From safe to FUBAR in only 2 Decisions

[gulfcoast john]

Tis the Season to unmercifully critique captains who were in an untenable situation, so here’s one close by!

Links to the reporting and video clip of the Captain (we encountered the crew on our daily walk):

https://www.winknews.com/2020/12/09/sailboat-capsizes-during-rough-water-conditions-near-marco-island/

Our picture shows the 42 foot, $250,000 sailboat from the bottompainted hull, with the entire keel apparently ripped off. The mast and rigging is in the Pass.

However, according to the captain, their only issue was loss of a steering cable that resulted in no steering control. Despite that, they managed to anchor on “Sandollar Island,” in Big Marco Pass, now a submerged shoal after one of the hurricanes made the marine cartography outdated.

They were safely anchored and not taking on water when they contacted TowBoat US around midnight in SCA conditions re their problem. No doubt it was uncomfortable. The forecast was for improving conditions...today flat seas, 72 degrees and sunny.

In the video clip, the sailboat owner appears to be quite young. There were Small Craft Advisories with 9-11 foot seas in the Gulf per the forecast, and truly nasty, windy, cold 60 degrees on the beach here. He describes multiple cleats as well as the windlass being torn off before the TowBoatUS twin outboard tow vessel (I estimate at an over 35 footer when we saw it on the beach yesterday) capsized, collapsing its’ CC structure and dunking both engines. I must assume all those bedded structures would not have torn off if the tow boat didn’t enwrap them all somehow, eh?

My impression is that the rescue vessel capsized first, then the sailboat captain cut his dinghy free in the midnight darkness to go rescue the rescue boat captain in horrific conditions (credit to sailboat capt for minimizing that and saving the rescue boat captain).

After that both vessels washed up on Marco Island in bad conditions. I assume the sailboat keel was smashed off in the shallows as they were both blown out of the Pass on to shore.

We didn’t take pics of the ruined rescue boat yesterday as two captains were desperately digging out the dead outdrives in prep for a pull off the beach. So sad.

We have both read many accounts of how it may be better to be uncomfortable rather than possibly unsafe. Here’s yet another example.

If you have another example, or an opinion, opine here!

Stay safe!
John

[thataway]

It all boils down to seamanship. The initial failure is loss of the steering. We con't know if cable or hydraulic, but either with a 42' sailboat would be robust. In any case an inspection of the steering system is as critical as checking the oil and fuel, going up the mast to check the rig before setting sail. All sailboats with pedestal steering should have an emergency tiller (as should power boats). The emergency tiller fits thru a access plate, not unlike a fuel fill or access plate, usually 2" to 4" opening size. There is a square head on top of the rudder shaft, which the emergency tiller fits upon. The emergency tiller should be accessible easily from the cockpit, and the "key" for opening the plate also handy. In a tiller steered boat--have a big pipe wrench or at least a large size Vise Grips!

Loss of steering or power--immediately anchor. If properly prepared the emergency tiller could be fitted in a couple of minutes max. (I have had to use emergency tillers twice. Both were in critical conditions--and we fitted the tiller in less than 2 minutes and had the boat under control.

Why if anchored safely try and take the boat out into a storm? Was the boat already aground? A lot missing in the scenario.

Then what happened to the insurance? Or if no insurance--having enough funds to self insure? We had to cruise without hull insurance (Liability is cheap and easy to get) because we were going in places where insurance was not valid and we only had two persons on a 62 foot boat. You take that risk if you have to..

Once a fin keel spade rudder sailboat is aground, the job of getting it off is very difficult. The boat should have been bridled--not dependent on pulling on cleats, windlass or masts. the heavy lines wrapped all around the hull, held in position with short lines from the stanchions or toe rail, and probably one or two girth lines around the hull.

It sounds as if the Boat US boat was underpowered for the job at hand. They should have waited for a larger vessel.

The other question is was the skipper of the sailboat capable of fixing the steering and did he have the gear and supplies aboard? Did he consider an emergency rudder (which many ocean racing sailboats are required to carry)? This happened in the Marco Island area--what if it happened in the Bahamas, or even more remote areas?