That little thingy on the stern DOES look like an OB mount but where's the outboard? Knocked off when they hit the beach stern to? It does look like they tried to sail out of it but, I don't see any sign of a reef in the sail, which I would think you would certainly want. The anchor rode looks light and not a long enough angle to have much out in that wind. The boat gives me an impression of a live-aboard, there seems to be some sort of dodger or bimini poking out from the starboard side of the collapsed main. Actually, it looks like a covered BBQ grill but, I feel like that is a bit much to assume. No name on the transom nor home port, no flag, so domestic? Since the couple were aboard, did they wake to a boat adrift in a storm and raced to recover but were too late? I know nothing about the area but, perhaps they were just there visiting friends and didn't know it either. They do have a VHF antenna and what is that oval piece at its base, sat. dish? That boat certainly looks like more than a weekender but, I agree with Jackdaw that she is too big to push around with an outboard that would sit on the little bracket that appears to be there.
In conclusion, since we are guessing what happened from one photo - Her name is Gemini out of Miami where the new regulations have resulted in the removal of all regular anchorages and most bays don't allow over-night anchoring by sailboats, especially live-aboards who might poop in the water. The couple, May and Jessie (Don't ask me which is which), who were working as type-setters in an old fashion printing house were foreclosed upon when a RE developer wanted their land for a condo project. They decided to move aboard Gemini and sail north where their aging skill set would find better options, and to visit their friends Jack and Diane in CT, where they hoped to find work. They didn't have time or money to buy a cruising guide and relied upon Jack and Diane's non-sailor's advice that they would be fine just anchoring off the shore-line. They had just rowed back to Gemini early that evening because they had their dinghy's outboard stollen in Norfork after a late lunch with their friends and start work on a new round of job applications via the Internet for the Boston area. They listened to the radio but fell asleep before hearing the weather report. Their danforth dragged until they came up upon a bedrock bottom and the vibrations in the anchor rode as the anchor skipped along the bottom woke them up. Jessie woke and knew instantly they were in danger. Jessie woke May and they raced to get some sails up since they didn't have a second anchor and their engine was down waiting for a part. May and Jessie weren't the most experienced sailors having spent most of their time just around Miami. They loosened the tie-downs for both the main and the jib at the same time and proceeded to hoist the main. This put more strain on the anchor as the sailcloth caught the wind and the softer beach bottom couldn't hold them as they bore down on the breaking shore. The jib shook open in the breakers as they neared the beach and she really dragged before finally hitting the beach at a good 3 knots going backwards. They headed back to CT because Jack and Diane had a warm dry house with a guest room. That night May and Jessie decided to sell the boat, if they could, and go back to school for IT.
This is just a guess, though.
-Will (Dragonfly)
This is one of those "there, but for the grace of God, go I" moments.
