That sinking feeling in PA
JON HOUZET
LAST Friday's heavy downpours resulted in two boats sinking in the Port Alfred small boat harbour.
It took a team of about 20 people and special equipment to be able to recover the boats and start bailing water.
Harbourmaster Brent Kruger said he had visited the harbour in the downpour at about 11pm on Friday night and as a courtesy did some bailing himself, although it is the owner's responsibility to check on their own boats.
By 8am on Saturday, another staff member at the small boat harbour informed him of the predicament of two boats – a cabin cruiser which was submerged and a ski-boat that had capsized.
The only thing that spared them from a watery grave was the fact they were securely fastened to the jetties.
| HEAVE: It took a team of 20 people about five hours to recover the ski-boat Ski-King after it filled with water and capsized in heavy rains in the Port Alfred small boat harbour last Friday night Picture: CAROL MITCHLEY |
"I also urged both owners to contact Keryn van der Walt who has the equipment and know-how to help,” said Kruger.
But Van der Walt was only available after mid-day, and the men battled for hours without her.
They first tackled the capsized ski-boat, and after recovery attempts at the mooring proved fruitless, moved the boat to a sandbank opposite the Willows Caravan Park.
Local Carol Mitchley took an interest and started taking photos of the proceedings.
"My husband Peter was helping,” she said.
Efforts at righting the boat at the sandbank proved unhelpful so they towed it back to the jetty, at which point Van der Walt arrived.
"Keryn brought the right equipment and her students to help so we had enough manpower,” said Kruger. "It went a lot quicker then.”
They righted the ski-boat and then worked on the cabin cruiser. The recovery took about nine hours in total.
Kruger said fortunately there was no damage to the structure of the boats and the main issue for the owners was that the engines had been submerged. They would need to be stripped and cleaned.
"I urge all jetty lease holders when heavy rain is approaching to make sure their boats are covered or contact one of the local boat shops to get your boat out of the water,” he said.
