I happened to be on deck and saw a boat coming down stream making quite a lot of smoke, as they passed the end of the pontoon the engine cut out, was restarted but cut out again not far from the end of the pontoon and apparently dead up tide (see 2nd pic). I quickly changed the flip flops for proper shoes and prepared to fend off, which would not be easy as I was close to the end of the pontoon and have vulnerable self steering on the stern.
The skipper who was using a borrowed boat got the anchor out as the tide took her a couple of boat lengths from me, but there was not much chain, only a couple times the depth of water (more chain may have been in the locker but would not come out and there was no quick access) so we didn't know if it would hold (4 times the depth is “standard”, and much more in extreme conditions) against the strong tide at its peak on a spring tide. Neither did we know how long it would take to get a tow.
They did not think there was long enough lines on board so I grabbed my 100 metre "long rope" intended for the kedge, taking a line ashore in a tight anchorage or emergencies like this one, slung it in the dinghy and ran the line from their stern to the pontoon, up to a second cleat on the pontoon then out to her stem.
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| As the tide eased she swung in closer. |
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| The orange buoy is about 5m from the end of the pontoon. Off back to Mylor, this is about where the engine failed the second time. When I was watching as she passed there was definitely water coming out of the exhaust, when they tried to start it later there wasn't any so almost certainly the impeller Or water pump belt failed and the engine stopped shortly after. |
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| 100 metres of 12mm nylon (breaking strain over 3 tonnes) drying out before I repack it. I also have 80 metres of 14mm platted line for the drogue or other uses. |
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