Association Forum - A sailboat was grounded on Madeira Beach

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

A sailboat was grounded on Madeira Beach

New Topic

Reply to Topic

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Tomas Kruska
Admiral

Member Avatar

Czech Republic
522 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/25/2019 : 07:59:52

MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. � A sailboat was grounded on Madeira Beach.
The owner and passengers were able to get off the boat safely.
The sheriff's office said the owner is waiting for high tide to remove the vessel.

https://www.wfla.com/news/pinellas-county/sailboat-stranded-on-madeira-beach-after-storms-move-through/?fbclid=IwAR13m497kgDVbxpdJMX0tky9dKqd7X9ivBEdAF-EGq6IZY6t1yA5m54ezcQ

Dalpol Phobos 21, 2013, Sole Mio, hull #27, current adventures - We sail Phobos 21

PO of Catalina C25, 1978, High Anxiety, hull #701, SR, FK, L-dinette, inboard diesel Volvo Penta MD2010C w/saildrive - more info

Edited by - Tomas Kruska on 07/25/2019 08:01:14

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2019 : 09:09:39

Hmmmm. An electric motor.... Not much power to drive it away from shore against waves in a shoaling bottom. If you can't sail it away from a lee shore, and you can't motor it away, then you're just going to end up on the beach. That motor would be ok to get in and out of a marina on a small inland lake, but not to cruise the exposed Gulf Coast.

I beached my C22 40 years ago because it was under-equipped. It was blown ashore due to insufficient anchor and chain.

Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore

Davy J
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1511 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2019 : 12:11:12

The weather here has been total crap for at least two days. Why in the H3!! would someone be out in the Gulf of Mexico in a 25' boat is beyond me.......

A guy got killed by a lighting strike in Clearwater just the other day......

A fairly large ketch caught fire and was destroyed from another lightning strike in Gulfport.

I guess Darwin needed some back pay.....

Davy J

2005 Gemini 105Mc
PO 1987 C25 #5509 SR/SK
Tampa Bay

Edited by - Davy J on 07/25/2019 12:22:02

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2019 : 13:46:59

That trolling motor was so nice, quiet, smooth,...

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

islander
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3992 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2019 : 16:14:54

Easy to see the owner did not participate in this forum so he missed all of the motor discussions.

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2019 : 16:19:09

You see a lot of photos and videos like this where someone ends up on a lee shore, so it might be worthwhile to discuss it.

As waves roll in toward a lee shore, and the bottom shoals, the waves become higher and steeper until they break and roll onto the beach. Thus, the time to take action is while you're still in deep water and before you become affected by those high, steep waves.

To claw off a lee shore, you need power to drive the boat. Your sails can generate more useful power than your motor, so keep sailing as long as you can. Don't take one of your sails down. You need both sails to sail to windward in heavy weather. Learn how to reef your mainsail while underway, and reef it at the first sign of bad weather. It's no fun to work on the foredeck after the waves and wind velocity have built. This is where a roller furling jib is at its best. You can roll up as much or as little as you need without leaving the cockpit. If the conditions are right, you might even be able to supplement your sail power by using the engine as well.

If you look at the photo of the beached Catalina, you can see that he didn't reef the mainsail. In fact, the reefing grommet doesn't even have a reefing line in it. He couldn't reef it. At some point he tried to take the sail down and lash it down as best he could. He probably tried to claw off the lee shore using only a deeply rolled up jib, which was hopeless. So, rig your reefing lines and learn how to tuck in a reef while underway. Do it on your home lake or in sheltered waters so that you'll be able to do it as needed when cruising in open waters.

If he had been able to deeply reef his mainsail and jib, he might have been able to sail it away from the shoreline.

Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore

glivs
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
822 Posts

Response Posted - 07/26/2019 : 12:58:45

Many years ago on an early morning run on the beach (end of the seawall on Galveston Island) I came across a freshly beached 25' sailboat (perfect condition). As soon as I could get to a phone I called the Coast Guard and Sheriff's Office. Both were explicit about not disturbing the boat. Wind was onshore but moderate; waves 1-2 ft. I checked back after work ... the cockpit had filled with enough sand that the waves were literally tearing the deck from the now anchored hull. Sad. A year or so later I saw a commercial shrimp boat grounded on the outer sandbar similarly tear apart. The forces of repetitive wave action is impressive.

Gerry & Leslie; Malletts Bay, VT
"Great Escape" 1989 C-25 SR/WK #5972

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5231 Posts

Response Posted - 07/26/2019 : 17:31:06

Now maybe I m getting too legalistic here but wouldn�t a boat that�s run aground and is abandoned, or at least not attended by the owner, by definition be a salvage boat? Being a salvage, wouldn�t anybody who came along be able to claim the boat and if they were able to refloat the boat, wouldn�t they now own it?
Like, yeah, the boat would be registered to the original owner, but wouldn�t the new captain be able to claim the boat as salvage?
I remember an acquaintance�s boat ran aground on rocks and was disabled and the towing boat company came by to retrieve the boat and bring it in to a local marina for repairs. Once the repairs were done my friend was charged for the tow from the rocks, the repair of the damaged hull and keel and to purchase his boat back from the salvage company.
Sounds totally unfair however Maritime Law has existed for centuries and does not necessarily follow US Common Law or any of our presumptions. Am I off base here? A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - Voyager on 07/26/2019 17:34:01

islander
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3992 Posts

Response Posted - 07/26/2019 : 18:33:48

You can guarantee that beached boat is hard aground and is salvage.
Simple tow or salvage https://wavetrain.net/2013/07/15/salvage-law-when-do-get-to-keep-an-abandoned-boat/

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

Edited by - islander on 07/26/2019 18:45:13

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5231 Posts

Response Posted - 07/27/2019 : 22:12:32

Not that I understood all the ins and outs of this article on Salvage but the law is fascinating and gives you pause any time you might think to call your boat rescue service. Out of gas, maybe no biggie, grounded on soft sand or mud, make sure you throw THEM a tow line. Stuck on a rock while taking on water? This is when you get into trouble if you�re not careful.
Interesting advice - call your insurance company first. Let them deal.
If they don�t answer then ask the tow operator for terms and an estimate. If you don�t like what you hear call another tow service.
Unless you�re going down for the third time you�re still in charge.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

islander
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3992 Posts

Response Posted - 07/28/2019 : 04:11:03

The way I see it, It's like the difference between Pan Pan and Mayday. It becomes salvage when without assistance your boat will become a total loss like taking on water fast and you can't stop it or on the rocks or hard aground where waves and water will destroy your boat. A simple tow is like your engine died or out of gas or a soft sand grounding where there isn't any danger of total loss of the boat.

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

Edited by - islander on 07/28/2019 04:14:20

Topic

New Topic

Reply to Topic

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.