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Sailboat capsizes, two dead

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wm36
1st Mate

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USA
69 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/04/2021 : 19:56:57

Wow, a 42 footer!

https://www.kptv.com/news/two-people-dead-after-sailboat-capsizes-near-rockaway-beach/article_5091be00-253d-11ec-b75c-bb9753ad3f8e.html?block_id=994431

Wayne & Lynn
Hillsboro OR
1995 C250 WB #151

keats
Navigator

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USA
215 Posts

Response Posted - 10/04/2021 : 23:42:31

That is awful. Looks like a pretty sound vessel, wonder if they lost propulsion?

Tim Keating
1985 C-25 TR/FK #4940
Midsummer
Lake Don Pedro, CA

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5882 Posts

Response Posted - 10/05/2021 : 08:24:05

It's usually interesting to see what we can glean from a photo like this.

If you look at the two lines that lead aft from the mast, those are running backstays. They are attached to the mast at the level where the forestay begins in the fractional rig, and the other ends are attached near the stern on each side.

Wikipedia describes their use in this manner. "During beating or reaching, the running backstay in windward side is in tension. The one in the leeward side is lazy. As the boat tacks they change over. Another function of the running backstay is to adjust the tension of the forestay to suit the sailing angle and sea condition. In general, during a hard beat when the boat sails very close to the wind, the running backstay is tightened to increase the tension of the forestay."

Looking at the photo, you can see that both backstays are eased, allowing the forestay to sag deeply. I'll guess that they only had two reefs in their mainsail, but needed to reef it more deeply because of the high winds. (Note how deeply the jib is furled.) Since they didn't have a third reef, they tried to jury rig one by lowering the mainsail and then lashing the leech to the boom, but the lashings didn't hold. With a sagging jib and ineffective mainsail, they were unable to claw to windward, away from the lee shore.

In conditions that severe, the engine alone probably wasn't powerful enough to drive the boat to windward against the waves breaking over the bow, so they tried to use the sails to supplement the engine's power. Because the sails were so badly misshapen, they were no help, and the boat grounded.

The article says the male was found under the boat. It's reasonable to assume that he was wearing a harness and tether in these conditions, and that he was thrown over the leeward side when the boat grounded. If the tether was attached to the leeward side, it would have allowed just enough slack to permit the boat to roll up over him. If it had been attached to the windward side of the cockpit, the tether would probably have restrained him in the cockpit.

I think this was a knowledgeable, experienced sailor, but the boat just wasn't equipped for such a severe storm, and he tried his best to adapt, but was overwhelmed by it.

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

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9047 Posts

Response Posted - 10/05/2021 : 08:25:31

There are so many weird things about those photos, I have to suspect that was a near-derelict boat to start with. Mains'l tied to the boom and partially up; rotting jib furled on a bent roller and partially out; part of the cabin destroyed, but a solar panel on an intact arch at the stern;...... Did it actually capsize? No doubt a sad story will develop.

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

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9047 Posts

Response Posted - 10/05/2021 : 08:31:47

I don't see running backstays--I see a somewhat taut split backstay and a slack topping lift.

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

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5882 Posts

Response Posted - 10/05/2021 : 09:24:51

quote:
Originally posted by Stinkpotter

I don't see running backstays--I see a somewhat taut split backstay and a slack topping lift.

You're right. Until you pointed it out, I couldn't see where the topping lift terminated, and thought it was a running backstay. I'm not sure if the backstay is really taut or if it only looks that way because the mast is leaning forward pulling it taut. The forestay is definitely sagging severely. Something is causing the forestay sag. In the lower photo you can see what looks like a cable hanging down from the upper right of the photo, behind the jib, and then terminating in the water. Just above the water it looks like there's a turnbuckle. It could be a stay that failed or a spare halyard that got loose.

In any case, that boat took a terrible pounding, but if the occupants could have avoided separating from the boat, it looks like they might have survived. The hull is mostly intact.

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

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9047 Posts

Response Posted - 10/05/2021 : 10:07:28

It looks to me like the furler foil (with the forestay inside) is severely bent, as if by the foot of the jib that is extremely taut, possibly from a sheet that has been dragged under the hull. So the forestay/furler could be pulling the mast forward against the backstay. The shrouds appear intact, and the mast is up. It looks like something tore the aft section of the coachroof (or center cockpit?) off--I can't figure out the configuration of cabin/cockpit. But the intact arch with the solar panels, and the upright mast, make it hard to imagine the boat rolling to cause that cabin damage. But we also don't know what was done to the boat to find or recover the body under the hull.

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

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5320 Posts

Response Posted - 10/06/2021 : 19:06:53

Another thing that�s very odd is there was no wind. I looked at the local weather for Oct 3 and 4 when this incident occurred. What I found was that winds were SW, WSW, NW at 2, 3 and 4 mph all afternoon on the 3rd and overnight into the 4th. So there was no lee shore situation based on National Weather Service data.
Dew point = temperature and it was raining lightly, so perhaps it was a foggy situation as the evening wore on. If their GPS was out of order then they would not be able to navigate except by dead reckoning. I�ve done it from time to time but it�s not easy and often leads to errors. If there was no engine and no wind, they�d be at the mercy of the currents.
I�m guessing that most of us would have sailed well offshore to avoid even a potential problem if we had engine power. If they lost the engine,they might�ve just drifted through the fog and into the surf zone, then the rest is history.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - Voyager on 10/06/2021 19:10:39

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5882 Posts

Response Posted - 10/07/2021 : 06:23:43

quote:
Originally posted by Voyager

Another thing that�s very odd is there was no wind. I looked at the local weather for Oct 3 and 4 when this incident occurred. What I found was that winds were SW, WSW, NW at 2, 3 and 4 mph all afternoon on the 3rd and overnight into the 4th. So there was no lee shore situation based on National Weather Service data.

The article said it happened "early Sunday morning." That would be in the AM hours of the 3rd. If you looked at the winds in the PM of the 3rd, the front had probably blown through by then, leaving light winds. There would be no reason for them to deeply furl the jib and reef the mainsail in light winds. If you can, check the winds for the night of the 2nd and early morning of the 3rd. It doesn't make sense that two people would die when a boat gently drifts ashore in light air, or that they wouldn't simply lower the anchor when they saw they were drifting ashore in mild conditions.

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

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5320 Posts

Response Posted - 10/07/2021 : 12:19:01

Checking several local weather stations on weather underground (www.wunderground.com) I found measurements from Friday, Saturday and Sunday (10/1-3) in Manzanita OR that indicated max winds on Friday overnight of 15 mph, 3 mph winds on Sat and about the same on Sunday.

The problem was the darkness, fog (100% humidity) and possibly large oceans swells on the Pacific Ocean. Note too that this is near the mouth of the Columbia River and while it�s not at the Columbia River Bar (which is several miles offshore), (speculating) if a boat were caught in eddies without wind and no engine (assumption) with zero visibility, it could drift towards shore either side of the mouth.

Once in the surf zone all bets are off. If alcohol were involved and folks were not keeping watch (more assumptions) bad things could happen at zero-dark-thirty. Could you imagine waking up to the sound of a roaring surf aboard your boat?

A lee shore in a blow explanation would be much more epic however I�m not sure if the facts support that version.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - Voyager on 10/07/2021 12:22:12

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1757 Posts

Response Posted - 10/09/2021 : 05:46:08

Just from the picture of the boat capsized and was quickly found, then the pics look suspicious of either a totally incompetent or broke person trying to live their blue water dream or a insurance scam that went terribly wrong. Had the boat been missing and not found for weeks, then the condition of the boat would make sense. This is a tragic lesson of how important preparation and maintenance is -- on top of skill -- when sailing!

Peter Bigelow
C-25 TR/FK #2092 Limerick
Rowayton, Ct
Port Captain: Rowayton/Norwalk/Darien CT

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5882 Posts

Response Posted - 10/09/2021 : 10:18:17

It's a mystery for sure, and we might never know what really happened, because the two principal actors are gone. The article said "witnesses reported a vessel being tossed around in the surf." Bruce might be close to a logical explanation. Maybe they needed sleep, and furled the sails deeply to slow the boat. Maybe the currents carried the boat faster than they expected and it drifted into the surf while they slept. You'd think the sound of the surf would wake them, but maybe not. Maybe alcohol was a factor. There must be an explanation that reconciles the fact that the boat was rigged for foul weather but the wind was calm. It's a mystery.

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

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9047 Posts

Response Posted - 10/09/2021 : 20:28:31

I suspect the boat was a virtual derelict to begin with, they could no longer keep it where it was, and they were trying to move to another venue and something failed. The "demolished" pilot-house and cockpit or aft cabin (by what or whom?), rotten foresail, mainsail (maybe in similar condition) partially tied to the boom, calm weather (per Bruce),... With a failure of the auxiliary(?) Pacific swells unrelated of local weather could have created surf and resulted in the beaching. How did both people die? The story is certainly sad, but probably not unpredictable.

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

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 10/09/2021 20:37:23

keats
Navigator

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USA
215 Posts

Response Posted - 10/10/2021 : 10:07:51

I read something that supports what Dave wrote, they were long time liveaboards attempting to relocate from Astoria,OR to San Francisco. They were a couple in their mid to late 70's.

One strong possibility is that sediment was stirred up in their long idle diesel tank, plugging the filters and shutting down the engine.

Tim Keating
1985 C-25 TR/FK #4940
Midsummer
Lake Don Pedro, CA

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5320 Posts

Response Posted - 10/10/2021 : 16:57:16

Was there ever a follow up in the local media? The news article stated � The investigation is ongoing.�
Looking again at the photos, they may have tried to deploy their anchor to avoid the surf zone, however it appears to have been fouled by another line (jib sheets?).
If our speculation is true, it�s a sad end to perhaps a wonderful and free life.
At least they were together in their Last Horizons.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - Voyager on 10/10/2021 17:00:27

wm36
1st Mate

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USA
69 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2021 : 19:24:56

I read another article (but can't find it now) that the nearby jetty is notoriously dangerous. Likely it was a combination of several of the factors mentioned above: time of day, fog, drifting into a dangerous area, boat condition, tired, etc, etc. Only takes two or three of these and you have trouble. I can't imagine the terror of their last few moments.

Wayne & Lynn
Hillsboro OR
1995 C250 WB #151

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5320 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2021 : 13:59:47

Looking at Marine US there is a point of land in the area called Cape Disappointment at the mouth of the Columbia River. See NOAA chart 18521 for more details.
https://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/18521.shtml
The North Jetty and South Jetty appear quite treacherous.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - Voyager on 10/13/2021 14:03:01

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