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Another storm/race account

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redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2010 : 09:57:08

"I love to sit around the yacht club bar
and talk about the things we're going to do.

I love to sit around the yacht club bar
because it doesn't move.

The swells are big and the winds are high
but that don't bother me.

Cause I never get lost and my tummy doesn't toss
It's a wonderful life on the sea.

My boat it is a big one boys. My crew it is the best.
We race around the entrance buoy beating all the rest.
We're the first ones home with a bent elbow and a powerful salt spray thirst.
We sit around and drink all night and see who comes in first.

Chorus- I love to sit around the yacht club bar

I took her out one Sunday, we got about five miles out
The wind it was a screaming, right dead out of the south.
The waves they must have been two feet high, the swells at least one more.
I'm so lost and my tummy is tossed, I'll never get back to the shore.

My head it was a reeling, my feet got tangled up.
Those damn old sheets were everywhere, just trying to trip me up.
The halyard broke, the boom fell down, the main took off like a bird.
Mayday was my final cry as I dived beneath my berth.

My sailing days are over, cause of that great scare.
You others take a warning, and don't you go out there.
There's winds and seas and swells so high, how can you stay afloat.
Be like me and drink to the sea and don't untie your boat."

Written by Glenn Marsden in 1987, arranged by Dick and Chris Todd. These musically inclined folks met while cruising the lagoons of Baja California, Mexico. They all hailed from Newport Beach where, for most of the year, the average wind speed at the "entrance buoy" is from 5 to 12 knots.

"There is no substitute for experience. If you don't have it - well then Skipper, you'll just be forced to learn while underway. Mind the boom!"

Copyright Sten 2010

Edited by - on

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1787 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2010 : 10:00:29

The Sonar accident that Dave referred to was a “learning experience” tragedy. The deceased sailor was a very, VERY experienced racer in his early 60’s sailing in a regatta. As I recall his son (who was in the same race) telling me – when the wind shear hit the boat heeled, boom swung quickly, and knocked the sailor overboard. Wearing no harness he separated from the boat. In all the confusion (there were three capsizes) his crew could not locate him/retrieve him until too late.

Yes, he should have worn a harness and full safety gear, yes with the conditions forecast the race should have not taken place. Interesting regarding the forecast, the forecast was for severe weather and yet EVERYONE in that race claims “it unexpectedly happened”. We all take safety for granted at times when we really should not. The good news is that Renzo handled the situation well. The bad news is that as soon as the situation occurred ALL sailors should have abandoned the race and headed for safety and the committee boat should have been available for emergency purposes as it headed in.

And as I write this I shamefully think about how many times I go sailing without first putting on a PDF . . . . because the weather "looks" “good”.

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2010 : 10:24:13

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by bigelowp
 The Sonar accident that Dave referred to was a “learning experience” tragedy. The deceased sailor was a very, VERY experienced racer in his early 60’s sailing in a regatta. As I recall his son (who was in the same race) telling me – when the wind shear hit the boat heeled, boom swung quickly, and knocked the sailor overboard. Wearing no harness he separated from the boat. In all the confusion (there were three capsizes) his crew could not locate him/retrieve him until too late.

Yes, he should have worn a harness and full safety gear, yes with the conditions forecast the race should have not taken place. Interesting regarding the forecast, the forecast was for severe weather and yet EVERYONE in that race claims “it unexpectedly happened”. We all take safety for granted at times when we really should not. The good news is that Renzo handled the situation well. The bad news is that as soon as the situation occurred ALL sailors should have abandoned the race and headed for safety and the committee boat should have been available for emergency purposes as it headed in.

And as I write this I shamefully think about how many times I go sailing without first putting on a PDF . . . . because the weather "looks" “good”.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'm sorta for the RC calling the race, but let's face it - Renzo called himself out of it anyway. He did not finish. When it hit he was probably a bit over canvassed, but far from land and he went with what made sense. Beats being pushed onto a leeshore on a narrow river.

When it looks darkest, beware - it could be darker. Put your gear on.

sten

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cks
Navigator

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126 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2010 : 10:35:43

Two thoughts/lessons from the story. I think that all'll agree that one should either have reefed sooner or have a way to reef if wind pipes up. Second is more of a question: I question sailing wing on wing in such conditions: an inherently unstable point of sail.

Edited by - cks on 08/25/2010 10:38:00

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9082 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2010 : 11:00:34

The situation Peter and I are familiar with was particularly egregious because the major front with violent storms had been predicted several days in advance to arrive on that day. I was in a neighboring town when I saw the greenish black wall across the horizon at about noon. (Note that coastal New Englanders rarely see that sight, which I knew well from growing up in the Midwest.) I drove home and then down to the boat to batten things down for a blast. An hour or so after I saw the front, as I walked off the dock and across the parking lot, I was being sand-blasted from the nearby beach. I waited in the car until it stopped shaking and bouncing and I could see over the hood, which speaks to the "confusion" out there Peter refers to. Driving home, I could hardly find a route due to trees and limbs. Later that day, when I heard the news, I was astonished and literally furious that a sailboat race was being held in the face of that thing. To prove what?? "Unexpected" my @$$. Some very costly lessons were learned that day.

And OK, Sten, I'm the wimp at the bar who couldn't keep a Cape Dory afloat in a force-four. Somebody to balance the scale.

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DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2010 : 11:18:56

lightening this up a bit, Renzo, that poem/lyric is really well done. You did this? Got a tune to go with it?

Edited by - on

glen
Captain

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359 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2010 : 12:06:28

I think I heard him singing the chorus to the tune of "In Heaven There Is No Beer"

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DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2010 : 12:12:55

If you were interested in having it put to a tune Renzo I might be just the guy to do it.
[url="http://www.myspace.com/daverobbins96/music-player?sindex=3.3&shuffle=true&amix=false&pmix=false&plid=1210752&artid=42532470&sseed=11896&ptype=3&stime=4.78&ap=1&rpeat=false"]some stuff I've written[/url]

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redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2010 : 14:05:15

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Stinkpotter

And OK, Sten, I'm the wimp at the bar who couldn't keep a Cape Dory afloat in a force-four. Somebody to balance the scale.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Wimps under those conditions are merely prudent sailors. Balance is best achieved thru premeditiated thought... The Dock Bar song refers to folks who wouldn't go out in 5-12....

We have a guy in the marina that has a 40 foot BendyToy and he invited us to go sailing with him. So the next morning we call him and he says that he is not going out 'cuz it's blowing too hard. 10-15 knots too hard...

Balance is where you find it...

sten

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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4306 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2010 : 18:40:55

There are old sailors and there are bold sailors but there are no old, bold sailors.

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9082 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2010 : 20:01:53

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redviking
 Wimps under those conditions are merely prudent sailors. Balance is best achieved thru premeditiated thought... <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">On the subject of testing yourself and gaining confidence, I've purposefully had Sarge out in 25-35 conditions with spray blowing off the tops of 4-5' short chop and all three windshield wipers running full-time, close to home, just to see how she'd handle. It was a short run out and back, but encouraging. As with many mariners and their boats, she can take more than I want to. And as Renzo indicated, that's good to know!

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 08/25/2010 20:04:52

glen
Captain

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359 Posts

Response Posted - 08/26/2010 : 06:41:04

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by GaryB
 There are old sailors and there are bold sailors but there are no old, bold sailors.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Hay I resemble that remark

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Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 08/26/2010 : 10:08:32

I've been following this discussion and appreciate everyone's posts. Thanks for posting your experience, Renzo. Hopefully everyone will continue to post stories like this without fear of being judged. Since I'm on a tiny inland lake I (fortunately or unfortunately) don't have much opportunity to experience the kinds of conditions many of you others do, so this is is really good and enjoyable way to hear about things like what Renzo experienced.

Edited by - on

Renzo
Admiral

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USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 08/27/2010 : 16:29:12

I'll try to put this one to bed by elaborating on some of the questions and statements:

The weather conditions around Lake St. Clair are very changeable and localized. If sailors here listened to every forecast we would never sail and rarely race. I have had many wonderful sails in sunshine and moderate wind while watching big black storm clouds slide along the shore dumping buckets of rain and flashes of lightning on the docks and beaches. The reason is because Lake St. Clair is a large but relatively shallow lake and it warms up fast and creates a high pressure center that forms kind of a protective dome over the lake and a wind shear along the shore that diverts many of the storms that pop up. And that is an apt discription of many of our storms including the one I got caught in. They pop up out of a clear blue sky. The weather forcasts can only say that conditions are right for a "CHANCE of severe storms" but can't say where, when or if they will occur.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by cks
 Two thoughts/lessons from the story. I think that all'll agree that one should either have reefed sooner or have a way to reef if wind pipes up. Second is more of a question: I question sailing wing on wing in such conditions: an inherently unstable point of sail.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

We didn't reef earlier and we were running wing and wing because the winds were still moderate at that time and we were speeding on a course that was leading not only to the finish line but also in the direction of our home port. So in reality we were trying to get back to port the fastest way possible for a sail boat. It seemed at the time that the storm would miss us or we might be able to get back before it hit. When it did hit it was immeadiate an too risky to have someone on deck messing with Jiffy reefing. In retrospect dropping all sail and hanking on the storm jib would have been a nice touch (And maybe putting out a drogue or a couple of warps) but as I said before I miscalculated. Then again if I were right we would have sped to the finish line, won the race and been back in dock sipping burbon before the storm hit. Damn! I hate it when that happens.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Renzo, that poem/lyric is really well done. You did this?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Yes I wrote it the next morning after the race as a consolation prize for myself for not crossing the finish line.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> If you were interested in having it put to a tune Renzo I might be just the guy to do it.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Thanks but I play percussion in a "Bruise" band myself and I think I'll bring it to our next practice to see what those guys can do with it. (Listened to your stuff and liked it though.)

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">There are old sailors and there are bold sailors but there are no old, bold sailors<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Gary, How old do you have to be to qualify cause I'm prety damn old.

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DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 08/28/2010 : 06:19:24

Good deal, hope you do something with it. Let us hear it when you're done.

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