Saga of sunken sailboat in St. John River nears end thanks to 2 volunteers
CBC
The saga of the sunken sailboat in the lower St. John River is over — almost.
For months, the Not a Starship sat on the bottom of the river more than 400 metres offshore from Browns Flat, with only the top portion of its two masts visible.
But Mark Griffin, a Canadian Coast Guard contractor, and David Grandy, a hobby diver, volunteered their time, gear and expertise over the weekend to lift and haul the 13-metre boat.
Today, she's tied up at the former Belleisle Bay Marina, which Griffin used to operate.
"We got 'er done," he said. "It was time to come out."
With the boating season underway, they worried that another boat might hit it, and also heard that some youths were out climbing the masts.
"I'm a boater," Grandy said. "I have friends that are boaters, and so we just want to make sure that the area is safe to use and enjoy."
Grandy, who had worked with Griffin before, placing new chains on moorings, called him to discuss the idea about a month ago, after he unsuccessfully tried to help owner Jordan Tatton, an acquaintance, using some inflatable subsea lift bags.
"I felt bad for the guy. I certainly hope that if I'm ever in a situation like that, that there's someone around to lend you a hand."
Griffin, who has raised several vessels before, including a 33-footer that sunk in a hurricane, and two float planes, agreed. Together, they came up with a plan.
They advised various government agencies and departments, including the coast guard and Transport Canada, then set out on a barge last Friday.
First, they marked the vessel with a large orange buoy to ensure it was visible — so large that two people couldn't wrap their arms around it, said Griffin. Until then, only a 12-inch yellow buoy marked the boat.
Then the men set about getting the boat upright. Plan A was to just hook onto the boat and drag it sideways to shore, said Griffin. Grandy dove down to tie some large straps around so the crane could pull it, but that didn't work. There was too much mud.
"The suction of the river wanted it more than we did," said Griffin. "It was not a good feeling."