Tragedy strikes (close to home for me)

[Brian D]

No problem RAD...

Would have been interesting to see the article. I would like to know more about what happened. But for sure I am not gong to speculate until all the facts are disclosed. Then if the disscussion is still going on, I might state my opinion.

 

[Scott]

Rich, it appears there were no passengers.

The article says that the Essence was being considered for purchase by the resort company and that it was going to Greenwich for promotional reasons. The crew was employed by the current owner. There did not appear to be any more than 3 on the yacht. But they aren't saying much for sure. They also don't indicate if there is anybody considered to be missing and I wonder if that is part of the investigation.The link that Ted provided has a web page that includes the crew, but you need a guest pass to get in. I didn't apply. I wonder if the web page still includes the crew.

 

[tom]

Brother Told Cool Story

My brother worked on a ship for a year or two. One day a ship came in and there was a sailboat mast hanging from the bow anchors of the ship. My brother asked a guy on deck what happened. The crew member was puzzled by the question. My brother pointed out the sailboat's mast and the guy was totally surprized and unaware that they had ran down a sailboat. No one on board had known about the sailboat's mast until my brother pointed it out.

 

[Scott]

C'mon Tom ...

The beginnings of an urban legend?

 

[mortyd]

accident

i am a licensed pilot and an experienced flight test engineer, but worked for the associated press as an photographer and editor, and what i am saying is to never, ever, ever take printed news media accident reports as something hear the truth. the ignorance of the beat reporters and editors coupled with their near inablilty to distinguish their imaginations from true knowledge is astounding, so let's wait a while and digest what really occured when we can, if ever. it took many years to find out the real situation with the andrea doria. the media had deadlines to meet and deodarant and cars to sell.

 

[Moody Buccaneer]

COLREGS

Old Navigators Rarely Finish in Second PlaceOvertakenNot Under CommandRestricted ability to manoeuvre (Draft or Traffic Separation Scheme)FishingSailPowerNo where in COLREGS does size or tonnage directly determine the stand-on vessel. It may be common sense, but it is not written in the rules.Size may indirectly determine the stand-on vessel, since larger vessels are more likely to be constrained by draft or be required to stay in then lanes of a traffic separation scheme.

 

[richard shelby]

AIS

For want of a few thousand dollars worth AIS gear life (lives?) and a multimillion dollar yacht was lost.

 

[John Nantz]

Coast Guard News Link

The Coast Guard news release on their web page makes no mention of passengers on board, only the three crew.Link to the 'Coast Guard Public Affairs Detachment New York' news web page article: http://www.uscgnewyork.com/go/doc/802/134022/ There is no mention of passengers in the CG news release. Subsequent media news releases for the day of the accident basically repackaged the CG news release. The news link that Rich provided (Reply #14) had new information.Did a check of the general area (Long Island Sound), see Map Quest link and zoom in: http://mapserver.maptech.com/homepage/index.cfm?lat=41.116030747995616&lon=-72.87720671069715&scale=1058400&zoom=100&type=0&icon=0&width=498&height=498&searchscope=dom&CFID=883595&CFTOKEN=41968917&scriptfile=http://mapserver.maptech.com/homepage/index.cfm&latlontype=DMS and there is no Traffic Lane(s) shown on the nautical chart. By all accounts the vessels were not in a narrow channel or fairway; therefore, unless the ship was following a traffic lane, both vessels would be operating under the rules of the ColRegs.

 

[Rich]

story unfolding

See link for newest local information--

 

[RAD]

When I was in Newport

last week,my buddy made comment about neat aft cabin/cockpit vessel at the docks, owning an aft cabin centercockpit ODay I thought this boat was indeed a cool design now after looking at the link Ted provided it was the same boat!

 

[Tom Spohn]

Here

are the Colregs. It is clear to me that there is not enough information made public yet to see who is at fault.http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/boating/colregs.html

 

[mortyd]

accident

freezing water in early september on long island sound?

 

[HukilauMike]

More info

I looked up the yacht's website this a.m., and found that the woman chef also had a 100 ton Master's License.

 

[PaulK]

Cold enough

The air temp's been in the 40's the past couple of nights. I wouldn't want to be swimming in the dark, 8 or so miles offshore with the incoming tide pushing me towards New York City - 60 miles away - instead of to the beach. . At 20:45 tonight, the weather buoy in mid-Long Island Sound closest to the accident site shows water temp of 68 degrees. It would still feel plenty cold to me.

 

[Clay]

Too many assumptions,

But very tragic, that someone lost their life.As a previous volunteer firefighter:  Earlier in the years, I would have trouble sleeping if I just left a house fire and we could not figure out the cause right away. I wanted to get back home to make sure I hadn't endanger my young family the same way.I could not accept that it happens without a direct reason,that a house burns down to the ground without a direct cause. Same goes here, it can't just happen. Here I go with my assumption, that someone was in error, either the crew was sleeping under an auto pilot. We need to know why so we can avoid tragedies like this.Another thought about who has the 'right of way'. If you said a sailboat does, then I hope your a power boat owner. Sailors may have the right of way under sail, but I think only if acknowledge by the other cptn. that he sees you.If he doesn't see you, it don't much matter who has the right of way if your dead. If his anchor can drop on my head, I'll get out of sight safely ...I would only hope.My thoughts are with the family of who was killed, and hope we don't read many more of these tragic stories....Stay safe out there, watch out for me please.

 

[Ross]

Maybe this will help.

Our marina is about a thousand yards from the Amtrak bridge across the Susquehanna River. Tug boats pushing 2000 ton gravel barges make down river runs several times each day. Just as a matter of knowing I have timed the barge/tug from the moment they came into view around Garret Island until they were out of sight beyond fishing battery light varies from twelve to fifteen minutes. I have talked to some of the captains and am told that they need about a mile to stop from their normal speed down the channel. It is about three miles from the bridge to fishing battery. With a crew of three, and one of them the cook, one off watch, and the boat on auto pilot, and the watch needed a bio-break. A careful look around, a little distraction and a routine moment of inattention could have turned tragic.

 

[mortyd]

accident

sixty eight degrees ain't thirty-two. like i said, don't believe everything you read.

 

[White sheet]

Tragedy

What about radar? With boats of this size at 4:00am (dark) didn't either one have their radar on?

 

[mike c]

LIS at night

I've sailed on LIS at night enough times to know that with all the light "clutter" (especially near New Haven and Bridgeport) that unless you are very diligant in your watches it can be VERY Easy to confuse running lights from a ship and that from land.......I'm not saying whos fault it was, as we still do not know all the specifics, But sailing at night on LIS or any other near coastal sailing water is much more difficult than open water.It is a very sad tradegy.........let's hope that it doesn't happen againMike C.O'28 "Da Capo"

 

[Rick Webb]

Someone Getting Nose on You, is Asking for Trouble

Same in the air as it is on the water. Learned that in Korea and have the Purple Heart to explain why it is so. It does not matter if it is a 6ft kayak or a 600' freighter or if you are in a 6ft kayak or a 600' freighter. Maneuver out a position where someone else can (not even may) hit you. It would be very hard to miss seeing or hearing a 600ft freighter even with all of the light clutter these things are lit up like a football stadium. I think this is going to come down to having lot's of experience and done this a thousand times, just a milk run and getting complacent and not exercising the proper caution.