High (164 kilometre and hour) winds on Monday night 26 October 2009 dealt one more devastating blow to the Algoa Bay Yacht Club as the marina buckled under the onslaught of the wind and waves. A mere three years ago, on Sunday 21 May 2006, the Algoa
Bay Yacht Club was the victim of an extensive fire which neccesitated the rebuild of the entire club at a cost of R2.8 Million.

On Tuesday 27 October shaken yacht owners gathered to count the cost. With buckled walkways, sunken fingers, a 16 ton breakwater pushed 30 metres closer to shore, five yachts sunk and every single other boat in the marina having suffered some form of damage from being holed or extensively sctratched the marina and yacht owners considered their options.

The first order of business was to clear the water of floating debris and establish which yachts had sunk and where - as the marina had shifted shorewards and towards the fishing jetty breaking into 'islands' as the night progressed.

Trailer-able yachts and those in imminent danger of sinking were removed immediately and stored on land provided by the NPA in a magnanimous gesture of marine camaraderie.

Clearing and retrieving of broken marina sections took up until the third week in November. Divers swept the harbour floor daily, marking heavy equipment and sunken yachts with buoys.

Twenty three yachts were identified to be taken out of the water, by the ABYC Disaster Mangement Committee under the guidance of Vice Commodore, Sean Wiseman.

Cradles had to be sourced and built before this operation commenced and negotiations with crane hire companies began. Protec Crane Hire, acknowledging that the marina is an asset to Port Elizabeth and a valuable jewel in the Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism crown, made their cranes and staff available.

Under the guidance of ace weather forecaster, Mike van Wyk, suitable days were chosen for commencement of this mammoth task.

Over a period of four days twenty two yachts have been lifted out of the water with Thursday 3 December the day that the heavier boats in excess of 10 tons could be lifted by the Protec 100 ton crane.

First out of the water was Timshell at 11 tons. Timshell is a wooden canoe stern boat and was lifted with little effort onto Stu Davidson's loadbed.

At 14 tons, Sereia, a Lavranos 43, was a little trickier to take out of the water. On the first attempt the forward slings slipped as the lift commenced, lurching Sereia back into the water. A heart stopping moment for owner Albert Dias and his R1 million investment. A small adjustment and the 100 ton Protec crane lifted Sereia clear onto a waiting loadbed.

The Marina Rebuilding Plan will now commence. All indications are that to rebuild an entire 125 berth Marina will cost approximately R4.2 Million. This cost will be divided between each Marina owner who, depending on the value of recovered marina parts, will have to pay between R24 250.00 and R33 750.00.

Looming on the horizon is the NPA's insistence on charging a 'market related' rental to all tenants on their land and water. The NPA proposed rental increase for the marina is a whopping 244% to R50 000.00 per month.

Coupled with unrealistic ' market related' increases yacht owners now also have to contend with repairs, insurance excesses and increased insurance premiums.

When Mother Nature shows her teeth everyone gets bitten!