Sailboat Washes Ashore in Huntington Beach

Just some positive reinforcement for staying in when the weather gets too bad.

http://beach.freedomblogging.com/2010/05/23/howling-winds-big-messy-surf-at-the-beach/23877/

Ouch

Rough waters, but about the same as you can find on any given afternoon off the WA coast.... and one good reason we Portlanders tend to drive up I-5 instead of sail in that stuff for about 48 straight hours in order to attend the rendezvous up north.


The sad-looking boat may be an old Newport 30. Perhaps. Probably not near enough insurance value to justify a tug and crew at high tide to pull it back into deep water.
How Sad.

LB

Sadly, a Ranger 33 suffered the same fate this past weekend:

http://www.topix.com/sailing/2010/05/el-sobrante-couple-dies-in-sailboat-accident

The victims were from our newly adopted East Bay hamlet of El Sobrante.

The jury's still out on what happened. But if I were to venture a guess, the couple got caught in some nasty breakers about 1/2 mile off SF's Ocean Beach - an occurance having claimed the lives of many others. It's the old story of getting too close to a lee shore when things get gnarly on the coast.

There's still question about why both sailors ended up in the water. Probably one was swepped overboard in a breaking roller (the winds have been in the
+30 range for several days), the other - in a panic - attempted a rescue.

Whatever - it's another sad sea story.

Capt Dan G> E35II "Kunu"

Go sailing

Very sad indeed .. loosing one's rudder is going to make things quite tough. Loosing one's life .. well

While I'm a reluctant armchair theorist, I'll toss in a few thoughts. Turning south too soon off these lee shores is risky business. Our last trip rounding Cape Flattery we left 15+ miles. Off Mile & Seal Rock we're well out in the shipping lane near #8 before turning down to cross the bar. When racing to Monterey we've cut it pretty close .. but that's racing, with full crew appropriately equipped in the company of many others.
But as Loren mentioned .. that's the conditions off this coast much of the year. It's not for everyone.
We all know of the inherent risks sailing. I guess it's part of the charm :nerd: eh ?
I'm a believer in limiting risks that I can .. while not being limited in my sailing. I spent the last 15 months tearing my 32 down to details .. so I could be out sailing on days like yesterday.. with my Daughter. We're off the City Front sailing toward the North Tower of the Golden Gate with a reefed main & jib in a 20+ knot gusty breeze and some hefty wind waves.. loving life and our time together. she was comfortable enough to take a nap when I turned down.
Can something go terribly wrong ? sure. Will it ? .. probably not. Why .. fate .. karma .. my spiritual connection .. the weather ? yea .. to some extent. But more so because I addressed all the rigging, electrical and mechanical issues with the boat as I have done on every boat I've owned .. so I can sail on days when others might not. I enjoy sailing on bigger days, with better sailors while continuing to work on my boat and my skills. I feel it's actually safer than occasionally poking out on the Bay's windy days or the Ocean when NOAA says it's flat on a boat I hope was put together proper. A big lake made me more comfortable the next time I was on a small one. The Ocean has made me more comfortable on a Bay. I've been sailing in salt water off & on for the last 41 years. I have allot of experiences .. but still need experience. I like it, need it and look for it, always.
I might suggest .. if we want to be safer, we should learn more. About our self's and the boats we sail on. Learn what we don't know & fix what needs fixing
This forum is one very good way of doing so in my opinion. But using it to better prepare our boats and then getting out and sailing them is where it's at for me.

Every year we hear of tragic events such as these. While saddened, I use them to encourage my efforts rather than let them paralyze me. I know those sailors lost would want it that way.

Good Sailing,
Greg

Matey said:

Every year we hear of tragic events such as these. While saddened, I use them to encourage my efforts rather than let them paralyze me. I know those sailors lost would want it that way.

Good Sailing,
Greg

Click to expand...

Excellent post.

Though I tend to be more a fair weather sailor these days (largely dictated by work schedules and other distractions), I feel far more confident in my boat today than I did 10 years ago. Virtually everything that could fail has been replaced or repaired - rigging, chainplates, stem head, etc.

Yet, I still prefer a 12 knot breeze to a 25 knot blow in steep seas. It's challenging to push the envelope every so often, but I'm essentially a
B.S.W.A.H*

*Bay sailor wuss at heart.

Capt Dan G> E35II "Kunu"