Story and photos by JoAnne and Bill Harris
We were delighted to arrive once again in the beautiful Bay Islands of Honduras to continue our ULTRA Community Projects and to see old friends and to meet new ones. After arriving in Guanaja, we were super excited to meet again with the mayor and other officials to discuss how ULTRA Community Projects could further help the island as well as meet with local friends that were victims of the devastating El Cayo (Bonacca Cay) fire. ULTRA again was loaded to the gills with a mother lode of building materials, tools, paint, clothing, house wares, solar panels, water filter systems, food, bedding and more that were ready for immediate distribution like before. However, our plans soon changed as we had dinner with old friends at the Hans Pico Restaurant in Fruit Harbour. While paying our bill, we noticed a string of lights out in the harbor, near where we had moored our trimaran, where no such lights should have been.
In recent days, several landing craft and barges had been busy transporting materials during daylight hours, but we could not have imagined these enormous vessels would be moving at night. We ran to the dock, jumped into our dinghy, and returned to our boat.
To our horror, these enormous vessels were moving at night. The wind was gusting 20 knots. A steel landing craft more than 180 feet long with a steel barge of the same length loaded with sand, gravel, rocks, equipment and more tied to it was dangerously close to ULTRA. Our boat was well lit with an anchor light and LED solar lights, but it seemed that the massive vessels were not even aware of our presence.
Bill immediately drove to ULTRA’s bow and JoAnne jumped onboard, while he stayed with the dinghy to provide a barrier between the massive vessels and our tiny trimaran. JoAnne turned on more lights so the captain and crew could better see ULTRA and also to ensure Bill’s safety.
Despite our efforts to signal with our powerful flashlights, the barges continued to drift toward our boat. There was absolutely no time to call for help, since it was all happening so fast and the vessels were getting out of control. As the night grew darker and the wind intensified, the situation became increasingly perilous for us and our beloved home. It was impossible for us to pick up the anchor, since it was 200 feet in front of our boat and the vessels were perpendicular to the bow, giving us no room to move forward. Bill stood in the dinghy at the starboard bow net, fighting against the elements to shield ULTRA from the impending danger.
Meanwhile, aboard ULTRA, JoAnne frantically continued to keep lights on. Unfortunately, there was no longer a full air horn aboard, since we had recently emptied it during a storm to wake up an anchored sailboat. Our trimaran trembled under the force of the wind and the waves and we knew that the fate of ULTRA and our lives hung in the balance. The landing craft and barge together weighed an estimated 3,000-4,000 pounds. ULTRA is made of lightweight plastic, foam and fiberglass and is a third of that length.
Bill held the inflatable dinghy wedged between the vessels and ULTRA, but he was in a perilous predicament, and with each passing moment, the chaos and unpredictability of the situation grew. JoAnne had been watching from above and quickly screamed to Bill to get out of the dinghy and onboard ULTRA, NOW! Seizing the moment, Bill leapt from the dinghy onto the front bow net, leaving the dinghy tied there.
Soon after, the sounds of crunching, bending and the grinding of fiberglass and metal ensued. The vessels had made full contact with ULTRA while we were on the bow waving flashlights and shouting up to the captain and crew. Our boat was shuddering violently as it was being pushed backward with the force of vessels that were putting strain on the anchor chain. JoAnne ran inside to check for water coming in by opening up the floor boards and wall lockers. What a relief, no water!
But for what seemed like an eternity, we were sure our boat was going to either be dismasted or sink right there, right now, or both, with us onboard. The vessels were soon entangled within ULTRA and pushing her backward like a floating toy, even through 200 feet of chain and a 90-pound Rocna anchor.
The stanchions were bending, the bow pulpit system was being twisted and pulled up from the deck, and the fiberglass was crushing like it was cardboard. It was completely impossible for us to move our boat without risk of our anchor chain getting caught in the propellers and either pulling our boat under it or it simply being run over. In that moment, we shared a profound feeling of vulnerability and knew that despite our best efforts, we were at the mercy of the chaotic forces unfolding around us. The colossal barges with their massive weight and momentum seemed unstoppable and continued to push our boat through the anchorage.
Then through the chaos and despair, a local speed boat arrived with powerful motors. Like a guardian angel, the captain, Mr. Roger Wood, quickly tied a line onto one of ULTRA’s stern cleats, and skillfully pulled our boatoutward, trying to diminish the points of contact of the relentless vessels, and gradually freeing ULTRA from the clutches of destruction.
JoAnne quickly went inside and replied on the VHF radio to the anchored fleet that had heard our screams and called to offer help. She thanked them all and advised them that there was nothing that they could have done. JoAnne warned all anchored boats to be on alert and to please “Light up their boats like it was the 4th of July as the enormous vessels would now be moving through the anchorage!”
Captain Wood made his way through the harbor to assist the other anchored boats and to steer them clear of the colossal vessels. The anchored sailboats were all lit up so the monstrous vessels could navigate through the harbor until they slowly disappeared into darkness. He returned and we thanked him for rescuing us.
With the immediate danger averted, a mixture of exhaustion and disbelief washed over us. We held each other tight and told each other how thankful we were that we and our boat survived the ordeal. We assessed the damage as best we could in the darkness, set alarms to monitor the bilges, and kept our anchor alarm active. Thank goodness the bilges and other areas remained dry and our boat stayed anchored.
The next morning, we contacted Mr. Ashford, the owner of the vessels, and sent him the photos of the damage. He was apologetic and assured us that he would take care of all the repairs. We contacted our El Cayo contacts about the incident and told them we could not meet them as planned. The collision news had already spread through the Coconut Telegraph, and the local community expressed its sympathy and was relieved we were safe.
We checked for additional damage to the port ama (aka pontoon) bow and bow pulpit system since they received the brunt of the vessels’ weight. Rain was expected in the forecast, so we repaired the damaged areas with epoxy to prevent rainwater from entering. Since Bill built ULTRA, he knows every inch of her. The temporary repair was solid and good enough to prevent rain and sea water from entering. The stanchions and bow anchor roller system were seriously bent and needed more extensive work that required one of Mr. Ashford’s welders to rebuild them upon our return to Roatan.
Since our boat had been pushed back through the anchorage, we still needed to re-anchor. While JoAnne was pulling up the anchor, the windlass began whining loudly. We looked down and there was a stubborn, thick steel cable that had hooked onto the anchor. Hmm … is it a power line, is it boat rigging, or what? We called for help from Tom of SV Lone Star and Mark of SV Wild Iris. We soon realized it was just old boat rigging and Bill got in the water. JoAnne stayed on the wheel and Mark and Tom lifted the anchor to help Bill free the cable. We shared a celebratory beer with Mark and Tom to thank them for their friendship, tremendous help and great moral support.
Meet and Distribute
The following day, we along with the amazing cruiser volunteers, Mark and Lisa of SV Wild Iris and Jeff and Marcia of SV U Jam N, donned foul weather gear and loaded up the donations into the dinghies to deliver and distribute them at El Cayo. Afterward, it was time for Art Day at the school with volunteers. After all of the mayhem that had transpired the night before, it was so much fun to be surrounded by the great energy of the cruisers, teachers, families and children. We then met with friends who are fire victims to see the rebuilding and to distribute donations of building materials and more. In our meetings with Mayor Spurgeon, Vice Mayor Sheray, Mr. Wendell and other officials, we discussed how ULTRA Community Projects could further assist with the needs of El Cayo and the main island of Guanaja. Fun donations of chairs, art supplies, a television for educational programs, school supplies and 50 more books were given to the Bonacca Library and Reading Center.
Friends for Life
After the completion of our ULTRA Community Projects, we said our goodbyes and sailed to the Roatan Yacht Club Marina in French Harbour for our scheduled boat repairs. Mr. Ashford and his crew repaired ULTRA as quickly as possible. In the end, ULTRA received a new anchor bow roller system, repaired bow pulpit, a new bow dolphin system, fiberglass repairs of port bow and center bow ama, and reimbursement for repairs we did ourselves.
In the aftermath of the tumultuous encounter, we were left with a profound understanding of the interplay between fate and care for others. The actions of everyone who helped us are forever imprinted upon our souls and they all demonstrated the importance of community, solidarity, and the inherent strength found in unity. It is almost 26 years since the day we first met aboard ULTRA, and 15 years of cruising aboard her full time. We are super familiar with her and have depended on each other during several close calls of life and death situations along the way aboard her. We depend 100 percent on each other to be competent, calm, and knowledgeable about security and safety during our lives around land, sea, and air. This terrifying incident was no exception and it definitely brought us even closer together. On June 23, 2024, we will celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary and feel truly blessed to still be happy and healthy living aboard ULTRA and chasing more dreams and adventures.
The Harrises are the Ocean Cruising Club port officers and the Seven Seas Cruising Association cruising hosts for Honduras including The Bay Islands. They have been cruising almost 15 years full time aboard ULTRA. Follow their travels and triumphs of giving back to the communities they visit
Instagram: #yachtultraadventures or #ultracommunityprojects or You Tube Channel: www.youtube.com/@yachtultra1
