Coast Guard Rescues 5 from Sailboat off of Yaquina Bay, Oregon

[Cheechako]

I can't get the video to play more than a couple seconds, but that sure doesn't look like 10-20 seas or that wind either. I do realize it always looks less in video though.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Spot

The article says they had the boat's crew don survival suits and jump in the water instead of a boat-to-boat transfer. Is that common, or an indicator that the sea state was too chaotic for a direct boat-to-boat transfer situation?

I imagine that given the relative sizes of the vessels in play and all the rolling, going alongside would have risked the sailboat's mast/rigging snagging with the MLB's mast/antennas/superstructure.

I think they overestimated the sea height. While the wind may have abated over 12 hours, it takes a lot longer for 20 ft seas to drop to about 8 ft - especially coming shoreward, where normally the waves become steeper and choppier.

[Greg Mason]

I have been in wind and wave situations similar to the video, and would feel like I was exaggerating if I said 10-20' seas. I have also been to Yaquina Head attempting to get to Newport in heavy fog when it was not my chosen port of call, enroute to San Francisco. Off Point Arena, California we recovered an overturned liferaft after a storm, which was 10-20' seas. Sadly, the person trying to enter the liferaft lost their life.

[Dooglas]

Originally Posted by MrSteve007

Jim, at least according to the report, they took on the tow at 7:30am 20 miles offshore, then was met up by two other CG boats outside the bar. They decided to transfer the crew, and tow the sailboat across the bar unmanned. They moored up the boat at 5:30pm.

I wouldn’t be surprised if conditions changed over that period of time.

Excellent point and good observation. Also, the sailboat was originally near North Bend, which is to say the Coos Bay entrance. The boat was towed North to the Yaquina Bay entrance. This both used up several hours and took the boat to an entrance which is much easier to cross in adverse weather. Bar crossings in rough weather on the Oregon coast are no picnic.

[Sailor647]

I recorded video coming down the entire west coast (Washington, Oregon, California, and Baja). The seas and waves NEVER looked as big in the video as the actual wave height in the ocean did. Never. No matter how many angles I shot from or varied the time of day.

I have a tendency to believe what they USCG says regarding wave height. After all, if anyone knows the sea, they do.

Also, any time NOAA states wave height in a forecast, this is what it says:

"Seas given as significant wave height, which is the average
height of the highest 1/3 of the waves. Individual waves may be
more than twice the significant wave height."

[Robert E]

Originally Posted by MrSteve007

Some good footage and a great outcome for both the crew and the vessel, after the Coast Guard determines the safest course of action is for them to abandon ship and then tow the unmanned vessel to safety.

10’-20’ seas and 35-40 knot winds.

https://coastguardnews.com/coast-gua...st/2019/10/18/

I trust the Coast Guard's choice for the method they they chose to rescue the crew. The men and women of the Coast Guard stations on the Oregon and Washington coast are very experienced and used to working in the worst conditions. We have sailed these water for 30 years years and rely on their expertise. The conditions shown are uncomfortable, but not extreme, especially for a 50 ft ketch. If two of the crew are healthy and the vessel is reasonably functional they should have been able to make Yaquina Bay. I suspect there is considerably more to the story. I am happy that it has turned out well.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Severity of wave conditions is also tremendously dependent on wave period. 5’ seas like in a bar crossing can be dangerous while big ole 5’ rollers in open ocean a breeze.
If those were 10 to 20 ft seas, then I’ve often sailed in 10 to 20 ft seas and I don’t think I have.

Part of the video shows a power boat, I assume USCG beam on to those seas and very little rolling, and I don’t think anyone would let 50 ish ft power boat go beam on into 20 ft seas, I know I wouldn’t.

But then again I’ve not experienced those apparently huge long period waves that are I guess so common in the Pacific and are what bring such good surfing conditions either.

Remember waves are measured from the backside, so the front side of a wave is often larger than what the wave is actually measured as.

I think you pegged it. Sea could be 10 to 20 but the period was long. It may have been getting the crew off was because of the need to cross a bar.

[evm1024]

Originally Posted by Sailor647

SNIP

I have a tendency to believe what they USCG says regarding wave height. After all, if anyone knows the sea, they do.

Also, any time NOAA states wave height in a forecast, this is what it says:

"Seas given as significant wave height, which is the average
height of the highest 1/3 of the waves. Individual waves may be
more than twice the significant wave height."

Exactly!

I've been going up and down the Oregon, Washington coast since the '70s. The most exciting time we have had was in a SW blow like this one with 45kt winds and 18' seas. We were heading north in a Cal 2-29. The waves sounded like freight trains sometimes and at times we surfed off the seas hitting 13 or 14 kts. Scary as hell and exciting too. We were sailing down wind and I cannot imagine imagine how difficult things we have been if we were on any other heading. (N.B. USCG was looking for a sunk 50' fishing vessel, that how we knew the wave height and wind speed).

The point is that we started in force 6 with force 7 expected. It became force 9 about 4 hours after we crossed the Columbia Bar and stayed F9 for the next 10 hours then dropped to F4 or so.

We do not know what the sea state was prior to the video. But we do know that it can change.

And as has been stated, it is a rough coast. The California current flows south into a SW gale and heaps up the seas. Get far enough inshore and a counter current dominates. And it is all very dynamic on an hourly time scale.

Here is a link to some predictions from CMOP that show model results for the area. The arrows are currents.

http://www.stccmop.org/images/foreca...2019-10-19.gif

[Jesse]

What are the civil penalties for ignoring Bar closures? the physical penalties are obviously deadly and $pendy and not something I want to test, but are there actually statutes regarding "Bar Closure"

[Tigue]

Commenting from Oregon...The wind and wave conditions were forecast and well publicized. They must have been coming from Hawaii and did not have good communications or perhaps better options to consider. Thankfully they are all safe.

[Cadence]

Strikes me if these people had survival suits aboard, they were not weekend novices.

[requiem]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Remember waves are measured from the backside, so the front side of a wave is often larger than what the wave is actually measured as.

Was curious about this, so did some Googling. Seems like this is the "Hawaiian" method?



To me, I'd guess 10' as well, based on relative vertical movement of the two boats. Of course, what I've heard described as e.g. "4 boatlengths" doesn't look anything like that to me, so I take all eyeball measurements with a grain of salt.

[Lodesman]

That may happen as a wave comes ashore, but out in open ocean, the trough in front of the wave could be lower or higher than the trough behind - just as the peaks vary up and down.

[wingssail]

I will believe 10-20 ft seas and wind strength as stated, but I also see that the sailboat seemed to be shipshape except for a partially unfurled headsail.

Never happy to see a boat call for help and get off the boat in manageable conditions, but good on the coasties for bringing in boat and crew.

Does not look like a cruising boat (no solar, windvane, etc) and possibly were trying to sail without the main or mizzen (they look firmly stowed), but whatever, whether from an offshore location or just going up or down the coast, this is not a place to be in October unless you are solid in your preparations, seamanship, and the boat itself.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by requiem

Was curious about this, so did some Googling. Seems like this is the "Hawaiian" method?







To me, I'd guess 10' as well, based on relative vertical movement of the two boats. Of course, what I've heard described as e.g. "4 boatlengths" doesn't look anything like that to me, so I take all eyeball measurements with a grain of salt.

I was never a surfer, I’ve always thought the backside, wonder where I got that?
Then there is this to explain why they are overestimated
https://www.boatingmag.com/how-to/me...g-wave-height/