Securite, Securite, Securite!!!

(Lisa suggested I add my version of the lobster trap story because I could add more detail. Hope it’s not too repetitive.)

Mariners will recognize the title as the hailing when you are in trouble but not quite at “mayday” status (life threatening). All was well as we left our most peaceful anchorage in Vinal Haven, at Perry’s Creek. We headed for North East Harbor, a long sail but we decided to try and make up some time in getting to Canada. We were motoring, as there was very little wind and we needed to average at least 5 kts to make our next anchorage.

At this point I need to say a word about lobster traps: THERE ARE MORE FRICKEN LOBSTER TRAPS THAN THERE ARE LOBSTERS!!! I don’t know how any lobster could possibly escape getting caught! When you are motoring you have to be more vigilant than when sailing as the traps can be inducted into the prop and leave you hopelessly fouled, a situation you don’t want to be in! When siling, the prop is not spinning, so the line would not get wrapped up.

As the wind began to build, we decided to hoist the sails and shut down the engine and relax a bit about the lobster pots. We got on a nice reach and I opened a cold one👍 The reach turned into a run, and we got into a tight channel with heavy current, so it was time to fire up the engine to ensure we don’t get in trouble. I started the engine, put it in forward and immediately heard the awful rapping of a lobster pot wrapping around the prop. As we what been only sailing, I had not been paying much attention to the pots and it seems the money moment I decided to start the engine we were right on top of one😩 Not only did it induct into the prop but as we were just starting up, not running at speed, it jammed really well in between the prop and the hull and could not be dislodged. We realized immediately we were in a pickle and knew we had to first stop the boat from drifting into to nearby rocks, pull in the sails, and figure out what to do next. We dropped the anchor pronto and as luck would have it, it held. That meant priority number one was taken care of, to stop the boat. Next, we pulled in the sails in record time👍 Oddly enough, though the anchor was holding, we stayed abeam to the wind and current as opposed to turning directly into it. I would discover shortly why. Once under reasonable control we notified the Coast Guard with a “Securite” call. The coast guard was quickly responsive and pulled all critical info from us: how many on board?; do all have life jackets?; confirmed lat/Lon position, and asked what we needed. The Coast Guard wanted to call SeaTow! We decided to dive under the boat and see if we could free up the prop. It was then I learned why we were abeam to the wind and current: the line was still attached to the string of traps so we had the stern held in place by the lobster traps and the bow by the anchor😩 It was a challenge to free it and the water was COLD (16c)!! After about 20 minutes in the water we got it cut free and dislodged the buoy from the prop, whew!

A cautionary tale for others they may try this: I had tied a leatherman tool to my left wrist on about three feet of line so I wouldn’t lose it while working on the prop. On one of my dives I made some cuts and then had to go up for air. As I did, the tool got caught in the prop. Between my arm length and the line I was able to get my head up to one side of the boat, grab a breath and free the tool. I had been counting on the weight of the tool to keep it too low to get tangled, but it didn’t work that way!

We got back underway and made it to North East Harbor without further incident but kept sharp eyes out for those darn traps!Read more