Once I had an engine quit on the light single engine airplane I was flying. I declared an emergency with the dreaded term: "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday...". Today I used the "Pan-Pan" call as a result of our anchor failing in high winds near a reef.
We had intended to leave Nanaimo and sail across to Gibson's. Unfortunately, the wind strong warnings were out for the Strait north of Nanaimo, but calling 15 to 20 gusting 25 Kts. This is not a big deal for a large Island Packet, but both Christopher and Carolyn were reluctant to face the largely windward sail, so I turned around. No place at the marina, so Newcastle Marine Park is across the Newcastle Channel and we went there and dropped our anchor. The winds were so strong that by the time it was set, we had drifted back across a "no anchor" line and the Nanaimo Port Authority boat came by and told us to move. So we started pulling up the chain and the chain pipe separated from the deck and jammed the chain in the gypsy. Trailing almost 100 feet of chain, dragging and in danger, I made the "Pan-Pan" call.
They were on us immediately, but we hit the reef none the less and we had a diver check out the bottom and we were not taking on water. We will haul her out late Monday to assess the damage more closely. So much for a holiday.
We had intended to leave Nanaimo and sail across to Gibson's. Unfortunately, the wind strong warnings were out for the Strait north of Nanaimo, but calling 15 to 20 gusting 25 Kts. This is not a big deal for a large Island Packet, but both Christopher and Carolyn were reluctant to face the largely windward sail, so I turned around. No place at the marina, so Newcastle Marine Park is across the Newcastle Channel and we went there and dropped our anchor. The winds were so strong that by the time it was set, we had drifted back across a "no anchor" line and the Nanaimo Port Authority boat came by and told us to move. So we started pulling up the chain and the chain pipe separated from the deck and jammed the chain in the gypsy. Trailing almost 100 feet of chain, dragging and in danger, I made the "Pan-Pan" call.
They were on us immediately, but we hit the reef none the less and we had a diver check out the bottom and we were not taking on water. We will haul her out late Monday to assess the damage more closely. So much for a holiday.
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