Its just over 24 hours now since an approximate 30-foot abandoned sailboat with no name sailed off her anchor and ran into another cement 50 foot sailboat which also has an absentee owner. The two have been doing the tango just 100 yards to the east of MISTRESS and there are several other small sailboats closure to them. Each time the tide changes or a wake comes our way, the two grind and crunch at each other while the rest of us sit by, fenders at the ready in case the first wayward boat takes flight again. The City marina has been made aware, but because neither boat owner pays dingy dockage, no one knows who the owners are. I called Tow Boat US yesterday, because they were the ones that brought the wayward boat here about three months ago when the owner called them because his engine failed. They did not remember which boat I was speaking of, and said once the storm we were dealing with went through, they would come out and check. To date, they have not come by. We called Fish and Wildlife and a report was filed yesterday with the numbers on both boats, but no one will be coming out because there is no danger to wildlife. Florida Marine Patrol I am told, has its boat out of commission and because there is no immediate threat to life and limb, it is not appropriate to call the Coast Guard. Therefore, we all sit here waiting for something more to happen. I have all my fenders on deck and a large metal cutter that was purchased to cut rigging wire should either or both come my way. If we touch the wayward boat, we become responsible for it and man oh man I sure don’t want to be responsible for it. If it hits us, my best guess is the owner sure will not have the money needed for our repairs, considering he has not done any of his own and I have only seen him here twice since it was dropped off. I am also not interested in owning his boat as compensation of damage done to MISTRESS.
What do I do now? Do I just keep sitting here waiting for it to break loose from the other boat? Do I wait until the two of them are loose and call out a Pan Pan to the area? I have made everyone here in the south anchorage aware of what is happening so they can be prepared, but it seems rather silly to me to be not sleeping and watching these two boats dance the crunch tango.
I know that in the cover of darkness, there are all kinds of fun things we could think about doing, but I am hoping for some advice here that will really help those of us in the anchorage. If we set it free the chances it will return in just six hours with the next tide change is a very strong possibility. We are at slack tide with the swing going to happen any minute. Luckily, there has been little or no wind.
Please Help!
I am clueless in St. Augustine.
Kathleen
Aboard
Schooner MISTRESS
What do I do now? Do I just keep sitting here waiting for it to break loose from the other boat? Do I wait until the two of them are loose and call out a Pan Pan to the area? I have made everyone here in the south anchorage aware of what is happening so they can be prepared, but it seems rather silly to me to be not sleeping and watching these two boats dance the crunch tango.
I know that in the cover of darkness, there are all kinds of fun things we could think about doing, but I am hoping for some advice here that will really help those of us in the anchorage. If we set it free the chances it will return in just six hours with the next tide change is a very strong possibility. We are at slack tide with the swing going to happen any minute. Luckily, there has been little or no wind.
Please Help!
I am clueless in St. Augustine.
Kathleen
Aboard
Schooner MISTRESS