seas off Bermuda.

Ms Lynn Fraker and Mr. Clayton Friis frantically bailed 80 gallons of water an hour out of the Eliza Three for more than five hours.

And they continued to bail water from the 35-foot sloop for the next three days as they struggled to return to Bermuda.

But their efforts were in vain as a second storm began to lash their yacht before they abandoned it.

The couple from Martha's Vinyard, off Massachusetts, were finally picked up by the Polish bulk carrier Copalnia Walbrizych , 120 miles east of Bermuda.

Ms Fraker was working as crew on the 33-year-old Eliza Three which has been owned by experienced sailor Mr. Friis for around 18 years. They set off from Bermuda for St. Thomas two weeks ago. It had already taken them nine days to travel about 200 miles when they hit serious problems.

Ms Fraker said: "The seas were really rough and the ship, because of its age, had just about had enough. It started to take on water.

"We were bailing furiously for about five hours at a rate of 40 buckets an hour, which we estimated to be about 80 gallons every hour. There was no bilge pump we had to do everything by hand.

"We never thought about if we would make it or not. We were just too busy bailing the water out. The weather eased and after a while it became more manageable.'' Although they were getting little sleep the waters became calmer and they told a US Navy warship they believed they could make it back to Bermuda.

It was two days before they spotted the Polish vessel and they were faced with the threat of 40 knot winds and 35-foot seas.

But Ms. Fraker said: "We said we could manage but they insisted on circling us for two hours to make sure we were OK. Then the Coast Guard ordered us off the yacht.

"It was devastating. I fought getting off. It was worse for Clayton. That ship has been his wife and his mistress for years. He lived for that boat.'' Ms Fraker said the most frightening part of the whole experience was being winched aboard the carrier because the seas were already rough.

Mr. Friis has already flown back to New York. Ms Fraker is waiting for a boat to take her home on Saturday.

Haulage experts failed twice to lift the sunken catamaran Aristocat from the sea bed yesterday.

And mystery still surrounds why the 57-foot carri-craft sank in Sunday morning's gales.

During the first attempt to lift the boat, the cable on the crane snapped sending the Aristocat plunging back into the water.

That was followed by another attempt to lift the stricken vessel from the water close to White's Island.

Earlier divers had been into the boat to look for clues about the sinking and to open doors and windows to allow water to flow out as it was being lifted.

Mr. Douglas Mackie, owner of the haulage firm, Mackie Marine Construction, said: "She was a bit too heavy to lift for the crane we took out there.

"She is still down there and we cannot go back tomorrow because the storm is supposed to be coming back.'' Mr. Mackie said that divers found nothing to indicate why the Aristocat had gone under.

CAT-LICKED -- Sunken catamaran Aristocat licks the efforts of the Mackie Marine haulage crew who are trying to lift it off the sea bottom.