Frank Boettcher wrote:
On 30 Nov 2006 19:58:54 -0800, "Joe" wrote:


Ellen MacArthur wrote:
"Joe" wrote
Unaware was what I found amazing, hence the title.


Good job, Joe! Did you notice Jeff and Otn have nothing to say about it?
Did you notice too how it's always the motor boat's fault every time there's a
collision? Then reporters act like sailboaters just go around hitting things. Duh!


Cheers,
Ellen

Could have been the sailboats fault.

If it is anything like the coal barges running the Gulf Intercoastal,
that is more than likely the case. Probably channel bound with
limited ability to manuever even if he knew the sailboat was there.
Says "in tow" . Mean pushed or truly in tow? If in tow and the barge
hit him, then he was on collusion with the barge to start with,
providing the tow train was not turning. If so, why did he not just
come about and avoid?

Course it could have been that both were in a channel and passing.

We havent heard the whole story, just one side of it. I can understand
how you may not feel the barge take out a little sailboat like a
coronado 28 or a Tangerine.

That kind of tonnage differential. Not likely with a 33', however
would it not have shown up on radar?



It's the 5 hr not knowing someones on a barge that has me scratching my
head.

Not enough info. Was the guy holed up in a barge compartment or doing
calistinics on the deck. Was there fog.

Sailing in an area of high barge train traffic, I always relied on
"common sense" to make sure I avoided anything using the intercoastal
that looked like they needed to be there more than I did.

Frank

With what little info we have... I'd say it was an offshore barge
towing astern on a hawser. A 70ft tug is overkill of a 110' barge on
the ICW, bout right offshore. If he were in the ditch he would have
been pushing. And he would have noticed hitting the boat as it
compressed into the mud with that small of a barge, and he would have
to pay enough attention to not ground the boat and IMO would see a
sailboat.

I think either the guy sailed right into the hawser astern, got
dragged to the barge, or he was overtaken and the same thing happened
offshore. Sounds to me like the tug and barge were on a gravy run and
became lazy and complacent.

Joe





Joe