The final outcome.. not here yet..
Sunday morning Capt. Longwater and I went over to my boat, the tide prediction showed it to be 8.8ft at 6:12am. He was in his skiff and was able to motor across the tide covered marsh almost all the way up to the stern of my sailboat. I was in my Mariner 3 inflatable and wasn’t sure about crossing the marsh, so I went my usual way around the bend and entered to walk across the dry land the same path as it shows in the video.. Only this time, that path was in shin and knee high water the whole way (first time I've personally seen it like that).
Edwin was examining the situation first hand and said "Yeah, I can pull right outta here".. I don't know much about boats, but hos is what I believe is called a trawler, it's about 45 or 50ft and looks alot like a shrimpboat.. I forgot what he told me it was, but its engine is a 471..479..??? something or other deasel engine, - anyway, he seemed entirely confident it would have no problem at all doing the job. I then mentioned that Jay said he would be meeting me Tuesday in his deckboat with a 115hp outboard, and also captain Walt was coming with his 150hp… Now I wish I had kept my mouth about that, because Edwin replied "That should work, and will be a lot less complicated and easier, because I'd have to gather a crew for mine, but I'm still going to help you with it."
Oh, by the way, I was told by the guy from SeaTow that the few hundred feet of 3/4 anchor rope I bought was the wrong kind of rope to use for this, and was extremely dangerous due to snapback if it broke. I had called Seatow inquiring on what they would charge.. They watched the video and called me back and a real nice guy (I forget his name) talked with me for about a half hour. He said the best they could do would be $210 per foot ( so, 26ft x 210 = $5,400 ), he said that was the best he could do because of the liability. I asked would it be cheaper if I signed a waiver or something, and he replied that he was referring to it being protected land. I asked if the job could maybe be done on the side.. He said not, and suggested I try to get a local shrimp boat to do it.
Anyway, back to the story.. Edwin (Longwater) had brought along a bunch of his heavy rope (It looked to be something larger than 3/4 to me) and we tied an end to a cleat on my boat so we could run the rope and have it ready. The tide was beginning to go out by this time, and Edwin did not want to run his outboard any more for fear the grass would tangle in the prop, so I walked both his boat and the rope across the marsh, the water depth was varying from hip deep to chest deep in some spots (I'm 5'10). Once across marsh and at the river edge, we tied a small anchor and used a empty bleach bottle as a buoy so we could find the end of the rope.
Monday morning about 7am, Edwin and I went over there again. Using some straps I had borrowed from Jay, wrapped a 6" strap in front of the keel and around the boat with the two ends meeting at the cabin entrance way, then ran a shorter 6" strap through the ends, with that straps two ends meeting in the transom cutout where the engine goes.. Then to that attached the rope we ran the day before through those strap loops, and tied it off.
The reason we did it this way is because the boat has to be moved backwards to clear a tree at the bow.
I also took off the rudder.. Had some difficulty after removing the bolt, was prying open that wrap-around steel thing.. I don't know what it's called, but the thing between the tiller arm bracket and the deck of the cockpit.. Anyway, I broke it, but the tiller is fine and slipped right out.
I suddenly realized someone had also took my cabin steps.. So far, that’s been a brand new 22lb delta anchor, a tiller arm, a couple led battery operated lanterns, first aid kit, and oddly enough; one cushion.. ! That's about all I've noticed to be gone of the stuff I had not removed.
Ok.. This morning, Tuesday, went over about 6am.. This is the day, high supermoon tide predicted at 9.2, at 7:57am. It's highest it has been or will be for years (except for any storm surges). Walter calls and says he can't come, but Jay is still coming with his boat, and a friend of Edwin's agreed at the last moment to bring his boat with 115hp…. We brought a large green trash residential trash can and hung it from the mast and used five gallon buckets to fill it up with water, placed several pipes centered under the stern area. Tried to winch up the trashcan, but couldn't.. So we dumped the water, and held and the can as high as we could and took up the slack at the winch, and filled with water again.. It leaned the boat a little, but didn't quiet raise the keel up.. But the two 115hp boats tried to pull it anyway..
What happened?.. A bunch of creaking and wiggles, but no movement.
I suggested we raise the keel with a hydraulic car jack, then try the trash can idea again, but Jay says we use the chain hoist tied to a downed tree to pull on the mast.. This idea worries me, Afraid the mast could break.. I don't know.. Ended up doing something different.
New plan. Tomorrow Wednesday, the high is predicted 9.1 at 8:49am.. This time Edwin is going to bring his big boat with a couple deck hands (like we had originally planned). Edwin says it will definitely pull it off the hard, once it's past that point it should practically glide across the marsh during the high…
Wednesday.. I went over at about 7am in my inflatable, the current was particularly strong this morning and it took me a lot longer than usual with my little trolling motor, about 20 minutes later Jay arrived and we threw a 3/4 rope around the mast and worked it up to the top, and created a foot loop for him to hang his 200lb+ self from, and I hung my boat ladder off the trash to climb and position myself on top the lid, while also holding the rope..
I'm not sure how much time passed before Edwin arrived in his big boat, but wish he had come a little sooner, because there was in 3 or 4 inches of water surrounding the boat for maybe a half hour before the trawler got there.. In other words we could have started pulling a little sooner.
Anyway, Edwin and whoever was with him on hos boat got situated and finally attached the line and began pulling as Jay and I bounced on the mast to create raise on the keel… it took a while before the line became tight, and at first didn't seem anything was really happening, but after some groaning my boat began shifting and turned a little, then a few moments later suddenly rapidly moved about 4 foot towards the marsh --- then the rope snapped somewhere close to the back river line.
There was some guy in a kayak who had paddled over the marsh close by us to watch, and he volunteered to go across and find the end of the line out there, and he did. We lost a lot of time as they got some more line joined, and the standing water on the hard we had there was going down fast, and although he gave it another try, it was to late..
As I watched Edwin heading back up river towards his anchorage, I gave him a call and asked if we could do it again in the morning (the tide prediction 8.8ft at 9:44am, and I think that may be the last chance this month).
Edwin sounded a little irritated and said he wasn't sure, and something about it be dangerous for his boat having to come so close to the shore, and that he was short handed.. Or something like that, I'm not sure what he was saying or meant, but he said he'd call me later today.. But I can tell he's not enthused about doing it again.. but.. well.. I don't know, I hope he will, and think he might, but something about todays attempt evidently made him uncomfortable, so I just have to wait and see. He's been a really big help so far, and so has Jay.
I'm hoping for tomorrow.
Sorry no video or pictures my camera took a swim