On Friday, June 20, the teaching schooner Adventuress, out of Port Townsend, ran aground in Wasp Pass about noon and floated again just before 4:30 p.m., according to Lee Brown, resident of Double Island and owner of the Double Time. Brown’s boat was taking guests to the Orcas ferry landing when she diverted to assist the Adventuress.

Shortly after one o’clock, Brown broadcast on marine radio that the passengers aboard the Adventuress, mostly kids, “had been taken to Orcas Landing, the crew was on the boat awaiting the tide and all was cool.”

Brown said that the Coast Guard showed up after the barge Thog, owned and operated by her husband Mike Brown, had taken 18 people to Orcas Landing. One dinghy from the Sealth unloaded five kids. “They climbed back on to the ferry, way up via rope ladder; it looked dangerous to me.” The Thog and Double Time (Lee’s boat) were both standing by when a ferry employee told them to unload the rest, according to Lee.

“Since Thog draws less and had room for all, I resumed taking our guests to the ferry. By the way, this is the first time I wasn’t chastised for approaching a ferry! The Sealth had stopped her run to Anacortes to try to help … which was pretty cool but not very effective,” said Lee.

“It was pretty poignant to see the Adventuress high and nearly dry. We didn’t know what would happen when the water returned (low at 2 p.m.). The current was running at about two knots toward the west, which translates to onto the rocks right near the rock marker on the east end of Wasp Passage. I am guessing here about the speed of the current, but it took throttle to keep Double Time even with the big boat.

“When Vessel Assist showed up, they tried making her shallower by pulling sideways on a halyard – too late for that trick. There was a bit more pushing and pulling and then, finally and wisely, everyone got the kids off and just waited.

“I have certainly seen boats damaged by not simply waiting for the water to return. It was hard to keep Thog near Adventuress and steady but not damaging, since the current was tough and taking Thog down on the high side of the ship,” Lee said.

WSF thanks customers

David Moseley, Ferries Division Assistant Secretary said, “Our fleet employees’ rescue training really paid off this week when crews on the Sealth and Evergreen State came to the aid of the schooner Adventuress, which ran aground between Orcas and Shaw Islands on Monday. The vessel crews were able to launch rescue boats quickly and helped several passengers evacuate the grounded vessel. Other ferries staff were also instrumental in responding to this emergency, and I thank everyone for a job well done. We also want to thank our San Juan Islands customers for their patience during the service disruptions that resulted from our participation in the rescue operation.”