Ropes, buoys and propellers

02Jun26 The First Random Rope

The Caribbean is a big place. Which makes it even more impressive when you manage to hit the only floating buoy rope for hundreds of miles. One morning I noticed something strange dragging behind *Patience*. A bleach bottle. two miscellaneous buoys. Some floating debris. As soon as I saw it I knew what it was my biggest fear being it's wrapped around the fricking propeller. Thankfully the rudder wasn't spinning so I didn't think it was twisted around in any dangerous way. For those just joining us to the sailing life. The problem with fishing line is it tangles within the propeller. As it does this it then cuts through the seal on the propeller. That keeps see water out of the components and saildrive. It that happens it Damages the sail drive Moore's engine components and wrecks the sail drive oil. Not to mention it's a hassle to fix and usually ends up bringing out the propeller meaning the whole ship has to come up or at least the propeller has to be raised above the water line as you can imagine either it's a challenge. We dropped sail and slowed down. Looking back, I probably should have heaved-too.

At the time, we were still learning. The solution seemed simple enough. As I realized it was attached to it was attached to the rudder. I grab a gaff. I can't pull it from where I'm at the buoys tingle . Next I grab a safety line. Insecure to the boat secured to myself and I jump into the ocean. As I'm in the water, I found myself wondering why nobody had invented a Batman-style emergency retrieval system for sailors. Push a button. Instantly get winched back aboard. No drama. No dangling. Hopefully quick enough not to become fish food. If someone hasn't I'm sure they will invent it soon. The tangle turned out to be harmless roughly about 20 feet of floating line decorated with bottles improvised floats and debris I don't how long it been out there but we were the lucky ones who grabbed it. C I shimmy it off the rudder. Crisis averted.

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03Jun26 More rope. The ocean has never finished teaching lessons somewhere during the third day early in the morning as we were sailing I want to tack turning on both engines when I realize that The starboard engine Will not RPM up I know what this means my engine isn't damaged. There's something wrapped around the propeller. So one of the cool things that happen When something wraps around the propeller is it automatically stops if it can't open up its fins and spin she won't power at all I think it's a fail safe to make sure we don't wreck our engine the challenge is it will spin till it becomes wrapped up. Again something's wrapped around the propeller. Well I already have the rope tied to the ship that I can just slip into only now the ocean is much more busy . I have a meter and a half to two meter waves . The propeller and the rudder are roughly about three feet in from the rear of the and it goes down at least three feet and because the ocean's rocking that means Patience is rocking. This is a problem The boat is rocking I have a small knife on my hip I have my snorkel gear on I can dive down deep enough to see that this propeller is wrapped tight I have to cut through this and I don't want to cut through the seal. I also have to keep one hand above my head so that when the bolt comes down it doesn't connect with my noggin. To say this is going to be a challenge as an understatement. We're in the middle of the Caribbean. Far away from land, no Marina, no mechanic, no tow service, just us.

Diving down trying to time myself so that I can hold the propeller with one hand Slice through a rope that's not attached to a seal Come back up for air all while making sure the boat doesn't bounce off my head. Cause that same hand. That's holding onto the propeller, has to push against the bottom of the canoe, while not allowing it to bash in my skull. It sounds simple but it takes several dives down to make sure that I know where to cut and how the rope is wrapped around the propeller To say I wanted to give up is an understatement but I can't give up 'cause without that motor. we can't easily motor into a dock with only one engine. That's a challenge neither of us want to deal with.

I can take care of it now or I can take care of it later. We'll need that engine to sail the rest of the way. At least it'd sail more comfortably. I'm having a hard time being able to Cut the Rope even after I decided where to cut. Have snorkel gear I tried the fins they don't work in these SE Take the fins back off I climb back up I have no fancy dive gear I have to get the weight belt to hold me down so come back up get the weight belt on. Go back in I repeat holding my breath diving beneath the catamaran holding on to the propeller and then the hull so when it comes down it pushes me down without breaking my skull. After What felt like forever at first I wrote two and a half hours but it wasn't that long it maybe was a full 45-50 minutes but that is still a long time to be messing with this thing. I wanted to quit during this whole process I was not getting anywhere My cuts were not doing.

What I needed to do? The blade was sharp. Here's one of those things you think of in retrospect. While getting ready. I think a serrated knife? I learned the sail with my buddy's C-dog. He charters out of the Keys His real name is Tim - Tim C. An excellent fellow. If you get a chance look him up. He's a hoot and a good fisherman. While being an excellent artist and all those things like sailors tend to be.

That's not why I mentioned that here. He had an old fashioned serrated bread knife. While leaving port one day. Something wrapped around the propeller and I guess I'll learned from him. Without hesitation, without questioning it. He strips down to his shorts grabs the bread knife, dives into the water. Comes back out and he's like. "That's freaking fantastic, two swipes and I'm through it. " He holds up his trophy's to show me. a length of rope. Along with his winner's smile. That's what I'm thinking here. I need a small bread knife for getting rid of things like this, so I can just go slice through them.

Still we're not there yet. I'm here with a regular knife. It's very sharp. Yet, it's hard to hold a knife with one hand, feel around for the rope, then make sure that your vessels, doesn't crack your in the skull. It's a lot going on. When you joined the Army. They sell young kids on adventure, bravo and glamor. All the cool things. Which there are many cool thing in the Army. What they don't tell you is all the times you patrol tired. While being in cold waters, being smelly, Feeling those leeches on you. Up to your privates in swamps, or sandy beaches. Dirt and sand everywhere and being either too hot or cold. I have been so cold in the army that I couldn't have words to do justice.

Capt. Babe offers to help. by switching palaces with her,. She pout off when I say no. I'm not risking her under here. Anyway back to the present. Holding on to the lift arm on Patience. So that L-shaped piece of metal, doesn't crack me in the head. I use it to catch my breath. Then dive down to try again. I keep telling myself. Just one more dive, then another, just get to the next dive. This becomes my mantra and then somewhere between the fifth dive and my last one. I can't even tell anymore, how many times I did this. when the rope is cut through the first time. Its still wrapped, yet I have cut through one strand. This renews my strength, my fortitude, my determination. I dive again, and again. Cutting the same spot on the rope. After about the third or forth time. It's a good cut. I'm getting better at cutting through the rope while underneath the boat. I dive again. Some time between when I cut through and now. It happens. I get a good cut. I feel it. It was a solid slice. I go up for air. I dive back down. I go to pull the cut rope off and all the rope comes loose. I am elated the sense of joy of having that float away was great. I panic. I try an collect as much of the rope as I can without cutting myself. I don't want it just to float away. TI got part of it. Some of it still went off and hopefully. It won't sabotage somebody else. I hand my gar up. Chekc one more time. With more vigor than I had thirty minutes ago. Star the engine, Try her in gear. Check the engine compartment. Its looking good.

Relief.

Satisfaction.

Gratitude.

Exhaustion.

Sometimes all at once.