Another grounding, Banderas Bay

The second boat within a week went aground in Banderas Bay yesterday.  This time, it was at the La Cruz anchorage. 

The afternoon winds gusted to 20 knots and large swells rolled through, bucking and rolling the boats at anchor.  It was dusk when this Islander 28 bounced across the reef and onto the beach.  Iggy, the owner was not aboard. A swimmer struggled through the high swell to get a line to the boat while cruisers climbed on board to cleat it.  Two dinghies with anchors and line flipped in the high surf while assisting.  A half-dozen more dinghies from the anchorage lined up and pulled on the line, managing to turn the vessel into the surf before rescuers on the boat signaled to stop.  A panga with a big engine arrived and a second line was attached to it and the boat.  Within minutes, the mast snapped and fell to the beach taking part of the cabin top with it.  Daylight faded and the rescue was called off. 

In the dark of the night, flashlight beams flitted about on the boat like fireflies.  In the morning, its contents were spread about on the beach; sails, lines, hoses, a refrigerator, clothing, food.  A small camping tent was up where Iggy had spent the night.  He was selling everything that he had salvaged. 

 

A backhoe arrived and lifting its big claw into the exposed cabin of the bow it pulled the vessel up high on the beach. More gear and the engine were removed while a dump truck waited silently like a vulture.  Finally, the backhoe flung its claw into the hull, lifting the splintered pieces into the dump truck.  It took just two loads for the boat to become a memory.