Chapter 4: Raising the Sally-Ann

Cody---Geri took on a very professional attitude as we headed south along the Florida peninsula. When she was not taking her turn at the wheel she busied herself checking or arranging the equipment we would use to raise the Sally-Ann. She paid no attention to the girls as they sunbathed on the deck in their string, thong swimsuits.

After a quick stop for a meal and to top off the tanks in Key West, we arrived at the GPS coordinates where we left ‘our’ yacht. Geri geared up and went down to do what she called a ‘survey’. In less than 45 minutes she was back.

“We’re lucky,” she said as I helped her up onto the dive platform.

“She’s still laying on her side. Just like you said you left her. She’ll be easy. Let’s spend the rest of the afternoon getting everything ready and tomorrow Mirana and I will go down and attach the bags and start her on her way to the surface. You’ll meet us and take over following her up while we decompress. When her gunwales break the surface Ann will start the pump and throw the hose into her. In no time she will be floating on her own. Remember to tie the tow line to her to keep her from floating off.”

After a nice supper of the fish we had caught that afternoon, Mirana broke out some cigars. I was in a good mood, and I asked her to demonstrate to Geri how to prepare a ‘cigar’. Geri laughed so hard she cried and said she would have to teach Charlie all about cigars!

We retired early since we wanted to get an early start.

Geri’s plan worked perfectly! By one pm the next day the Sally-Ann was back on the surface and I was walking around inside her!

She was a mess! I saw why the insurance company did not want to spend the money to salvage her.

All the electronics were shot. The bedding and cushions in all the cabins were ruined and would have to be replaced. The only good thing was that there was no damage to the hull and we could tow her without fearing that she would sink again. Geri said she thought the motors could be overhauled and put back in service. We slowly towed her into a salvage yard near Miami. I had a company give me an estimate on restoring her and a mechanic started working on the engines. I also put a ‘For Sale’ sign on her. There were no immediate takers.

Lionell and Pat flew down and after spending a couple of days with us, it was decided that they would take his boat back to Tarpon, Geri decided to go with them while the girls and I worked on cleaning up the Sally-Ann.

Before she left, Geri suggested I not sell her but just ‘fix her up’. She said the Sally-Ann had plenty of room to store the salvage gear we would need in our new company. She also pointed out the obvious, I was never going to get what she was worth.

The girls and I stayed in Miami while Lionel, Pat and Geri left for Tarpon. We did a lot of the work ourselves. We stripped out the interior and replaced everything. I had new electronics installed and the motors overhauled. Two months later we were on our way to Tarpon.

A week after we arrived back home, I received a phone call. It was Ms. Sims from Seven Seas Maritime insurance company! She had heard about us finding and raising the Sally-Ann and wanted to know if we would be interested in doing a salvage operation for the insurance company!

Our first job!

I agreed to meet her in her office the next morning. She told me to be sure to bring the girls. I got the impression they would be part of the negotiations!

When I told the girls about my conversation with Mistress Inga, Ann jumped out of her chair and shouted, “Oh goody!”

Mirana looked at her, made a face and muttered, “Not again!”

But that’s another adventure.