DSK wrote in message ...

I was helping a friend move his 50' center cockpit sloop from Rhode
Island to Bermuda one fall a few years ago.

What kind?


It was a Bristol.


impending darkness meant it was much too risky for a crew member to go
overboard and inspect, perhaps cutting the net loose, so we had little
choice but to continue on.

Huh? Jobs like this are not very dependent on vision anyway, and if
conditions were deteriorating, then you'd be better off getting it cleared
right away. It's possible that this bad call was responsible for much of
your trouble later.

In general I agree with you. I think anyone reading my account and
your comment would learn something from the experience. However, I am
recounting it after a few years, and honestly I am not sure when we
concluded that we had picked up a net and not just having some
mechanical problems. At any rate the captain (very experienced)
decided at that moment not to send someone overboard.

dragging in the water on occasion, and I know that is not good,
because you are no longer able to 'dump' air if needed. We had the
rail buried on this boat many times also.

Sure, sailing rail down isn't a problem, in fact it's kind of fun. In the
dark with breakers and a fishnet on the rudder is not. How about reducing
sail?


Sure it's fun if you are out for an afternoon sail, but it totally
unnecessary when a couple of hundred miles off shore at night in a
gale. We had reduced sail considerably, but the captain decided to
continue pretty much on course in order to get through the 35 miles or
so of the stream as quickly as possible and not wallow in it. Most of
reason for having a rail in the water was because of the wave shape,
anyway, not wind.


Oh, later that day the sun came out, the waves went down to 6', so we
hove-to and a crew member went overboard and cut loose the net.

Things have a way of snowballing.... the worst problems hit in groups and
it sounds like you all had a bit more wiggle room left. That's one big
reason why I feel any problems at sea should be taken care of ASAP. You
don't know what's going to happen next and if it's bad, you have just lost
a lot of options and a lot of safety margin.

Excellent point! Again, anyone reading this should take note of that
fact. Things do have a way of snowballing.

I know the mentality of this group - or lack thereof - and will take
some guff for posting my experiences here. Some of my experiences
include mistakes. But the reason I post these sorts of stories is not
for my ego, but rather to teach others. Or let others learn from my
experiences, even if they contain mistakes.

Realize too, that it is always easy to be a star quarterback on Monday
morning.



Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Thanks, Doug