Capri 22 Sinks in lake Monroe, Sanford FL

[stevenwp2]

Wow, crazy Rum Race 6:30 last Wednesday on Lake Monroe. Essentially without warning, a super severe storm materialized, wreaked havoc and dissipated during our weekly event. See attached, wind history from the airport about 5 miles away.

A very nice WKSR had turned around to help with a MOB situation in which a guy had dislocated his shoulder on the way out of his San Juan 21 and couldn't get back in the boat, even with the help of the skipper; both big guys.

Raining like crazy, the Capri had dropped the main, rolled it onto the boom and was flying only a jib when they got broadsided by a BIG wind hit, recorded at the marina at about 45mph. Three on the boat, one guy was in the cabin and had to escape, unable to close the companionway behind himself. The mast was immediately in the water (the boom and sail probably going deeper and not helping), the bottom to windward and with about 600 pounds of men on the keel, she just kept going. According to crew, they did everything they could and just couldn't get it swung out of the wind.... down it went.

We are used to squalls rolling through but this was nuts. Only a few moments warning on the radar and bang. The MOB had to be rescued by the Sheriff's boat along with a guy on an MC Scow which lost it's rig after turtling. Very, very scary and we are all reevaluating our propensity to take safety measures a bit less seriously than we clearly should. Not at all sorry I worked late and missed this one, ironically because it was predicted to be 94 degrees and "Calm to 5 mph."

 

[sinnettc]

Wow! That's scary. Glad everyone was rescued.

Have they been able to raise it yet?

We had a squall come through in the middle of a race a few years ago, though it wasn't as windy as yours. Watched an S20 get knocked down and sink right at the leeward mark (actually I took pictures of it before our photo boat got called in to help with the rescue). It left about 4 feet of the mast sticking out of the lake. Next morning they went out with a couple of divers and airbags and refloated it in about an hour (took pictures of that too). The worst thing was they two guys sailing the S20 had borrowed it. One of them owns/races a Wavelength 24 and maybe wasn't prepared for the difference in the two boats.

The year before they lost another S20 over at Newport on the coast. Took them a week or two to find it due to the tides/current, and when they brought it up there was so much mud/silt inside that the hull/deck joint split. Toast.

 

[stevenwp2]

Yeah, they brought it up Thursday morning. Those who have seen it say she's pretty gnarly and the insurance company totaled it, so I'll be seeing if I can pick up cheap. It'll clean up and if it doesn't but the price is right, I can salvage enough hardware, rigging, etc. for it to make sense, I suspect. The former owner doesn't even want to see it.

Just SO thankful we didn't lose anyone. In the driving rain and wind, they lost track of the guy with the dislocated shoulder for about 30 minutes and you KNOW that must have been PAIN-FULLLL. He was in shock at the ramp on the way to the ambulance. The guy in the MC Scow is a newbie and it was his second time out ever, first time solo. Lot's of ropes on that thing to get tangled into; we lost a guy who got tangled up in (I think) a Lightning or maybe FS a few years ago. Very, very scary stuff.

 

[stevenwp2]

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/man-re ... e/27343760

 

[sinnettc]

I'll be interested to hear what damage the Capri 22 has, besides a lot of goop inside. Biggest issue (presuming you can get the algae & fish out) is that the electrical will have to be completely replaced. I'd think there might be a lot of salvageable parts if you end up parting it out. Winches, blocks, stanchions, pulpit, boom, rudder, etc. Is the mast damaged? That's an expensive piece of hardware if it's in decent shape. Sails can probably be cleaned (if they weren't blown out) and used on your boat or sold.

If it's a Mk2 I'd be interested in a stanchion. I bent one the first year I got Verboten and I'd like to replace it one of these years.

I've got the red cross tornado app on my phone so I can monitor Orange City/Deltona where my grandparents & their home are. It goes off fairly often with t-storm warnings. I had to turn the sound off though, because it sounds like an air raid siren and is somewhat disruptive at work.

 

[shnool]

I think Chris and I had a discussion a couple years ago about a flaw in the mark I that allowed the lazarettes to flood the cabin. The Capri 25 and J24 have the same flaw... hatchboards in fellas and lazarettes secured and the Capri 22 cab take 50+.

 

[sinnettc]

Yeah, that always seemed odd to me. Why would they do that?

 

[HERSH]

I think the "flaw" was the skipper for not securing the lazarettes and putting the hatchway door in.

I think the J-24 just "removed" the lazarettes after one of their boats sunk in a regatta -- killing a crew-member.

Hershey

 

[Rightbrainer]

Previous owner removed the hasps from the lazarette and gas can cover due to leaving ragged shreds of his shin on them too often. Gonna have to rethink that. Maybe there's one out there that lays flat.

 

[shnool]

I've used these, you don't need to throw a lock on them to secure them, and they are rounded... So far I've been pretty happy with them. I've broached twice, and taken knockdowns a couple times, and have been VERY happy to have these. I still throw an unlocked lock on them just in case, but it keeps the boat floating.

http://tinyurl.com/mf9bg2v

 

[dave_ren]

I use a small aluminum caribiner on each locker hasp in place of the padlock while on the water. Cheap and secure and cheap! The padlocks go back on at the dock.

 

[shnool]

That's what we use on our horse trailer instead of locks, hadn't thought of that.

 

[Charlie H]

I use a small aluminum caribiner on each locker hasp in place of the padlock while on the water. Cheap and secure and cheap! The padlocks go back on at the dock.

Agreed, I do the same. I also have a similar caribiner on the companionway hasp in case I need to secure it while underway, but don't want to lock it and thereby impede access. Works really well.

Charlie

 

[stevenwp2]

Yeah, turns out they didn't salvage it out after all. The owner still isn't sure what he wants to do as, yeah, all the wiring and interior is gone. It was a nice boat too. It's floating and sitting fine at the marina. It would be a big job, but it is certainly not something to throw away. BTW, I'm wondering if flying just the jib may have not helped. Maybe under main alone, the boat would have just rounded up in the heavy blow and certainly, having the main wrapped up on the boom and subsequently full of water couldn't have helped.

We've had some really crazy weather this season... lots of days with 10mph, then boom; 40+ for a few strong gusts, then torrential rain and it all passes pretty quickly. As we say in Florida, "If you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes."

And, yeah for sure, lock everything down...