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5 sailors rescued in Gulf of Mexico

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/08/2008 : 18:36:13

Story is [url="http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=5022713"]here[/url]. The boat capsized, and the USCG says the hull appears to not have a keel attached.

David
C-250 Mainsheet Editor

Sirius Lepak
1997 C-250 WK TR #271 --Seattle area Port Captain --

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 06/08/2008 : 18:49:39

6th was found still inside the hull. Didn't make it.

Here's the thread on the iboattrack (electronic race tracking) site.
It's a very sobering read.

http://www.iboattrack.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1236

Going offshore? Get a personal EPIRB.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 06/08/2008 : 21:02:20

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ClamBeach
 Going offshore? Get a personal EPIRB.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Amen. Too bad the "safety officers" didn't have 'em. Technology is changing rapidly--better and cheaper.

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 06/08/2008 : 21:19:23

"Amen. Too bad the "safety officers" didn't have 'em."

Yes. Not considered required equipment yet. I think they will be pretty soon.

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2008 : 07:38:22

Sobering, especially for those of us who do wander offshore far away from immediate assistance. I have several reflections which are not meant to negate the tragic loss.

1. No EPIRB? EPIRB's are designed to automatically deploy when put into contact with water even if the users can't initiate them. We have a McMurdo Smartfind Plus on SV Lysistrata which is mounted in the nav station such that it can be removed in seconds or will remove itself and hopefully surface through the hatch. For racing where your keel might fall off,

I think the models that are mounted in the cockpit that automatically release would have been smart.

2. What happened to the life raft? I am assuming, possibly wrongly, that the "racing" vessel did not want the additional windage of a life raft ON DECK and that the Valise life raft was not easily accessible as it was probably stored below. The life raft in my opinion was a big priority as the 5 survivors all stayed in a line to increase visibility.

3. The keel simply fell off? This is a reminder to all of us to inspect our keel bolts and the backing plates for corrosion and stress fractures.

4. No floating strobe? Usually on offshore vessels, these are attached to the horseshoe life ring and they automatically light up when inverse.

5. Only one flashlight? I would assume that the pfd's used were offshore sailing harnesses with either the auto inflator or the pull string. There is room for a personal strobe in there. NOTE: these are not Coast Guard approved unless you load them with very expensive lithium AA batteries. ACR 3355 at Defender is $8.99. Get one for every inflatable pfd you own.

6. No ditchbag? $90 at Defender. Has wall mounts for immediate rip and throw access. It's hard for me to imagine a racing boat with limited accomodations below to ignore this very important piece of safety equipment. From the survivors we have learned that there was at least 30 seconds before capsize. Plenty of time to grab a ditch bag which should have a radio in it, some nutri bars, some water, some flares and whatnot. Most have a pocket for the EPIRB which would have made it all come together. Ditch bags float which would have provided additional floatation for the crewmember without the pfd.

7. The vessel was seen afloat? Did I read that correctly? The vessel did eventually sink but it appears that the Coast Guard spotted it from the air. Why the survivors did not try to stay near the vessel remains a mystery.

With all due respect to the safety officers, particularly the deceased who apparently pushed two sleeping students out of the vessel, there are gaps in the "safety" program which are still unexplained. Yes, hindsight is always 20/20 and it is easy to play Monday morning quarterback, but in my opinion this could have been a much more tragic loss if the iBoat tracking system and scheduled check in's were not in place. It appears that once they went quiet that concerned family members pushed for a search and rescue.

Sten

DPO C25 #3220 "Zephyr", SR, FK
SV Lysistrata - C&C 39 - Newport RI

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2008 : 09:05:30

The boat went from sailing along in nice conditions to inverting in a matter of 30 seconds. Probably 15 seconds were lost in realizing just what was happening. That's not a lot of time to get sleeping crew off the boat. I think in a sudden, catastrophic failure like this a lot of conventional gear and practice become useless.

The below-decks crew described having just enough time to grab lifejackets and fight their way out the companionway against the inrushing water. Once outside in pitch black, they lost contact with the boat.
The life raft was in a valise below decks (common) with no time to deploy. No time for a ditch bag either.

The vessel had an EPIRB... I haven't seen info/speculation on why it didn't activate. May have been a 'manual' activation model, and/or never made it's way out of the cabin. I'm guessing that may have been the reason the deceased stayed in the cabin a bit too long... trying to find and activate the EPIRB or get the liferaft out.

>"No floating strobe? Usually on offshore vessels, these are attached to the horseshoe life ring "

Most deck-level strobes that I've seen are mounted on a MOB pole... probably still attached to the boat.

In a 'zero lead time' situation like this, it's pretty apparent that having supplemental gear on every PFD gives the best chance for survival. That means personal EPIRB, and/or strobes... maybe even a compact VHF radio. I think this accident will lead to changed practices in that direction.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2008 : 10:19:31

My understanding is this boat had won the race the last several years.

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Stardog
Captain

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USA
319 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2008 : 10:49:59

According to the survivors the the keel tore free, the boat filled with water and was gone in under 30 seconds. I've only ever seen one sailboat sink and it also was gone that quickly. Definitely no time to do anything but get out. Very tragic.

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2008 : 17:03:51

I just read the postings in iboattrack and I will admit that i cried. What a poignant blend of human tragedy and technology. Mr. Stone meets every definition of hero in my book.

I hope we learn more about how the keel was lost. Did they hit something? Could it have been bad bolts? If it was simply bad bolts then this could happen in a lake too.

This spring we added personal strobe lights to each of our PFD along with a whistle for each. Clearly, when going offshore an EPIRB mounted in the cockpit is a valuable device as is a personal EPIRB. When I imagine things going bad on the boat I always think of having time to deal with them. But, as this tragedy illustrates, things can go bad very very quickly.

How very sad for Mr. Stones family but how very thankful for the survivors.

Edited by - Nautiduck on 06/09/2008 17:07:20

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2008 : 19:27:22

>"added personal strobe lights to each of our PFD "

Good move. There is a brief interview with a couple of the survivors on CNN. They said it was pretty discouraging to watch the search aircraft fly over them 3 seperate times. Finally after dark, the flicker of a flashlight beam was picked up in the CG's night vision goggles.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2008 : 21:46:15

It is truly amazing how hard it is to see something in an angry ocean. Call me silly, but it's one reason I painted Sarge's bottom red--not green, or black. It also distresses me that WM tries to sell so many blue PFDs (not the inflatables, which inflate to yellow) and cockpit cushions. Yellow, orange and red are the correct colors--just about everything else is just part of the sea. Forget about your decor--this can be life or death.

- Resident Curmudgeon

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2008 : 08:27:29

Add some pieces of SOLAS reflective tape to your MOB gear and PFD's.
You'll be amazed how it stands out at night with just a little bit of light.

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2008 : 12:19:22

This incident has made a difference in how we will operate in the future. From here on out, our ditch bag will be loaded for bear. We almost always wear our pfd's offshore, and the off watch pfd is located on a hook at the companionway. The comment about the strobe being attached to the man overboard pole is correct, however we now have a knife attached such that we can cut it free instantly. In addition, our liferaft will always be mounted topside when offshore. The static release line will hopefully deploy automatically as designed.

Now about those keel bolts. Our surveyor noted that the backing plates were of soft steel as they should be, but were old and corroded. We now have an appointment to be hauled and have the backing plates replaced with monel backing plates. You can't do stainless for corrosion reasons. Anyhow, as tragic as this scenario was and is, we can ALL learn from it making the sacrifice Mr. Stone made even that much more valuable to us all.

sten

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2008 : 14:25:07

An addditional note re lghts. Here is the light that we have added to each of our auto-inflating PFDs.

The light is easy to turn on and off even with gloves on. Note that the light is folded inside the PFD so it is completely out of the way until the PFD inflates. Put one inside each PFD and that person will have a light that is visible for 2 miles. They cost $10.99 each at WM. We service our PFDs once a year and will put in fresh batteries then. You can also buy a lithium battery that is good for 5 years.

Edited by - Nautiduck on 06/10/2008 14:25:47

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 06/11/2008 : 11:04:41

Quote: "You can also buy a lithium battery that is good for 5 years."

As I previously posted, the aforementioned light - Randy's pic is correct - IS NOT Coast Guard approved without the Lithium batteries. Regardless of the cost, get the real thing. A standard battery may fail when needed. Not worth the risk even if you replace them yearly.

I would also like to suggest mounting a laser light like this one http://www.premierlight.net/ which has three functions - regular flashlight, flashing SOS, and laser which is visible for 2 miles plus. I took the holster and sewed it to my inflatable pfd...

sten

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 06/11/2008 : 11:06:18

better link http://www.premierlight.net/newsite/pl-7buy.htm

sten

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 06/11/2008 : 14:39:14

Sten is right. The lithium battery is a better choice. A bit spendy at $18 from WM but worth every penny if you need to use it in an emergency.

AA Lithium Battery

Directly replaces mercury 4RM1B battery
Fits all ACR Firefly strobes
USCG approved for 5-year replacement life
Operational to -20° C (-4° F)
Exceeds 8 hours continuous operational life

Edited by - Nautiduck on 06/11/2008 14:41:37

John Bixby
Navigator

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118 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2008 : 10:49:41

Needless to say the local Galveston paper has been full of
articles the past days. www.galvnews.com will let you read
the articles.
The boats were new in 06. Donated to Texas AM Galv. by
G. Mitchell at a cost of over 300K each. Nice tax write off.
Manf by Cape Fear. Remember wondering when the story came out
why didn't they go to a known boat builder. Well, Cape Fear
is approx 6 years old and owned by G. Mitchell's son.
So daddy gets a write off and sonny gets a nice contract.
The crew was picked up after 26 hours. The boat is being
towed to a "undisclosed" place for inspection according to
the salvage company. The maintenance records were on the
boat and the salvage company as of yesterday doesn't know if
they have them or not.
Sounds like the Mitchell family is the only real benefactor
from this entire episode.
john on Ms Achsa
Galveston, TX

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redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2008 : 12:03:08

A single hander - 60 years young - was rescued last week after spending two days in a liferaft. http://hamptonroads.com/2008/06/north-carolina-man-rescued-after-two-days-liferaft He did not have time to grab food, water or his EPIRB. BUT, the liferaft clearly deployed. Why offshore racing boats are not required by the organizers to have liferafts and EPIRBS mounted on static releases still boggles my mind.

Sten

DPO C25 #3220 "Zephyr", SR, FK
SV Lysistrata - C&C 39 - Newport RI

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2008 : 12:15:53

Quote from the Galveston paper: "Wright’s life jacket didn’t automatically inflate as he swam to safety, a coincidence that likely saved his life, Conway said.

Had Wright’s jacket automatically inflated as it’s designed to, Wright would have had a tough time swimming under water to get out of the sinking boat, Conway said."

Just one more reason in my opinion to NOT buy the autoinflatables.

sten

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2008 : 14:39:56

It is a shame when hard working people try to do something nice and they are accused of impropriety. Should he have donated the boats and NOT taken the tax write off? Should he not try to help his son build a business that will employ the fathers of families?
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=896a95135811ba96

Edited by - Frank Hopper on 06/13/2008 18:54:18

John Bixby
Navigator

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118 Posts

Response Posted - 06/18/2008 : 10:19:22

Todays paper tell that she ran aground several time last year and on one occasion did require major repairs to the keel. Hard enough to
crack the fron and rear where keel and hull connect. Was repaired by
a local yard in Galveston. More seems to unfold each day.
A & M has hired company to try to find keel. All maintenace records
are still missing. All of the sailors are out of the hospital and
apparently are fine.
john on ms achsa 77fk/sr

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 06/18/2008 : 12:17:28

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redviking
 Wright would have had a tough time swimming under water to get out of the sinking boat,... Just one more reason in my opinion to NOT buy the autoinflatables.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Pretty much why I bought manual inflatables.

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 06/18/2008 : 12:56:24

I prefer the auto-inflating models. Ny rasoning is that it is far more likely that I will go overboard - and hit my head in the process - than the boat will overturn and sink with me wearing the PFD in the cabin. If you are knocked out or badly injured a manual inflatable is of no benefit when you hit the water.

Of course, we all have different boats and sailing venues and personal preferences, hence the many PFD choices available. For us the auto-inflatable is the right choice. And, in open water, we wear tethers.

Edited by - Nautiduck on 06/18/2008 14:16:17

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