Sailboat capsize at Redondo Beach Pier

[Diesel Bill]

Saw on the evening news last night. A 20 - 25 foot sailboat was caught on the beam by a breaking wave close in to the pier. Very dramatic footage of the boat apparently tripping on it's own keel and capsizing. The crew (3 men and one woman) were thrown into ocean on the leeward side of the boat. The boat was swept immediately into the pilings and broken apart. Amazingly all survived.
Sorry I can't post the video as I don't have the computer skills. I did record the news segment showing the incident. Apparently they were practicing for an upcoming race. The video is truly terrifying to watch, yet fascinating at the same time watching how powerful ocean waves are when they get close to shore. So glad all survived.

[surf_sail]

I saw the video but couldn't understand how they got themselves in that situation. Seems they just needed to sheet in and go. Also why was their main down, no engine?

[Diesel Bill]

Originally Posted by surf_sail

I saw the video but couldn't understand how they got themselves in that situation. Seems they just needed to sheet in and go. Also why was their main down, no engine?

I'm very reluctant to Monday morning quarterback, but I was thinking pretty much the same thing. I have made some scary mistakes and huge blunders in my time and am very lucky to have survived. I only will comment as a way to learn.
Luffing jib and no main equals no forward motion. Wind and wave took over and they drifted into the breaker zone and got caught broadside to breaking wave and it was to late to do anything. Thankfully they all survived.

[svmariane]

This the vid? Seems like trouble with the jib sheet - they "almost" got it sorted but then the wave hit. Knockdown happens around min 2.10 ~ 2.20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdYTGre3fAA

[surf_sail]

Originally Posted by svmariane

This the vid? Seems like trouble with the jib sheet - they "almost" got it sorted but then the wave hit. Knockdown happens around min 2.10 ~ 2.20

Thanks for sharing. This is a much longer version than what I saw. It does seem like they were trying to fix the sheets. I've surfed the area many times when I lived in Redondo. They are lucky everyone survived.

[thebootlegger]

I read that their main was shredded and their sheets had fouled...they were so lucky.

[Scaramanga F25]

Apparently before the race they suffered a knockdown and their sheets were fouled as you can see the foredeck hand was trying to clear the tangle.
Did the main get torn on knockdown???
Were they over canvassed before??

[Mistress Sirena]

Thats what it looked like to me main was gone pos broken boom so lucky to be alive. Notice the police in harms way very brave people deserv a cheer.

[meirriba]

Was the boat engineless?

[JediRockstar]

I live in Redondo Beach right by the pier, and I sail in and out of King Harbor entrance a lot. It can get tricky but almost always doable. The boat had just finished participating in our Thursday night racing series. Looks like their main was doused and their jib sheet was fouled. By the time they got their jib working it was too late. No serious injuries, but DAMN.

[Philip St1]

From about a minute 20 into the video, it looks to me like the standing rigging might have had a problem. The mast was angling far more than the deck of the boat. Did I see that right?

[Crusty Joker]

Boat seems to have had no one at the helm.
Engage situational awareness.
Keel stalled after jib fouled. Was sailing better on the starboard tac. Had steerage way, but I was not there.
Where was the anchor and chain?

Prioritize what is important.
Have it ready before you need it to protect life.
Survival here was depending on LUCK not brains.

One good thing. All had on a life jacket.
Person at helm or giving orders was WRONG.
Good to live to be embarrassed and go back to school.
Be a sober sailor and one that stays alive with the crew!

bfh

[carlheintz]

They are all lucky to be alive... especially being thrown from the boat into the water under the pier.

My take on it was that the genny sheets jammed, the main was down and they didn't have enough steerage to get into irons so they could free things. Situational awareness was missing... plus it looked like they obsessed over the jib sheets. They had some jib free and where was the trusty knife when you needed it?

I would have cut the offending sheet, used the other sheet to trim what sail there was and at least get some momentum, and then gotten the heck out of there and out far enough to get into irons and put that main back up.

[Matsubob]

Worst Nightmare! Someone at the helm. Heading off the wind would have helped, to build momentum, then quickly rig a line to the jib and haul in as you head up! Would have bought precious minutes anyway.

[Skipper Bob]

Ouch! What a sorry sight.

You don't want to be beam on to a braking wave. And you most certainly don't want to be approaching a lee shore when you don't have your boat under control. It looks like they could have stayed further away from shore, as they were at the beginning of the video, where they could have sorted out their sail issues, or possibly got assistance from other boats.