Sailboat washes ashore on Pensacola Beach

[VChild]

Originally Posted by boatman61

"There but for the grace of Zeus.."
Getting a bit heavy are we not.. looking back over the years on CF I can think of many examples of alledgedly 'experienced sailors' abandoning their boats for seemingly trivial reasons..
"I could not charge my IPad for my navigation.."
"I ran out of gas so could not cook.."
"I ran outa diesel.."
Maybe he abandoned because his forestay ripped up the foredeck.. looks pretty grim in the picture.

I personally saw this boat up close on the beach. There was no forestay damage or foredeck damage. Just a completely unfurled jib that was shredded. Everything else looked completely in order. The main was folded up neatly in the sail stack. There was no obvious hull damage. There was a line from the foredeck wrapped around the prop.
He’ll probably be ok though. I heard his GoFundMe account is doing quite well.

[mvweebles]

From his GoFundMe:

While crossing the gulf from Florida we were hit by a series of powerful squalls and unforcast storms. We were up against 20'+ seas and sustained 50+kts of wind on and off for three days, if you have never been in a situation like this, let me tell you, it is absolutely terrifying. We lost the autopilot the first day forcing us to hand steering for the next two days. We then lost our headsail from a wild wind shift followed shortly by the engine. This effectively left us with zero control of the vessel, for fear of broaching, absolutely defeated, feeling like I had literally been smacked by the hand of God, and nearing hypothermia and fearful for our lives we radioed the Coast guard.

So their root cause explanation was an unforecast storm. Not sure how a 3-day storm with 50-kts sustained and 20-foot seas sneaks past the NOAA forecasters, but that's their story.

I may have missed it, but I saw nothing that said these were newbies to sailing - maybe they were, maybe they weren't. God knows there are plenty of experienced sailors guilty of being dumb and arrogant. I always love the ones who lose their engine and try to sail into their slip the way the racing crews do. Never ends well.

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

From his GoFundMe:

While crossing the gulf from Florida we were hit by a series of powerful squalls and unforcast storms. We were up against 20'+ seas and sustained 50+kts of wind on and off for three days, if you have never been in a situation like this, let me tell you, it is absolutely terrifying. We lost the autopilot the first day forcing us to hand steering for the next two days. We then lost our headsail from a wild wind shift followed shortly by the engine. This effectively left us with zero control of the vessel, for fear of broaching, absolutely defeated, feeling like I had literally been smacked by the hand of God, and nearing hypothermia and fearful for our lives we radioed the Coast guard.

So their root cause explanation was an unforecast storm. Not sure how a 3-day storm with 50-kts sustained and 20-foot seas sneaks past the NOAA forecasters, but that's their story.

I may have missed it, but I saw nothing that said these were newbies to sailing - maybe they were, maybe they weren't. God knows there are plenty of experienced sailors guilty of being dumb and arrogant. I always love the ones who lose their engine and try to sail into their slip the way the racing crews do. Never ends well.

LOL. Very much exagurated for effect. More donations and comforting a bruised ego. I have doubt they encountered more than they were expecting but 20 feet seas and 50 knots is just nonsense.

Also interesting the observation above of line wrapped around the prop. I think we can speculate on how the engine died. What is weird is the mainsail being stowed in the photos. Would they have taken sails down after contacting coastguard. That would have made the boat less controllable not more. Was the mainsail ever up to begin with?

[Statistical]

SAR video posted by the Coast Guard on facebook. Yeah I would provide another url but this is the only copy I have found.

https://fb.watch/sRuWYJAWmx/

Doesn't look like 50 knots and 20 foot seas to me. Also again interesting the main is stowed when CG arrived on the scene. Good job to CG as usual though.

[boatman61]

Moral of the story..
Practice heaving too.. it comes in handy.. and yes, conditions at the time of rescue don't look bad, almost benign even.

[KTP]

I think I have had our small 17 foot Montgomery out in seas bigger than those in that rescue.

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by Statistical

SAR video posted by the Coast Guard on facebook. Yeah I would provide another url but this is the only copy I have found.

https://fb.watch/sRuWYJAWmx/

Doesn't look like 50 knots and 20 foot seas to me. Also again interesting the main is stowed when CG arrived on the scene. Good job to CG as usual though.

Seas looked downright docile.

I believe it was Adlard Colee in his heavy weather sailing book where the topic of psychological effects of weather is discussed. Evolves from excitement, exhilaration, concern, fatigue, fear, terror. Something like that. Certainly the cycle starts at a much lower threshold for an inexperienced sailor.

It is odd the main is stowed. Only speculation of course,, but given the up thread post from the person who thought the prop was fouled, reasonable assumption the prop fouled during their mayhem. I'm sure fatigue played a role, especially at night.

Given the poor weather forecasting, unlikely assessment of sea state, perplexing sail config displayed, certainly sounds like they were in way over their head (inexperienced).

BTW - their GoFundMe page seeks $10k to salvage and repair the boat (they're at $6k in contributions). Perhaps another sign of rosey view but hard to imagine $10k will do more than get the boat off the beach. Maybe.

[5BTM]

I think that this incident is the result of the current sailing "fashion", a reliance on roller furling headsails, powered auto pilots and electronic navigation.

In stronger winds mainsails stay stowed because reefing has not been practiced or the reefing lines are not setup.

Sailing under genoa alone, resulting in an unbalanced sailplan with the center of effort ahead of the center of lateral resistance.

With an unbalanced sail plan the autopilot will try to compensate until it runs out of power, hence the "autopilot broke down"

Powered auto pilots don't give one the opportunity to develop the feel for the boat, weather helm, lee helm etc.

If there were "50 knot winds and 20 foot waves" all one has to do is pay attention the sky to know that s#&t is coming.


The GoFund page reads like a John Belushi apology.

https://www.google.com/search?q=john...vujknrBuE,st:0

[JPA Cate]

We suffered a dismasting roughly 70 n. mi offshore. Part of our procedure, after we let the remains sink, was to crawl around the deck (motion was extreme with the mast gone) twice, to make sure there were no lines going into the water. We waited 15 more minutes to drift away incase any lines were coming up from the sinking mast, etc. Then we started the engine. To us, it was real important to be able to bring her in ourselves.

It took longer to get to a safe haven, and some friends escorted us in, as our nav lights didn't work (due to the bow pulpit getting squashed when the furler went over the side with the mast). This was a keel stepped mast, clevis pin was rolling between the chainplate and the toe rail, no split pin was found. It broke about 8" above the deck. We jammed a bucket over the hole to keep salt water out of the boat.

No judgments here, though. My first gale at sea was in 22 ft. average seas, so some were taller, others less, according to the ocean weather; and I found I was quite tired by the end of the 3rd day of ~45 knots.

Ann

[VChild]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

Seas looked downright docile.

I believe it was Adlard Colee in his heavy weather sailing book where the topic of psychological effects of weather is discussed. Evolves from excitement, exhilaration, concern, fatigue, fear, terror. Something like that. Certainly the cycle starts at a much lower threshold for an inexperienced sailor.

It is odd the main is stowed. Only speculation of course,, but given the up thread post from the person who thought the prop was fouled, reasonable assumption the prop fouled during their mayhem. I'm sure fatigue played a role, especially at night.

Given the poor weather forecasting, unlikely assessment of sea state, perplexing sail config displayed, certainly sounds like they were in way over their head (inexperienced).

BTW - their GoFundMe page seeks $10k to salvage and repair the boat (they're at $6k in contributions). Perhaps another sign of rosey view but hard to imagine $10k will do more than get the boat off the beach. Maybe.

Definitely a fouled prop. Still attached, coming from foredeck.

[Rockinar]

Basically 2 guys with no sailing experience, no insurance, no preparation, and not even any foul weather gear attempted to get that boat from Florida Keys to Texas. They knowing headed out into bad weather and it bit them.


"The ocean takes care of the stupid ones" - Sam Holmes

[HeinSdL]

Originally Posted by 5BTM

I think that this incident is the result of the current sailing "fashion", a reliance on roller furling headsails, powered auto pilots and electronic navigation.

In stronger winds mainsails stay stowed because reefing has not been practiced or the reefing lines are not setup.

Sailing under genoa alone, resulting in an unbalanced sailplan with the center of effort ahead of the center of lateral resistance.

With an unbalanced sail plan the autopilot will try to compensate until it runs out of power, hence the "autopilot broke down"

Powered auto pilots don't give one the opportunity to develop the feel for the boat, weather helm, lee helm etc.

That boat should sail pretty ok on genoa alone on all points of sail. It's what I usually end up doing in 40+ knots of wind. Either the no4 genoa or the furling genoa partially furled and genoa fair lead well forward. Hand steering a pleasure and no stress on the autopilot.

[HeinSdL]

Not a fan of the 130% furling genoas. I have a well maintained, good quality furling system with a 105% sail yet I make sure it is furled early and ideally downwind. Forces quickly become large on the furling mechanism with the situation only made worse with a 130% sail which may have been furled too late using a sub-par furling system.

Besides, a 130% furling genoa is likely used more often partially furled than fully unfurled so the performance more often will be a compromise.

[paul.devalier]

I'm learning only now and am surprised that skippers license is not a requirement. I understand the license vs real world driver analogy -- e.g. Just having a license doesn't cure stupid and reckless.
But there is something to be said about what it takes to get a license. A 24 question multiple choice quiz and a drive around the DMV is not going to equate to a driver's license after a minimum of 20 hours of certified driving experience and 6 months of course work and examinations by professional verifiers.
Yes it produces bureaucracy but it also contributes to an economy.

In Italy, operating a 45 foot boat requires a set of increasingly difficult to obtain licenses depending also on distance from the coast, and the nature of the crew on board.

On the other hand, no one gets their licenses having faced 50 knot winds and 4 meter waves. So in the real world only a series of focused learning, the right mindset and luck in incremental exposure is going to help avoid disasters that could have been avoided.

Then again... Every accident could have been avoided in hindsight right?

The balance is to be found somewhere in the middle.

In the meantime I need to figure out how to replace or pay a doubled insurance.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by paul.devalier

…

On the other hand, no one gets their licenses having faced 50 knot winds and 4 meter waves. So in the real world only a series of focused learning, the right mindset and luck in incremental exposure is going to help avoid disasters that could have been avoided.

…

Yes, this exactly.

But there’s something at play with the YouTube inspired mindset too. Perhaps encouraging people to jump in too fast to gain that incremental experience.