Multiple boat capsize off Mobile

[rgscpat]

More info is getting out on Al.com. Could misunderstanding of "scratch sheet" have contributed the the carnage by leading to the long delay in the start?

[RKsailsolo]

This is a tragedy no matter what we may say about it after the fact. We can hope we learn something as a result of filtering for the actual, unadulterated facts as they are revealed.

[biker6977]

It is now three confirmed dead and three missing. The weather is better today and the bay should be smooth. I hope they find them hanging onto a rig or light house.

[jaybird1111]

If you weren't there, STFU. These comments from the credit card Internet captains are not only disingenuous, they're flatly incorrect.

And yes, I was there.

[MarkSF]

Thank you for that most illuminating contribution to the discussion.

[biker6977]

Originally Posted by jaybird1111

If you weren't there, STFU. These comments from the credit card Internet captains are not only disingenuous, they're flatly incorrect.

And yes, I was there.

Not sure who that is directed to, however there are many of us down here on the bay. I think this is meant as a discussion to learn from. How it happened, what could be done in the future to prevent or negate. I think that even those that were not there can have valuable insight from experiences. I do not believe anyone here is disingenuous.
I do believe that this is a very touchy subject as no one wants to point fingers, however in matters of life and death it is best to stick to facts regardless of where they lead.
I have a good video showing the conditions but as of yet have not figured out how to upload it.
This has personally touched me as I have many friends that were in the regatta, all are safe, however one of the still missing was on the boat of a neighbor. If you were there then please add positively to this discussion.

[MarkSF]

I think the best way to upload the video is via youtube, and post a link to it here.

[Sand crab]

Someone posted that there was a big blob of nasty stuff out in the Gulf that was sending out these intense storms. 2 days later winds blew a train off the tracks near New Orleans. I wonder if these 2 events were due to the same weather event?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB-nBhsMiYc

[jaybird1111]

Conditions varied from south to north. 64kt registered at Ft Morgan, 72 at Middle Bay Light.

South, the thing just looked like slightly darker overcast, which was similar to what had been happening all day. Visibility all day was low, maybe three miles at best. Hazy. The video, looking very dark, was further north.

The weather warnings that began to come out had been trending the violence north of Mobile Bay, and from all indications, that would continue. Except for this particular freak derecho, obviously.

Given that the race began in 17-20, it would have been prudent to begin with a reef in (and we carried reef throughout the race), but we were surprised to see many other boats carrying full sail (and struggling, btw). We had lifejackets on from right at the start. As the race progressed, the wind intensified to 18-25, and then a couple miles before the finish, the wind tapered (not abruptly) off to 10-15. That tapering indicated to us that the weather had probably passed, which would have been normal for the area. An abrupt quiet would have indeed been a warning.

What might people have done?
--reef often and early
--carry good ground tackle. Deployment of same can allow the boat to face the weather and allow sails to be dropped, and possibly sit and wait it out
--PFD in anything above 15, and maybe all the time depending on conditions and boat size

It bears repeating that the NOAA Marine forecast did not call for anything like this squall at the beginning of the race.

[Leo Ticheli]

Thank you for your report, Jay.

Do you have any information about the collision that left three sailors in the water? I've been unable to find any follow up on the initial AL.com news story.

Fair winds,

Leo

[tdoster]

Originally Posted by jaybird1111

Conditions varied from south to north. 64kt registered at Ft Morgan, 72 at Middle Bay Light.

South, the thing just looked like slightly darker overcast, which was similar to what had been happening all day. Visibility all day was low, maybe three miles at best. Hazy. The video, looking very dark, was further north.

The weather warnings that began to come out had been trending the violence north of Mobile Bay, and from all indications, that would continue. Except for this particular freak derecho, obviously.

Given that the race began in 17-20, it would have been prudent to begin with a reef in (and we carried reef throughout the race), but we were surprised to see many other boats carrying full sail (and struggling, btw). We had lifejackets on from right at the start. As the race progressed, the wind intensified to 18-25, and then a couple miles before the finish, the wind tapered (not abruptly) off to 10-15. That tapering indicated to us that the weather had probably passed, which would have been normal for the area. An abrupt quiet would have indeed been a warning.

What might people have done?
--reef often and early
--carry good ground tackle. Deployment of same can allow the boat to face the weather and allow sails to be dropped, and possibly sit and wait it out
--PFD in anything above 15, and maybe all the time depending on conditions and boat size

It bears repeating that the NOAA Marine forecast did not call for anything like this squall at the beginning of the race.

Which boat were you on?

[RKsailsolo]

So what's the collective learning from this tragedy? Most importantly, were the lost sailors found?

[rgscpat]

The last I heard, all the bodies but one were recovered. A bay can be as deadly as an ocean.

Sent from my XT1254 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[patn44]

10 boats capsized and or sunk, 50 or so rescues per the officials, 6 dead with one body still not recovered. Many of the rescues were by racers themselves. Wind built waves that made it impossible for the smaller boats (it is not a Dingy race) in the 20 foot range to maintain headway and they broached. Larger boats also were having a great problem maintaining control. One friend said that his 32 foot boat was able to just keep head to wind under full throttle but that just after the wind died the motor went and he had to raise sail again in still dangerous wind. Another friend who was racing his Catalina 22 said that the force of the water when his boat rolled and sank pushed him out of his life jacket. One of those that died was inside the boat when it went over. The boats were mostly in the vicinity of the Mid Bay Light (in the middle of the bay) which is 30 miles long and 10-25 miles wide. The shore line offers no block to wind/storms coming from the south and west. The storm traveled from Waveland in Ms across the coastline and reached Mobile in less than an hour, a distance of 80-90 miles. There was no warning of the wind, there was blinding rain and heavy lightening strikes. There are no coves or shelters along the bay shoreline which is low marsh and shallow with soft mud bottom.

If I've used the term capsize inappropriately it is due to the term being used both by the media and the officials giving the reports. Broaching might be a better term, but since I was not on the boat/s I cannot confirm that one went full over and inverted. The smaller cats were inverted.

[patn44]

as for the collision it was a Catalina 22 that was hit in the storm by a larger boat. The C 22 owner is saying that he was knocked down twice but that the other boat hit and sank his boat. The fact is that on a bright clear mild wind day I've been very nearly hit by other boats in the race as there are over 100 boats racing in an area approximately 20 miles in length X 15 miles in width (the race course). In the chaotic conditions and poor visibility when the storm hit I would say that it is surprising more boats were not involved in crashes. In addition to turn a boat around and offer assistance would have been near to impossible. Rescues of those in the water occurred many hours after the storm by other racers who by that time were coming home. One boat (34') in the area of Petit Boise Island had called for a tow and the Tow Boat US craft had a lot of trouble trying to make that tow as in heavy seas/wind the line snapped.