Anchor Retrieval Expedition ’07 (A.R.E) (CB)

Ok, this story took place a couple weeks ago, the last weekend of March.

It all actually got it’s start late last summer. August 2nd to be exact. To summarize, last August during our vacation in the San Juan Islands, we sailed into Blind bay on Shaw island to see our friends Scott and Angie on thier boat “Ghost”. Scotty had somehow gotten his anchor absolutly stuck on the bottom. Despite our best efforts, we could not break the anchor free. The only option we were left with was to cut his anchor chain and mark the spot with a buoy, with the wishful promise of returning one day to retrieve the anchor.

Over the winter we would get togather have a few beers/rums and retell the lost anchor story to each other or any innocent bystander that happened to be standing too close. At some point between the end of September and the beginning of March a plan was hatched to retrieve the anchor. That plan, along with more than a few others for retrieval trips were suggested and forgotten about. Some time in March a solid plan had come togather. Emails were sent, phone calls made, and work schedules updated. We decided to do it.

Initially there were to be 12 expedition team members, but as with such things, the final epiditionary force numbered a solid 4. We forged on none the less.

When “A Day” finally arrived, me and Scotty left Seattle early (10:30am) to get up to Shaw island and setup base camp. Dave and Rich would follow later in the afternoon with the dive gear and dinghy, which was all packed into and on top of Rich’s truck.

We got camp setup in no time and the first beers of many were opened. We made a few important logisitical decisions, such as which tree would be the designated “Pee tree”. This is an important step in setting up a base camp on any major expedition, trust me. We got the firewood gathered and a fire built, as well as scouted out the beach below the campsite. Not one beer was spilt at all during this crucial initial phase. Not even the one I was carrying as we climbed down the cliff from the campsite to the beach below.

Dave and Rich arrived to a well found camp and we settled in for a long night of bullshitting, beer drinking and music. Dave and Scott on Guitar, Rich on the Ukelallee and me on Harmonica. Oddly enough we did not see any wildlife at all the entire weekend. Not sure if it was due to our “music” or that Shaw island just does not have a raccoon problem.

After pounds of bacon and eggs cooked over the fire we headed to the dive site. While Dave and I got our dive gear sorted out and put on. Rich and Scotty took the dinghy out to the spot where Scotty thought the Anchor should be. They returned just as we were suited up and reported that they found the bouy we left last summer and that it was still attached to his anchor chain. Scotty even brought his underwater video camara and was able to spot the chain on the bottom and that is was drapped over some sort of cage.

Suggested dinghy load limit be damned, we all loaded into the dinghy along with all the dive gear and puttered out to the site of the anchor. We had so much wieght in the dinghy, that water was pouring in over the sides and well as through the centerboard hole in the bottom like a fountain. After me and dave slipped over the side in to the water, Rich started bailing like mad.

We followed the buoy line down and spotted not a cage but an entire sunken 50 foot fishing boat. We did not expect that. The Anchor was jammed underneath the keel of the boat and the anchor chain was wrapped up and around the front of the boat. We were able to unwrap the chain easy enough. But getting the anchor it’s self unstuck from the bottom of the boat was a real pain in the ass. Pushing and pulling on it kicked up a huge mess of silt and mud with made it impossible to see what we were doing. We worked at it for awhile then surface to formulate a new plan and go back down and try again. I was able to attach a line to the anchor with a D-ring and we used the dinghy and engine to try and pull the anchore free but that did not work. After that we needed a break and a new tank of air. So Scotty towed us back to shore.

Once on shore, Rich headed back to camp in the truck to get the fire stoked up so we could warm up when we were done. Me, Scotty and Dave headed back out for a second dive. We were actually going to just go out and retreive the line and reattach it to the buoy and write it off as a failure. But once out there we decide to get the anchor not matter what.

This time instead of pulling from just one side of the boat. I went on the Starboard side and pushed as Dave went to the port side and pulled. The anchor popped right out after a few minutes of effort. SUCCESS!!! We surfaced and Scotty pulled the Anchor up and into the Dinghy. High Fives all around. A quick dive down to try the float to the boat as a warning to others and we headed back to shore and camp.

We talked to a local that lived across the road from the beach and he told us that boat sank about 5 years ago and has been there ever since. It is not marked on any charts, so I informed the coastguard and NOAA of it and hopefully it will be marked on future charts.

We headed back to camp to warm up and celebrate our success, with more music, beer and chili!

What a great weekend!! And as always, I have pictures, but have not uploaded them yet.