***It has been 1 month since our sailboat, Out of Sight, was hit by a barge. As I sit and write this blog I am still filled with anxiety from the events that unfolded that night. I apologize if I seem to ramble. I struggle to find the right words and not bore you with too much detail.
No Small Barge
In the early hours of May 1, 2022 we were awaken by a loud bang and hard jolt. We soon discovered our sailboat, Out of Sight, was hit by a barge. This was no small barge. It was a marine dredging barge made up of a tug, an equipment barge, a fuel barge, the “work house” barge, followed by large orange floats carrying several pieces of 1000 ft piping, and lastly a barge with 2 cranes.
Wall with tires
Craig scrambled up the companion way with me close behind. To our starboard side was a “wall” with big tractor tires attached as fenders compressed to our hull. I immediately went back below to check our bilge to make sure we weren’t taking on water. Thankfully we were not. I grabbed our life jackets and GoPro to document the chaos happening after being hit by a barge.
Not a time for sarcasm or laugher
In a matter of minutes, small tug boats were pushing the marine dredging barge away from our bow and starboard side. During this time one of the small tugs approached to take photos of any damaged caused by being hit by the barge.
We were asked if our boat was taking on water or if anyone had any injuries but our questions were answered with sarcasm and shoulder shrugs. It seemed more like a joke to them than a serious matter.
When Craig asked who to contact regarding crash, we were told “just look up the company number on the internet and call it”. We also received a sincere “sorry it shouldn’t have happened but it happened” followed by a shoulder shrug.
After hours of sitting on deck monitoring our boat we were told to move our boat; however, we had a problem. The problem was our anchor was still on the other side of the barge along with 150 ft of chain and the current had shifted swinging us perilously close to the side of the barge. Moving was going to be no easy task.
As we were trying to free ourselves, in the pitch black of night, without inflicting further damage to our boat and while being pressured to “get out of their way so we could get moving again” the crew on deck decided it was a good time to start laughing.
.
This was NO laughing matter as we were endangering ourselves and our home to get “out of their way”. Ironically, they needed us to move so badly that it took them approximately 6 more hours to get underway.
Captain confused by anchor light...BS.
During all this mayhem we were being told the current had pushed the barge causing it to get out of control; however, the captain told the U.S. Coast Guard he mistook our anchor light for a navigation light. I call “BS”!! A licensed captain is required to know and understand navigation; heck anyone operating any kind of a watercraft should know rules of navigation.
Ironically, Craig and I had been anchored in the same spot for 3 days in the marked anchorage of the Lydia Ann Channel, Port Aransas, Texas. We were well outside the green channel marker and had multiple barges passing through the channel daily. But somehow this particular dredging barge ended up between our bow and land.
In my opinion, because the barge was so far outside of the marked channel (the red and and green buoys with flashing lights) whoever was on watch was either asleep or away from the helm. And they were clearly not consulting the navigation charts.
Questions will never be answered
We will never know exactly what happened leading up to the impact. The barge company refers to whole fiasco as the “alleged incident”, really…we DO have it on camera. Luckily the damages ended up being mainly cosmetic. The repairs included gel coat repair, lots of buffing, and 1 window re-bed due to the compression hit.
The barge company did pay for the repairs caused by the barge impact. They also reimbursed us for 3 nights lodging, a small amount of groceries and food, plus gas to and from the shipyard. There were other expenses we incurred which were disallowed so we weren’t made “whole” but big companies always have you over a barrel. You settle or get nothing.
Very Thankful
Our sailboat, Out of Sight, being hit by a barge could have been catastrophic! If impact would have been a few yards either way it would be our children telling this story.
Craig and I know we had the good Lord watching over us that night We are very lucky and very thankful as this could have turned out very differently. We came out with our lives and our home. I pray the good Lord will continue to watch over us and protect us throughout our journeys.
