Look what washed up on the beach...

[shemandr]

Anyone in the Eastern US knows that the last four days has been very windy - not cruising weather! First was the cold front which caused stiff southerly winds, which shifted to NE and really blew as a low pressure settled in off Long Island. There were trees down, power outages and building damage. Then there were northerly winds as the low cleared and I think strong SE winds yesterday (I was in the office all day.) Yesterday this boat washed up on the Beach at Orient State Park which faces south. The news says it broke off it's anchor. We're guessing the boat was anchored somewhere near Three Mile Harbor to have ended up there. Two people were taken off the boat by the police. They promptly took the Orient/New London ferry back to Connecticut.
Since we love to speculate ... what happened here?

 

[Parsons]

Anchored? It looks like they were sailing when they lost control - sails out, no sail covers, halyards rigged. Just another bad day with insufficient water for your draft.

 

[Jackdaw]

Looks like an outboard motor on the transom. That's a BIG boat (30 feet?) to push around with an OB, particularly off a lee shore in a blow.

 

[kloudie1]

Dunno, JackDaw, MAybe the remnants of a windvane? no steering pedestal, so easy to have a vanepilot.. ??

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Perhaps they were pinned down on Sunday and Monday anywhere from Sag Harbor to Lake Montauk and needed to get back to Connecticut, thinking they could run for it during a southeast blow. Once out of protection, they may have realized it was worse than calculated. It might have been much scarier on the Sound than it was inside the fork.

 

[Kings Gambit]

It looks as if the anchor is out from the bow; something is. So either they were anchored somewhere, started dragging and w/ no diesel (small outboard?)-- attempted to sail away from shore with the anchor, or part of it, still hanging. Or they were sailing, something failed or they lost control otherwise, and tried to anchor to keep from being driven ashore, which might have worked for a short time. I think anyone being blown onto the lee shore would at least try to anchor the boat.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

If they were anchored somewhere near 3 Mile Harbor, it is hard to imagine why they didn't find safe refuge before they got into trouble. Sag Harbor is sheltered and within very easy reach, even if they couldn't get into 3 Mile Harbor or even Napeaque due to draft. Either one, though, is typically available. I think they must have set off for Connecticut and got into trouble. I can't imagine anybody anchoring at a roadstead on the north side of the South shore during the weather we had for the past few days.

 

[Kings Gambit]

If they broke free in a strong SE wind, and IF they have no diesel and no towing insurance, then to bear off and make a run for it might have seemed the only, or best, thing to do; otherwise, you have to get the sails up and beat back into the harbor or refuge and reset the anchor? Is that correct? How many folks can actually do that--i.e, would be good enough sailors?

 

[Scott T-Bird]

I think that it doesn't make any sense that a boat would break free from anchor along the north shoreline of the south fork and drift towards Orient Point. There really aren't any good places to anchor, when weather is expected, except in the harbors that are protected. Nobody in their right mind would be exposed along the shoreline during the north winds that we had. They would have to be holed-up in a harbor. If they were exposed to north wind on Sunday and Monday, they would have been on the shoreline lonnnnnnnnng before breaking free on Tuesday with southeast wind (protected location in this case) to drift north. That's why I figure they were anchored in a sheltered location, waiting to go home, and decided to make a run for home on Tuesday. It probably didn't look so bad from whatever harbor they were in, until they approached the Sound. Orient Point was probably a bail-out location at that point.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

For instance, if they were holed-up in Lake Montauk, they might have thought they could make it home to Connecticut as soon as the wind went south. But it wouldn't take long for them to get real scared and decide to look for refuge by slipping west into the fork before they entered LIS. Or, if they left Sag Harbor, they might have thought it doesn't look bad at all, until they approached Orient Point. Perhaps they thought they could anchor when they realized they weren't up to crossing the Sound. The holding along the southern edge of Orient Point is very poor with very loose sand and vicious current, as I recall. I'd guess that they wanted to get inside the Long Beach Bar and didn't make it.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Two pieces of information left out. From post # 1 "The news says it broke off it's anchor." Next, look closely at the pic, and you'll see what looks like anchor rode deployed from the bow. They had either been anchored somewhere or tried to anchor at some point b/f going ashore, it would seem. If they were making a run for home, it's b/c they had to, most likely.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

I'd agree that they tried to deploy anchor when they found themselves in trouble. I would have to think that only people who are nuts would be anchored anywhere along the shoreline from which they came for the 2 days proceeding Tuesday. And if they were anchored along the shoreline, they would have been washed up somewhere else by the north winds on Sunday and Monday long before the southeast wind came along on Tuesday.

 

[shemandr]

All versions are possible since the sailers buggered off back to CT, where I presume they originally came from. The news report was that they broke off the anchor but offered no more detail. I'll try to include that report. It is brief.
http://suffolktimes.timesreview.com...eople-rescued-from-sailboat-in-gardiners-bay/
I'm kinda favoring Scott's version. An attempt to run for home and they were overwhelmed by conditions. But what were they doing on the North Shore of the South Fork in the howling northerly of Sunday/Monday? I wouldn't go back in my yard to check my skiff which had a branch fall on it much less go cruising. Gusts were reported over 70 MPH and high winds for sustained for at least 30 hours.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

But what were they doing on the North Shore of the South Fork in the howling northerly of Sunday/Monday? I wouldn't go back in my yard to check my skiff which had a branch fall on it much less go cruising. Gusts were reported over 70 MPH and high winds for sustained for at least 30 hours.

Exactly ... they could not possibly have been anchored in an exposed location along the shoreline. They certainly HAD to be in a harbor if they were on the South Shore at all on Sunday and Monday. Before the wind switched to south on Tuesday, was there any period of calm? If not, it's totally infeasible that they could have come from anywhere except a secure harbor.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

I haven't heard from my marina, so I'm assuming no news is good news. I took the head sail off Saturday evening and roped up the mainsail nice and tight. I get a little nervous about the clearance in the docks and the lack of space between my bow and the bulkhead, except that the north wind will blow Thunderbird away from the bulkhead.

Ward left his boat right next to mine. I'm guessing he has already checked and would let me know of any problems! Many of the neighboring boats have already been pulled out for the season.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

I can't imagine what my life would be like right now if it were Sue and I that got into that predicament! This is one of those "there, but for the grace of God, go I" moments.

 

[Kings Gambit]

This is one of those "there, but for the grace of God, go I" moments.

Naw. Park the boat in the nearest marina as a transient during the blows; come back and get it later if you have to get home for work or otherwise, and it's unsafe to leave or is at high risk to do so. No need to resolve to a fate that would not be inevitable in your case--i.e., not a forced error. It's better to stay married.

 

[Simon Sexton]

Shemandr,

This is always interesting to see, but I've stumbled upon these predicaments quite often in Offatts Bayou in Galveston; new, inexperienced or intoxicated sailors lose control of their vessel in heavy weather and call the Coast Guard out of desperation. By the time the Coasties get there, it's too late and the distressed mariner has already run aground. This looks to be just a little different, nearly as if the boat was abandoned purposefully. The helmsman may have tried to save it, as the small outboard that is lowered on the bracket looks to be maybe a 5HP troller to be used as a backup safety motor.

 

[Head Sail]

Shemandr,
the small outboard that is lowered on the bracket looks to be maybe a 5HP troller to be used as a backup safety motor.

Or possibly the motor came crashing down after being pounded on the beach for hours more likely.

 

[jibes138]

Only way out of there is plum gut or the race. Unless you go way out past fishers island and take the watch hill pass. I would not dare the gut or race in those conditions.