Buy a sailboat, it'll be fun they said.....

[robert sailor]

Americans boaters are fortunate to have the US Coast Guard but that only works when your in the coastal areas of the USA…..what’s the plan when your actually offshore?

[OS2Dude]

Odd the coasties took the crew off. In the latest(?) Practical Sailor there is an article about the new Coast Guard Leadership 44 boats. In it they mentioned that in a similar situation a couple of coasties boarded the vessel, took care of the sea-sick crew, repaired the engine and showed them how to sail it back to port. Does the Coast Guard not do that anymore, or is there something else in this situation that required them to abandon ship?

[cuthbert]

Originally Posted by Statistical

Someone should design a new kind of boat which has a backup wind propulsion in case your diesel motor stops working.

I like this - it could be something that gets a following/become popular.

[shrspeedblade]

Originally Posted by jalmberg

My usual complaint is that these USCG reports never give enough background info on a rescue to learn anything from it. But in this case, the reason seems clear enough: they ran out of fuel. No mention of taking on water, and the boat looks like it's fine and easily up to the conditions.

BTW, if you call the CG for a rescue, they are going to take you off the boat. Period. Too bad if you change your mind. So be careful!

<Begin speculation>

One logical scenario is that they were delivering a boat from somewhere to Galveston and neither one knew how to sail the boat. Maybe one of the dreamers you often hear from on this website. The dude buys more boat than he knows how to handle, and with all the confidence he's gained from reading books and online posts for years, he sets off.

On the way, they run out of fuel (total rookie error) and the wife puts down her foot. She's been supportive, but she's not about to die for her husband's dreams. I don't blame her.

Obviously, with a competent skipper, she wouldn't die or even be stressed out. Lots of ways to handle the above (stupid) mistake.

Lesson: if you are a newbie dreamer, don't buy a 36' boat for your first boat! Try a 15-footer and learn the ropes! Work your way up the competence ladder. Pay your dues!

Ah well. No one listens.

<end speculation>

I just want to quote this post as the person who originally posted the video. I knew it would be good for some sighs, eyerolls, and chuckles, but I also wanted to put it out there as an example of what can happen if you don't develop a basic level of competence first. I think you stated it very well.

[Shaneesprit]

Just put out half or even a 1/4 of a jib and carry on
I mean this “rescue” is embarrassing, if it was abandoned due to conditions, rather than say taking on water - looked to be floating very well, don’t see waves even over the bow.
It might not of been comfortable, the kind that gets the Admiral upset on my vessel, but where was the Mayday? Mayday being “imminent threat to life or vessel”?
I hope they only called in a Pan Pan.

[schollr]

I agree with Sid1 that it is not a Freeport 36. I sailed mine for 1 year in Mexico than sailed to Australia via south pacific. The boat was seaworthy. Went through hurricane Odile in Mexico's Sea of Cortez.

However, his experience may have been one I had. We were Sailing north in the sea one fine morning and towing the dinghy. We were only going a short distance but were overtaken by a chubasco. there were 30 knot winds and very short 6-8 foot seas. My wife was with me but is NOT a sailor. The main sail split along the first reef line, The dingy flipped a few times and the painter parted. It was headed to the other side of the sea. I tried to get my wife to take the helm so I could get down the main. I had already rolled in the jib 50%. She could not do it and started screaming she was going to die. So, I just left the main as is and sailed along. I never felt in danger even though it was a wild ride. Chubascos last a couple of hours and then are over. Sent my wife home on the next bus from the next town and soloed from there.

Maybe that guy had the same experience and his mate gave him an or else choice!

[sjrider]

Originally Posted by schollr

We were Sailing north in the sea one fine morning and towing the dinghy. We were only going a short distance but were overtaken by a chubasco. there were 30 knot winds and very short 6-8 foot seas.

Just have to love those 6-8 foot square faced seas that we get here in the Sea of cortez. I say all the time here that it is not the wind that is the problem, it's the sea state. I would rather be in 30 knots in the Pacific then here in the Sea of Cortez!

[FoxIslander]

Originally Posted by Sid1

Really cool video of the launch and return of the rescue boat!! Truly skillful seamanship!!

I’m sorry to be a know it all but I own a Freeport 36. The boat in the video is similar but is not a Freeport. Robert Perry designed the cabin with 3 large windows, not 2. Also, there is no bow extension on a Freeport. (Could have been added, I suppose.) The transom on the video sailboat is slightly different; Freeport’s have drop-down transom steps, and it appears the gangway down to the cabin is off center to starboard, also not a trait of the Freeport.

And I would agree, if the skipper had been able to get any sail up, the boat would have done what it was built to do….sail.

...agree...def not an IF36.

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by OS2Dude

Odd the coasties took the crew off. In the latest(?) Practical Sailor there is an article about the new Coast Guard Leadership 44 boats. In it they mentioned that in a similar situation a couple of coasties boarded the vessel, took care of the sea-sick crew, repaired the engine and showed them how to sail it back to port. Does the Coast Guard not do that anymore, or is there something else in this situation that required them to abandon ship?

That is definitely atypical. Maybe they decided to turn a low risk rescue call into a training exercise. If you call the coast guard in most cases they are going to pull you from the boat. Their job is to save lives not boats. Nobody should ever be counting on the coast guard doing anything but saving your life and letting the boat go where neptune takes her.

[Greatest Lakes]

I sail Lake Michigan. Looked like a normal weekend to me. Fly a tiny bit of jib, or if you are feeling frisky, 2 reefs in the main and go downwind a while. The ride will smooth out, and they had plenty of time to aim for a port if they chose. The boat can usually handle much worse conditions than the crew wants to consider.

[onavegador]

Hi
just to the boat. If I look good it is not an Islander Freeport 36 but it remembers me to a British built Voyager 38?

[Enfant Du Vent]

My response to the title of this thread, which is "Buy a sailboat, it'll be fun they said",
is to repeat the old adage: He who would go to sea for pleasure would go to hell for a pastime.

[BlackOak]

Sorta reminds me of the time my batteries died after the coasties told me to make sure I had an anchor light on so I wont get run over during the night 9 miles west of Homosassa Springs, FL.

Woke up in the morning and my batteries were singing click click click, called the coasties on the vhf and asked could they come out and give me a jump. Coasties asked what kind of boat did I have and I told them a sailboat, they replied, just sail it away, I replied I would if I knew how to sail.

They came out and introduced me to TowBoat USA, best 1000 bucks I ever spent.

[chubby]

Originally Posted by schollr

I agree with Sid1 that it is not a Freeport 36. I sailed mine for 1 year in Mexico than sailed to Australia via south pacific. The boat was seaworthy. Went through hurricane Odile in Mexico's Sea of Cortez.

However, his experience may have been one I had. We were Sailing north in the sea one fine morning and towing the dinghy. We were only going a short distance but were overtaken by a chubasco. there were 30 knot winds and very short 6-8 foot seas. My wife was with me but is NOT a sailor. The main sail split along the first reef line, The dingy flipped a few times and the painter parted. It was headed to the other side of the sea. I tried to get my wife to take the helm so I could get down the main. I had already rolled in the jib 50%. She could not do it and started screaming she was going to die. So, I just left the main as is and sailed along. I never felt in danger even though it was a wild ride. Chubascos last a couple of hours and then are over. Sent my wife home on the next bus from the next town and soloed from there.

Maybe that guy had the same experience and his mate gave him an or else choice!

*gulp*


do you still have the wife?

[Be Free]

Originally Posted by BlackOak

Sorta reminds me of the time my batteries died after the coasties told me to make sure I had an anchor light on so I wont get run over during the night 9 miles west of Homosassa Springs, FL.

Woke up in the morning and my batteries were singing click click click, called the coasties on the vhf and asked could they come out and give me a jump. Coasties asked what kind of boat did I have and I told them a sailboat, they replied, just sail it away, I replied I would if I knew how to sail.

They came out and introduced me to TowBoat USA, best 1000 bucks I ever spent.

Similar story. Different response.

I was anchored out a few miles north of where you were (closer to the Suwanee) but I already knew to have my anchor light on. Next morning my engine was singing the same song.

The difference was I did know how to sail so I sailed back to my home port. By then the batteries had recovered enough to get one more start out of my engine. Home safe.

The next day I added a dedicated start battery so even if the house batteries died overnight (again) the engine would still start in the morning.

Best $150 I ever spent.