Don Adams and James McKnight
85' Ketch Adrift for Three Days!
James McKnight's journey started out in the spring of 2008 when he set sail from Miami in his 85' Ketch El Tobano. He was bound for St Croix and looking forward to some adventure and relaxation. The vessel and crew arrived in St Croix without incident several weeks later making several stops along the way to explore ports that they had never visited before. The months that followed were spent much like many other cruising enthusiasts; mooring in picturesque anchorages, taking short trips to nearby islands and meeting new friends. "All of this was about to change as I soon found out" McKnight remarks "In mid October, Hurricane Omar was approaching St Croix, we were at anchor in a protected harbor when winds reaching nearly 100 knots combined with a healthy storm surge resulted in El Tobano's anchor failing causing her to finally come to rest aground on the beach...It was devastating!"
The next few months were spent much differently than they had become accustomed to. Once the boat was extracted from the beach, the damage was assessed. The worst of the damage was to her running gear, but the boat also sustained damage to the sails. Being a steel hulled boat, there was very little appreciable damage to the hull itself. About 6 months later the boat was deemed seaworthy and McKnight prepared for the trip back to Miami. In his search for a mate for the crossing, Don Adams heard that Mcknight was looking for help and decided to join him for what they both believed would be an enjoyable two week cruise with a few stops along the way...Again, the winds of change were about to blow.
The return trip began in July of 2009 when the El Tobano sailed from the Cain Bay Reef Club in St. Croix. The journey was riddled with bad weather forcing the pair to seek safe harbor in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. After setting sail from the Dominican Republic the trip to Miami was uneventful until El Tobano encountered a major storm as she transited the Old Bahama Channel which separates Cuba and The Great Bahama Bank. Knight describes the scene, "The wind started howling and the already rough seas turned worse with the added wind chop, knowing we were aboard a substantial boat was comforting until the main sail failed, tearing under the pressure of the wind and rendering it useless, a short time later another sail was damaged and we were forced to resort to motoring for the remainder of the trip" Within hours the main engine seized and the El Tobano was adrift. They drifted for nearly three days and began running out of provisions. The dive charter boat Gulf Stream Eagle happened upon them northeast of the Cay Sal Bank and passed them some sandwiches and water and helped them contact Coast Guard Sector Key West. Sector Key West dispatched the Cutter Pea Island and identified the vessel owner as a BoatU.S. Unlimited Member. The Cutter got on scene and assisted the crew with some much needed food and water. Meanwhile, TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale's Captains Jorge Rodriguez and John Farr were getting underway in the company's 46' Twin Diesel Tow Boat which was pressed full of fuel and ready for the long distance tow. The crew left Port Everglades at 2030 hours on Sunday August 2nd arriving on scene with the El Tobano at 0230 hours on the 3rd. The boat was towed to her home dock located up the Miami River approximately 10 days overdue without further incident. James McKnight and Don Adams reported that they had never been happier to step on solid ground and swore they would never leave the dock without a TowBoatU.S. Membership.
Mr. McKnight did not have to pay a dime of the 17 hour Portal to Portal towing charges for the service he received; his $135.00 unlimited membership covers 100% of the towing charges for on the water breakdowns on any boat he owns, borrows or charters within the BoatU.S. service area. This area typically extends up to 25 miles offshore but is extended in TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdales area to 137 miles due to their proximity to the Bahamas. Please call TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale for more information on membership.
