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14-06-2012, 05:22
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Catskill Mountains when not cruising
Boat: 31' homebuilt Michalak-designed Cormorant "Sea Fever"
Posts: 2,114
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Whale collision off Mexico
Sacramento man rescued from sinking sailboat off coast of Mexico - The Washington Post
SAN FRANCISCO — A 66-year-old man was rescued early Wednesday after his sailboat was hit by a whale and began sinking off the coast of Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Max Young of Sacramento, Calif., was sailing alone late Tuesday about 40 miles west of La Playa, Mexico when his 50-foot boat was struck by the whale, said Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Pamela Boehland.
The impact from the collision knocked out sailboat’s steering and started flooding it, Boehland said.
Young, described by the Coast Guard as a “seasoned sailor,” activated an emergency beacon that was picked up by the Coast Guard in its Alameda, Calif. command center. Officials there then pinpointed the sailboat’s position and directed a merchant ship, which was about 60 miles away, to the sinking craft.
When the ship arrived around 4 a.m. Wednesday, Young was able to scramble off his boat by a rope ladder thrown down by the crew of the merchant ship. He was unharmed.
“This case is one of those success stories,” Boehland said. “A man went out prepared, the worst happened to him and he was able to respond,” she said.
Young was en route to Panama on the ship and planned to return to Sacramento, officials said.
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14-06-2012, 12:29
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Back in Northern California working on the Ranch
Boat: Pearson 365 Sloop and 9' Fatty Knees.
Posts: 10,466
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Re: Whale collision off Mexico
Although he left his boat for the rescue ship, I wonder if he had a life raft. I also wonder if it was a spade rudder and not a modified or full keel.
__________________
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow - what a ride!"
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14-06-2012, 14:05
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Queensland
Boat: Peterson 46
Posts: 340
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Re: Whale collision off Mexico
I had a scary close encounter with a humpback just off Moreton Islan a few years ago. I can still see the hairs on the barnacles on his chin as he landed a boat length away. I posted a question about the black colour antifoul paint then.
Good luck to the poor bloke. Great news he is safe.
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18-06-2012, 09:54
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#4
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cruiser
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: No longer post here
Boat: Catalac Catamaran
Posts: 2,462
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Re: Whale collision off Mexico
This is curious as it's not the first time a whale has sunk a cruising boat. Is it time to hang an underwater speaker playing Beethoven? Or what's whale speak for give way?
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18-06-2012, 10:35
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#5
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Eastern Tennessee
Boat: Research vessel for a university, retired now.
Posts: 10,406
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Re: Whale collision off Mexico
Another good reason for having watertight transverse bulkheads.
__________________
David
Life begins where land ends.
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18-06-2012, 10:57
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#6
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S/V rubber ducky
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: heading "south"
Boat: Hunter 410
Posts: 20,363
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Re: Whale collision off Mexico
getting too common ............... time to start hunting whales more?
__________________
Don't ask a bunch of unknown forum people if it is OK to do something on YOUR boat. It is your boat, do what you want!
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18-06-2012, 11:47
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Back in Northern California working on the Ranch
Boat: Pearson 365 Sloop and 9' Fatty Knees.
Posts: 10,466
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Re: Whale collision off Mexico
It was a Perry 47. soon as I heard the whale took out a rudder, I thought it was a Hunter.
__________________
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow - what a ride!"
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18-06-2012, 12:02
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#8
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Coos Bay, Oregon
Boat: Valiant 40 (1975)
Posts: 4,073
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Re: Whale collision off Mexico
Two years ago a boat in the Ba Ha was taken out by a whale. I wonder if it is just one with a lot of attitude.
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18-06-2012, 12:31
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Punta Gorda, Florida
Boat: Cruisers Yachts 420 Express
Posts: 1,429
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Re: Whale collision off Mexico
Our first whale encounter started five days after we first started cruising, about 35 miles off Monterey California. A whale decided to play with my boat. It made some really deep scratches in the bottom paint and several down into the gel coat.
Overall, whale strikes are getting more and more common, especially in Mexico.
We just left Mexico in February after crusing there for 18 months. During that time several boats had close encounters, including us, when a whale crossed my bow at about 25 yards while I was entering a small bay. Another boat was rammed several times by a whale, which bent his rudder.
As Newt mentioned, the boat that was sunk in the 2009 Baja Ha-Ha was a J-120 heading down wind at about 12 knots. They started surfing a wave when a whale surfaced to breath. They were unable to avoid the collision and ran over the whale, which caused the rudder to be pulled aft like a can opener. The crew was unable to damage control or keep ahead of the de-watering. They subsequently abandon the vessel and were later rescued by the USCG. The vessel sank after about 30 minutes.
Mexico is a winter home to the Alaskan Humpbacks and their behavior maybe related to defending their off-spring or curiousity... Anyway it appears that with the frequency of whale strikes and near misses, either there are more sailboats or more whales...
__________________
Tom Jeremiason
Punta Gorda, Florida
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18-06-2012, 12:45
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Atlanta, GA
Boat: nothing
Posts: 164
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Lucas
getting too common ............... time to start hunting whales more?
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Convince Paul Prudhomme to publish a "blackened humpback" recipe, and your problem is solved.
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18-06-2012, 14:00
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Seattle
Boat: Wauquiez Centurion 49
Posts: 783
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Re: Whale collision off Mexico
Yeah I missed a humpback by one boat length last week North of SF about 110 nm offshore. Scary when you see how big they are and with little to no warning.
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18-06-2012, 14:05
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Back in Northern California working on the Ranch
Boat: Pearson 365 Sloop and 9' Fatty Knees.
Posts: 10,466
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Re: Whale collision off Mexico
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremiason
Our first whale encounter started five days after we first started cruising, about 35 miles off Monterey California. A whale decided to play with my boat. It made some really deep scratches in the bottom paint and several down into the gel coat.
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Had a similar experience in that same spot on my way to Still water Cove from Santa Cruz around 1998. Right out in front of Monterey, a whale began to parallel me on my starboard side just maybe 3 feet from my hull while on a port tack. He/She turned on their side and I could see it's eye and of course it could see me. Humbling experience.
__________________
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow - what a ride!"
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20-06-2012, 23:42
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: San Diego, California - Read about our circumnavigation at www.rutea.com
Boat: Contest 48
Posts: 1,056
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Re: Whale collision off Mexico
I was crewing for my brother aboard his boat and we had just pulled out of Bahia Asuncion, on our way from La Paz, BCS to San Diego. It was about 0400 as we rounded Isla Asuncion and we could hear the Coast Guard coordinating the rescue of Reflections, the Perry 47 that hit the whale. We offered our assistance but as we were about 60nm north of Reflections and there was the freighter Ocean Virgo only about an hour-and-a-half away, the Coast Guard thanked us but sent us on our way. We didn't hear why Reflections was going down.
As we were just south of San Quintin, we came across many pods of large whales, which we believed to be fin whales - they were clearly not humpbacks or California Grays as they had a small, almost dolphin-like dorsal fin on their backs. For a while we thought they could have been Blue whales but Blues typically travel by themselves or in pairs - the pods that we saw were easily 10-12 whales. Also, these whales were significantly larger than my brother's 45' boat. We must have been right on their migration path as we sailed through one pod after another which we found wonderful until we later discovered that Reflections had been sunk by a whale. At that point we suddenly found the whales to be more intimidating and we changed to a course that put us closer to shore.
Fair winds and calm seas.
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