Main Cat Crew Rescued Off Oregon Inlet NC

[donradcliffe]

Originally Posted by nofacey

Crew caught out (in this case happens to be a cat) on an inhospitable coastline - there’s no forgiveness in bad weather from Neah Bay thru to California for a sailboat. This is why I go 100+ nm offshore before turning south leaving BC….gives you lots of sea room, plus hopefully gets you out of the micro systems off the Columbia River.
There’s a reason the Coast Guard does their rough water training in this area.

Its about the other Oregon, but both the Oregon inlet and the Oregon coast inlets are no place of refuge in bad weather.

Last week I was 100 miles off Oregon coast, because they told me I could avoid the fishing fleet by going out. Guess where the fishing fleets were? The bastards turn off their AIS when they are fishing.

This incident was not a boat problem, it was the result of very poor judgement on the part of the skipper. Why would you ever consider trying to anchor a functional sailboat in an open roadstead in heavy weather?

It reminds me of the 2010 Caribbean 1500, where a Jeanneau tried to run a pass in the Bahamas at night during a Rage because the crew was seasick. She died.

[caradow]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Thread drift warning, but do you like or not like the J24? My memories are of J24's sinking inside San Francisco Bay because they didn't put the wash boards in while sailing in 25k. Also started a 500 mile MORA race with 2 J24's, and both had their outboard rudders fall off within 100 miles.

I have owned and raced several J -Boats over the years. My favorite was the J-35 which I raced one-design for 4 years.
Phenomenal boat and it took a lot of beating both in and off shore.
Rod Johnston did not design the J-24 for 500 mile ocean races.
You guys may find fault with the J-24 but after 5,500 boats with 50,000 people sailing them the world over I think that speaks for itself.

Anyway back to the real question I was hoping to discuss by starting this thread was the thinking and decision making process that took place in these sailors minds. Someone commented on that you can't really predict the weather, (which is not valid when the storm was brewing to the south and then sailing around Hatteras). Another said it was the catamarans inabilities and another about how to properly anchor in that situation....Really? Hopefully the obvious comes to light in theses sailors minds.

[gsuescum]

It has to be that they were new boat owners? Or new to the area and unfamiliar with how weather affected the waters?

I remember going out on the Long Island Sound in an April gale shortly after buying my first 25’ sailboat. I just glanced at the Weather Channel and thought, “it’ll be alright.” STUPID newbie mistake!! 😅

[caradow]

Originally Posted by gsuescum

It has to be that they were new boat owners? Or new to the area and unfamiliar with how weather affected the waters?

I remember going out on the Long Island Sound in an April gale shortly after buying my first 25’ sailboat. I just glanced at the Weather Channel and thought, “it’ll be alright.” STUPID newbie mistake!! 😅

Yes I can believe that could have been the actual situation. And much more digestible than trying to outrun a storm while crossing the graveyard of the Atlantic.

As far as your "STUPID newbie mistake" I bet you learned some boat handling skills that have given you much more confidence than you could have ever got out of a book.

[gsuescum]

Originally Posted by caradow

As far as your "STUPID newbie mistake" I bet you learned some boat handling skills that have given you much more confidence than you could have ever got out of a book.

It was quite a mess of a day. It went from nice to blowing 25+ kts. I shredded the foresail, it just exploded. On the way back to harbor, just as we entered the narrow shallow channel, our engine died. Didn't even try to make it back to our slip and just barely made it back to a t-head and tied up. Almost lost our boat on our first sail. Haha!!

[Sheet]

Does anyone know the circumstances of why they were there or even exactly where they were? Did I read that their anchor line broke? Were they anchored in shore and when the anchor line broke were they swept out to the inlet?