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From: »*-compassyahoo (Original Message) Sent: 2/14/2006 12:35 PIV

Last week we took a couple of days off and decided to go for a sail. Wednesday morning (midnight) we set off for the Cutter Patch ( a large expanse of water between Troubridge Island and Edithburg surrounded by shoals and averages 10 to 15 feet deep). We arrived mid morning after a good sail,, went into the entrance and down the channel for about 2 miles to the anchoring area, and set the anchor. All went well during the day, but the wind picked up in the evening. The patch is good for calm waters as the shoals and shallow water stop the waves building but we are exposed to the full force of the wind. By 10.30pm, it was blowing 35 knots, gusting to 40-45 knots, pouring rain and at the turn of the tide my anchor started to drag. I went forward and reset the anchor, but we were moving even faster. I pulled the anchor back up, thinking "god, this is very light" only to find the end of the chain empty. PANIC.

Then bump, bump as we hit bottom. By gunning it and turning into the wind which had lulled, I was able to get off and called a pan-pan. The problem was in the rain and darkeness, I was not able to see where I was. The island was only a shadow and unlit and I could not tell how far I was from it ( I needed to be about half a mile from it.) My depth sounder was going beserk as was my crew - for a moment. I could not find my way out as the entrance beacon is also unlit. Coast-guard responded, copied the situation and was able to get the police helicopter to fly across the Gulf to guide us out. However, he could not find us, despite giving him our GPS co-ordinates. He had to return to Adelaide to refuel, as he had been on another task when he got the call, so there was another delay of an hour. Meanwhile I am endevouring to circle in the same spot, but the wind was blowing us closer to the island with each circle. Bump, aground again, but once more able to get off and back out to Safer water, still circling. Helicopter back but still could not find us, so they asked me to set off the EPIRB so they could hone in on it. The rains stopped and we then saw them searching on the east side of the island whereas we were on the west side. I told them of their boo-boo and they asked me to set off a red flare. Naturaly I used one of my old - out of date - ones and it worked perfectly. BUT, in doing so it totally blinded us and thump, aground again and this time could not get off.

So now it was call out Sea Rescue from Edithburg, a further delay of an hour and with the tide on its way out, and a dodge tide the next day, we would be stuck there for an extra day. The helicopter guided the rescue boat to us and then had to leave. The rescue boat tried to pull us off backward, but in doing so fouled his line on his prop, so I had to throw him a rope as he was swept past us on the way to the rocks and we rescued him. He cleared his prop and this time successfully pulled us off forwards, and guided us back to Edithburg and onto a mooring.

By now it was Sam and we just collapsed into our bunks. The lessons learned.

1. Double check the connections to the anchor and ensure the shackle pins are wired into place.

2. When anchoring, press the "mark" on the GPS so I can return to the spot.

3. "Mark" on the GPS the entrance beacon, rather than rely on charts which are not precise enough, when the entrance is only a few hundred metres wide.

4. Set up a high powered spotlight - whether that would have helped find a landmark in the driving rain, I don't know, but it wouldn't have hurt.

5. And most importantly - don't panic.