Fortunately, "Edisto" managed to work her way through the open leads in the ice while "Southwind", with only four of her six engines running was able to reach "Mizar", still icebound where it had struck "Edisto", and freed her. "Southwind" then took "Edisto" in tow, and made for Reykjavík. They arrived on October 23, 1972 and "Edisto"s crew made temporary repairs to her rudder for the long tow back to the U.S. They departed and headed for the U.S., but the repairs did not hold and they once again returned to Iceland. On November 2, 1972 they once again set sail.