USCG Helicopter Rescue of Charter Boat Passangers in USVI

[BlueBuddha]

From the St. John Tradewinds Facebook Page. USCG performed a helicopter rescue of 6 boaters after boat ran aground.

The website of S/V Aurora indicates this is a fully crewed boat. The captain history suggest a quite experience captain. I wonder what happened.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Jo...48210718576212

Coast Guard rescues 6 boaters from grounded sailing vessel off St. John

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Coast Guard helicopter rescue crews from Air Station Borinquen in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico hoisted six boaters to safety Monday, after their 48-foot sailing vessel Aurora ran aground on the rocks just off Coral Bay in Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Rescued are three men and three women, U.S. Citizens, who reportedly chartered the Aurora in Saint Thomas for a recreational sailing trip in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Coast Guard Watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a MAY DAY radio call Monday afternoon from the grounded sailing vessel communicating the distress. A Coast Guard boat crew from Boat Forces Saint Thomas, responded to the distress aboard a 29-foot Response Boat Small II along with a Sea Tow salvage vessel from the U.S. Virgin Islands. Two Coast Guard MH-65D rescue helicopters from Air Station Borinquen were also launched to deliver rescue assistance, while National Park Service Rangers deployed to the area by land.

The heavy sea state did not allow for the distressed boaters to be removed from the rocks by the responding boat crews, as the Aurora was hard aground on the rocks taking six to seven foot waves from the stern.

The first Coast Guard helicopter moved in to recover the boaters. After closely assessing the situation, the Coast Guard helicopter crew deployed their rescue swimmer to assist the boaters, who were all wearing life jackets, into the water and swim them away from the rocks and the grounded vessel. Five of the boaters were hoisted via a rescue basket aboard the Coast Guard helicopter, while the rescue swimmer and the remaining boater were recovered by the Sea Tow vessel. The Coast Guard helicopter transferred four boaters to National Park Service Rangers on land at the scene, while one of the boaters with a foot injury was transported to the airport in Saint Thomas, where she was received by awaiting Emergency Medical Service personnel. The second Coast Guard helicopter recovered the rescue swimmer and remaining boater from the Sea Tow vessel and transferred the boater to National Park Service Rangers.

"This was an amazing showcase on Coast Guard search and rescue capability, team work and interagency coordination," said Lt. Cmdr. Lawrence Gaillard, Air Station Borinquen MH-65D Dolphin helicopter aircraft commander. "Coast Guard rescue crews rescued six people from a damaged sailing vessel on the rocks, and rescue swimmer Petty Officer First Class Matthew Baynes did a great job in coordinating rescue efforts with two Coast Guard MH-65 aircraft."(U.S. Coast Guard photo.)

[BlueBuddha]

Here is the S/V Aurora website (assuming it is the same boat). Sail Aurora Home

The news article doesn't say why the boat ran aground or whether it was a crewed or bareboat charter.

[MarkJ]

Yesterday it was blowing over 30 knots. So one spot of trouble can get real bad real quick.

Beautiful looking boat.

I wonder what that other thread saying you should not call "Mayday" would have done? Send smoke signals?

[captainjay]

It wasn't that boat. It was an Island Packet 48 bareboat out of Red Hook.

[BlueBuddha]

Originally Posted by captainjay

It wasn't that boat. It was an Island Packet 48 bareboat out of Red Hook.

Interesting. Either the newspaper got the boat name completely wrong or there were two Auroras in the VIs.
Any info on what led to the accident?


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[cal40john]

The photo on the Facebook page looks like there are no sails. It doesn't look like a sto-away mast and there is no main flaked on the boom. There is only a banner on the inner stay. No sign of any roller furled jibs. Did they charter this boat as a powerboat? I doubt that after running aground they would strip the sails down to below deck and put up a banner. Maybe the news got it wrong as to the crew and skipper, and it was actually some sort of inter island delivery.

So if the case is there were no sails, were there engine or rudder problems? Visibility issues, heavy squall, nighttime? I hope there's something contributory so that this isn't a "I ran into a big rock while motoring with clear visibility story".

[captainjay]

Two boats with that name. I heard through the coconut telegraph they fouled the prop with a halyard.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by captainjay

Two boats with that name. I heard through the coconut telegraph they fouled the prop with a halyard.

good reason to have a rope cutter mounted

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by captainjay

Two boats with that name. I heard through the coconut telegraph they fouled the prop with a halyard.

If that is indeed the case, that would be another good example for the current thread on this forum that is discussing the use of prop line cutters.

[BlueBuddha]

more informative pics of the rescue
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...0041942&type=1

Sails were initially deployed.

I assume that a helicopter rescue is quite dangerous for everyone involved. An honest question from a rookie, would getting on the dinghy and motoring away an option?

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by BlueBuddha

more informative pics of the rescue
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...0041942&type=1

Sails were initially deployed.

I assume that a helicopter rescue is quite dangerous for everyone involved. An honest question from a rookie, would getting on the dinghy and motoring away an option?

yep, dinghy is there, with the engine mounted. Might have been difficult to get into the dinghy and get the engine started. Motoring out in those waves would nothave been comfortable, abeit probably doable

[cal40john]

Alright, the picture I saw was too far out to see correctly. There is a sto-away main, the banner is actually the rolled up staysail and there is a rolled jib. The added information says the sails were initially deployed and another source states that a halyard was wrapped in the prop. If they were sailing how does a fouled prop cause them to run aground?

[Hud3]

Yep, it's definitely an IP 485. No doubt chartered from Island Yachts in Red Hook.



The swells look pretty big. What a waste of a nice boat!

[contrail]

I don't know anything specific to this case, but we are going through a very rough and windy patch, here in the Virgins and NE Caribbean. The boat was almost certainly motoring or motorsailing right into the teeth of the wind and waves. There is a formidable shoal, Eagle Shoal if my memory serves, right at the entrance of Coral Bay, but it is not that obvious unless you are checking your charts or plotter. There is (or was) a fully crewed Aurora, but it's a big Irwin, not a 47 foot Island Packet. The Island Packet fleet is based in Red Hook.

Based on these facts and the first report, I am guessing it was a bareboat full of folks heading for the BVI for their Thanksgiving charter. They probably did not realize that the south side of St. John would be much rougher than the north, in these conditions. Most likely they were either heading for Coral Bay, itself, or were cutting the corner on their way to the BVI. Probably didn't look at the chart, didn't quite know where they were, or forgot there was a hazard. Probably didn't like the looks of getting into the dinghy, either. But, this is all wild speculation on my part

Which brings to mind a bareboat that lost a man overboard a couple of days ago between Norman Island and Tortola (same rough conditions). They called a Mayday. The USCG asked if they had a dinghy. The bareboaters said yes. The USCG said, "why don't you get in it and pick up your POB?" The bareboaters said "Oh!" And I suppose they did exactly that.

In my crewed charter business, I am continually amazed at the disregard guests pay to the weather. It's as if they have planned an exact itinerary for months before, and then are determined to follow it, regardless. You don't want to know what I have seen or been asked to do.

Reminds me of the old axim: "Sail the wind you have, not the wind you thought you would get, nor the wind you wished for, nor the wind you think you deserve. Sail the wind you have!" Another good one: "If it was too rough three days ago, and nothing has changed, it's still too rough!" But people violate both of these, all the time. And put infinite trust in their ability to motor on.

I hope the woman recovers, and that they get the boat back, but in these conditions it is probably challenging.

[contrail]

Hmmmm. Didn't realize any of the bareboat IP's had blue hulls...thought they were all that IP off-white color. I wonder if this is yet another boat, crewed, bareboat or even private? The article says a charter boat. I will ask a few questions.