# Siemstrand



## Cpt Dick Brooks (May 13, 2013)

When I arrived in Bequia with my ship Debut, I decided to use the deep-water harbour as a base for my salvage operations in the Windward Islands of the Caribbean. It is one of the most beautiful islands that I have visited, with many facilities available.
I was asked by the Chief Administration Officer Huggins to remove the wreck of the Whistler from the harbour. She was a Cariacou schooner of 75 feet, owned by Clive Tannis, and had mysteriously sunk two years before over the Christmas holiday. They couldn't pay me for doing it, but said I could keep all that I salvaged from the wreck. I decided to go for it, as removing this wreck would demonstrate the capabilities of Debut to the governments of the Leeward and Windward Islands.
After a very successful salvage operation, finally sinking the stripped-out wreck in 150 feet of water near the entrance of the harbour as an artificial reef for fish and lobster cultivation, and as a dive-site for the visiting tourists. The CAO then asked me to remove two more wrecks in the harbour that had been an eye-sore for the past four years, on the same arrangement as before.
There was an 80 foot salvage tug, belonging to Andus Extrum, and an 80 foot fishing vessel, the Barbados 21... part of a large modern fleet of shrimpers operating out of Barbados. Andus Extrum had salvaged her some four years before, after she ran on to the cliffs at the western end of the harbour at night. He had put a massive salvage claim in against the company, which they had declined to pay, resulting in a stand-off.
News of the offer to me by the government to strip out and sink both wrecks soon rippled around the island, and many islanders were unhappy about it. They had been part of the original crew of the tug, and were peeved that I was to reap the rewards, as they had not been paid for their labour. Late one night, one of them went out to these two wrecks and caste the Barbados 21 adrift.
As luck would have it, just before I was about to turn in after a pleasant drinking session down in the mess-room with my crew, I glanced about the harbour from the wheel-house windows. Silhouetted against the setting full moon to the west, I saw the white hull of the Barbados 21 drifting towards the cliffs at the entrance of the harbour. The main engine was soon running, and I had the wreck bathed in light from the large search-light on top of the wheel-house.
With only minutes to spare, one of my crew swam a line out to her before she went up against the cliffs on the western arm of Princess Margaret's Bay. I soon had her moored on my port side, and Debut steaming back into the inner harbour to anchor in her usual anchoring position. There was a V.I.P. party taking place at the Frangipani Hotel, so I blasted my ship's horn to let everyone know what we'd just achieved.
A few days later, the Siemstrand was entering the harbour, so I called up her captain for a chat. The ex-Norwegian ferry was half owned by Andus Extrum as well. I enquired of Captain Frank when I might expect the payment of US $5,000 for the successful salvage of the Barbados 21. I was told by him on channel 16 that Extrum was planning on coming alongside my ship with the ferry and taking back by force the fishing-boat moored alongside.
With this information broadcaster around the Windward Islands by our radio conversation, I removed the four ton 360 hp Caterpillar main diesel engine, her stern gear, refrigeration and generators to hold until I was paid in full. Through his corrupt connections, he sent the customs, immigration, harbour master and the CAO in his launch out to my ship to arrest me and confiscate my ship. I arrested them all under force of arms instead, and kept them secured on board Debut until the morning.
After breakfast, I informed them that I would release them and allow them to return to their island if they left me in peace, or I would turn my ship's guns on their town and destroy it with armour-piecing and incendiary rounds. They agreed, and CAO Huggins was later sacked from his position for unlawfully boarding my ship without my consent.
As if by some divine right, the next week the Siemstrand went up on the reef at the entrance to the harbour in Union Island. Her other captain, Captain King, had been too interested in the young native girl lying naked in his bunk, than in navigating his ship. At one in the morning, he'd turned to starboard to round the outer reef on the first buoy... not the second one... and had run his fully loaded ferry aground on the reef at 14 knots at high tide. This was in the same place of my first salvage operation of the 45 foot yacht Caryle, six months earlier.
I was asked by the government of St. Vincent to salvage the Siemstrand, as she was the only ferry servicing the Grenadian Islands from St. Vincent to the north, down to Grenada in the south. A fixed charge of US $5,000 was agreed against the ship.
Overnight, I steamed the 40 odd miles south to Union Island with Debut and anchored in position up-wind of the Siemstrand for the salvage operation. I should have removed all her fuel and lubricants to lighten her and decrease the risk of an oil spill, but this would have taken too long, and at least she was under the shelter of Green Island and Tobago Quays.
On this joyous operation, 50 or 60 private yachts and launches came out from the harbour of Union Island, and I arranged with them to transfer the 100 odd passengers to my ship, along with the 15 tons of Heineken beer from the brewery in St. Lucia. The salvage wire was connected to the Siemstrand, and within 25 minutes of making the connection, Debut pulled the 180 foot ferry off the reef.
After securing her alongside Debut to check her hull out by divers, and to ensure that no damage had been done to her stern-gear and machinery, her passengers were transferred back on board Siemstrand, along with the remainder of the beer. Because of the full party atmosphere on this Sunday morning, there wasn't much of the beer left to reload on board the Siemstrand.
As I'd been contracted by the shipyard in Bequia to supply them with lead from yachts wrecked on the reefs, I decided to stay at anchor in Union Island for a few days of surveying. They were building a schooner for Bob Dylan, and wanted the lead for her internal ballast. The Water Pearl was 68 feet long, built on the lines of a traditional Cariacou trading schooner, but fitted out as a luxury yacht.
When the Siemstrand returned, a few days later, Captain Frank told me on channel 16 that Andus Extrum refused to pay the US $5,000 for the successful salvage operation of his ferry. I informed him on this main call-channel that he had a week to pay, or I would rip the Siemstrand off the wharf in Kingstown Harbour under the threat of my ship's guns, strip her out of everything of value, then sink her by explosives in the middle of the harbour in full view of the town. Captain Frank paid me in cash the next day from his own bank account. He owned half of the ferry, and would soon own all of her. Best of luck to you all, Cpt Dick Brooks.


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## Day Sailor (Nov 9, 2014)

Never a dull moment in the Windies it seems.


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