Overturned Mac????
- Thread starter THECUSCUS
- Start date
It is a 26 and was towed to the mooring
It is sad.
But why would anyone take a McGregor 26 or similar boat out with six people (including a child) when there is a small craft warning and it has been gusting regularly in the mid 20's and up to 30 (mph) all morning?
Complacence is the only answer I can come up with. It sounds like it was a family outing. So hard to get everyone together, everyone really wanted to go out (hopefully), and reluctant to call it off.
Yes. That is apparently what happened. They were about a mile or two from the harbor with six people aboard when it went over.
I don't know if the sails were up. I didn't see anything about that in the articles I read.
The boat has water ballast so once it flips and is flooded, it has no righting moment so the weight of the mast will keep it pinned on its side.
Supposedly you can open the ballast tank valve and use the boat speed with the large outboard to drain the ballast tank. Close the valve and Im not sure of exact speeds but its maybe 15 knts depending on loads, outboard hp etc. The boat is self righting with the ballast tank full but with it empty.. who knows. Once you get some water in the cabin, the boat loses additional stability.
So.. just a speculation but maybe someone was motoring with the ballast tank empty. This sounds like a bad idea so is possibly wrong so who know. You can see one rudder up (I think there are two) which also might indicate faster speed motoring.
So.. just a speculation but maybe someone was motoring with the ballast tank empty. This sounds like a bad idea so is possibly wrong so who know. You can see one rudder up (I think there are two) which also might indicate faster speed motoring.
I believe that boat used to be in Dana Point, the name is a little uncommon, a friend also recognized it when I mentioned the incident. I saw it motoring sometimes but only saw it under sail once. It changed owners a few times while in Dana and not sure when it moved. Always the possibility of a new owner not familiar with the handling of the boat. Kinda of a high passenger count for a 26' boat which could exacerbate any problems.
I suppose that it is possible that they emptied the ballast tank, but I would hope the skipper had more sense than to rob the boat of its essential ballast, particularly in the weather they were apparently experiencing. That said, people exercising poor judgment on the water is common.