Boat on the Rocks: Scenario Quiz

[Cheechako]

A. I'd stay on as long as possible, all they need is a push to port once to fill the sails on a reach and get moving. There are palm trees in the background so I assume the water isnt frigid. In the end, if they cant sail away, jump off and swim to the power boat.

[akprb]

As I also looked at this from the comfort of my couch with a hot cup off coffee my first thought was sheet in the jib.

Each roll provided an opportunity to fill it.

That being said things look a lot different from the cockpit :-(

[skipmac]

Of course with 20/20 hindsight staying on the boat would work although I saw a few times when the boat was knocked down 90 degrees and more where staying on board would be problematic.

I also saw several intervals of 5 to 15 seconds between waves when the boat was quite still and jumping onto the rocks a good option.

If I had been on the boat I think I would have gone for the rocks.

[fatherchronica]

I would have stayed on the boat until it was sinking personally. About 5 years ago we were walking our dogs on the beach just inside the breakwater at Ventura Harbor. It was hot and packed with people, but big surf was breaking outside the harbor and the wind was in the 30s, onshore. The only boat that went out was a 18' cat with 2 guys, one, the instructor it turned out, was wearing a crash helmet. My wife and I were transfixed. As soon as they got to the end of the south jetty a big swell lifted them up then flopped them over with one of them flying through the air and going through the main. The next swell crashed into the breakwater and the back swell pushed them back upright. They continued, very slowly now around to the outside of the breakwater, where several surfers were and headed in. While this was occuring I sent Holli to tell the lifeguard, while I took off running to the breakwater. The lifeguard looked over as the boat righted and told my wife not to worry. As I gained the top of the breakwater and started running/leaping out along the top a bigger wave picked up the cat, rolled it over with the mast pointing at the breakwater and slammed it into the rocks. The cat disintegrated. When I got out there, fearing I was about to jump into that raging maelstrom like the 61 idiot I was, there were the two elderly gentleman clinging to rocks below me. I was so happy. I yelled for them to hang on a big one was about to break over them. Then I started telling them when to climb and when to hang on. The waves were soaking me 12 feet above them. After about 6 or so big waves they were above the blue water and I was down their side just a little bit. I helped the instructee, who was clearly in shock the last little bit. Then a lifeguard showed up and told us to get off the breakwater as it was too dangerous that day to be on it. What a maroon. We walked our dogs at that beach 3 or 4 times a day as we lived aboard about a block away. There was a piece of mast about 6' long on the breakwater for a couple days, but no other piece of that cat bigger than about a foot square was ever seen by man nor beast again.

[Don C L]

I am not sure how much presence of mind I’d have there especially if I had my kids with me, but the lifeguards had it right, as they usually do, get off the boat... though he used more forceful language. But don’t go for the rocks, as tempting as they are, swim out and away and for the beach. They were just very lucky they had a tough boat that could sail itself off the rocks. Btw, in spite of the palm trees, the water is pretty cool this time of year.

[Rigdaddy]

While watching the first half of the video, I fully expected the boat to start coming apart or roll. It would have been easy to panic and try for the rocks if I was just a passenger. As owner/skipper, I tend to try to preserve my prized possession, and like a dumbass would have probably stayed on board.
The last thing I expected to see was it sailing away. I think they had more luck than skill.

[John_Trusty]

Originally Posted by Steady Hand

... Dressed in his uniform at that point, he quickly changed into shorts, grabbed a lifeguard rescue can and swam toward the boat. ...

I don't know who this Grant Currie is with the Harbor Patrol, but he certainly has large brass ones! We don't give these first responders credit enough. When it's blowing a gale and every sensible sailor is seeking a safe anchorage or harbor, they're going the other way!

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

Stay on the boat until it breaks apart then exit to water and the other boat, not to the rocks.

[Ken Z]

stay with the boat, hats off to outstanding seamanship, altho how did they get there?

[skipmac]

Looking at the video with the waves lifting the boat and smashing it onto the rocks I think going into the water would be my very last option. The power of even smallish waves can be overwhelming and I wouldn't call those small.

Once in the water, unless you could immediately reach deep water beyond the break you would completely at the mercy of the waves.

Watching several total knockdowns staying on the boat might be difficult.

[Steadman Uhlich]

My Short Answer: A

My Reasoning:
I think it is dependent on a number of factors one must consider. For example, if the sailor (crew) was confident and very fit, they may elect to jump off the boat and into the cold water (California in January) to swim to the rescue boat, as the rescuer said in the linked article, that is what he wanted the crew to do. In other words, the professional rescue boat wanted the crew of the sailboat to jump into the water to swim to the rescue boat. It could be more dangerous to jump to the rocks. There, the risk is that they are slippery and the greater risk of being crushed by the boat if a wave pressed it against a person between the boat and the rocks.

This video was surprising to me, because I expected the waves to crush the boat and for it to fill with water. That did not happen. So, in this case, it appears that staying with the boat was the best choice, in the long run.

But, things could have gone very differently in a matter of seconds. The boat could have swamped, the boat could have turned turtle, the boat could have been crushed and the cabin could have crushed anyone inside it.

And there is the fact that a rescue boat was near, with a "rescue swimmer" of sorts (he only had a swim float with him) nearby telling (yelling) the crew to jump in the water to swim to the rescue boat. IF that boat had not been there, it would not have been as appealing an option (to jump to windward of boat and try to swim away from the sailboat.

If the boat had been on a more hostile shore (say a cliff) that could make a difference too.

In the end, it appears it was best to stay on the boat, as many have chosen to suggest in comments.

A few years ago, off California (Catalina Island as I recall) a boat that was in a race came to a similar situation, and a crew member died (somewhat attributed to his Spinlock PFD not having leg straps).

Similarly a boat that was racing around the Farallon Islands (near San Francisco) was capsized near the rocky island, by a "freak wave" and several crew died (most had on some type of PFD) after being thrown into the water.

So, jumping off (or being swept off) a boat near rocks or a rocky shore can be very dangerous. In some cases, it is death by drowning, in others by hypothermia, and in others, by being pounded against the rocks.

All that supports the idea that staying ON the boat as long as possible is probably safer. Only leave the boat when it is possible to do so, or when directed to do so by the rescue authorities, or if conditions appear to be worsening or the boat disintegrating (and that can happen as quickly as one wave washing over it, or in seconds).

Tough call. I do hope I never face this same situation, but I am aware it can happen to even experienced boaters (e.g. Engine fails on entrance to a narrow inlet, steering failure, etc.).

As I mentioned earlier, I think the value of this type of thread, where we discuss "what to do" is that we stimulate our own thinking on the scenario, and read what others think they would do. Having awareness of risks and possible solutions is what I consider essential in good seamanship.

This is just my opinion, based on what I have observed, read, and sensed.

So, this is an example of a tough call to make. Good luck on making the right call if you ever find yourself in a similar situation.

[Don C L]

Since the waves were not breaking they won’t be driving (surfing) a swimmer onto the rocks in this particular case, as we could see when the lifeguard and the sailor jumped in. Water is soft, the boat has or will have things falling or breaking that are hard, and probably sharp. Going in on rocks is not necessarily life threatening as long you float/crawl out over the top of them and don’t try to stand up and get your leg caught in the rocks. But swimming is better imo here.

[snort]

I'd be watching a video downstairs, safe in the knowledge that my boat could fall off a 500-foot cliff without suffering a scratch.

[gamayun]

Absolutely I'd stay with the boat. They're much tougher than our mere flesh and bones.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Read this.
Similar situation happened in Chicago in 2007. Three of the four crew on a J35 boat died as the boat was crushed against a seawall by waves. There were 4 experienced sailors, they were motoring from the harbor, dropping sails, one man went MOB, the men were in the water about 45 minutes, water reported 59 degrees or colder, seas about 9 feet, moving the boat to a boat yard, in November, in 20 knots of wind.

3 boaters die; 4th survives - Chicago Tribune