The challenge of entering sf bay . . .

Please read the following by Kimball Livingston, Sail Editor and San Francisco resident.

http://kimballlivingston.com/?p=3189

Bill, Thanks for passing that on.

Tim

This has been on my mind since this posting.
There still is a bunch of stuff about this couple on the net 5/28/10.

But we'll never really know what happened.
The boat, a Ranger 33, by Gary Mull, is a finkeeled, rudder on a skeg, to me rather shallow drafted sailboat. It probably sails great but seems not considered bluewater. Those Ranger 33s on the net none seem decked out for cruising.

The boat, now stripped by one report, came ashore on a rocky ocean beach INTACT.
USCG copter video shows the keel, rudder, mast and sails still attached.
A forward hatch is open.
The starboard side windows are stove in.
There was water below but not enough to sink her.

The Easterling couple obviously suffered an horrendous knockdown.
So severe it must have thrown both of them out of the cockpit.

It would seem unlikely that they were tethered in.
Both were wearing PFDs. You would think they could have survived.
But they may have been injured - even unconscious.
If conscious

IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET BACK IN THE BOAT?

The boat may have continued to sail by itself.
That seems to be what happened, as there is a report of the Coast Guard later following the unmanned craft.

The boat was well known to Jeff.
But there are times when your experience isn't enough.
Or when you get into straits where you lose control.
It's something that geezers like me have to think about.
I'm beginning to wonder if I can sense a dangerous situation a few milliseconds before it happens
to make the right intuitive move to get my boat out of trouble?
Will I even recognized a dangerous situation well before survival sets in?
Will I remember to have researched the tide, current, winds at the Gate?

Ask myself: will I be able read the water. Will I be able to come about instantly if necessary and not be in irons? Dead in the water.

Jeff and his partner were testing their ability, evidently with a mind to do some coastal cruising
- and got completely unlucky.
If they had been able to stay with the boat they would still be with us.

Don't know what the lesson is for us.
You do what you know is right
rig the right safety gear on board
- we have to be able to climb back into the boat! -
and hope your luck holds.

That same weekend saw the loss of Tom Kirschbaum, 55 - a VERY experienced solo sailor who was well known for his prudence, conservatism, & safety conciousness on board. He was a veteran of the solo trans-pac.

Apparently, it is known that he usually wore his harness on TOP of his old style foam pdf. They found the boat ('Feral' -a sturdy Folkboat) intact on the beach in So-Cal with the harness CLOSED and still well-tethered to the boat. His body was found a few days later - wearing his usual PDF. One of the many theories is that he was knocked down and the impact caused him to slip out of the harness...

I JUST purchased some brand new 6,100 lb rated super-heavy webbing to make some dedicated & proper lifelines to tether into, (I've used std round line until now) and I will make sure I wear my PDF/Harness combo consistently. I am often singlehandling, and although I am a stickler about thethering in offshore, I must admit that I have not been as cautions when sailing in the bay, and have often sailed alone without being tethered-in, or even without a PDF as I did a week ago... :mad:

On a 30 mile sail, it would have been hours before anyone missed me! :eek:

I need to add a VHF and maybe some flares somewhere so that I can make contact in case I find myself swimming!

Standard Horizon makes a pocket size transceiver that would be just the thing to keep on one at all times.

Attachment 6702

HX500S-Li It has a strobe on it also, goes for around $150 at Defender.

I have a slightly larger model, that has a belt clip, but not sure if it would stay on in a knockdown.

this incident is probably a good wake up call for those of us that sail in open water like the SF Bay and Monterrey