” she said.
The boat’s owner, Mr. Peter Prauss, 78, resides in Hamburg,
Germany in the
winter months and
sails along the coast of the tri-state area during “the season.” He was on his way to leave the boat in Warwick just before returning home for the
winter. McConville told
The Times that Prauss has owned the 46-foot Galaxie for 12 years.
Prauss’s
engine quit working and he went below to try to
repair the issue. “Unfortunately, when he came back up, the
keel was hitting bottom. It was too far in and we
lost the tide to safely pull it off,” said McConville. “The Narragansett Fire
Rescue swim crew came over on a USCG vessel to assist getting the owner safely off the vessel. He had to jump off with a life jacket and they swam him in. I took him to the
Rescue Station where he could dry off and warm up.” (A short video of the rescue can be seen on the New Shoreham Harbors Department Facebook page.)
While waiting to get off the island on Wednesday, Prauss spent some time at the Block Island Chamber of Commerce, and according to Chamber Director Chris Crawford, said the boat
engine overheated when the
cooling chamber dislodged from its weld just off shore and the currents and
wind pushed the boat into the rocks before he could
repair and reinstall it.
“People are asking me why no one helped him,” said McConville. “He was unable to verify his
insurance, and tow companies require that before they assume possession of a vessel in such
distress. Without proper
insurance, the
price for
service is extremely expensive. I was not going to put the town
marine patrol at risk when there was no person in
distress.”
“The Chamber of Commerce found him lodging in South Kingston Wednesday night so he could get a new
charger for his
phone and coordinate
repairs to the boat,” said Crawford.
“He has worked out its
removal with a
salvage company from the mainland,” said McConville. “It should be removed, hopefully Friday [November 18].” High winds and surf from the remnants of
Hurricane Nichole that caused the
ferry to be canceled on Saturday, delayed the
salvage operation, which will involve bringing in a barge outfitted with a crane.
The boat, with an aluminum
hull, appeared to suffer little additional damage from the stormy
weather, but did look as if it had a hole in it, McConville said on Monday upon revisiting Dorry’s Cove to take additional pictures for the salvage
company.
“I am just glad there were no injuries,” she said.