Dinghy Rescue

As we prepared to leave Eleuthra, we knew another weather system was coming in with winds in the 25-30 knot range so we looked for a destination that would have protection as the wind clocked around from the north to the east/southeast.   We chose Cambridge Cay in the Exumas as our destination and set out with our friends on the  boat (Plumpuppet) on Saturday, January 28^th.    To make Cambridge Cay we sailed west across the Exuma Sound in deep blue water (around 5000 feet).   We were a little too close to the wind and had to motorsail but it was a pleasant 35 mile run.  About 2/3 of the way across the sound, Plumpuppet called on the radio to say that while watching a pod of dolphins, they spotted a dinghy floating off to starboard behind them.   We diverted to check it out and found a brand new 10’ Zodiac rigid bottom with a 15 horse Yamaha motor just floating along.   There was some water in the boat and the gas can and a pair of flip-flops were floating in the water.   No owner in site.    We announced the find on the radio several times but never heard a reply.   We picked up a mooring in the Exumas Land and Sea Park in Cambridge Cay and continued to make radio announcements that evening.   A boat on another mooring in Cambridge indicated they had heard of a boat missing a dinghy down in Rum Cay (about 100 miles away).   Since VHF radio won’t usually transmit that far, Joe waited until the next morning and made an announcement on the single-sideband radio on the Cruisenheimer’s Net.   Low and behold, we got a reply and the dinghy was lost from Rum Cay.    To make a long story short, the owner, a single-hander, arrived in Cambridge Cay on Monday and claimed his prize.   We made a ceremony of him trying on the floating flip-flops to prove ownership.   The dinghy had been missing for 5 days and he was VERY relieved to get it back.   He was just about to file an insurance claim when we found it.   It was brand-new, not a scratch on it and didn’t take any damage when it broke loose from his boat anchored in Rum Cay.   It would have been hard to replace down here.   We hear you can get dinghies in Nassau for about 40% more than you would pay in the states.     To tell you the truth, we were just glad to help out and even happier when there was not an injured person in the dinghy.   We had to motor about a mile to catch it and as we were doing that, we were both a little worried about what we might find.   Luckily it all worked out.