Epirb

Will Gilmore · May 31, 2019

So glad for the couple that their tragedy was not worse. All the way around the world to be capsized just before the end, off NJ.

Three cheers for the brave and responsive men and women of the USCG :beer:

.

-Will (Dragonfly)

TomY · May 31, 2019

This is sad. The couple was headed to Maine and planned to haul the boat here over the winter for some work. They had made connections through the Maine Sailing and Cruising FB page. Then this news yesterday.

The 50 knot gusts could explain why the boat capsized. Speculation that it lost it's keel made no sense as a boat like this has no keel that can come loose. But it may have been pinned down long enough to flood?

Captain Larry-DH · May 31, 2019

I don’t know, Tom. The picture shows it lying flooded on its side. Would a wood monohull with keel stay afloat in this condition? I think it unlikely; if they had enough buoyancy to stay afloat wouldn’t it right itself?

jon hansen · May 31, 2019

tom, my cousin had a 44' Alden sailboat from 1930 that had a fixed keel, not a centerboard, and while sailing from miami to key west the keel feel off. 100% gone. dry rot. he and his wife swam to an island. about fifty years ago.
my cousins boat way poorly maintained. hippi's. i remember back in the seventies some would try covering a wood boat with fiberglass. would turn the wood to oatmeal in a year or two. hippi's

TomY · May 31, 2019

BERTIE, I'm sure had more of a lead shoe on the length of the keelson. The 'keel' was likely less than 6" deep. Ballast may be loose in the bilge? A lot of stuff surely shifted in the capsize. The owner/survivor built the boat.

A Go Fund Me page has been posted with the survivors description of a "white squall".

"At approximately 8 pm on the evening of Wednesday, May 29th, our home and sailboat, The Bertie, was knocked down by a "White Squall," and capsized, 65 miles offshore of the New Jersey coast. We were literally swamped and swallowed under within 60 seconds; water rushed in and we were catapulted off the boat and into the ocean. "

https://www.gofundme.com/1niftccdio...OStUKJn8GANIIYMsLqquwGvDUFS6wITM9MKPox8eMPE_8

jon hansen · May 31, 2019

what do you think the term 'white squall' means.

jon hansen · May 31, 2019

they do not mention giving any money to the coast guard to cover their rescue.

Will Gilmore · May 31, 2019

Maybe their engine broke loose from its mounts.

-Will (Dragonfly)

capta · May 31, 2019

I don't mean to be ultra critical here, but honestly, if a boat can't handle a couple of measly 50-knot gusts, perhaps it has no business being offshore. We've had more than 50-knot gusts here in the Grenadines without warning, and usually, a few bareboaters have shredded sails, but no boat capsized, that we are aware of.
The only way I can see this happening is to have a bunch of hatches and ports open at sea and that makes no sense with experienced sailors.

sbcwolff · May 31, 2019

This may be a silly question, but how much would a rescue like that cost? And is it insurance that would pay for it? Or is it something the coast guard just does as a service?

rgranger · May 31, 2019

I also was curious about the possibility of the keel falling off. It seems odd to me that it would lay on its side like that.

Jackdaw · May 31, 2019

It must have been knocked down long enough to downflood. But that in itself is surprising, an ocean-going boat should be able to be knocked flat and not flood, unless something was open. But who knows, we were not there. But if that was the case, bad luck and questionable judgment make for events like this.

Jackdaw · May 31, 2019

sbcwolff said:
This may be a silly question, but how much would a rescue like that cost? And is it insurance that would pay for it? Or is it something the coast guard just does as a service?

The USCG will pull people off, that is their service. Tax dollars in action. The boat however is a private matter.

JamesG161 · May 31, 2019

capta said:
if a boat can't handle a couple of measly 50-knot gusts

I think it was the friends of @All U Get and not the swamped boat.
But...
You are right. If there is a squall, close all hatches and lash yourself to the boat with a quick release.
Jim...

jon hansen · May 31, 2019

vessel safety rule nu. 1 - hull integrity, if the water cannot come in you will survive