View Full Version : An Embarrassing Story
Last Saturday was the fourth monthly Inter Island Yacht Club Regatta. This time, the regatta was in the South Bay. The boat bottom had been scrubbed Thursday and the crew (Steve and Ebb) were hyped and ready for an exciting day.
It was already windy at 11:00 AM. Early for the South Bay – usually, the wind shows there about an hour after the scheduled 12:30 PM start. When we arrived in the starting area, the race committee boat had not yet established the starting line. While waiting, we removed the outboard engine from the well and handed it to Ebb to stow in the companionway between the main and fore cabins.
Meanwhile, we were bouncing around in the wind trying to set the sail trim when Steve yelled, “buoy!” I looked up and there it was. Big and Red and about 12 feet away. Dead ahead. At about 3 knots.
Ebb reports that the noise below when we hit sounded like an explosion!
The boat rolled off the buoy to leeward and headed off to starboard. I think I was in charge? We did an assessment of the damage and found a small bulge on the inner side of the bow that was weeping a bit, but no other punctures. Some nasty scrapes on the port side and the bow pulpit was a little messed up.
Not really knowing if anything else might be awry, we decided to call it a day and sailed cautiously back to the Estuary and the slip.
Once at the slip, closer examination showed that the bow pulpit had pulled up, leaving cracks around the forward base plates. That was it, other than what we found originally.
A trip today to the yacht yard turned up a $2k estimate to repair it all.
Here are the damage photos:
The starboard foot on the pulpit:
Then there's the pulpit istelf . . .
The yard said they would not have a good handle on the damage to the deck around the pulpit bases until the removed the pulpit. It could be minor, or . .
The yard is backed up a bit and they will not get to work on the boat until sometime next week. I can't wait . . :rolleyes:
commanderpete
07-13-2005, 06:30 AM
Sorry, but a buoy to leeward has the right of way. You were overtaking too. Wouldn't win that protest hearing.
Of course, I've never hit a buoy.......except that one time.......
Doesn't look too awful, aside from the pulpit.
Gotta be ebb's fault somehow
Ed Ekers
07-13-2005, 06:50 AM
Mr. Bill, Well stuff happens. You mention the yard being backed up. I assume you are speaking about Svens. If I can offer a little insight I would suggest you give Nelsons a try. A number of people I know that have used Svens lately have been very disappointed. The estimates have been way off, the time line dragged on for ever and the quality of work has been somewhat shabby. You might want to talk to Scott about his experience.
On the other hand I hear nothing but good stuff about Nelsons. Their estimate might be a bit higher but it is honest and they have always done good work. ……ed
Wanna thank the Commadore for this expensive
and very detailed lesson in tactical compression.
As usual Ebb was not present, being somewhere
else. The wind was UP and I thought I'd tuck
Bill's ole Mariner into its sleeping bag. Yas, Bill's
OB has his own cozy comforter!
Was an horrendous noise,
Never be the same any more.
You shoulda seen them wide-eyed boys
Ashakin' to the core.
frank durant
07-13-2005, 07:20 AM
OOPS !!! like the saying goes...'**** happens' While you are not the 1st nor the last to take on a marker bouy, I admire your bravery to post pics ! I once took on a channel marker bouy here at home..Ebb's right..the sound is the worst part..I figured we'd sink with all that noise,but only suffered a few scrapes. WOW Bill ....is your boat EVER yellow..you would of thought the marker would have saw YOU and got out of YOUR way. Happy racing
epiphany
07-13-2005, 09:39 AM
Ouch.
Ouch, ouch, ouch! :(
Best wishes for a speedy and complete (and hopefully as cheap as possible) recovery!
I've always had a fear of accidently hitting a buoy and sinking my boat right next to it. Your pics have somewhat allayed my fears that a buoy could be an Ariel-slayer - yours looks like she handled the impact pretty well, considering.
Did the buoy sink? I hope so... :D
I'm with Frank - it took some chutzpah to post the pics - Thank you, Bill, for sharing.
Don't let Ebb fix it - he'd probably try to sneak a bow thruster in there, and one of those retractable spinnaker poles. ;)
Bill like my idea of a truck tire on the bow.
frank durant
07-13-2005, 05:27 PM
Ebb...a spare tire would be kinda tacky....how about wrap around 'baggywinkle' (spell check..Mike) like on an ole tugboat...much more charactor than a radial ply....much more fitting for a yacht the age of ours.A wonderful combination of charm and dam fine protection too !! May even increase your PHRF rating as an added bonus.
Mike Goodwin
07-13-2005, 06:01 PM
That actually would be a puddin or a mustache if it were on the bow of a tug , and it is baggy wrinkle not winkle ;>)
A "puddin on the bow"
sounds like just the thing.
Have it designed like an airbag!
Way it was blowing, we had to be closer to 6 knots.
Way it sounded below, an EXPLOSION! 3 knots, NO WAY.
Having a later number Ariel, I'm real glad I beefed up
the stem on 338. Assuming that Bill's earlier edition is
thicker in the stem. If it isn't (maybe the yard can
take some photos of the cleaned out wound) THEN
THAT SHOWS AN ARIEL CAN TAKE A REAL WHACK ON
THE BOW.
It would be a good idea to keep on board a two part
quick set epoxy putty that could be smeared over a
hole with or without some propylene fabric. There are
epoxys that can be applied underwater to any surface.
The fabric would be used primarily to span the hole if
needed. You'ld apply the patch with a piece of vinyl
film and hold it in place with a cushion. Maybe Marine
Tex makes something like this?
How about packaging it in a clear bag that would have the
catalyst in a capsule inside that would be popped by
squeezing, and then the bag kneaded to mix and activate.
It should be a quick set repair, like 10 minutes. 10 ounces,
10 year storage life, 30 bucks! yahsurebygolly.
[As a kid, when margerine first came on the market, it was
my job to pop the color cap and knead the white brick
into an orange imitation of butter. I think butter went to war.]
Ah, so that's what you were was up to, eh Bill - demonstrating the ruggedness of the Ariel hulls! (Seriously, though, sorry to hear of the accident. :( )
And you're right on Ebb. WM sells an Epoxy stick for around $13 which will cure underwater. It comes in a tube. you remove the putty, knead it until it turns white, then apply. I tried it out on my stern tube leak, but couldn't shimmy into the bilge through the cockpit locker far enough to really jam it in there. Tim L. is going to help me install the cockpit hatch tomorrow AM so we can get at the stern tube area to stuff a couple more putty sticks in there and hopefully make a decent temporary patch to get me through the rest of the season....
Picked up the boat today and motored back to the slip. Had to clean up all the black shoe marks, besides putting things back where they belong.
The Mariner yacht yard did a nice job repairing the damage and the new pulpit sure is shiny. And I got out under $2k. To be exact, $1,977.09.
Here is the "new" bow. Compare it with the "old" photo above. New paint does set off the faded old. :(
Another view of the bow . .
Here's the repair from inside . . .
Another view of the pulpit . . .
Repaired deck at starboard forward foot of pulpit
Port forward foot deck repair . . .
And lastly, the port aft foot deck repair . . .
Compare these photos to those of the post collision photos.
Getting into the travel lift
On its way to the water . . .
Now, here's a method for moving the boat to a tie down . . .
There is another Inter Island Yacht Club regatta this coming Saturday (Aug 6) -- on the same course as last time. I'll be looking for that red bouy ;)
Tony G
08-03-2005, 08:19 PM
She looks good, Bill. As a matter of fact, I was thinking to myself, why does Bill's boat look so good painted yellow when so many others...well...don't.
There's a triton painted the same shades and colors as the Jamacan (correct my spelling) flag and it pulls that off rather nicely too.
Good luck this wekend :D
epiphany
08-05-2005, 09:14 AM
Bill - did they put the new pulpit on after she was launched, or are my eyes that messed up that I can't see it in the hoist pictures?
Either way - nice job, looks like it was done proper, and pretty quickly, too! Phew! :)
Congrats on a timely repair, Bill. Maybe that shiny new paint on the leading edge of your bow will give you an extra .005 knot for the race!
PS. Don't forget to invite Ebb! :D
Bill - did they put the new pulpit on after she was launched, or are my eyes that messed up that I can't see it in the hoist pictures?
Your right. They launched the boat early so we could bend on the sail -- yard was unhappy when we started while the boat was in the stands :o -- That was Monday. Boat was ready Tues afternoon and I moved it to the slip on Wednesday.
Yellow Avenger doesn't look bad at all with the speedo pulpit. Is it stock at all? Or was it completely fabricated by Svensen's? 338's is bent a little out of shape.
Years ago, some time in the past, you used to be able to order pulpits and stern rails from Defender, not any more. Wonder why? Custom is imco WAY out of line in price!
Waiting for Mike to give us a demo! Problems I see is that Harbor Freight pipe benders ($70) are sized for pipe not tube. The tube has to be cradled exactly in the bending saddle. Otherwise you can flatten it. Besides who needs a pipe bender? So that's out. The other thing doing it yourself is scratching the tube, and what wall thickness. Seems that thinner wall could be used for curves, while heavier has to be used for straights.
I'm wondering if Svensen's has to use inserts in the legs of their pulpits for strength at the bases? And what grade of s.s. they use?
The metal shop at Svendsen's is too expensive. We used the small (independent) shop at Mariner. Same guys that did the winch bases. From what I understand, Svend would have been $500, or more, higher :mad:
Theis
08-30-2005, 08:01 PM
I can't see anything more than a couple hundred. The job that needs to be done isn't that big a deal, and that means to do it right (perhaps a day at the outside) Get some WEST glass and expoxy (for the inside in particular) and the white epoxy filler paste for the outside. Use a Dremel tool if you want to cut out the actual break. I've had four stanchions brak through and that is what I did to repair them. But then, working with fiberglass is the Guantanamo of the boating world.
Powered by vBulletin™ Version 4.0.3 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.