We were in the bay of Fatu Hiva, a little island with 300 souls. Let’s sum it up Murphy’s results since he was on boardwere:
- It is the 4th day that Peter lies with an injured back on his bunk.
- Our main anchor did not hold and then hooked up a heavy thing, (like a big crab cage?), to heavy for the anchor motor to lift.
- Our anchor battery has been pushed too hard and it is presumeably dead. We did a reconditioning programme, but Peter guessed it could have too little stamina to deliver the necessary energy to the anchor chain motor.
- We are on our second anchor, on a long rope. The rope could chafe on a rock and finally break, so it is a temporary solution.
- Or temporary anchor place was OK, but the wind turned and pushed Ya pretty close to the rocks.
- Inge does all the work: cooking, anchor watch, deckwork, and nursing Peter, and that is too much.
- Only Inge can move to clear the anchor from that heavy thing, but that needs a pretty technical skill and a fresh mind, no room for mistakes, and some hours of work.
A fellow sailor
In the early morning Inge heard something strange slipping on the uncleared anchor. Kg, kggg, kgggggg, kgrrrrrrr, KLOINK and then nothing anymore. Was that the big thing slipping off the anchor? Inge simply tried if the anchor winch could lift the anchor now. Yes! Slowly but surely the anchor came up. Great, we could take in the second anchor and go for anchoring with our main anchor again!
Inge just started preparing , when a dinghy passed by, with people from another boat: Adrien, Marine and Lionel. They’re on their way to a diving spot. Inge briefly outlined our situation and they said that on their neighbour yacht, there is a doctor on board. A French GP. After their dive they will tell him about Peter’s back; perhaps he pays a visit.
A second dinghy passed with one man, Jean Charles is his name. He offered to help and we could use that. Peter made his way to the engine throddles, Jean Francois pulled in the anchor line, Inge did the other things. We dropped the main anchor closed to Jean Francois’ boat, just where the depth went from 15 meter to 30 meter. It appeared to hold well.
The doctor
Next day, when the wind picked up, the doctor arrived. Alain did the anamnesis with Peter. What he could diagnose was the risk that some vertebra was seriously hit. Peter asked: “Well, here is no medical service whatsoever, so what about sailing with Ya to Nuku Hiva? There is a little hospital with facilities”. Alain responded that any sailing, even an odd move, could damage Peter’s back and he might end up in a wheelchair. To put more stress to this answer, some strong gusts hit the Ya. Alain called a neurologist in Tahiti and in a 10 minute conversation they discussed the possibilities. Meanwhile, more gusts hit the Ya.
5 fellow sailors
Alain just ended the call and again some knocks on the Ya. It is Adrien, Marine et Lionel: “Your boat is moving, it is from its anchor!” Indeed, we were drifting out of the bay, towards the ocean. Time for action right now.
We needed all hands on deck. Marine took the helm, Inge did the engine controls, Adrien and Lionel pulled in the heavy 10 mm anchor chain by hand, because the anchor battery was dead in half a minute. Peter did all the yelling from his bunk: “Go to there and you find this, and you, there you find that!” Meanwhile, Alain (the doctor) exchanged the anchor battery for the spare one.
A next fellow sailor arrived, It was Jean Luc, a free diver. He knew the bottom well and went in his dinghy to point out the best anchor spot.
Within an hour the Ya was anchored again, Jean Luc free dived straight to the anchor on 25 meter deep. He reported back, : “No worries Peter. Although it is deep here, the anchor is dug deep in excellent anchor soil on a great plateau. With your long anchor chain, it will definitely hold, you can leave your ship without any worry.””
A nurse, six fishermen, a stretcher, a pilot and an anesthesist
Meanwhile, the specialist in Tahiti already activated Peter’s transport. Our fellow sailors were just leaving when a fisherman boat already rafted up the Ya. A nurse embarked with 6 strong Marquesian fishermen and a stretcher. They took Peter from the Ya into their boat. his team is too strong and Murphy had no chance to mess about. In the harbour Peter was put up a pickup truck and we went to the soccerfield. There the trauma helicopter landed. Peter was slided in. And a seat for Inge, with a bag of luggage she grabbed in a hurry, and that proved to be exactly what we would need the next days. It was a 150 mile (250 km) flight. Inge had a great view. Peter, on his stretscher at the bottom of the heli, just had pain. But on the end of the ride he was well drugged. When the pilot asked if he was still allright, Peter could say: “Couldn’t do better. But, it would be nice for my wife if you could fly an extra tour around the beautiful island of Nuku Hiva.”
In the next film you can see the whole trip from the boat to the hospital (it includes some blackouts, sorry, caused by the circumstances).
The hospital team
The hospital team in Nuku Hiva was ready and prepared. Peter was put in the radio scanner tunnel. That machine delivered a great slide slow, if you are a doctor. The specialist, still in shorts and T-shirt, showed one picture and told that the a little bone on the Lumbal vertebra #1 was broken. Fortunately, it was not displaced, so no surgery necessary.
Peter stayed for observation in this very friendly hospital, where you still can see that ‘hospital’ has its origin in the word hospitality. Inge could sleep in the same room – a great relief for her, for us.
Peter and Inge stayed here for 3 days. A great time to think these days all over. In general, a responsible sailor does a lot to cut down the risks. However, once Murphy is on board on his chosen time and place and keeps on going, you , despite precautions, despite redundancies.
But, when fellow sailors pop up to help you, Murphy gets in trouble. And, when they start working as a team, till the very detail, Murphy looses. The warmhearted help from fellow sailors, is way too hot for him – he flies away with his tail behind his legs.
Fellow sailor Jean Luc
Jean-Luc called. He offered to keep an eye and take care for Ya. “Anything I can check on board Ya now, Peter?”
No chance for Murphy to get on board Ya.