Any updates on the Anna Marie?

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slowgoesit

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Muirgen
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50' Beebe Passagemaker
As some of you may recall, the Anna Marie was an 89' aluminum hulled Motor Yacht that was left high and dry, 300' from the waters edge, on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas during Hurricane Dorian in August of 2019.
The most recent update I have found is an article from May of 2022 that stated that they were now only 60' from the water.

https://loosecannon.substack.com/p/29-months-after-dorian-grounded-yacht

Anyone know of a current status? Thanks
 
There’s a YouTube from June that says they were 50 feet away at that point. A month old comment on that video seems to suggest they had a pause to work on equipment after that.
 
Thanks SeaDog. I hadn't seen that one. Looks like they're getting nearer. The weird thing about the whole thing is I wonder if they had any insurance? And if so, why isn't the insurance ponying up to either refloat the boat, or total it due to it's position and cost of removal . . . .
 
The insurance company may have totaled the boat and the owners bought it back,just a thought….
 
Last update was almost 1 year ago, June 2022. Any further word on progress anyone?
 
There’s a reply from 3 weeks ago on the July 2022 YouTube saying they are 15 feet away and have resolved the latest issues that had them stopped.
 
I wonder if they have had any Looting problems.
Talk about determination.
 
Great story of determination. An asset of significant value for them no doubt. Great attitude....
 
Yes, great attitude, and I hope they get her back in the water, then to a haul out for complete hull survey! Then get back to boating. I'd just to like to know the current status.:dance:
 
Great progress. I’ve been pondering how you’d actually get the boat afloat, that might be the hardest part.
 
Thanks for the update! I agree with SeaDog, he's not going to be able to work under the boat for placement of the skids, etc once he's in the water. I wonder what that boat draws? And what the tide range is there? I'm also curious what they are using for anchors, and how they're placing them in the water. I'm guessing they will need to travel another 200 feet minimum in order to get in water deep enough to float the boat . . . Of course, every inch of water means a little bit of buoyancy, so less "dead" weight to move . . . At some point, perhaps a tug could pull them off, but I'm not sure that a tug would have enough water to operate in . . . I wish them the best of luck!:dance:
 
Maybe they can dig some kind of trench to pull the boat into. Even though tidal ranges are small there, the tides will help, they can drag at low tide.
 
Seadog, that makes sense, and would probably be a good way to approach it, but I'm not sure how accommodating the Bahamians are going to be about digging a trench on a coral reef.
 
I wonder if they have had any Looting problems.
Talk about determination.

In the immediate aftermath of the grounding there was valid concern on that point, and folks were carrying, as the saying goes, in MHH, for protection.

That's now long gone, and they're personalities. I've not had immediately recent conversations with Geoff (we cruised together for a couple of seasons, and we managed to make it out of dodge before Dorian camped out in the area), but I have no doubt they'll make it off and continue cruising.

Boat's in pretty good shape, so a refit won't take long once they have the props back on and get under way.

I've got an email in the ether at the moment; I'll come back when I hear from him.

L8R

Grounded Pig (formerly Flying Pig, now piloting a boat so poorly built it will never float and is permanently aground at 12-202 Vista Gardens Trail :D )
 
Skip, do you have any idea if they had any insurance coverage that could have help them out?
 
I believe that if insurance had played a factor in their recovery, they'd have used it; my expectation is that they didn't.

I *did* have some conversations early on which identified the usual method of rolling on inflated hotdog-shaped balloons as being very much beyond whatever funding they had.

The reality of their confinement, if you'd want to call it that, is beyond amazing. The first thing they did was to plant veggies (where they got the seeds is unknown) in the dirt exposed from the uprooted trees in their area.

Geoff dove for lobster and other spearfishing but had to walk a mile each way to get to fishing grounds. They occasionally ran their genset, and had a (likely several over the time it's taken) latrine setup. Later (not immediately) Geoff redid the solar panels remaining's connections and used those to keep the batteries topped up. I dunno about the realities of those batteries today, but it was enough to keep them communicating.

I also don't know whether it was a cell connection (for which they paid over internet) or otherwise which gave them internet connectivity, but it's never been interrupted that I know of.

I dropped them a note after posting my above, but have not heard from them yet. It's possible the keel's wet...
 
Skip, thanks for the info! I was assuming it was something like that. They seem to have an incredible attitude about their situation. I wish the the best. If we were over there, I'd love to drop them a line and see if they needed stuff from the mainland, and spend a week or two helping them out if they were willing to accept it.
 
Great progress, but I can't help but think that the hardest part is yet to come. More difficult to work in the water, and more difficult to set the anchors possibly. I wish them the best of luck!
 
Indeed. But the entirety has been "slow and difficult" including all the hardware expectations dashed, and novel approaches failing just due to the enormity of the task.

But they continue, millimeters at a time. I know them personally (we cruised together on several occasions, including not long before Dorian in '19) and I have no doubt that they will succeed.
 
From what I can tell, the progress has slowed. He is now in the tidal zone, where he can only work at low tide. This is presenting two challenges.

The ground is now soft and very muddy

The tide and the timing of the tide limits how much time he has to work. (not alot is getting done when low tide is 10pm - 4am. or 3a - 8 a; 4 p - 9p, etc
 
I would have given up a long time ago. Actually, I never would have attempted what they started let alone get as far as they have.
 
Gotta wonder if Milton provided enough surge for them to float Anna Marie with their winch.
 
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