Gulf Stream Crossing Goes Bad

[markpj23]

Stuck mainsail and the engine flooded as the boat took on water. Sounds like the kind of trip my wife would enjoy - as an excuse never to set foot aboard again

http://www.newbernsj.com/SiteProcess...&Section=Local

[BC Mike]

My first thought when reading that is why didn't they plug the leak.
Then the story would have been " couple have stuck main on their 34 foot boat "
There are many types that go sailing any many of them are not mechanicaly inclined. But they did get back to shore.
Michael

[Richhh]

Another positive endorsement for furling mainsails.

ummmm, it must have been a catboat rig with just a mainsail and no jib/genoa.

[DeepFrz]

The above incident happened back on April 18?. Do you know if the Coast Gaurd will release the results of an examination of the incident. Will something like this warrant an inquiry? I'm interested in knowing how the boat was taking on water and yet was able to be towed to port.

Phil

[gonesail]

i followed this incident since they were towed into mayport inlet which is less than 10 miles from my house. the winds were really incredible that week and caused the gulf stream to become ugly and dangerous. i think they may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. most people coming up from the bahamas are hugging the coast of Florida and using the waterway if needed. they were taking a direct route to North Carolina and were far offshore when they encountered major problems. but they seemed happy and healthy and ready to do it again.

[DeepFrz]

It's another story of a failure stacked on top of another... I found the Coast Guard incident report (press release) but they don't mention what the leak was, etc. I was hoping that an incident requiring launching of an aircraft would result in some sort of an inquiry and report as is done in the event of an aircraft declaring an emergency and diverting to an emergency landing. (although a succesful landing probably wouldn't result in a report either).

Interesting how boating is treated so differently than flying (or so it seems), although I guess in the event of "loss of life" an inquiry would be launched.

[BC Mike]

I would like to have more details about the incident but I guess that is not always possible.
A friend and fellow worker of mine was killed at the race track on his 750 Kawasaki. There was supposed to be an enquiry but it did not happen. Another friend on the same type of bike had the same problem at the same part of the track, but survived. We are sure we know what the problem was but we would have liked the seal of officialdom stamped on it.
Michael

[captqrunch]

Originally Posted by Richhh

Another positive endorsement for furling mainsails.

ummmm, it must have been a catboat rig with just a mainsail and no jib/genoa.

FWIW, it was an Olson 34, per USCG documentation center.

[Vasco]

Met this couple in the winter in Georgetown. Jim is an experienced sailor and has circumnavigated (not in this boat). The boat did not have a furling main. Don't know what happened. I think Jim's about 75 and once in a while s**t happens. Luckily no loss of life, doubt if there'll be any inquiry. Another boat I know, a powerboat ran into rough weather on the crossing home, took on water and was abandoned too. I heard in that case the fridge broke loose, it was wallowing so much. Four boats that I know of lost this season, two good-sized cats off Mayaguana and these two. As an aside, another cruiser I know just drowned in West Virginia when he was thrown out of the raft in a whitewater rafting incident. He was well known in Georgetown and will be missed. http://www.register-herald.com/local...166225630.html