The following is a recount of a boating rescue in the Sheepscot River, told by Sam and Jay, the rescuers, who are both sailors at Southport Junior Yacht Club.

Returning from a regular afternoon of sailing at Southport Junior Yacht Club, we were bouncing home to Christmas Cove on our 13-foot Boston Whaler. Little did we know as the boat picked up speed leaving Cozy Harbor, our afternoon was about to get a whole lot more interesting, and even dangerous.

The big Cat Ledges, located just off the south end of Pratt’s Island, are notorious for catching boaters off guard. With a large swath of ledge under the surface, captains sometimes run aground or get picked up in a swell as it breaks over the rocks. To put it simply, it can be quite dangerous, especially on days with big surf.

Approaching the ledges, we started to bear left as usual and head southeast. Oddly for us, there was a boat about the length of ours with two people holding it on the edge of the biggest ledge. It looked a little suspicious to us, but when they waved us over, there was no doubt they were in need of a hand.

Once we got within shouting distance, we asked if they needed help. They asked us for a bailer. It was clear they were going to need to do more than just bail their aluminum skiff because every time a wave came in, it flooded the teetering boat that was getting banged against the rocks.

We yelled back to them explaining we didn’t have a bailer but that our dock was in the next cove over and we’d return as quickly as possible. It seemed like they got the gist of the situation thanks to our hand motions.

After grabbing a bucket, two strong lines, and quickly sticking my head inside the house to say, “Grammy, we’re rescuing two guys off the ledges!”, we raced back around the point.

The next half-hour was a bunch of trial and error attempts to get them out of the precarious spot they were in.

They were able to tip the boat, drain it, and pull it above the breakers. They confirmed that their small engine would most definitely not start, and then shouted that they only had one oar. We moved in as close as we felt safe, tied a rope to an extra oar we had onboard, and hurled it at them. However, the distance was too far and the strong breeze smothered any hopes of making it to them. Thankfully, we could pull it back to us with the line.

Facing the choppy waters and an outgoing tide, we chose to not get any closer and backed up to where we couldn’t see the bottom. It would be up to them to get the boat floating and out to us. Removing the engine, they carried it and the boat separately to a calmer area. Another 15 minutes later, they were set to push off.

We heard them ask if we could pull them out. But we knew that the area where they were launching was an underwater ledge. Getting closer would not be happening. With one great push, the skiff was in the water, engine inside it, and the gentleman who pushed it jumped in the stern. One of them wielding the oar, the other using his hand, they paddled as best they could towards us.

Throwing a line from our bow to theirs, the Whaler took splashes over the stern as it reversed back to deeper water. Just as their skiff got off the ledge, the largest wave of the day broke exactly where they were seconds ago. Still in our sailing boots, now wet from the water in the boat, we got settled and tied the line to our stern. Our mighty Boston Whaler with its 40 horsepower engine did an excellent job towing the beaten-up skiff to Cozy Harbor where we dropped them off.

By the time all was said and done, roughly one hour and 30 minutes after we first saw them, our gas was nearly depleted. A little while longer out there by the rocks and we would’ve needed a rescue ourselves!

This wasn’t a daring Coast Guard rescue by any means, but it did have its dangerous points for us and the other boatmates. The takeaways are knowing the capabilities of your vessel and having awareness for the waters because you never know what exactly is lurking below the surface. If anything, this experience is just one big emphasis that every boater should help a fellow boater in need.

Everyone made it home safely for dinner that night, and with one heck of a story to tell!