Wrong again Scotty. - If it was a Mac, it wouldn't have lost it's keel
in the first place, because the Macs don't have keels. Under those
circumstances, it would have heeled with the passing wake, but it
wouldn't have turtled, wouldn't fill with water, wouldn't sink, etc.
After the wake passed, the crew could simply relax, have a margarita,
and continue on their way. In other words, this isn't a situation in
which the Mac is going to fill with water and float at a lower level, as
it would if something knocked a large opening in its hull in an area
below the waterline AND outside the periphery of its ballast tank. But
even in that circumstance, the boat would stay afloat and the crew could
remain with the boat.

In any event, you can't lose your keel (which, of course, can also occur
on a conventional boat in other circumstances as well) if you don't have
one. - And remember that those internal rust areas in the hull-keel
joint are pretty hard to detect, Scotty. Sort of like the crud that
builds up in the through-hull valves.

Jim



Scotty wrote:

Is that just cause for a 'May Day' call?

If the boat had been a Mac26X, they could have sailed it in
slightly submerged.

Scotty




"jlrogers" wrote in message
.com...


A 40-foot high-tech racing sailboat lost its keel and


overturned in San


Diego Bay February 12.
Schockazulu was sailing near Ballast Point when it


encountered wakes from a


passing harbor cruise vessel. The boat's owner told Sea


Tow Capt. Bubba


Severance that he heard a big crack. Then the keel dropped


off.


The boat immediately rolled onto its side and all four


occupants were thrown


into the water. A Good Samaritan witnessed the accident,


picked up the


passengers and made a VHF radio Channel 16 mayday call to


the Coast Guard.


The passengers were transferred to a San Diego Harbor


Patrol boat and taken


to shore. There were no injuries reported.
http://www.thelog.com/news/newsview.asp?c=179603