How do you get home to the Marina?

[jssailem]

Catch this sailors wild ride.

Coming home can sometimes be a bit of a chore. Engine acting up, no wind, too much wind... Add to that the crossing of a bar to get into harbor and you can stir up that sick feeling when you know a lot of things can go wrong.

What are your plan B's or C's to get your boat safely back to port and a cold beer to celebrate?

 

[markwbird]

No way. I would sit outside the breaking surf for a week if I had to before I would try that. That guy was just lucky. If he had gotten sideways, game over.

 

[jssailem]

Mark. During the interview, you could hear the "I was lucky bugger" in his voice.

My Uncle in returning to Astoria sat off the Columbia Bar for 3 days with a load of fish. He finally made his decision, "I got to get the fish to market". So he headed in... He got to the last set of breakers when a wave snuck in to the set and washed over the stern of the AMACK (his boat).

It was an unusual fishing boat design for the PacificNW with the boats helm cabin on the stern. The wave took my Uncle, the pilot house, and the diesel tank attached under the floor to the pilot house off the boat and set it off the port side my Uncle still inside holding on to the Wheel.

His crew came up from engine room beneath the pilot house. Threw him a line to tie the pilot house to the side of the boat, and then they called the CG for assistance.

Getting back to shore can be a powerful draw to a sailor or fisherman outside their home port.

 

[srimes]

A catamaran can handle those situations much better than a monohull. Still a wild ride!

 

[Will Gilmore]

I would sit outside the breaking surf for a week if I had to before I would try that.

So many people are in a hurry. That, combined with hope, can mean poor choices. However, catamarans are pretty stable and those skinny hulls track well. He had a little bit more than luck. But you're right.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Mr. Dave]

For similar with a displacement hull, there's this classic video

 

[Hunter216]

I don’t know if the skipper should be applauded for his “skill”.

Doesn’t sound like he was local (moving his boat to sell) so not likely had previous experience in the wave formation in the area. He waited quite a while before going, that he could have spent making the 2 day safe diversion.

Multihulls are great when it comes to stability, quick acceleration etc. however bury a hull or two and things get “exciting”

I get the point about being close enough to taste it affecting judgement which I think came into play in this event.

 

[Ken Cross]

Sometimes we cross the line between bravery and foolishness. I don't think I'd have tried that.

Ken

 

[Will Gilmore]

For similar with a displacement hull, there's this classic video

Does it seem that scenario could have been anticipated?

I'm not sure there was anything to do there, but I can't tell if a captain could have seen what was going on before they committed.

Certainly that is not the time to take it slow and easy.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Mr. Dave]

One of the lessons I take away is not to have anyone on deck that doesn't need to be there. From the comfort of my couch, the waves didn't appear large enough that there was a high probability of rolling the boat, but any knock-down carries a high risk of an overboard, so executing a plan you think carries the least risk is the best you can do. The captain may have done that, we simply disagree on the calculation. From my warm couch.

There's a several minute gap in that video while they are calling out the motor and waiting for it to arrive, so the folks in the surf are swimming for quite a while before getting picked up. It was a wise move to not attempt a rescue with that sailboat...

 

[Hayden Watson]

The thing that has always floored me on that mono-hull vid is the fact that there are at lease 7 people on deck including two on the bow and one leaning against the leeward lifelines.
Only essencial crew on deck and clipped into the cockpit. the rest should be below.

 

[cagreen75]

I've got an anchor and plenty of time. Enough said.

 

[Kings Gambit]

For similar with a displacement hull, there's this classic video.

I think it’s a Bavaria, close to the length of my own, although mine does not have an open transom. The cockpit does not hold many crew, but those crew outside of it are clearly in a precarious situation to begin with. Nice to see it pop up like that!!

 

[Mr. Dave]

And then, there's this captain.

Bigger boat, sure, but substantially bigger waves, 18ish(?) people on deck, I'm guessing a higher average bac, and not a pfd among them.

Based on the pirate flag he's flying, I'd wager that surfing in is an integral part of his operation, "Get your money's worth, folks, thrill of a lifetime!" Or a deathtime...

 

[DArcy]

One of the lessons I take away is not to have anyone on deck that doesn't need to be there. From the comfort of my couch, the waves didn't appear large enough that there was a high probability of rolling the boat, but any knock-down carries a high risk of an overboard, so executing a plan you think carries the least risk is the best you can do. The captain may have done that, we simply disagree on the calculation. From my warm couch.

There's a several minute gap in that video while they are calling out the motor and waiting for it to arrive, so the folks in the surf are swimming for quite a while before getting picked up. It was a wise move to not attempt a rescue with that sailboat...

That is a tough one. I don't think I have ever been in situation where people have been sent below due to the conditions, other than children. It is really hard to see breaking waves from behind so I'm not sure I would have anticipated the situation. There were three people on deck before the knock down and only the one on the bow was still on board after but four ended up in the water which means two came from the cockpit. One may have been the helmsman judging by the maneuvers after the knock down, although the helmsman may have just been recovering himself.
My takeaway is to know the harbour entrance well enough to properly asses the situation or radio the harbour master for information on the conditions before attempting to enter. After seeing videos like these, any mention of breaking waves would send me back out.

 

[Kings Gambit]

My takeaway is to know the harbour entrance well enough to properly asses the situation or radio the harbour master for information on the conditions before attempting to enter. After seeing videos like these, any mention of breaking waves would send me back out.

Contacting the harbor master or the USCG for a “safety check” before attempting a harbor experiencing threatening conditions is a sound procedure, IMO. I’ve done this myself regarding Ventura Harbor a couple of times. Once was the day after the large Pacific tsunami of March, 2011 that wiped out some west coast harbors. I was out that day-after wishing to enter Ventura Harbor. The channel markers had been swept away. Although the swell had gone down, the COG inside was not marked. The HM advised that it was safe to enter and he would come out to escort us in, but coming in the next day would be better. So we diverted to Channel Islands Harbor for that night.

 

[odaydokay]

Scary. I am surprised he had not even a storm jib up to get him some maneuverability as he looked to be basically out of control. The goal normally is not to get the wave dead behind but 30-40 degrees off to avoid pitch poling. I got into a big following surf in that narrow channel coming into Cutty Hunk years ago. It looked harmless until I actually got in and then I had 7-9 footers behind me. What I did was "herringbone", turning 30 degrees off to port, then back to starboard again 30 so as to never get the sea directly behind. It was scary but we turned out fine.