Westsail 32 "Blue Mist" Grounded on Rocks

[endoftheroad]

I followed this W32 "Blue Mist" and considered her to be a good boat for sale with a good asking price.

Very Sad.

Sailor rescued by helicopter after boat hits rocks at Piedras Blancas | The Cambrian | SanLuisObispo.com

[Sailorman Ed]

Guided only by his cell phone’s GPS through the dark, moonless night, the first-time sailor mistook Piedras Blancas Lighthouse for San Simeon Point and steered his craft eastward.

Read more here: Sailor rescued by helicopter after boat hits rocks at Piedras Blancas | The Cambrian | SanLuisObispo.com

[boatman61]

Sad indeed for the boat.. hopefully she'll be floated and brought back to her former seaworthiness...
Also.. hopefully he.. and others.. will have learnt that a bit more than a cell phone with GPS is needed when one goes sailing.. like appropriate charts to identify lights/landmarks..
Lucky escape.. wonder if he's related to the 31yrold in the 25ftr

[Cormorant]

Kinda weird -- if he had GPS, how could he mistake the Piedras Blacas Light for San Simeon Point, over 4 miles away? Seems like a mistake one might make without GPS. . . .

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by endoftheroad

I followed this W32 "Blue Mist" and considered her to be a good boat for sale with a good asking price.

Very Sad.

Sailor rescued by helicopter after boat hits rocks at Piedras Blancas | The Cambrian | SanLuisObispo.com

So, what happened with the "indestructable keel-hung" rudder?

[rebel heart]

All that seamanship stuff really is hogwash in this new modern age.

The sailor recently purchased the sailboat and departed from the Bay Area, headed for Morro Bay, using diesel engines for propulsion.

Guided only by his cell phone’s GPS through the dark, moonless night, the first-time sailor mistook Piedras Blancas Lighthouse for San Simeon Point and steered his craft eastward.

[S/V Alchemy]

I guess in this modern world, one in which "victim" equals "hero", "inevitable" equals "sad".

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

So, what happened with the "indestructable keel-hung" rudder?

It encountered a guy who tried to navigate with his cell phone.

[Pirate999]

First time sailor, new boat to him, navigating at night, using nothing but a mobile phone. Recipe for disaster. He's lucky to be alive.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Cormorant

Kinda weird -- if he had GPS, how could he mistake the Piedras Blacas Light for San Simeon Point, over 4 miles away? Seems like a mistake one might make without GPS. . . .

Cell phones have light sequence id...?
Maybe the screen was to small to read the print..

[darylat8750]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Cell phones have light sequence id...?
Maybe the screen was to small to read the print..

They don't, but they have your POSITION.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by darylat8750

They don't, but they have your POSITION.

And you need charts, either electronic or paper to determine where, in relation to the bumpy bits, that position is, vital when coasting.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by darylat8750

They don't, but they have your POSITION.

So how does that help you identify a light flashing 5/30sec's for example if you don't know the lights position..
1 + 1 = 2
1 + Guess = Rock....

[cburger]

All things considered I feel sorry for the owner, think we all have made mistakes with our vessels before.

That being said I think the picture illustrates just how tough these boats are, hopefully the guy can pick up his mast, bowsprit, rudder, fix the volleyball sized hole and drive on.

[a64pilot]

It was an expensive lesson wasn't it?