T-Boned Moorings 50 sinks in the BVI

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

I guess cats don't sink easily. Must have been a solid strike.

[sandymwp]

We saw two cats get tangled up while we were on a ball in Anegada.....in the mooring area with their sails up...once untangled and an anchor line cut, one turned tail and ran.

[sowwaninii]

It’s a bit presumptuous to assume the charter boat was at fault. Plenty of people with good sailing experience and knowledge of the rules of the road charter boats. After all, in most states you only need one thing to own a boat-the money to buy it.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Good Lord, one sailboat hits another in open water, how does that happen?
Somebody runs over me, they better hope I drown

I was wondering that also. In the auto racing community there is phenomenon where race cars will crash into one another on the pit row or after the race ends. It turns out that while they are focused during the race, they relax after the race ends or when running more slowly on the pit lane. This letting down of one's guard supposedly causes more accidents than during the race.



Perhaps it was a similar situation. Maybe they let their guard down after a crossing. On the other hand maybe someone was just an idiot.

[Dooglas]

Originally Posted by Bean Counter

In the last photo I wonder if that was the offending Voyage in the background, if so it looks like she was under sail too.

Under sail too? The Moorings 50 in the photo was not under sail at the time it was struck unless the crew took time to furl the sails as the boat submerged.

[TheOffice]

When the jib is unfurled there is no visibility to leeward on the cats I have sailed. You are looking through the pilothouse or down from an elevated helm. The jib shouldhave a tack pennant.

Under motor it is hard to understand how they did not see each other!

[Suijin]

With the main like that I'm going to hazard a guess and say that they had just turned abruptly up into the wind to raise (or lower) the main, right into the path of another boat, and that is when the accident happened. But who knows.

[sandymwp]

Is the second boat from Voyage Charters at Sopers Hole?

[Tornadosailing]

Originally Posted by Dooglas

Under sail too? The Moorings 50 in the photo was not under sail at the time it was struck unless the crew took time to furl the sails as the boat submerged.

I would guess they dropped the sails. Looks to me like it took a whack from the starboard side, and I bet it took 20-30 minutes to get in the condition of the photos. I would certainly have dropped the sails while I try to figure out if it can be saved. The other boat in question has it's main in approximately the same situation, like they may have dropped it but never put it away. But I don't know enough about Voyage cats to know if the profile of the other boat looks right.

[jragman8]

Actually I had the same thing happen in Nova Scotia a few years back. I was docked on an outside pier at a yacht club which was open to the bay and was t-boned above the water line. Fortunately the members made sure the repair was done to a very high standard in just a few days and was sent off on my way with many apologizes. The skipper at the time was an elderly gentleman and his son told me that this incident was going to be his last sail. I really didn't know what to say as I am sure he had sailed all his life. I think I felt worse for him in the end.

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Good Lord, one sailboat hits another in open water, how does that happen?
Somebody runs over me, they better hope I drown

A fishing charter boat with professional skipper managed to run completely over a J-105 under sail here in Annapolis last summer; a 40' or so boat ended up completely at rest on top of the J-105 perpendicular to the sailboat (https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2...-see-everyday/). Apparently the power boat didn't feel the need to have anyone driving and the J-105 couldn't get their attention or move fast enough to get out of the way. Luckily no-one hurt on the sailboat, amazingly enough, but crazy stuff happens out there.

[Nani Kai]

Originally Posted by Suijin

With the main like that I'm going to hazard a guess and say that they had just turned abruptly up into the wind to raise (or lower) the main, right into the path of another boat, and that is when the accident happened. But who knows.

This makes the most sense to me. The Leopard 50 just outside the marina, all eyes forward and/or engaged in preparations to raise the mainsail, helmsman fails to look aft and turns suddenly into the wind directly in the path of the oncoming Voyage boat. No time for approaching vessel to evade collision, possibly didn't even see the Leopard if the V. Cat was closing to windward with sails up. I believe all three photos are of the Leopard. Sucks big time. A sobering reminder of the ever present danger of 'task or target fixation'.

[Jim Woodall]

Ouch!! Here are photos of the damage to the Leopard. I haven't seen the damage to the Voyage catamaran. However, my understanding is its damage was minor in comparison. I doubt that has much to do with the quality of construction and more to do with the Voyage's bow being the point of impact.

Once saw an Island Packet out of Red Hook t-boned by a Jeanneau and the IP's damage was much more extensive. I think there is little debate that IP is a much, much more robust vessel.

[boatman61]

Having been T boned by a boat doing 6kts I can vouch that the bow is stronger than the beam of a boat..
I suffered a 17ft split and buckling of my hull/deck join and a 3ft vertical split in my hull just fwd of the mast.
He bent his bow roller and chipped some gelcoat.

[Lake-Effect]

Another listing for the "cats one can buy cheap in the BVIs" thread?

Sh!t happens I guess, but when vehicles or boats collide, the incident is usually a mistake (or two) and not an "accident". Hope they coughed up for the insurance.