Another Rescue at Sea

Rob2435 · Jan 19, 2014

A bit of the story here... http://www.wmur.com/news/nh-news/po...oat/-/9857858/23953280/-/oh4y4dz/-/index.html

kloudie1 · Jan 19, 2014

Uhhhh Those wave piercing bows did exactly what they are supposed to do.. submerged.. and let the big wave smack the bridge.. Pushed 'em backwards enough to break both rudders.. Probably would have been OK if the bow was another 20 feet forward of the bridge. I think, like winged keels, the industry is providing those for cachet rather than effectiveness.. Some folks have to have the latest cachet item ! I don't think those belong on blue water cruising boats.

shemandr · Jan 19, 2014

I don't think the boat will sink.
Charles Doane? Most of us would follow his advice. It just shows that a cascading sequence of events can overwhelm even the A team. Why did the electric system fail?
But an offshore passage in January on the East Coast isn't as good an idea as an leisurely trip hopping down the ICW, as one commenter sagely suggested.
That per diem rate is a killer.

justsomeguy · Jan 20, 2014

http://www.sailfeed.com/2014/01/charlie-saved-support-the-coast-guard-foundation/

http://www.sailfeed.com/2014/01/be-good-too-answering-critics/

Chris Patterson · Jan 21, 2014

I don't even know who Doane is, other than he strikes me as a wino from his interview, (turn off the sound and watch him), but if Sir Francis Chichester suggested to me it would be a nice ride on the outside with a beach-cat, I would respond with, "Well, call from Bermuda and let me know how that's working out for you".

What could POSSIBLY be the surprise in this one?...

I'll bet there's another couple that will retire in the mountains..

Maine Sail · Jan 21, 2014

Chris Patterson said:
I don't even know who Doane is, other than he strikes me as a wino from his interview, (turn off the sound and watch him), but if Sir Francis Chichester suggested to me it would be a nice ride on the outside with a beach-cat, I would respond with, "Well, call from Bermuda and let me know how that's working out for you".

What could POSSIBLY be the surprise in this one?...

I'll bet there's another couple that will retire in the mountains..

Charles Doane is the Executive Editor of Sail Magazine and author of the book The Modern Cruising Sailboat. He's no greenie and has perhaps 50,000+ blue water miles under his belt with about 6 Atlantic crossings and many other long distance voyages. He sails a very sweet aluminum Tanton 39... He is also a very laid back nice guy, far from what I would call a "wino"...

Hank Schmitt, the delivery captain, is one of the most experienced on the East Coast, if not the most experienced sailboat deliver skipper in the country. He averages over 100 days per year and 10,000 nm on the water and is a guy who I would step on-board any boat with, as I would Charlie...... He probably has a quarter of a million miles of blue water experience....!!

I think the problems were luck of the draw, and a bunch of bugs that still needed to be worked out of a brand new vessel, hull #1 to be exact..

I suspect the electrical failures were due to water ingress or perhaps just a poorly executed system that had not had the bugs sufficiently worked out. Would not be the first time a boat builder designed and executed an inadequate charging & electrical system for a blue water boat with redundancies & fail safes in place....

As Charles has mentioned, since the incident, they were not concerned about the electrical system, as you can sail without electrics, but when the boat will only go in circles because one rudder sheared off its internal web and the other is stove into the hull preventing it from moving, well, even a tow from 300nm off shore is not very doable and a choice must be made....

Even the Alden 54 ZULU recently lost her rudder in the Salty Dog rally. A Catalina 42 named JAMMIN also lost her rudder. The Hans Christian 38 NYAPA and the Catana 47 LIKE DOLPHINS lost their rigs.. The Alden & Hans Christian are boats anyone would consider some of the best built blue water boats out there, and $hit just happens...

And here's another "blue water" pedigree boat that lost a "skeg hung" rudder, which according to internet lore can't and "never" happens......

kloudie1 · Jan 21, 2014

I was thinking about this one and remembered Roger Long's rudder with a hole in the trailing edge where a line could be tied through .. Seems like that would have been the only thing that may have been able o provide some steering on the blade that broke free from the inner frame. .. and without having that rigged in advance, no chance for application in those conditions.. Like ya said, Maine, brand new design with a few things to get resolved yet,,

Gunni · Jan 21, 2014

Not second guessing these people, however with a brand new boat (Hull#1), notorious bad conditions off the Capes this time of year, no storm sails, why they didn't opt to go inside to Beaufort, NC and go back out in Onslow Bay is a mystery.

woodster · Jan 21, 2014

Gunni said:
Not second guessing these people, however with a brand new boat (Hull#1), notorious bad conditions off the Capes this time of year, no storm sails, why they didn't opt to go inside to Beaufort, NC and go back out in Onslow Bay is a mystery.

how many more days would that have added to the trip.....my have been an economic move on the cost of the captain and crew......

regards

woody

Maine Sail · Jan 21, 2014

Gunni said:
Not second guessing these people, however with a brand new boat (Hull#1), notorious bad conditions off the Capes this time of year, no storm sails, why they didn't opt to go inside to Beaufort, NC and go back out in Onslow Bay is a mystery.

I am going to guess that when you do 10,000nm per year and have 250,000nm under your belt you tend to get to a level of comfortable in your skills and comfortable in the boats you deliver.

I suspect that had the rudders had not failed we would not be hearing one peep about this and they would have made it to their destination, even without power. We have boats up here in Maine who fish and ply the oceans year round. Jon Eisberg, one of their biggest critics of this, has sailed his 30 footer from NJ to Maine in the dead of winter, though he has not been critical of their time window so much.... Something could have failed on Jon's boat too.. You just never know...

I suspect the owner of the boat who's "skeg hung" rudder failed above never would have expected that to happen, but it did........

shemandr · Jan 21, 2014

Very true. And folks here in Greenport fish year round. But it is dangerous.
Maine I'd like to ask about that skeg hung rudder in your picture. I can't really tell from the pic but it seems the fiberglass skin is very thin. I would like given the possibility of high stresses on the rudder, that the skin would be huskier. Comment?

Maine Sail · Jan 21, 2014

shemandr said:
Very true. And folks here in Greenport fish year round. But it is dangerous.
Maine I'd like to ask about that skeg hung rudder in your picture. I can't really tell from the pic but it seems the fiberglass skin is very thin. I would like given the possibility of high stresses on the rudder, that the skin would be huskier. Comment?

There is no core in there it was solid glass... The skins were approx 1/4" on either side then it was filled with what appears to be "kitty hair" or long strands mixed to a peanut butter consistency.. This is pretty standard fair for a skeg. Many are hollow and some are foam filled, this one was solid glass..

shemandr · Jan 21, 2014

OK, I thought I was looking at foam like you would see in a rudder. That should be very strong. Which begs the question: What happened?

bugaloo · Jan 21, 2014

Looks like all of the weight of the rudder was on the skeg and not divided up between the collar and the skeg

Gunni · Jan 22, 2014

There is a reason this area alone is called the Graveyard of the Atlantic. You are sailing upstream into a river of water with no options to starboard and Bermuda (the gale magnet) two days to your port. And that is a warm river that makes it's own weather. Birthplace of "perfect storms". Something goes wrong and you are on your own, save the US Coast Guard.

We constantly see experienced sailors and their "weather routers" playing with the fronts off the cape, thinking they will get south before the wind turns north and Hatteras earns it's reputation. Doane makes the case that winter roundings offer freedom from tropical storms, but forgets that Hatteras gales are just as lethal, and far more common.

If all had gone right Be Good Too would have passed Frying Pan Shoal, cleared the gulf stream and ridden south on the front that came behind this gale. Instead, stuff happened and these guys found themselves dead in the water, 300 miles from a port watching the clock count down to a nor'easter. Within 2 days of their rescue the area likely saw 40ft. breaking waves. This boat was lost before they got off. The cost of a 4-5 days in the ditch? One catamaran added to the graveyard.

Head Sail · Jan 22, 2014

I think the mistake is the boat was not a proven cruiser. The lesson here is the sea should always be respected though matter how experience we are.

I would agree with this. The first time I took my boat on an extended cruise I called it a "shakedown" cruise because I knew I was not familiar with the boats systems and PO modifications. I knew I would run into problems and I ws right. A new boat should be well understood before embarking on such a hazardous journey. Remember the Titanic, anothe maiden voyage. In addition I would add don't be in a rush because of time contraints. Your schedule to arrive at your destination is not yours to decide, but the sea's.

Indysailor · Jan 22, 2014

Gunther and Doris Rodatz were the owners of the boat. I don't know them, but they are from here. The local paper had an article on it (behind a pay wall), but they are described as very experienced sailors. Here's the part of the story I liked. Sounds like they weren't in a panic...

"After on-board repairs failed, the Rodatzes and two men they had hired to sail the craft from New York to the Virgin Islands shared a bottle of wine Monday and decided to call for help and abandon the craft.”

Chris Patterson · Jan 24, 2014

i knew there would be some wine involved..