This was pretty sobering for those who are getting ready to lay up their boat for the winter. The marina they were headed to is the same one I store my boat. Waves can be pretty treacherous around the breakwater.
Lake Michigan claims 3 on 35 footer
- Thread starter Ken Honeycutt
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Accident
Should the skipper have taken down his sails a bit earlier rather than so close to the break wall? Would in-mast furling have prevented the one man who was probably attempting to flake the main sail from being tossed overboard? Greg W.
Should the skipper have taken down his sails a bit earlier rather than so close to the break wall? Would in-mast furling have prevented the one man who was probably attempting to flake the main sail from being tossed overboard? Greg W.
Good questions
One of my SO's biggest concerns was when I would climb up on the cabin to take down the main. I always wore a harness and tether even on calm days in case some crazed power boater decided to see how much wake he could put up (happens a lot near the harbor entrances). I've got in mast furling now too, but every once in awhile it jams. Makes you wonder why experienced sailors would try to take down the main without being tethered, or why they chose to head for the marina in the conditions they did when better weather was forcasted later in the week. Regardless it is a tragedy and our thoughts go out to the families.
One of my SO's biggest concerns was when I would climb up on the cabin to take down the main. I always wore a harness and tether even on calm days in case some crazed power boater decided to see how much wake he could put up (happens a lot near the harbor entrances). I've got in mast furling now too, but every once in awhile it jams. Makes you wonder why experienced sailors would try to take down the main without being tethered, or why they chose to head for the marina in the conditions they did when better weather was forcasted later in the week. Regardless it is a tragedy and our thoughts go out to the families.
I know for me
the one "accident" where i hit anything with my boat, was because i tried to get back to port when the weather got rough. sideswiped a dock (relatively gently...), busted the bow railing. I should have just waited it out. Does anyone use a downhaul on their mainsail? Thinking about it, at almost any (downwind or upwind, not reaches) point of sail you could sheet in tight with the traveler to windward and downhaul the main from the cockpit, don't flake it just lash it to the boom.
the one "accident" where i hit anything with my boat, was because i tried to get back to port when the weather got rough. sideswiped a dock (relatively gently...), busted the bow railing. I should have just waited it out. Does anyone use a downhaul on their mainsail? Thinking about it, at almost any (downwind or upwind, not reaches) point of sail you could sheet in tight with the traveler to windward and downhaul the main from the cockpit, don't flake it just lash it to the boom.
Cold Water, High Winds, Rocks = Dead Sailors
I looked up the water temperature last night in the area (about 45F on the surface) and the expected survival time (about an hour). Add high winds and rocks and the chances of getting out of that situation alive were not great. I can't even imagine how difficult it would be to execute a successful crew overboard rescue at night in those conditions with a breakwater and rocks close at hand. Far be it from me to criticize an experienced crew, but we should all try and learn from every tragedy. It seems that dropping the sails even half a mile out in the lake, wearing a harness and tether or better yet, avoiding these conditions altogether, are things that could have been done. Was the skipper right to lose the boat in trying to rescue the crew overboard? It would take more cold-bloodedness than I have to keep the boat off shore, even though it might have saved two lives. Did they have good rescue equipment? Maybe a strong search light and a throw bag or ring could have allowed them to help the COB and still avoid being blown on to the rocks. All good questions for us Great Lakes sailors to think about over the winter, while our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims.
I looked up the water temperature last night in the area (about 45F on the surface) and the expected survival time (about an hour). Add high winds and rocks and the chances of getting out of that situation alive were not great. I can't even imagine how difficult it would be to execute a successful crew overboard rescue at night in those conditions with a breakwater and rocks close at hand. Far be it from me to criticize an experienced crew, but we should all try and learn from every tragedy. It seems that dropping the sails even half a mile out in the lake, wearing a harness and tether or better yet, avoiding these conditions altogether, are things that could have been done. Was the skipper right to lose the boat in trying to rescue the crew overboard? It would take more cold-bloodedness than I have to keep the boat off shore, even though it might have saved two lives. Did they have good rescue equipment? Maybe a strong search light and a throw bag or ring could have allowed them to help the COB and still avoid being blown on to the rocks. All good questions for us Great Lakes sailors to think about over the winter, while our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims.
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