Guys this is Maine the home of 10' 20'+ foot tides, very strong currents and rocks and ledges spattered about right in the middle of a good straight shot somewhere. they are often thrown out by mother nature (glaciers) like popcorn on the floor of a Ground Round.......
In Maine even a moment of inattention can cause such a mishap to occur. The boat had reportedly just left Camden on a charter. Charter guests can be very demanding especially the types who can afford to charter a boat such as Archangle.. On an outgoing tide the set and drift could have easily put them on that ledge even if the captain took his eyes off the course for a few moments. On top of all that it was reported that the lobster pots were thick and heavy through that area and they had been dodging them.
Having sailed through this passage a number of times I can tell you that it can be a very deceiving approach compared to what you actually take to cut through there. Hard to explain and more one of those "you'd need to be there to understand" situations.
While I have never had an issue passing through there it is simply one of the MANY obstacles that get hit in Maine each year. Even a 70 footer is not going to move solid Maine granite and something has to give, usually the boat. This is not the first paid captain to hit ledge in Maine and certainly will not be the last. We have had one schooner captain go up on ledges twice, the Portland fire boat and many, many others.. Not a week goes by in the summer when I don't hear of or see a boat on a ledge in Maine. In one summer I had three of my customers mortgage a ledge in Maine. In every situation current, lobster pots and a few moments of inattention all culminated in the accident. In two of them the electronic charts were off and paper was being used. When you are talking feet, not meters, to miss a ledge a plotter can certainly have an advantage over paper.. I have to suspect Archangle was simply a culmination of events that led to this. One thing I see over and over is "I've been through there a hundred times and never hit.". Often a comfort level with an area builds complacency.. Perhaps there was a little of that involved here...
Even Tom, a member here and a VERY, VERY experienced cruiser has hit that ledge. It is a VERY popular ledge to hit here in Maine. It does not help that this ledge is right smack dab in a perfectly good lay line across PenBay...
The good new is we have excellent marine services up here and Archangle was off that ledge in less than 24 hours. Accidents happen....
I would urge any of you questioning how this can happen to come sail in Maine for a season....
I was at the fuel dock at Billings Marine this summer when a guy across from me from MD in a very expensive "blue water boat" snottily and smugly looked down his nose at our boat and said:
Him: "
How many lobster pots do you catch per day on that spade rudder?"
Me: "
Why have you caught any with your prop in the protected aperture?"
Him: "
Only three since we've been in PenBay... I am a LICENSED CAPTAIN and never seen such a mess on the water as Maine has." (He made very sure to tell/brag about his "captains license" so everyone on the dock could hear him....)
Me: "
How long have you been here?"
Him: "Three days. I imagine your boat must be a magnet for them.?"
Me: "
I caught one two years ago but I live and cruiser here. How you sail amongst them makes a measurable difference over rudder type.."
Me: "What's that?" (pointing to a large three strand chunk of line on his bow that looked like a mooring pendant)
Him: "Oh that , I got a mooring pendant wrapped around my prop at Frenchboro Island and had to cut it free. The guy helping me accidentally popped my dinghy with his knife." (accidentally for sure.
)
Me: "Well enjoy your trip to Maine, and watch out for those pots."
My Wife: "Holy expletive what a tool. That guy is unsafe and should not ever have come to Maine."
Me: "It takes all kinds I guess. He apparently knows all the answers but none of the questions.. Too bad his theory on spade vs. aperture didn't work out so well."
Old Man Working At Billings: "You know if it weren't for those type of folks we'd not have nearly as many boats to repair. Guys like him, are good for us."
(my wife, myself and the old guy on the dock all burst out laughing......)
My only point in this is to suggest that sailing Maine can not be summed up easily or mastered from couch-theory. Reading all the books and theorizing how it will roll does not tell the whole story will not make it as easy as many from
away, as the guy above, assume it is.....
I don't judge the captain of Archangel for anything more than a few moments of inattention and an error in judgement, something any of us could do, especially on the Maine coast.....
