Heavy Weather

I'm gonna have to get a waterproof camera to photograph the rough stuff.


Ahhhh. Memory lane. The little guy on the left, my brother, is now Professor of History at Columbia University.

I still have that old flag. The flag staff cracked off in the holder a few times so its rides a bit lower nowadays.

Wave breaking over the bow. These photos were taken from the oil rig "Hibernia" off Newfoundland.

You just hope those welds and rivets hold together, and the little puppy doesn't get broadside. A great book, incidentally, is Alan Villiers "Posted Missing" if you are into heavy weather stuff, and how even the big guys can lose.

You would think carrying a spare sail is a good idea while voyaging.

Can you imagine what this rescue cost the taxpayers?


http://www.eastbayri.com/news/2002/1..._Page/001.html

Probably it doesn't cost much more than a serious search and rescue drill. Remember that it wasn't until the 70s, as I recall, that the Coast Guard would rescue private vessels. Up to that time they only recsuced commercial vessels. Then the law was changed so they would assist all vessels in distress. Consider the cost as being paid for by the commercial shipping industry and the Boating Industry Association that sells the boats that fail (further, the Coast Guard has to be there regardless, and the more practice they get, the better they get). At least that is the way I see it.

A couple of tough blokes in this story.


http://www.issumacorp.com/rhudson/or...LastVoyage.htm

That is a fascinating tale. It almost sounds like they were out for an ultimate challenge. They headed out into the North Atlantic, way north, in the late fall. Wow. That is adventure. Then, they expected a dinghy to serve as a life raft in that environment. If a wave can roll the yacht, I would think it would do much more than that to a dinghy. For those that were asking about bilge pumps, there is an important lesson there. Also a lesson for those that were asking about battery placement.

Theis, the USCG and its predecessor (US Life Saving Service) have never made a distinction between commercial and non-commercial vessels when performing search and rescue. I'm not sure what legislation you're referring to but would be interested in finding out. I agree with you that, in this case, the cost was probably negligible as the cutter was already at sea; the only impact was probably that it couldn't perform its patrol. Other SAR ops ARE often very expensive, particularly when they involve aircraft.

Dan

USCG

Actually the Coast Guard has 3 predecessors;
The Revenue Cutter Service
The Light House Service
And the Lifesaving service

With the clouds of war on the horizon, they were all combined in 1939 to form the Coast Guard as we know it . Since they were all under the Dept. of Treasury is was an easy merge .

It was under Ronnie Raygun that it was ruined and made traffic cops of the sea , losing the sight of their original service missions .

They tell you to call SeaTow nowdays .

Au contraire, Sir. The US Coast Guard did differentiate, by law. In the sixties, I can state from personal experience that they had no duty towards pleasure cruisers. Their life saving mission was only for commercial endeavors, and when they helped a private yacht, they were volunteering, and it was outside their mission. I am not saying they did not help private boaters on occasion, but I am saying that they had no duty to do so, and when they did do so, it was outside their budget and authority (In the sixties, I was helped by the USCG on a couple occasions, so I know they did help when they felt like it, and didn't when they didn't feel like it. I know of a person that drowned because of the policy).

I recall after being pulled off a beach on a northerly Lake Michigan Island (and that was my Ariel that went aground) we met our USCG rescue crew in a bar, and they had an wonderful time telling about pleasure boaters leaving port that left their ETD and ETA with the USCG. The Coast Guard people laughed because they just threw the information away. They didn't know what they were supposed to do with it.)

My recollection is that in the early 70s the Boat Manufacturers Association spearheaded a drive to make the USCG have responsibility over rescuing pleasure yachts as well. I recall recently reading an article about that as well. Also, in Grand Haven, Michigan, the official "U. S. Coast Guard City", I heard that mentioned this summer as I recall. The U.S. Life Saving service was similiarly oriented I believe and when the Life Saving Service and the Revenuers combined, the then existing jurisdiction continued unchanged.

However, the easy way to find out is to look up the law that changed the USCG responsibilities. If you want to dig into it further, Boat Manufacturers Assn, or the USCG should have more information about the change in the law.

The guy in the first story above was sailing from Rhode Island to Bermuda. He aborts the trip and requires rescue simply because he rips one sail? One would expect a better sail inventory and more self reliance from someone attempting a solo ocean passage.

Anyways, here is another rescue story. Didn't turn out too well, but at least nobody got hurt.

http://www.searoom.com/paramour.htm

I'm glad I wasn't a guest. I have to keep reminding myself as it is "Sailing is supposed to be fun!"

You can sail a Commander in heavy, near gale conditions, but
forty knots? I think at forty, I'd pass on going upwind with any sail up
and think twice about motoring. Downwind or reaching I'd go with
just the working jib. I've done over 6 knots close reaching in 25-
30 kts. As for heel, I feel that over 30 degrees the Commander is not making her
best, shes just being over-powered. Its a rush to see water shooting
up when it hits the winch bases in a tower of spray, and its harder
on the boat. I don't see the point in beating on the old girl for a rush.
To go faster perhaps, but heeling 35+ degrees does not mean
faster it only seems faster cause your nervous that something's going to break.
I think sailing her a little flater is faster and lets you be more free
in relation to your course and the wave action. Also, you conserve
your rig and fittings when you sail fast and smooth.

Cheers, B.
Commander #215

Couldn't resist this post. With ice & snow everywhere here and many days until we can untie the lines to play on the lake our thoughts are of the good and not so good days on our boats . Here is a pic of a couple years ago when My wife and I were where we shouldn't have been with the Ariel . Under a microburst !Remember , "The boat will take more than you will"!

Gary:

That is a great picture. You had one bundle of sail flying, and it doesn't look like you were letting it luff. Did it wind up being a friendly storm, or did the moment of truth arrive two minutes after you took the pix?