Fakarava North
After an easy short sail from Kauehi Atoll, we easily and uneventfully entered Pass Garue. Then my stomach drops as I hear a man over the radio “Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!”. Brutas1, a trimaran with six on board, had hit a reef and was taking on water. The first to respond was fellow English-speaking cruisers, Spruce1, who had entered the pass behind us. Spruce calmly asked pertinent information, such as position, and what help was needed. I expected a rally of responses, but there really weren’t much. (We did get on and offer assistance.). Spruce requested anyone who spoke French to relay, but none came. I think most cruisers were off boat or had their radio off. No official ever came on radio.
Brutas was close to shore just south of Rotoava, and since they were a trimaran, they weren’t likely to sink. Spruce again asked what assistance could be provided, but there was nothing really to be done. The most heart wrenching moment was when mom and dad were below and one of the four kids manned the radio. Voice wavering, the young voice let us know that his parents were below and they were taking on a lot of water. I was in tears. Spruce, a nurturing female voice, provided assurance. Spruce beelined for Brutas (as far as we knew, potentially over pearl farms or other lurking obstructions) and got to them w/in an hour. We stayed on course, then anchored slowly and safely. By this point Brutas had made it to the anchorage area and, with assistance from Biriveena1, managed to anchor. Word was now out and the cruiser community came together. One cruiser had the quick setting goop so the minute he got back to his boat his wife sent him over to Brutas. CJ offered to help scuba dive, and did so well into the night with another fellow cruiser. Temporary “patches” were screwed into place (plywood and goop and a lot of muscle). Our underwater scuba lights helped the operation as it continued into the dark hours. I stayed topside and with mom, dad and oldest child and other helping cruisers. Biriveena provided the power for an external bilge pump. Other cruisers took the smaller children and eventually the oldest for stay overs. Brutas was still floating, everyone was safe, but water had filled to the top of the counters. Engines and a grand portion of belongs were submerged and the family was in shock.
What happened: While mom was below reading with their four kids, dad sailed out of the channel and hit a marked reef. That’s really it. All sailors have done stupid things at one point or several. We’ve been luckily minimally scathed by our dumb moments. But they still hurt, like the time when we immediately lost fresh bottom paint coming out of a Key Largo boatyard. Ouch.
The next day Brutas, as CJ suggested, tied up to the public dock. They were hooked up to a powerful bilge pump (with shore power), and waterline was back to normal. As far as we knew they were planning to make their way (with an escorting boat) to the nearest boatyard; at atoll Apataki, about 55 miles away. After a few days we moved South continuing our journey, Brutas still tied up to that dock. Months later we heard that Brutas did not end up staying with and repairing their boat. They left French Polynesia, permanently abandoning Brutas and giving it to a local.
1 Names have been changed.
