Boat rescue off Block Island

[RAD]

The sailboat Moonshine is shown at the dock at Coast Guard Station Montauk, N.Y. on
Saturday morning. The Coast Guard rescued the boat and its four-member crew Friday.
A helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod assisted in the successful rescue of four people aboard a storm-ravaged sailboat Friday, about 7 miles south of Block Island, R.I.
The crew of the 45-foot Moonshine left East Greenwich, R.I., Friday morning, bound for Puerto Rico, when they were caught in an offshore storm, which ripped their sails and disabled their propulsion. They activated their emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB). The Coast Guard received the signal and tracked their position.
The First District Command Center in Boston, launched a 47-foot motor lifeboat crew from Station Point Judith, R.I. and a helicopter crew from Air Station Cape Cod. Both crews arrived at about 1 a.m., at the last position the EPIRB indicated, but because of the 30 to 40 knot winds, the sailboat was drifting out of position faster than the beacon could transmit. Visibility was less than one mile, and the seas were 8 to 12 feet.
The crew of the Moonshine shot off a flare, and the rescue crews located the disabled sailboat and determined no one was injured.
The motor lifeboat crew took the Moonshine in tow. After a nearly 7-hour transit, they arrived near Montauk, N.Y., and transferred the tow to a Station Montauk lifeboat crew who took the Moonshine and crew safely to Montauk at about 9 a.m. today, Saturday.
"If they didn't have the EPIRB or flares, it would have been extremely hard to find them out there in the snow," said Lieut. j.g. Ben O'Loughlin, the watchstander at the command center in Boston.
Air temperature at the scene of the rescue was 39 degrees and the water, 42 degrees.

 

[Maine Sail]

Did they not care to look at a forecast before departing????????????? This seems about as delusional as the Governor of IL....

 

[RAD]

Maybe they thought the storm would blow them south to warmer weather faster, heck I can't figure out what experienced sailor would depart in those conditions.

 

[Tim R.]

Based on the photo I would say that they had too much headsail up and could not get it down. Otherwise is would be down now. The mainsail looks neatly flaked. Could they not sail with a reefed main? The wind couldn't have been that damaging as the dodger looks to be intact. I bet the motor was diabled because of dirty fuel and clogged filters.

If you ask me, this looks to be another case of inexperience and lack of preparation. I hope the CG sends them a bill.

 

[Rich (P303)]

The sailboat Moonshine is shown at the dock at Coast Guard Station Montauk, N.Y. on
Saturday morning. The Coast Guard rescued the boat and its four-member crew Friday.
A helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod assisted in the successful rescue of four people aboard a storm-ravaged sailboat Friday, about 7 miles south of Block Island, R.I.
The crew of the 45-foot Moonshine left East Greenwich, R.I., Friday morning, bound for Puerto Rico, when they were caught in an offshore storm, which ripped their sails and disabled their propulsion. They activated their emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB). The Coast Guard received the signal and tracked their position.
The First District Command Center in Boston, launched a 47-foot motor lifeboat crew from Station Point Judith, R.I. and a helicopter crew from Air Station Cape Cod. Both crews arrived at about 1 a.m., at the last position the EPIRB indicated, but because of the 30 to 40 knot winds, the sailboat was drifting out of position faster than the beacon could transmit. Visibility was less than one mile, and the seas were 8 to 12 feet.
The crew of the Moonshine shot off a flare, and the rescue crews located the disabled sailboat and determined no one was injured.
The motor lifeboat crew took the Moonshine in tow. After a nearly 7-hour transit, they arrived near Montauk, N.Y., and transferred the tow to a Station Montauk lifeboat crew who took the Moonshine and crew safely to Montauk at about 9 a.m. today, Saturday.
"If they didn't have the EPIRB or flares, it would have been extremely hard to find them out there in the snow," said Lieut. j.g. Ben O'Loughlin, the watchstander at the command center in Boston.
Air temperature at the scene of the rescue was 39 degrees and the water, 42 degrees.

Looks like the headsail(s) needs to be trimmed a dite.

 

[joefusa]

Hats Off

once again, hats off to the USCG. it's a good thing they're there, but seems to me that this was a trip that was ill-planned and poorly executed. lucky for the crew, shame on the captain.

 

[Ken Honeycutt]

Makes about as much sense as going out in this

GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM CST SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY
[SIZE=+1] MORNING[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1] HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM CST SUNDAY[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1] THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT[/SIZE]


[SIZE=+1] OVERNIGHT[/SIZE]
SOUTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 15 KNOTS BECOMING WEST TO
30 KNOTS AFTER MIDNIGHT...THEN INCREASING TO GALES TO 35 KNOTS
TOWARD DAYBREAK. SNOW ENDING. A CHANCE OF FREEZING SPRAY LATE.
WAVES 2 TO 4 FEET BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FEET.

[SIZE=+1] SUNDAY[/SIZE]
WEST GALES TO 35 KNOTS. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY.
INTERMITTENT FLURRIES. WAVES 6 TO 9 FEET

 

[CalebD]

They obviously had furler issues with their headsail - as in, did not furl in the jib when they could have. Why the stay sail seems to be up is a mystery. Why they left in the first place is also a mystery and they are lucky that the CG saved their a$$es AND their boat to boot.
I hope we can find out a little more background information such as WTF was going through their minds when they set out. We all knew that bad weather was coming by Thursday yet they set out Friday morning. No internet? No radio? No weather sense? No common sense?
I don't want to judge these people just yet so I hope someone covers this story in more detail. So far the evidence (however circumstantial) is overwhelming in favor of bad (or no) judgement on their part.
I last sailed up the LI Sound from Montauk to the western Sound on a 50' Bendytoe and we had some really strong SW - W winds on Nov. 15-16th. We hit gusts up to 50 knots and was quite an eye opener for me. We also had warm temps that did drop to the mid 40's at the end but thankfully no snow.
These people were extremely fortunate that the CG could rescue both them and their boat.

 

[Franklin]

cold temps make a big difference, that's for sure! I guess they just didn't understand the differnece winds of 30 knots feels like in temps below 40 veries temps in the 90s.

I'm getting ready to sail to Mexico and very thankful that the winds are forcasted around 10 knots in the 45-65 temp range.

But come on....8-12 foot seas and they give up? Please....somebody must have had a heat-attack I guesss.

 

[Ken Honeycutt]

This past spring I was amazed at some of the boaters who were leaving the yard the same day I was. Some of them were wearing T-shirts, shorts and sandels because it was a sunny day at the yard with 5 to 10 kt winds and temperatures in the high 60's. I'm sure some of them were close to hypothermia by the time they got to their destination because out on the lake the temps were closer to 40 with probably a wind chill of 30 deg. or less because the winds picked up to 15 kts. once you got a mile or so out on the lake. Trying to handle wet sheets in just those conditions can become a real lesson. I'd hate to think what it would be like with 40 Kt. winds and freezing temps. Wonder if these people knew what they'd be up against.

cold temps make a big difference, that's for sure! I guess they just didn't understand the differnece winds of 30 knots feels like in temps below 40 veries temps in the 90s.

I'm getting ready to sail to Mexico and very thankful that the winds are forcasted around 10 knots in the 45-65 temp range.

But come on....8-12 foot seas and they give up? Please....somebody must have had a heat-attack I guesss.

 

[sailingdog]

Why anyone would go out with the recent forecasts we've had in New England, especially given the extremely low air and water temps ATM, is totally beyond me. They were lucky, and if the USCG hadn't been on top of their game, the four sailors in question would probably be getting their Darwin award about now.

 

[John]

Headsail

Writers commented on the headsail that was not furled. Isn't it possible that they had rolled it up and the winds unfurled it and tore it?

 

[Shell]

I think aliens forced them out in spite of warnings and gremlins that are on board every boat killed the engine and unreefed the sails.

So many dockside sailors in this post.

Yes you should always listen the the forecasts... yes you should reef when the wind is up...
We were not there. Maybe the sails were reefed and came out during the tow. The possibilities of conjecture are endless.

 

[EagleSailTwo]

What can I say that hasn't already been said here. They left our marina mid day on Friday, there were 4 of them, two younger and two older, I believe the Capt. is younger. Seems odd that none of them, even the older two, considered the full nature of what they were about to encounter. The dock talk was that they intended to sail straight to Bermuda then to Puerto Rico, then in March, head back, so I am told. The boat "MOONSHINE" with hailing port "Brooklyn, Me." looks like an early 70's model, possibility of European origin, and appeared old and tired to me, but I have no details.

In my opinion, anyone heading out in any boat, into a winter northeast storm should have their sanity questioned, this is beyond poor judgment.... Putting lives in risk of peril, not only of themselves but those of the Coast Guard who rescued them.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Interesting isn't it? They had the foresight to purchase or rent an EPIRB and knew to use the flare gun. But did not have the sense to heed the forecast.

That must have been some ride, seven hours behind a tow boat in those seas!!

 

[Roger Long]

What can I say that hasn't already been said here.

Hmm, there is a 1989 45 foot Starratt "Moonshine" in the documented vessel database with a hailing port of Brooklin, Maine. Starratt is an offshoot of Morgan Yachts. The document was issued in November so it looks like it was a new boat to the owner who lives in Brooklin. If this is the boat, I would hope and expect better from a Mainer; especially one from the wooden boat capitol of the world.

 

[EagleSailTwo]

I looked on Yachtworld for 45' Starratt, and this is the model of boat that left here Friday, but this boat "Moonshine" for a 1989 boat, was beat, and why I thought early 70's.

 

[Ross]

I have read more than a few opinions that suggest that a roller furler isn't seaworthy compared to a hanked on sail. It has always been "when" not "if" the furler fails. I can't deny that a roller furling sail is a great convenience but they are the subject of much discussion on this forum.

 

[EagleSailTwo]

My guess is that they were motoring, but when the seas began to toss the boat around, fuel filters likely began clogging and thus they lost the engine and then maybe tried a reefed jib, or genoa, or both, as this is what the photo seems to indicate if you look closely.

I suspect I may see this boat return to our marina shortly as they have left a vehicle here, and they will likely be too embarassed to speak much about it all!

 

[Rick Webb]

Was This a Delivery?

That would explain alot to me.