63' Sportfish Aground Near Bimini

A VHF Radio call was received by the dispatcher at TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale just after 0400 hours on the morning of June 23rd. The owner of a 63' Ocean Yachts sportfish reported that he was aground on the Northeast side of Bimini in 2' of water. The dispatcher immediately alerted the Director of Operations and the Supervisor on duty. The salvage team put plans in place to send two boats and 4 crewmembers to the scene. The first boat dispatched to assist was a fast response rigid hulled inflatable boat equipped with twin 300 HP Suzuki 4 stroke motors. This vessel was tasked to get on scene as quickly as possible to assess the situation, stabilize the vessel and deploy pumps as necessary allowing the crew time to put a plan together prior to the high tide. Her 40+ Knot cruising speed makes her the perfect asset for this type of situation. The 2nd boat was one of the company's three 31' JC boats, equipped with twin John Deere diesel inboard power plants. These boats offer a great combination of power and versatility; the ample deck space allowed the crew to carry more than enough lift bags, pumps and compressors than the crew anticipated the need for. This approach is typical for salvage operations taking place in distant ports like the Bahamas where obtaining additional gear is impossible. Director of Operations Kevin Collins explains "We don't have the luxury of stopping by the local Home Depot when performing salvages in remote locations. Our crew has to envision the worst case scenario after gathering as much information as possible from the owners and any other parties on scene. We load and transport supplies and equipment to meet each anticipated need. Good planning, plenty of well maintained gear and a team of people that won't quit until the job is complete all combine to make a combination that has proven successful for over two decades."

Fortunately, the towboats were able to dredge a deep water channel to the casualty which allowed them to unground and tow her to deep water as high tide approached. In this case, lift bags and compressors were not needed. Flooding from the rudder post was kept in check with two 8000 Gallon per hour pumps and the vessel was safely towed back to the states and secured in her home slip before midnight. The boat was hauled out for repair the following morning, thus concluding another successful salvage operation performed by the professional crew at TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale.