KG, never seen that before! You ripped the cups right off the bra? Ok, give more detail on the circumstances...come on man, this looks like a photo of a failed Defibrillator unit? We don't have such forces observed frequently here. How old was the dinghy...just curious?
The dinghy was a 10'2" Achilles inflatable with the air floor bought new from Defender in July 2008 and lost in Nov. 2010. I had towed it around on that bridle for many miles b/c it was a bit heavy for me to repeatedly muscle aboard and stow by lashing to the foredeck. I was in a hurry
early one morning to get going on a trip from Long Beach to San Diego (about 90 n.mi.), so instead of taking the time I should have taken (but which I did not really have) to get it properly lashed on the foredeck, I took it in tow. I knew that the weather forecast predicted strong Santa Ana winds from the NNE that morning; but, my course was SE and fairly close to shore. I was 5 n.mi. off Newport Beach (ca. 9 n.mi. down course) still motoring when the wind started to pick up. Me
inexperienced mate was at the helm while I was below making breakfast when I poked my head out to see what was happening. The water was getting white off our port quarter with some serious wind chop starting to build. I took over the helm just as we started getting hard slaps of wind chop against the port hull which sprayed into the cockpit, raining down on us
. I turned around to fetch the dink in closer only to see it half sunk (an inflatable!!) a couple of boat lengths astern; us still scooting along with the bridle and the tow rings that had been glued to it
. The wind was in the low 30's. I considered trying to recover it but w/ my neophyte crew who would have to maneuver the boat, I did not go after it. I was thinking of selling it anyway as it was too much trouble for me. I figured after the deductible, I'd get from the insurance if it never turned up (which it did not) about what I could have sold it for.
So, we turned easterly for Newport Harbor, now getting pounded by steep wind chop on the port bow sending up so much spray that I became totally drenched from head to foot sitting at the helm
. After an hour we pulled into the harbor and took a side-tie at one of the YCs. The wind blew for several hours more in the high 20's. When it finally died down in late afternoon to about 15-20 kt we took off back to Long Beach, then drove to San Diego the next day.
The only thing I could think of is that I had at one time used Armor All to clean and polish the dink, and someone later told me that Armor All would melt or dissolve the glue, which maybe it did!! Still, I also have read that the center tow ring should be used; i.e., that the dink should not be towed using the d-rings on the tubes only.
