Amen to that!
A self resetting fuse might be an additional safety measure to prevent the winch from tearing things apart. It's used on car windows a lot
South Coast 26 Build and sailing trip thread
- Thread starter tmleadr03
- Start date
A self resetting fuse might be an additional safety measure to prevent the winch from tearing things apart. It's used on car windows a lot
It would take some testing to figure out what level circuit breaker would work. I have a feeling this winch is way too powerful to notice pulling the keel all the way through the bottom of the boat and the increased amp draw of that would be negligible.
That would make me nervous. Sometimes you are raising the keel in a panic situation and your attention gets split in many directions. It might be worth reconsidering something like this...
This is the winch I had on my Balboa 26 (1200lb keel) when I purchased it. I thought it was a gonner but....
I sand blasted it and it came out very nice....
I am going to rig an interupt switch. That way it's a hold the up button till the winch shuts off and now it's all the way up. I need to weld my trailer back together and order a new sail first sadly.That would make me nervous. Sometimes you are raising the keel in a panic situation and your attention gets split in many directions. It might be worth reconsidering something like this...
This is the winch I had on my Balboa 26 (1200lb keel) when I purchased it. I thought it was a gonner but....
View attachment 167265
I sand blasted it and it came out very nice....
View attachment 167266
Sorry to hear that. Precision Sails is always sending me discount links. PM me your email address if you'd like me to forward one to you
Yep,The winch in the Catalina has a clutch. Crank one way click click up comes the keel. Turn opposite way it slowly comes down. the winch never is free spinning ( like a trailer winch) I would never use one of those as a keel winch.
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We thought we were ready for this sailing adventure. After reading what I have here I have to say it sounds incredible. But this is not the tale of my bravery, because I was not brave. I was a fool. This whole incident reminds me of an ass chewing I got from a Gunny once. Dont react to a situation, you should act before hand to prevent it. I spent this storm reacting when I should have spent weeks acting and preparing. If anything this is a tale of how amazing, brave and heroic my family is. They are incredible. I never would have made it through this with out Iona. My daughters showed a level of bravery that I was not aware they had.
On board we had myself, my girlfriend Iona and my two daughters Emma (11) and Ellie (8) years old.
We had been camping and sailing on Lake McConaughey, NE this weekend. We got the sailboat in the water Saturday and did some sailing and anchored it at our campsite west of Vans. Sunday was our day to head home. The weather looked wonderful. Some strong wind, but not so much to make us uncomfortable. Blue skies all around. The weather report said 30% chance of thunderstorms.
We took off and sailed for a while but due to time constraints we dropped sail and started motoring to the boat ramp where we launch. One of the luckiest moments of this trip is right at this point. I didn’t raise the keel. We might have made better time with it up, but having it down made a huge difference later.
This is when we noticed a dark cloud on the north shore. Shortly after this I let myself get distracted by things happening aboard the boat, and wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings. The storm was well north of the north coast line. When I finally noticed how bad the storm looked to the north, we started heading closer to the shore. While still heading towards the boat ramp trying to beat the weather.
The wind was blowing at us from the south but I could see the storm clouds at a higher elevation moving out of the north towards us. When they got to the north shore I was heading straight at the southern coast with the little motor running full throttle. At this point we were between 1000-1300 ft from shore. Far enough out that we wouldn’t be able to see people, but could see campers. The wind was in our face, and the storm at our backs.
Looking over my shoulder at the storm I could see the clouds over the lake boiling out towards us. These clouds were forming and pushing south over the wind blowing from the south. It was like it was reaching towards us. I was now seeing the wind coming over the surface of the lake towards us from the north shore even with wind in my face, picking up a mist of spray with it. It was traveling incredibly fast. I had enough time to yell out for everyone to hold on before it hit us. It got us slightly from the rear portside quarter and even though that wasn’t a full broad side it laid the ship over sideways towards the starboard side. Further then we had gotten her healing while sailing her. Everything I had read up to this point told me that if you had a blow hitting you, try to keep from getting broadsided, which I had somewhat failed on all ready. So I tried to get her spun around and pointed into the wind hoping we could ride it out with the motor. It would be a miserable experience but less so then being blown around. I was wrong on two accounts in my actions. First off, if I was going to do this I should have done it sooner. Second, I should have spun her towards starboard to keep the motor in the water. We got caught broadside over the port side. The wind ripped our mainsail free of the straps and started grabbing that to push us over. Iona somehow snatched a line up and whipped it around the sail, and then held that line for dear life while holding the boat with the other hand. Less surface area to be pushed by the wind. I believe this saved us. If she hadn’t done this we would have completely capsized. I had mounted the solar panel to the port side of the ship and it was on a hinge. It was caught by the wind and flipped up creating a small sail that was pushing us over. There was nothing we could do about it. No way to cut it loose. It most certainly contributed to how much we rolled to starboard.
The motor is mounted on the port side transom and the wind and waves was rolling us to starboard. We got almost completely 90 degrees to the water more times then I can count. At one point my glasses flew from my face and I was able to watch them fly 10 ft over the starboard side before I couldn’t see them anymore. I am not totally blind with out them, but everything is a blur. The first few minutes of the storm hitting us were insane. The ship buried her starboard rail in the water, the waves went from light to 5 ft swells
The motor started off working and I tried to get some control back over the boat, but every time the boat rolled the motor would pull out of the water and roar to top speed. Then when the blades dipped back in would quiet down and give a slight forward momentum. Barely enough to notice. There was little we could do at this point besides hold on. My daughters were below and were holding on to the port side bulkhead as far up that side as they could to keep ballast as far to windward as they could. I can not imagine what that must have been like inside for them. The cabin has to have been being tossed around like a washing machine on spin cycle. They held their position and helped keep the boat from capsizing.
The first moments of the storm was the most aggressive. Not to say the rest was a cake walk. But that wind front pushed our starboard rail under the water multiple times. I was not doing anything but holding on as high up the side of the ship as possible and yelling to my girls that everything was going to be alright and that we were going to be fine. It felt like lies. During this first, and worst part of the wind the motor died out. This motor has been a bit problematic since we got the boat. The electric starter had failed on it and every once and a while it would starve for fuel and need to get primed again. Starting was utilizing the pull cord. Which is what I turned to doing as soon as the waves felt like they were calming down. I needed to get control of the ship back. To start the motor I had to hold on to the railing, lean out over the transom, grab the cord and pull. I can just reach the choke and the throttle control from this position as well. The waves were washing over the top of the motor as we came down from the rolling to starboard. It took 6 to 8 waves rocking us to 75-80 degrees starboard before I got the motor started again. I realized we were not going to get our nose turned towards the waves and wind at this point. We needed to get to shore.
I turned hard to starboard, motor on full and got the wind at our back. Tried to ride the waves in and use the motor to give us some control of what direction. Any control of the ship was illusionary. I did get the wind to our back. The waves, in a lake, were higher then the sides of the boat from peak to trough. They were not washing the deck somehow but they were picking up the transom and lifting the motor out of the water. It would roar every time. With the motor out of the water the wind would catch us and try to spin us. First to port then starboard then back again. The motor would dip back in and catch the water and I would get a second of control then nothing again. The bow was oscillating back and forth in front of me at what felt like 45 degree sweeps. This was too much for the motor mount. The outboard decided to abandon ship. Crack and the motor was gone. And with it any pretend ability to control the boat. We went to starboard and now had the wind and waves coming starboard and rolling us to port. With out the solar panel we were not heeling as much, though still very far.
The wind had been pushing us towards the land this entire time. We had been hit by the storm front when we were just over 1000 ft from shore but now were under 400 ft. When I had the motor going I was trying to get inside a small bay I could just barely see through the wind and rain. There were cliffs to the East and West of it. And at this point we were broadside to the cliffs to the west of the bay.
The wind, with out the additional grab of the solar panel were not rolling us as far over. The waves were trying to make up for it. And this is when (it should have been well before the storm got to us, I know this) Iona and I ripped open the starboard lazarette and tried to get the life jackets out for us. My girls had theirs on this entire time. Iona reached in and couldn’t grab the jacket as things had shifted, I dove in and moved things out of the way and grabbed hers out. I dove back in and could not find the second one. But Iona and my daughters had them on, so I didn’t spend anymore energy on it.
We were now less then 200 ft from the cliffs and we could see the rocks at the point, exactly where we were heading. Even with out my glasses I could see them. Iona and I decided to get the girls topside. Iona directed the girls and got them on the starboard side of the cockpit holding on tightly. She calmed them and got them moving quickly and confidently. She amazed me so much out there. She kept her cool and because of her I was able to keep my cool as well.
The rocks were less then 100 ft off the port side now. Each wave brought us closer. Finally it picked us up and slammed us on the rocks. Then lifted us and hit us against them a couple more times. We were all holding on tight and no one lost their grip. I waited for a few smashes to make sure we were as stable as we could be. The boat was on her side. She was “resting” at about a 30 degree angle. Each wave would lift her slightly and put her back down. I went over the transom to get to the rocks. I stepped on the remainder of the mount for the motor and swung myself the closest rock. I had just gotten my footing and had one hand on the boat when I felt her rise up higher then she had been from a large wave and come towards me. Thankfully I had my hands on her or I wouldn’t have known she was coming at me. I used her push and hopped slightly back. I twisted away from the boat to face where I was headed, the rocks. I dropped between the rock I had been standing on, where the boat was now resting, and the next one over. I had my hands on the rock closest to shore. I was up to my chest in water and was not touching anything under my feet. I don’t know how I got from there to standing on that rock but the next thing I know I was on my feet again.
This last movement had changed the relation of the transom to the rocks and now couldn’t be used as an exit. I moved to midships and yelled to Iona over the wind to send the girls to me. She calmly instructed them to hold on and side step to the midships where I was, I got them to step over the railing and got them to shore. Emma came first and she was able to step to the rock I was standing on. And then she scrambled to the cliff face. Ellie came next, she got her feet over the railing but was not going to be able to reach the rock even with the boat tilting as she was. I grabbed her by the life jacket and told her to let go, picked her up and put her down next to me. The gap between the rock we were on and the one closest to shore was larger then she could get over so I straddled it and helped her jump it. Iona came next and was easily able to get ashore and we all scrambled together as close to the cliff as possible.
The wind was pushing and howling at us here, but we were a good 3 ft above the waves. We had survived and had made it. I was holding my daughters and Iona tight as I could. Iona told us she was going to try to find a way around the edge of the cliff we were on to get us even safer. She found us a trail to get around the edge and out of the wind.
I couldn’t see much but I saw flashing red and white lights on the far side cliff top. I knew that someone had seen us doing our best to capsize the boat and called us in. But they were focused on the boat and couldn’t see us. Not that visibility was high. The storm had brought in large amounts of rain and the wind was whipping it around. From the far side of the cliff we slowly made our way around the bay on foot. Iona could see a house and we tried to get there. She led the way and tested the ground in front of us to make sure it was safe. My youngest daughter had flip flops, my oldest was barefoot. Iona gave my oldest her boat shoes. I was in my boat shoes. But I couldn’t see much besides colors and vague shapes. I can see with out my glasses but it all looks like a Monet painting. While we were planning our route from the lee side of the cliff one of the bumpers from the boat came around the cliff. We could hear the boat getting beaten against the rocks still.
We made our way slowly in the darkening light around the edge of the bay following barefoot Iona. By the time our group had made it as far inland as the bay went the boat had made its way around the promontory. I could just see the shape of it in the fading light. We tried to make our way up to a house Iona had seen when we were at the lee side of the cliff. The way seemed blocked by thistles. With light almost completely gone we changed directions towards a tree along the shore.
I talked with Iona about our next steps, the rain and wind on top of soaking wet cloths and little of those is not a good combination. I said I should head up the hill and get to the flashing lights, which was certainly the rescue operation going on. We agreed to that and she stayed with the girls, keeping them calm and safe.
I scrambled up the hill as fast as I could. It was full dark by the time I got to the top. Lightening, wind and rain going full blast it felt like. Once to the top I was able to move faster and ran towards the lake along the ridge as fast as I could. Not certain how, but I didn’t fall. I made it to the rescue vehicle. They called in some more guys.
I then led one guy down with me who had a light and we found the ladies where I had left them. He then led us back up the hill. Finding all the cactus in the brush with his light and leading us around them.
My family is safe and sound now. This happened Sunday the 4th. Iona and I are sore and bruised. The worst injury sustained is a cut on my arm. Which I wasn't aware of till my youngest pointed it out to me Monday.
Just going to toss the pics from monday when I went to the boat out. I got some shots of the interior, the exterior and where we landed. And the cut on my arm. Amazingly enough the solar panel was still charging the batteries.
The boat is getting pulled out today sometime by the local guy who does that sort of thing. Hope it doesn't cost too much, but we shall see. I am at work today but sluggish.
Feel free to call me a fool or anything you like. I completely deserve it.
On board we had myself, my girlfriend Iona and my two daughters Emma (11) and Ellie (8) years old.
We had been camping and sailing on Lake McConaughey, NE this weekend. We got the sailboat in the water Saturday and did some sailing and anchored it at our campsite west of Vans. Sunday was our day to head home. The weather looked wonderful. Some strong wind, but not so much to make us uncomfortable. Blue skies all around. The weather report said 30% chance of thunderstorms.
We took off and sailed for a while but due to time constraints we dropped sail and started motoring to the boat ramp where we launch. One of the luckiest moments of this trip is right at this point. I didn’t raise the keel. We might have made better time with it up, but having it down made a huge difference later.
This is when we noticed a dark cloud on the north shore. Shortly after this I let myself get distracted by things happening aboard the boat, and wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings. The storm was well north of the north coast line. When I finally noticed how bad the storm looked to the north, we started heading closer to the shore. While still heading towards the boat ramp trying to beat the weather.
The wind was blowing at us from the south but I could see the storm clouds at a higher elevation moving out of the north towards us. When they got to the north shore I was heading straight at the southern coast with the little motor running full throttle. At this point we were between 1000-1300 ft from shore. Far enough out that we wouldn’t be able to see people, but could see campers. The wind was in our face, and the storm at our backs.
Looking over my shoulder at the storm I could see the clouds over the lake boiling out towards us. These clouds were forming and pushing south over the wind blowing from the south. It was like it was reaching towards us. I was now seeing the wind coming over the surface of the lake towards us from the north shore even with wind in my face, picking up a mist of spray with it. It was traveling incredibly fast. I had enough time to yell out for everyone to hold on before it hit us. It got us slightly from the rear portside quarter and even though that wasn’t a full broad side it laid the ship over sideways towards the starboard side. Further then we had gotten her healing while sailing her. Everything I had read up to this point told me that if you had a blow hitting you, try to keep from getting broadsided, which I had somewhat failed on all ready. So I tried to get her spun around and pointed into the wind hoping we could ride it out with the motor. It would be a miserable experience but less so then being blown around. I was wrong on two accounts in my actions. First off, if I was going to do this I should have done it sooner. Second, I should have spun her towards starboard to keep the motor in the water. We got caught broadside over the port side. The wind ripped our mainsail free of the straps and started grabbing that to push us over. Iona somehow snatched a line up and whipped it around the sail, and then held that line for dear life while holding the boat with the other hand. Less surface area to be pushed by the wind. I believe this saved us. If she hadn’t done this we would have completely capsized. I had mounted the solar panel to the port side of the ship and it was on a hinge. It was caught by the wind and flipped up creating a small sail that was pushing us over. There was nothing we could do about it. No way to cut it loose. It most certainly contributed to how much we rolled to starboard.
The motor is mounted on the port side transom and the wind and waves was rolling us to starboard. We got almost completely 90 degrees to the water more times then I can count. At one point my glasses flew from my face and I was able to watch them fly 10 ft over the starboard side before I couldn’t see them anymore. I am not totally blind with out them, but everything is a blur. The first few minutes of the storm hitting us were insane. The ship buried her starboard rail in the water, the waves went from light to 5 ft swells
The motor started off working and I tried to get some control back over the boat, but every time the boat rolled the motor would pull out of the water and roar to top speed. Then when the blades dipped back in would quiet down and give a slight forward momentum. Barely enough to notice. There was little we could do at this point besides hold on. My daughters were below and were holding on to the port side bulkhead as far up that side as they could to keep ballast as far to windward as they could. I can not imagine what that must have been like inside for them. The cabin has to have been being tossed around like a washing machine on spin cycle. They held their position and helped keep the boat from capsizing.
The first moments of the storm was the most aggressive. Not to say the rest was a cake walk. But that wind front pushed our starboard rail under the water multiple times. I was not doing anything but holding on as high up the side of the ship as possible and yelling to my girls that everything was going to be alright and that we were going to be fine. It felt like lies. During this first, and worst part of the wind the motor died out. This motor has been a bit problematic since we got the boat. The electric starter had failed on it and every once and a while it would starve for fuel and need to get primed again. Starting was utilizing the pull cord. Which is what I turned to doing as soon as the waves felt like they were calming down. I needed to get control of the ship back. To start the motor I had to hold on to the railing, lean out over the transom, grab the cord and pull. I can just reach the choke and the throttle control from this position as well. The waves were washing over the top of the motor as we came down from the rolling to starboard. It took 6 to 8 waves rocking us to 75-80 degrees starboard before I got the motor started again. I realized we were not going to get our nose turned towards the waves and wind at this point. We needed to get to shore.
I turned hard to starboard, motor on full and got the wind at our back. Tried to ride the waves in and use the motor to give us some control of what direction. Any control of the ship was illusionary. I did get the wind to our back. The waves, in a lake, were higher then the sides of the boat from peak to trough. They were not washing the deck somehow but they were picking up the transom and lifting the motor out of the water. It would roar every time. With the motor out of the water the wind would catch us and try to spin us. First to port then starboard then back again. The motor would dip back in and catch the water and I would get a second of control then nothing again. The bow was oscillating back and forth in front of me at what felt like 45 degree sweeps. This was too much for the motor mount. The outboard decided to abandon ship. Crack and the motor was gone. And with it any pretend ability to control the boat. We went to starboard and now had the wind and waves coming starboard and rolling us to port. With out the solar panel we were not heeling as much, though still very far.
The wind had been pushing us towards the land this entire time. We had been hit by the storm front when we were just over 1000 ft from shore but now were under 400 ft. When I had the motor going I was trying to get inside a small bay I could just barely see through the wind and rain. There were cliffs to the East and West of it. And at this point we were broadside to the cliffs to the west of the bay.
The wind, with out the additional grab of the solar panel were not rolling us as far over. The waves were trying to make up for it. And this is when (it should have been well before the storm got to us, I know this) Iona and I ripped open the starboard lazarette and tried to get the life jackets out for us. My girls had theirs on this entire time. Iona reached in and couldn’t grab the jacket as things had shifted, I dove in and moved things out of the way and grabbed hers out. I dove back in and could not find the second one. But Iona and my daughters had them on, so I didn’t spend anymore energy on it.
We were now less then 200 ft from the cliffs and we could see the rocks at the point, exactly where we were heading. Even with out my glasses I could see them. Iona and I decided to get the girls topside. Iona directed the girls and got them on the starboard side of the cockpit holding on tightly. She calmed them and got them moving quickly and confidently. She amazed me so much out there. She kept her cool and because of her I was able to keep my cool as well.
The rocks were less then 100 ft off the port side now. Each wave brought us closer. Finally it picked us up and slammed us on the rocks. Then lifted us and hit us against them a couple more times. We were all holding on tight and no one lost their grip. I waited for a few smashes to make sure we were as stable as we could be. The boat was on her side. She was “resting” at about a 30 degree angle. Each wave would lift her slightly and put her back down. I went over the transom to get to the rocks. I stepped on the remainder of the mount for the motor and swung myself the closest rock. I had just gotten my footing and had one hand on the boat when I felt her rise up higher then she had been from a large wave and come towards me. Thankfully I had my hands on her or I wouldn’t have known she was coming at me. I used her push and hopped slightly back. I twisted away from the boat to face where I was headed, the rocks. I dropped between the rock I had been standing on, where the boat was now resting, and the next one over. I had my hands on the rock closest to shore. I was up to my chest in water and was not touching anything under my feet. I don’t know how I got from there to standing on that rock but the next thing I know I was on my feet again.
This last movement had changed the relation of the transom to the rocks and now couldn’t be used as an exit. I moved to midships and yelled to Iona over the wind to send the girls to me. She calmly instructed them to hold on and side step to the midships where I was, I got them to step over the railing and got them to shore. Emma came first and she was able to step to the rock I was standing on. And then she scrambled to the cliff face. Ellie came next, she got her feet over the railing but was not going to be able to reach the rock even with the boat tilting as she was. I grabbed her by the life jacket and told her to let go, picked her up and put her down next to me. The gap between the rock we were on and the one closest to shore was larger then she could get over so I straddled it and helped her jump it. Iona came next and was easily able to get ashore and we all scrambled together as close to the cliff as possible.
The wind was pushing and howling at us here, but we were a good 3 ft above the waves. We had survived and had made it. I was holding my daughters and Iona tight as I could. Iona told us she was going to try to find a way around the edge of the cliff we were on to get us even safer. She found us a trail to get around the edge and out of the wind.
I couldn’t see much but I saw flashing red and white lights on the far side cliff top. I knew that someone had seen us doing our best to capsize the boat and called us in. But they were focused on the boat and couldn’t see us. Not that visibility was high. The storm had brought in large amounts of rain and the wind was whipping it around. From the far side of the cliff we slowly made our way around the bay on foot. Iona could see a house and we tried to get there. She led the way and tested the ground in front of us to make sure it was safe. My youngest daughter had flip flops, my oldest was barefoot. Iona gave my oldest her boat shoes. I was in my boat shoes. But I couldn’t see much besides colors and vague shapes. I can see with out my glasses but it all looks like a Monet painting. While we were planning our route from the lee side of the cliff one of the bumpers from the boat came around the cliff. We could hear the boat getting beaten against the rocks still.
We made our way slowly in the darkening light around the edge of the bay following barefoot Iona. By the time our group had made it as far inland as the bay went the boat had made its way around the promontory. I could just see the shape of it in the fading light. We tried to make our way up to a house Iona had seen when we were at the lee side of the cliff. The way seemed blocked by thistles. With light almost completely gone we changed directions towards a tree along the shore.
I talked with Iona about our next steps, the rain and wind on top of soaking wet cloths and little of those is not a good combination. I said I should head up the hill and get to the flashing lights, which was certainly the rescue operation going on. We agreed to that and she stayed with the girls, keeping them calm and safe.
I scrambled up the hill as fast as I could. It was full dark by the time I got to the top. Lightening, wind and rain going full blast it felt like. Once to the top I was able to move faster and ran towards the lake along the ridge as fast as I could. Not certain how, but I didn’t fall. I made it to the rescue vehicle. They called in some more guys.
I then led one guy down with me who had a light and we found the ladies where I had left them. He then led us back up the hill. Finding all the cactus in the brush with his light and leading us around them.
My family is safe and sound now. This happened Sunday the 4th. Iona and I are sore and bruised. The worst injury sustained is a cut on my arm. Which I wasn't aware of till my youngest pointed it out to me Monday.
Just going to toss the pics from monday when I went to the boat out. I got some shots of the interior, the exterior and where we landed. And the cut on my arm. Amazingly enough the solar panel was still charging the batteries.
The boat is getting pulled out today sometime by the local guy who does that sort of thing. Hope it doesn't cost too much, but we shall see. I am at work today but sluggish.
Feel free to call me a fool or anything you like. I completely deserve it.
Not going to happen. You did not do anything horribly wrong. A lot of bad luck in your story. That is about as bad as it gets and you all lived to tell about it.
I have a similar story to tell about a T-storm, a keel stuck in a trunk and my boat washed up on the rocks. My kids hiked a mile or so to camp while I fended my boat off the rocks (in flip flops) and I had to walk the boat back to the launch. My shins were blood, and my hull cracked in several places. It was a long time ago but I learned a lot of good lessons that day and I still benefit from the experience. More importantly, my family still likes to go sailing.
The only thing I can think to suggest is that you keep an emergency anchor at the ready. I keep one on my stern rail so I can deploy it from the cockpit. This anchor is tied to the bow eye so when I deploy it, the boat swings into the wind. I mostly use it to drop a lunch hook as I enter a cove but it is there if I ever need to grab the ground quickly.
Glad you and the crew are safe! Until you have an experience like that, you can't really appreciate how bad the weather can get in a very short time. When it happens, your options are often limited. You guys kept your cool and got the crew out. Be proud of (and thankful for) that fact.
How are your fiberglass skills?
How are your fiberglass skills?
That anchor idea is going to be implimented. There are most likely a few things ahead of it at this point. But it will happen before getting back on the water.
My fiberglass skills are likely to improve dramatically over the winter months.
Iona says I was amazing and she is blown away at what I did in that storm.
I tell her I am guilty of being a fool and of putting her and my girls in that danger to begin with.
My friend says he agrees with us both.
My solutions were the only courses left, it wasn't like there were lots of options out there once it started going. I know I made some bad choices after the storm hit, but thankfully they were not ones that lead to the bottom of the lake.
Should have gone to starboard and kept the motor in the water, though it may have sucked in water considering how deep that side of the boat would have been pushed in so it may have been just as bad.
Should have gotten Iona in a life jacket as soon as we made the choice to head straight to shore and try to run from it. Really should have had jackets on all ready.
Though I am torn about that. There is no way I could have gotten my girls out of the cabin if I was in a jacket and the boat capsized.
Her dad has been sailing for years. Says he has three stories like that. He also said if that storm didn't capsize the boat, it must be as close to impossible as you can get to capsize the boat. I hope to hell I never test it in worse weather. With the sails up, or the keel up it would have gone over.
You can increase your options through advance preparation. Next time doesn't have to end the same way. You made NO bad choices that I can find based on where you were with the boat, your sailing experience, the value of the crew, the body of water, and the weather. Up until the weather incident, I'll bet everyone was having a blast. You were doing a good thing.
Stay positive and look for ways to improve your options:
Lanyard on glasses, or prescription sports goggles with headband.
Were you monitoring the weather radar/forecast? Do you have wind prediction aboard? Keeping an eye on the forecast is part of boating - even on a lake. Having said that, the forecast will not necessarily tell you how bad it's going to be exactly where you are. Err on the side of caution.
You elected to run from it. Was there a spot that you could have tucked into, that put you on the Lee side of a tree line or cliff, etc?
If there is good holding where you sail, @rgranger 's emergency anchor would have resulted in a different ending to your story; if you have a strong enough point on the boat to hold it. It would have to be rigged and ready as he describes to be usable in an emergency. Know your sailing grounds. Is there good anchor holding available? If it's all rock, you need to know that, too.
Reliability of your outboard was an issue until the outboard mount failed, creating an even worse issue. Both of these are items you can address. Personally, it sounds like you were overpowered by the weather, so had the outboard been working properly, and still attached to the boat, it may not have been able to keep you off the shore.
Windage due to solar panel. Revise panel mounting to cabin roof or beef up mount to prevent panel from becoming a sail.
Was your keel all the way down, and was it secured down?
How much lake did you have to run downwind before you ran out of water?
Was there a better spot to ground her? Gets back to knowing your sailing grounds. Was there a swimming beach, or grassy shoreline that you could have made a downwind run to? We had a bad storm come up during a big race down here. At least one captain elected to ground on a beach. But, our shoreline is somewhat friendlier than what's shown in your pics.
Don't feel bad about your adventure. Learn from it and prepare. Next time, have better options available if possible. You may discover after you fully analyze the event, that there weren't a whole lot of things that could have been done differently. Fix what you can.
Discuss your ideas/analysis on the forum like you're doing now. You may get some good ideas on how to improve your outcome.
Stay positive and look for ways to improve your options:
Lanyard on glasses, or prescription sports goggles with headband.
Were you monitoring the weather radar/forecast? Do you have wind prediction aboard? Keeping an eye on the forecast is part of boating - even on a lake. Having said that, the forecast will not necessarily tell you how bad it's going to be exactly where you are. Err on the side of caution.
You elected to run from it. Was there a spot that you could have tucked into, that put you on the Lee side of a tree line or cliff, etc?
If there is good holding where you sail, @rgranger 's emergency anchor would have resulted in a different ending to your story; if you have a strong enough point on the boat to hold it. It would have to be rigged and ready as he describes to be usable in an emergency. Know your sailing grounds. Is there good anchor holding available? If it's all rock, you need to know that, too.
Reliability of your outboard was an issue until the outboard mount failed, creating an even worse issue. Both of these are items you can address. Personally, it sounds like you were overpowered by the weather, so had the outboard been working properly, and still attached to the boat, it may not have been able to keep you off the shore.
Windage due to solar panel. Revise panel mounting to cabin roof or beef up mount to prevent panel from becoming a sail.
Was your keel all the way down, and was it secured down?
How much lake did you have to run downwind before you ran out of water?
Was there a better spot to ground her? Gets back to knowing your sailing grounds. Was there a swimming beach, or grassy shoreline that you could have made a downwind run to? We had a bad storm come up during a big race down here. At least one captain elected to ground on a beach. But, our shoreline is somewhat friendlier than what's shown in your pics.
Don't feel bad about your adventure. Learn from it and prepare. Next time, have better options available if possible. You may discover after you fully analyze the event, that there weren't a whole lot of things that could have been done differently. Fix what you can.
Discuss your ideas/analysis on the forum like you're doing now. You may get some good ideas on how to improve your outcome.
Couple of additional thoughts to consider.
PFDs
The Admiral and I wear inflatables when on the boat. Only take them off for swimming. Kids have to wear pfd s when aboard. As you found, if you wait till you need them to put them on, it may be too late.
Looks like your boat has a 960lb keel - possibly with a bulb. With your keel down and secure, and your sails down and secured, you may suffer a knockdown, but a capsize in 5 ft seas seems unlikely. I don't know your boat, so hopefully, others will comment on this. My point is, a knockdown is unsettling, while a capsize is a whole different animal. I understand worrying about the kids getting trapped below. Minimize entanglements in the cabin; no loose lines, cables, etc. After that, reconsider your choice to leave off your PFD as part of your capsize planning. My thought is, the PFD will help you survive the initial disaster. You can pull it off if you need to dive to rescue afterward. Make your best judgement call - I'm not preaching.
How cold is the water, and how well can everybody swim? Competency in swimming and man overboard training are things you can do something about. Even if the boat capsizes, there will likely be a brief period for cabin occupants to get their PFDs off and swim out if they are competent to do so, and entanglements aren't an issue. Know your boat. Will it sink quickly in a capsize? Are your sailing waters too deep for you to dive to the bottom? If your boat will sink quickly in deep water, consider whether it would be safer for everyone to be in the cockpit and risk going overboard. When you are 400 ft from shore, going into the water becomes a legitimate option. Where I sail, the water is generally warm. Going overboard here, with a PFD on, would almost mean guaranteed survival. However, that is not true for a lot of folks, unless they were wearing survival gear. Also, something you can control.
Finally, a boat that size will crush you like a bug. If you have to bail out, make sure you don't do it where you wind up between the boat and an immovable object.
It does have a bulb, but also doesn't lock in the down possition. It is designed to drop down and wedge in place. Which in my mind means if the boat goes over 90 degrees the keel is coming up and the hell is coming with it.
5 ft seas scared me plenty. It was less the the amplitude of the wave but the hertz. They were coming fast and hard. We never got quite to 90, but about 80 degrees (and I realize I was in the boat so it is harder to judge just how far that thing was rolling and the situation is such to make everything thing seem worse). Enough to bury the starboard rail a couple times. Which had Iona and I standing up on the starboard seats in the cockpit pressed against the port side and almost straight up.
The water was comfortable temps when there isn't a storm. The girls had spent the day playing on the beach in it. Swimming I am working on. I am one of the few people who can not float, but I can swim very well. Iona can also swim very well. The girls need the jackets. I have my oldest who lives with me in swim lessons all year. Progression is slow though, and I am going to work on that more this year.
I have no idea if the boat will sink. I don't think the keel would bust through the bottom if it does capsize since we found on the other dirrection when the cable for the winch pulled free it didn't bust through. This would presumably keep an air pocket in the cabin area and at least slow the descent. Getting through the lines on deck now floating around would be... less then fun.
And that boat did try to crush me like a bug. Luck and quick reflexes (mostly luck) kept that from happening. But like my buddy told me, never discount luck.