4am shocking wake up! All hands on deck

April 29, 2021

So our all weather anchorage was not quite as it seemed!!

Woke midnight to hear the anchor chain rattling and groaning and the wind screaming into our sheltered anchorage.. Checked with Skipper on deck, all seemed to be ok.

Skipper up 3am, to check the rising wind gusts. 4am a jolt, keel on bottom, intense wind gusts. All crew up, foul weather gear, and life jackets on. Howling gusts of winds turning Mimu on her ear, intense rain in our faces. Started engine, 40kg Delta anchor dragging. Engine in drive to keep us off the land.

Made the call to lift dragging anchor to surface for 2 crew in dinghy to motor out and relay. Crew couldn’t get anchor out far enough with heavy chain holding them back. Retrieved the anchor and decision made to escape from the anchorage and into the larger Wet Jacket Arm channel.

Retrieved anchor, bow thrusters working keeping our nose straight into the narrow Stick Cove. Engine in gear to keep us off the rocks on our stern. Spotlight on bow, thunderstorms causing wind to flow all directions. Zero visibility, no moon, intense, howling, screaming squalls, intense gusts.

Squalls showing 30+ knots on the instruments but feeling as though we were gusting 60+ knots. A particularly strong gust on our beam and the back panel of the bimini blew out, 2 paddle boards uplifted from the stern davits. Bow thrusters operating at full steam to keep our bow out from the shore. Accidentally, in the pitch black, nudged the staysail furling button which caused the sail to start to unfurl …. … managed to get the sail back in.

All slightly disorientated in the pitch black. Used the powerful spot light crouched down at the bow through severe gusts. Did 360 degree circle before reversing out into Wet Jacket Arm stern too, following course on chart plotter.

Removed all cushions, squabs in cockpit, gusts so severe lifting anything not tied down in cockpit. Bimini flapping uncontrollably. Released both stern lines from the boat, lifted anchor and manouvered Mimu stern first through the channel to more open waters. Zero visibility, absolutely vicious wind gusts howling through the channel. Boat healing with gusts of wind on the beam. Commodore packed a grab bag of essential electronics and credit cards ... as a just in case!

07.05 turned into Wet Jacket Arm and set a course to motor slowly up this arm, the channel giving us room to manouvre in the weather while waiting for daylight.

We had a localised unforcasted thunderstorm bringing severe wind gusts. Slowly motored up Wet Jacket Arm, watery daylight filtered through. Turned and followed our path back down the passage towards Stick Cove keeping an eye out for paddleboards. Wind gusts still ferocious. Glimpsed a line of brown in the water surrounded by foliage and recognised a board. Launched dinghy with Clare and Simon who retrieved the board. The board a bit battered and bruised but good to have back on board. Spotted 2nd paddleboard 200m from Stick Cove bopping on the surface. Both boards back on deck, a bit worse for wear but with an adventure to tell.

11am anchored just outside Stick Bay, we've had a sleepless night and all up on deck since 4am. Dinghy ashore to pick up the stern lines left during our night time rapid departure. A wonderful hot brunch from the Commodore of bacon and eggs, made the decision to head back to Cascade Cove where we knew we could pick up a secure mooring buoy. Forecast of extreme winds for next 24 hours. Could see severe weather fronts in the distance, a white line of breaking water (hail or snow) on the horizon.

Spent an hour or so tidying up on deck. Cut away last back panel of torn bimini and retied.

Stern lines rescued, paddle boards securely tied on davits.

We had been wrestling with the elements since 4am and sporadic sleeping before that time. Severe, scary powerful gusts and wind squalls, shrieking and howling, grey skies, biting drizzle and hail storms.