An excerpt pertaining to the HIQ (Hunter In Question) taken from this first hand account here
Dan and Tamara's Catalina Trip Report
“Harbor patrol, this is Susie Q. We are free and in need of assistance.” This
family had been next to us an Antonio’s. What appeared to be three generations of
family. The grandparents, the parents (one with a jacket embroidered with “Susie Q Crew”) and grandchildren. I was on the bridge and saw Susie Q, a ~40 foot
Hunter sailboat, spiral off her
mooring – stern to
wind and waves. Her
engine was on. She looked in good shape. It looked like she was going to pass the 35’ Tiara powerboat on
mooring 105, round her stern, then could
head out to sea. But instead she turned sharp, attempting to pass in front of the Tiara. The
wind and seas were too much. She could not get her bow into the wind. She collided, at speed, with the bow of the Tiara. Susie Q then backed off, tried to go forward but could not. Her
propeller was wrapped and the
engine useless. She seemed stuck to the Tiara, with her stern to the waves. The harbor patrol came by to help. Eventually a line was attached from her bow to the stern of the Tiara. The stern of the sailboat was let go and she floated around – attached by the bow to the stern of the Tiara. The strain on the line was tremendous. When the wave would pass under the Tiara and to the sailboat the line would snap taught, but not break. Then, often, the bow of the sailboat would smash the stern of the Tiara. Eventually back of the Tiara started to disintegrate. The bow of the sailboat developed a huge V-shaped hole. If the
rope should break, it was unclear whether Susie Q would go aground on the beach or hit the breakwall. Susie Q was also in
danger of sinking.
The
skipper of the Susie Q radioed the harbor patrol. “I’m not sure how long this
rope will hold. What do I do if it breaks?” Harbor patrol, “Float into shore.” Susie Q, “But what do we do? Jump off? Swim?”
Harbor patrol, “We don’t have much to do with that. There will be people on shore to help. You might want to think about getting off that
boat now.”
The harbor patrol sent a
boat over and evacuated the Susie Q. The stern was pitching too much to transfer. The harbor patrol vessel pulled up beside the
mast, where the pitching was reduced. The crew evacuated.
For a couple of hours the now abandoned Susie Q battered the stern of the Tiara, which was occupied. The harbor patrol tried to free the Susie Q but it seemed that it was somehow attached beneath the waterline. The Susie Q eventually sank.
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