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A Grounding, A lost Keel. No lives lost.

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Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/29/2009 : 06:11:11

This Post is about 80% hearsay, 15% speculation, and 5% eyewitness. Nonetheless it stands as a warning.

The sailing this past weekend was very interesting. 29 Boats started, one sank, one ran aground, and about 23 finished.

The start was interesting with good wind for about half an hour, reducing to inconsistent puff that would be the norm for the rest of the day.

At one point there was no wind at all, and boats waited over an hour for the wind to fill back in. When the wind did fill in, the boats which had been becalmed so long felt a great need to get back into things and many choices were made that may be being regretted today.

A Pearson Flyer that was being single-handed in the spin fleet(gutsy) was having trouble with its chute. both spin sheets were lost, and the sail was flying out from the masthead. The skipper turned the boat downwind to try and recover the sail, but things didn't go as planned. by the time the skipper had recovered the sail, the boat had run aground.

The skipper got on the radio and shared his predicament with the fleet, and then tried for the next half hour to get off the shoal, eventually freeing himself. Whether this situation is related to the events that followed, I can't be sure. I do know that the Pearson was going downwind with main and jib when he ran aground.

The rest of the fleet was beam reaching - broad reaching in the shifty winds looking for "pockets of power" and struggling to keep going. When the winds filled in they were vehement, but just as quickly they would die off.

[Hearsay] An O'Day 32 was moving nicely under spinnaker in the region where the Pearson was when she hit bottom. The O'Day hit with such force that crew flew overboard.[/hearsay] The skipper called out a pan pan, and said he was taking on water and needed to recover crew.

[hearsay] Within 5 minutes, the boat was lost. [/hearsay]

She capsized, then turtled. When she was inverted in the water her keel was missing. It is believed that she hit a submerged object shearing the keel off. The only people who know for sure were not at the post race party.

Everyone aboard the O'Day had on life jackets. They were recovered within minutes by a power-boater. 2 boats diverted from the race to lend assistance.

Scary lessons:

1. Coast Guard never replied to the pan pan.
2. The local police boats never came to the scene until half an hour later (not sure of exact time).
3. No one is sure what was hit. It may have been a shoal shown on the charts, it may not have been. There were no buoys in the area.

Blessings, preparation, what have you.

1. No lives were lost. Everyone aboard was wearing a life jacket.
2. The skipper was sober, he isn't much of a drinker (this is speculation but from his character he isn't the type to be drinking out there.)
3. The power-boater - who didn't have a VHF - recognized what was happening and immediately came to help. His boat had low freeboard and a swim platform making recovery easier than had it been a sailboat.

You can take your own lessons from this. When we got back to the marina at the end of the race, most of the fleet was checking their keel bolts. Many are looking into better mapping software for their GPS's. SWMBO is more convinced than ever that the boat is unsafe for the kids

Iris was too far ahead of this boat help, in fact we only got portions of the chatter on the VHF. I'll post my race report on my blog once I get everything processed in my head.

"Iris"
1984 FK/SR #4040
http://frosthaus.blogspot.com/

Take a minute to register your boat with the association!!
http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/owner_questionnaire.htm

Edited by - Prospector on 06/29/2009 09:52:58

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 06/29/2009 : 06:20:34

I just googled O'Day Lost keel, and it seems this boat was not alone in losing its keel this past weekend...

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/general-discussion-sailing-related/55761-oday-302-lost-keel.html

Edited by - on

windsong
Captain

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USA
318 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2009 : 10:04:35

On shearing off the keel... wow! I'll be checking my bolts next time I'm on the boat.
We had something like that happen in Charleston harbor several years back, and speculation was that it was result of a submarine strike. I have no idea if a boat could survive such an event, but I do know a reliable, experienced sailor who nearly - and i mean nearly - collided with a submarine periscope.

Edited by - windsong on 07/01/2009 10:04:53

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2009 : 10:36:02

A "pan pan' alert does not require a responce from anyone since it only announces that a dangerous situation exists to boaters in general, in the area. The appropriate radio call would have been "May Day, May Day".

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Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 07/02/2009 : 06:05:13

I agree Al. I don't think he realized anything other than that they had hit bottom (HARD!) until the boat was upside down.

Further info has come out now. The boat was going just over 7 kts when it hit. It hit about the same spot where the Pearson had been grounded.

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 07/02/2009 : 11:53:57

I purchased a wing keel to avoid having to pay particular attention to depth. I've grounded once in 20 years, on a soft mud bank. I was able to kedge myself off fortunately. I don't relish trying to get off of anything worse with the wing.

Edited by - on

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.