Sailboat washes ashore on Pensacola Beach

[s/v Jedi]

To those calling for more legislation: please, stop. We need less government interference in our life, not more.

Let nature take care of idiots. We warned them not to do it, it’s their choice to do it anyway. CG should have rules for rescue that charge the crew for the cost of there was no legit reason other than incompetence.

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Let nature take care of idiots. We warned them not to do it, it’s their choice to do it anyway. CG should have rules for rescue that charge the crew for the cost of there was no legit reason other than incompetence.

I disagree with this. People get lost all the time waiting too long to call the coast guard. We don't need added financial risk on top of that. Even people competent may assume there was no legit reason other than incompetence.

The coast guard exists to save people in peril on the sea. Yes that includes the dumb ones.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Statistical

I disagree with this. People get lost all the time waiting too long to call the coast guard. We don't need added financial risk on top of that. Even people competent may assume there was no legit reason other than incompetence.

The coast guard exists to save people in peril on the sea. Yes that includes the dumb ones.

I used to agree with that. Now assume a million idiots need rescue yearly and this costs you and every tax payer $5,000 each year… still in for it?

[Knotical]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

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.

^^this

My friend often takes newbies for a sail, even in sporty weather - once he had a guy who yelled at the top of his lungs "stop tilting this boat or I will jump in the water"; mind does funny things to the inexperienced, not surprised that he thought he would have found more comfort in the water than the boat.

For the boaters in the OP - once those sails starting ripping they were done.

[davil]

[QUOTE=JPA Cate;3910940]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.
................................................

Exactly

Perhaps the most critical comment and take away from this incident.

I read somewhere anybody can take a boat out, requires skills to bring her back.

In my case, I cannot afford to lose my boat (calling in a rescue and abandoning if the hull is intact and floating).

Too much invested, both emotionally and time.

Have back up for most systems to compensate for the basic navigational needs,
and they are

Propulsion to keep the boat moving that includes sail (original or alternative jury-rigged) and motor.

Steerage to reach safety, that includes emergency ruder

basic energy generating like solar to keep essentials up like a handheld radio

Food and drinking water to sustain me for a month.

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I used to agree with that. Now assume a million idiots need rescue yearly and this costs you and every tax payer $5,000 each year… still in for it?

There will never be a million rescues needed per year but if and when that happens we can evaluate. The entire coast guard budget is less than 2% of the total federal spending. If 25% of that spending is rescuing people who don't deserve it then it is a rounding error on your taxes.

[gonesail]

call towboat US .. pull her off that beach in a jiffy

[Knotical]

Just saw this video on YT, may give some credence to the storms, especially from CG standpoint.

https://youtu.be/PNkfFxtxDXQ?si=2H7nK-jBx5lrv3Dt

Beautiful boat btw

[psk125]

Originally Posted by 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.

What it takes to get a license, as you suggest, does not prevent reckless or stupid activities. Licenses are required all over Europe and they have plenty of misadventures anyway. Many states in the US require licenses to operate a powerboat. Here in Connecticut the test mostly involves questions about trailers,small powerboats and waterskiing. The licence is not worth the plastic it is made from.

[davil]

Originally Posted by Knotical

Just saw this video on YT, may give some credence to the storms, especially from CG standpoint.

https://youtu.be/PNkfFxtxDXQ?si=2H7nK-jBx5lrv3Dt

Beautiful boat btw

============================
thanks for the link

after watching, it makes it harder to justify many chastising posters opinions on “calm seas” “no indications of rough weather” and how ease was classified as another idiot.

Yes, not prepared and lacking experience true.
He will learn, already done.

However, have to give him and his friend credit for trying out and endure few days of physical extreme test, with the fear they must felt on this “washing machine” exposed to the weather without apparently foul weather gear?

In any case, my hat to their survival spirit!!!

As for the chastising, almost insulting postings, wonder how many have been exposed to those conditions.

I have, wasn't fun.

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by davil

============================
thanks for the link

after watching, it makes it harder to justify many chastising posters opinions on “calm seas” “no indications of rough weather” and how ease was classified as another idiot.

Yes, not prepared and lacking experience true.
He will learn, already done.

However, have to give him and his friend credit for trying out and endure few days of physical extreme test, with the fear they must felt on this “washing machine” exposed to the weather without apparently foul weather gear?

In any case, my hat to their survival spirit!!!

As for the chastising, almost insulting postings, wonder how many have been exposed to those conditions.

I have, wasn't fun.

Are you watching the same video? The seas aren't even that bad. The "captain" claim is it was 40 knots of wind and 20 feet seas. Unless that boat is 2 feet long model filmed in the video that is not the case.

I am not saying the conditions were a walk in the park and the complete lack of any sailing skills made it worse by not being able to keep the pointed into the waves but this wasn't some impossible to handle conditions.

Clueless guy with zero skills or training intentionally sailed out into bad weather crossing the gulf of all places and then abandoned a serviceable boat which is not likely an economic loss.

The only apparent damage to the boat is shredded headsail and rope around the prop. They bought a sailboat and didn't know how to sail so they have a motorboat with a stick in the middle. Lost motor and so abandoned ship. Not even clear that they intentionally deployed the headsail it may have simply come unsecured when motoring through bad weather. In the process got it shredded and fouled the prop.

Still good advertisement for Garmin InReach and Coast Guard SAR. Both worked as expected as they usually do.

[KTP]

Hmm, all I got out of the video was that the "captain" should have started with a 15 foot boat on a lake for a few years to figure out how sailboats work.

[dannc]

Originally Posted by Statistical

There will never be a million rescues needed per year but if and when that happens we can evaluate. The entire coast guard budget is less than 2% of the total federal spending. If 25% of that spending is rescuing people who don't deserve it then it is a rounding error on your taxes.

I have a web page with flight tracking that I check a few times a day. One of the patterns I see constantly is the USCG C130s and copters flying around. I have only seen one flight pattern that looked like they were out to find a boat/person. Most of the time, like today, a C130 is flying a race track pattern near Elizabeth City(Major USCG base) or flying along the Outer Banks. Saw a USCG C130 flying a race track near Fayetteville, NC a few days ago. Fayettville is far from the ocean so I assume they were getting in flight time.

Sometimes I will see USCG C130s and copters flying around the sound off of Elizabeth City. They either practice quite a bit over the sound or it is the most dangerous body of water I have ever seen.

There are similar patterns with US military aircraft.

The USCG is going to be out there flying and practicing or doing real rescues. The US taxpayer pays either way.

The USCG webpage says they rescue 3,500 people a year and save $75 million in property. I would have expected far more rescues.

[Knotical]

What do people think of his inability to hail anyone on VHF?

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Knotical

What do people think of his inability to hail anyone on VHF?

I frequently help people with VHF problems and nine times out of ten the SWR is off the scale due to bad wiring or corroded connections. The problem is, the diligent ones do a radio check as they leave the harbour, only a few hundred meters from the VMR station. Just about any setup will cover that range.

The non-diligent ones don’t even do a radio check. Then get a nasty surprise when they need the radio.