Got a ride on a Catalina 22 today

[Roger Long]

I got a call, as Harbormaster, that a boat was ashore. I arrived to find an elderly neighbor of the boat owner (absent) perched on the steep shore just holding her with a rope around a nubbin of rock. She was pounding heavily so I took off my harbormaster's hat, put on my good neighbor hat, and jumped aboard over the bow.

I was able to pass a line to the friend who came with me. She took it down the shore and around a large rock so I was able to pull the stern out to where the keel was taking most of the impact. SeaTow showed up before the hull was punctured and skillfully threw a line which I attached and we towed her to a marina.

There are also large and small resolution Windows Media videos here:

http://www.rogerlongboats.com/videos/Salvage.wmv

http://www.rogerlongboats.com/videos/SalvageHIRes.wmv

About the only comment I can offer on the boat is that they steer well under tow. Getting the rudder hung in the pintles (it was stowed in the cockpit) was a trick though.

Oh yes. My friend put down my wallet to tie the stern line and forgot about it. We returned later to find it with the cash and credit cards removed. As they say, no good deed goes unpunished.

 

[sailingdog]

I hope that karma comes and bites the thief in the backside. Good on you for helping the guy out.

 

[higgs]

Why did your friend have your wallet?

 

[txtowman]

expensive ride. The biggest pain is getting the c cards replaced.

 

[Mike Holibar]

Nice job Roger. We had one of our boats break away from its mooring and sink last week. Over the weekend we watched the salvage company working on refloating her. She was quite large, about 45 feet, and we could see the poor old boat struggling to get to the surface, the cabin trunking just visible, when one of the airbags let go and she settled again. It really is a sad thing to watch and you know the mess that there will be when they finally get her out. Was the owner insured or will they lose everything? I don't know. But I do know those folks whose boat you saved should be very grateful. The outcome could have been so much worse. Real sorry to hear about your wallet.

 

[sinnettc]

Way to go. Hate to see any boat get crunched.

 

[Roger Long]

Why did your friend have your wallet?

I figured I might have to swim back if the boat holed before the tow boat showed up and I didn't want to have my wallet and cell phone soaked so I gave them to her along with my keys. Good thing on the phone and keys as I had to have the tow boat call her and tell her where to meet me with the car. Bad move on the wallet.

 

[LooseDiamond]

Good job! Good thing the wind and seas were not higher. Thanks for saving a C22 to sail another day. As for the wallet, well, there really is no shortage of a-holes in this world today...

 

[Ken13559]

Roger, look at it this way. You've done 2 good deeds. One for saving the boat and another for helping someone who's hardup for money. Good show. 2 points added to your karma.

 

[AXEL]

Good job Roger, sorry about your wallet.
Looks like if that C22 would have landed plus +/- 50 feet in either direction it might have ended up on the rocks. How did it end up in that situation anyway?

That tow boat captain has a good toss!

 

[Tim R.]

I thought I was seeing things at first but what's up with the people swimming in the background? It was a beautiful day but the water is in the 50s and swimming around those rocks with waves coming in like that isn't too smart.

 

[Cpt. Jon]

I thought I was seeing things at first but what's up with the people swimming in the background? It was a beautiful day but the water is in the 50s and swimming around those rocks with waves coming in like that isn't too smart.

Wow, what a toss by the SeaTow guy! Sorry to hear you got ripped off! I don't know why a dumb theif would take the credit cards, hopefully that is a mistake that he/she pays for.

Tim R, I think those are kids in the water, I don't think they feel cold when it comes to playing in the water.

 

[kloudie1]

Nice job, Roger.. Sorry about the wallet.. What are those black hard looking things that the water is breaking onto?? Those look like they hurt a boat .!? On the Gulf coast, we have lots of sand and mud .. except where our friends the Core Of Injun-Ears have placed white concrete versions of those hard things.. Mud/Sand ...much more forgiving in light seas..

 

[Roger Long]

What are those black hard looking things that the water is breaking onto??

Natural navigational aids. The Maine coast consists almost entirely of them.

 

[Roger Long]

I thought I was seeing things at first but what's up with the people swimming in the background?

That was one of the most amazing things about the whole event. That little girl, in the 8 - 10 year old range, came along the cliffs and rocks in a wet suit. She was like a seal, going right into the surf and on and off rocks in breakers that would have been near fatal encounters for many experienced adult swimmers. She was clearly very skilled and comfortable but the people who lived there had no idea who she was and had never seen her before. She could have worked her way along the shore for a long ways. No sign of parents or supervision.

 

[druid]

Good Job! I can only hope there are people like you around if my boat ever ends up in a situation like that!

One question though: don't Catalina 22's have a swing keel? Could you not have pulled the keel up, giving the boat about a 1ft draft?

druid - had a Venture 22 with swing keel for years

 

[Roger Long]

One question though: don't Catalina 22's have a swing keel? Could you not have pulled the keel up, giving the boat about a 1ft draft?

Some have wing keels and some the swing keel that this one had. Things were happening so fast that I didn't even focus on what kind of boat it was at first. The pounding and banging was pretty alarming. I found the crank while checking for water after a while and cranked the keel up.

Draft wasn't the real problem. It was the rocks. Water depth varied from several feet to zero within just a couple of feet in any direction.

 

[druid]

Some have wing keels and some the swing keel that this one had. Things were happening so fast that I didn't even focus on what kind of boat it was at first. The pounding and banging was pretty alarming. I found the crank while checking for water after a while and cranked the keel up.

Ah - figured you'd have it covered. Good job!

druid