Real life danger...
 

After reading days of posts about singlehandling and monster
waves.....most probably imagined after one too many drinks in a comfy
Lazy-Boy...
here's a reminder that real life dangers do exist..
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...ip-search.html

Real life danger...
 

another article says:

"...Laura Gainey, 25, was swept off the Picton Castle on Friday night.
She wasn't wearing a life jacket or a survival suit...."

Tells a lot right there. I doubt if they find her.



Don White wrote:
After reading days of posts about singlehandling and monster
waves.....most probably imagined after one too many drinks in a comfy
Lazy-Boy...
here's a reminder that real life dangers do exist..
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...ip-search.html

Real life danger...
 

On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 20:01:37 -0800, Tim wrote:

another article says:

"...Laura Gainey, 25, was swept off the Picton Castle on Friday night. She
wasn't wearing a life jacket or a survival suit...."

Tells a lot right there. I doubt if they find her.

Let's try not to blame the victim here. According to the capt she was in
an area on the stern he referred to as a storm deck, a "safe" and
appropriate place for her to be in these conditions. Short and long: She
could have been swept off by the same wave wearing a pfd and/or "survival
suit" and still not be found.

Real life danger...
 

"Don White" wrote in message
...
After reading days of posts about singlehandling and monster
waves.....most probably imagined after one too many drinks in a comfy
Lazy-Boy...
here's a reminder that real life dangers do exist..
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...ip-search.html

That's it. Aren't there EPIRBS that attach to life vests? I'm buying one
before the boat hits the water this spring.

Real life danger...
 

mr.b wrote:
On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 20:01:37 -0800, Tim wrote:

another article says:

"...Laura Gainey, 25, was swept off the Picton Castle on Friday night. She
wasn't wearing a life jacket or a survival suit...."

Tells a lot right there. I doubt if they find her.


I'm really not trying to blame the victim. But in a storm, it would
have been wiser to wear protective gear, especially the high tech that
joe is talking about. And I would think that a ship with that type of
class and budget should have it on board.

I'm saying in that type of situation, that when you think you're safe,
you're probably not.

It's misfortunate, regardless...

Real life danger...
 

"It's unclear exactly what she was doing when a mid-Atlantic wave rushed
over the covered rear deck where she was working. Moreland said she wasn't
wear a life-jacket, nor a line to secure her to the deck."

Storm, night, Atlantic, ........... yet she wasn't wearing a life-jacket
nor was she attached to the ship.

Am I missing something? Safety never takes a day off. That is how my old
boss put it. If she had been attached to the ship, this would be an onboard
story about the big wave the other night.

Next time your crewmate says "I don't need a life-jacket, and I don't like
attaching this stupid satety strap". Tell him/her that safety never takes a
day off.

================================================== =====================================
Prospects bleak for missing sailor
Woman swept off tall ship on Friday is Bob Gainey's daughter
By MICHAEL TUTTON The Canadian Press


The "devastated" crew members of a Nova Scotia tall ship were making final
attempts in the darkened Atlantic late Sunday to find the daughter of
Montreal Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey.

Laura Gainey, the 25-year-old who recently discovered her passion for
sailing the high seas on the square-rigged, three-masted Picton Castle, was
swept off the 44-metre barque's rear deck by waves during a powerful storm
on Friday night.

Family, friends and former crewmates of the young woman were struggling to
contain anxiety and tears Sunday evening, after almost 45 hours of searching
by U.S. Coast Guard planes, a civilian ship and the Picton Castle in an area
about 700 kilometres off of Cape Cod, Mass.

A U.S. Coast Guard news release estimated Sunday evening that search crews
"have scoured" 2,400 square kilometres looking for Gainey. Officials planned
to continue searching through the night and into this morning.

Former crewmate Kimberly Helms recalled her first impressions of the
curly-haired woman as she climbed aboard the tall ship last spring in Cape
Town, South Africa.

"She's lovely, she was very cheerful. She was exceptionally enthusiastic
about being on the ship," she said.

Helms said whenever Gainey walked by the ship's galley, she'd shout in to
see if a hand was needed with kitchen work. Whenever one of about 50 other
shipmates were on watch, she'd stop by for a chat.

The ship's website shows a photo of Gainey laughing in a colourful bikini.
Another website set up by a newspaper photographer shows her cuddling the
ship's cat, Chibley.

Her confidence and happiness was a sharp contrast from her earlier life.

In past articles about Bob Gainey, who spent 16 seasons with the Canadiens
before becoming a coach and then general manager in the NHL, Laura has
appeared as a troubled teenager.

In 1995 - the year Gainey's wife Cathy died of a malignant tumour - Laura
was written about as a 14-year-old drug addict, who had to be sent to
clinics to cope with what sports writer Red Fisher called a "mind bending
culture of hash, marijuana, acid and speed."

Her recovery, and the fresh steps in the decade since, makes her loss all
the more sad for her father and family, said Helms.

Dan Moreland, the senior captain of the Picton Castle, said from Lunenburg
that Gainey was a "well-loved," enthusiastic volunteer on the vessel.

He described the situation as "completely devastating for everybody.

"She is hardworking, someone who wanted to turn her life around from earlier
stuff. She was passionate about it, loved it and worked very hard," said
Moreland. "She was no slouch."

Helms said she had just received a series of e-mails from her friend,
ecstatic about being accepted on a fresh trip to the Caribbean as volunteer
crew.

Her position as leading seaman entailed her taking a leadership position in
the watches, and instructing the volunteer trainees.

It's unclear exactly what she was doing when a mid-Atlantic wave rushed over
the covered rear deck where she was working. Moreland said she wasn't wear a
life-jacket, nor a line to secure her to the deck.

However, both he and Helms - a former paid crew member - said sometimes crew
don't wear life-jackets because it would reduce their ability to move
around.

"It seems this wave really filled up the decks," said Moreland. "There was a
great deal of water on board, and as the ship shook it off, Laura got washed
overboard.

"It could happen to any ship, to any captain, and from my point of view, it's
the captain's greatest fear."

In a news release issued by the Montreal Canadiens, the club said "the
thoughts and prayers of the entire Montreal Canadiens organization are with
Mr. Gainey and his family."

Gainey was awaiting news on the search with his three other children Anna,
Colleen and Steve. In the meantime, the club said that Pierre Gauthier,
assistant general manager, will take over Gainey's responsibilities.

Maureen Newby, the missing woman's aunt, told CTV on Sunday afternoon that
the family continued to hold out hope because her niece had substantial
sailing experience.

"I think it's probably two or three that she's been on - big voyages with a
tall ship, so she is experienced and a good swimmer and we're just hoping
that she'll be found," Newby told CTV.

The ship planned to continue its voyage to the Caribbean following the
search.

David Ostler, whose daughter is a crew member on the Picton Castle, said
from his home in Brampton, Ont., that he believes finishing the voyage is
the right thing to do.

"It's the safest thing to do. Coming back in the North Atlantic this time of
year, the seas can be heavy," he said.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Real life danger...
 

mr.b wrote:
On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 20:01:37 -0800, Tim wrote:


another article says:

"...Laura Gainey, 25, was swept off the Picton Castle on Friday night. She
wasn't wearing a life jacket or a survival suit...."

Tells a lot right there. I doubt if they find her.


Let's try not to blame the victim here. According to the capt she was in
an area on the stern he referred to as a storm deck, a "safe" and
appropriate place for her to be in these conditions. Short and long: She
could have been swept off by the same wave wearing a pfd and/or "survival
suit" and still not be found.

When it gets the least bit rough... even within sight of land, I wear my
PFD with VHF, GPS, signal whistle and mirror reflecting device all
attached by lanyards.
If I'm going in...I plan on making a lot of noise. If anyone's within 4
miles or so, at least they'll save my body from the fishes.

Real life danger...
 

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Don White" wrote in message
...

After reading days of posts about singlehandling and monster
waves.....most probably imagined after one too many drinks in a comfy
Lazy-Boy...
here's a reminder that real life dangers do exist..
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...ip-search.html


That's it. Aren't there EPIRBS that attach to life vests? I'm buying one
before the boat hits the water this spring.



At this point I believe they are too big and expensive.
I carry a VHF handheld on my person while sailing.
Too bad someone can't design a minature EPIRB that could pin to your PFD
similar to the little strobe lights.

Real life danger...
 

"Don White" wrote in message
...
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Don White" wrote in message
...

After reading days of posts about singlehandling and monster
waves.....most probably imagined after one too many drinks in a comfy
Lazy-Boy...
here's a reminder that real life dangers do exist..
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...ip-search.html


That's it. Aren't there EPIRBS that attach to life vests? I'm buying one
before the boat hits the water this spring.

At this point I believe they are too big and expensive.
I carry a VHF handheld on my person while sailing.
Too bad someone can't design a minature EPIRB that could pin to your PFD
similar to the little strobe lights.

This one's tiny.
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/61792/0/0/epirb/All_2/mode+matchallpartial/0/0

Real life danger...
 

Don White wrote:
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Don White" wrote in message
...

After reading days of posts about singlehandling and monster
waves.....most probably imagined after one too many drinks in a comfy
Lazy-Boy...
here's a reminder that real life dangers do exist..
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...ip-search.html



That's it. Aren't there EPIRBS that attach to life vests? I'm buying
one before the boat hits the water this spring.


At this point I believe they are too big and expensive.
I carry a VHF handheld on my person while sailing.
Too bad someone can't design a minature EPIRB that could pin to your PFD
similar to the little strobe lights.
There are small personal EPIRBs that can bee attached to the PFD. It's
called a PLB, personal Locator Beacon. 5.7" x 3.03" x 1.74" 12 oz. $650
krj

Real life danger...
 

Tim wrote:
another article says:

"...Laura Gainey, 25, was swept off the Picton Castle on Friday night.
She wasn't wearing a life jacket or a survival suit...."

Tells a lot right there. I doubt if they find her.


Here's a photo of the weather deck:

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo...25657823KSIOFQ

Not exactly what one would call a precariously exposed area, but even
one loss is too many.

Real life danger...
 

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Don White" wrote in message
...

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:

"Don White" wrote in message
...


After reading days of posts about singlehandling and monster
waves.....most probably imagined after one too many drinks in a comfy
Lazy-Boy...
here's a reminder that real life dangers do exist..
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...ip-search.html


That's it. Aren't there EPIRBS that attach to life vests? I'm buying one
before the boat hits the water this spring.

At this point I believe they are too big and expensive.
I carry a VHF handheld on my person while sailing.
Too bad someone can't design a minature EPIRB that could pin to your PFD
similar to the little strobe lights.


This one's tiny.
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/61792/0/0/epirb/All_2/mode+matchallpartial/0/0


That might be the ticket.

Real life danger...
 

"Don White" wrote in message
...
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Don White" wrote in message
...

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:

"Don White" wrote in message
...


After reading days of posts about singlehandling and monster
waves.....most probably imagined after one too many drinks in a comfy
Lazy-Boy...
here's a reminder that real life dangers do exist..
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...ip-search.html


That's it. Aren't there EPIRBS that attach to life vests? I'm buying one
before the boat hits the water this spring.

At this point I believe they are too big and expensive.
I carry a VHF handheld on my person while sailing.
Too bad someone can't design a minature EPIRB that could pin to your PFD
similar to the little strobe lights.


This one's tiny.
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/61792/0/0/epirb/All_2/mode+matchallpartial/0/0
That might be the ticket.

No. It's an EPIRB.

Real life danger...
 

On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:17:46 +0000, Don White wrote:

When it gets the least bit rough... even within sight of land, I wear my
PFD with VHF, GPS, signal whistle and mirror reflecting device all
attached by lanyards.
If I'm going in...I plan on making a lot of noise. If anyone's within 4
miles or so, at least they'll save my body from the fishes.

I hear you. My wife and I wear Mustang auto-inflators at all times when
underway. Though an immersion suit would probably be more prudent at
most times in Georgian Bay. That water never seems to heat up in the
summer. And as to rough, the "aft deck" i.e., cockpit of
our boat looks like a friggin plank compared to the weather deck of the
Picton Castle!

Real life danger...
 

"Don White" wrote in message
...
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Don White" wrote in message
...

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:

"Don White" wrote in message
...


After reading days of posts about singlehandling and monster
waves.....most probably imagined after one too many drinks in a comfy
Lazy-Boy...
here's a reminder that real life dangers do exist..
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...ip-search.html


That's it. Aren't there EPIRBS that attach to life vests? I'm buying one
before the boat hits the water this spring.

At this point I believe they are too big and expensive.
I carry a VHF handheld on my person while sailing.
Too bad someone can't design a minature EPIRB that could pin to your PFD
similar to the little strobe lights.


This one's tiny.
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/61792/0/0/epirb/All_2/mode+matchallpartial/0/0
That might be the ticket.


It's only 121.5 MHz, and that satellite monitor freq. is going away in 2009.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Real life danger...
 

Capt. JG wrote:
"Don White" wrote in message
...
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Don White" wrote in message
...

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:

"Don White" wrote in message
...


After reading days of posts about singlehandling and monster
waves.....most probably imagined after one too many drinks in a comfy
Lazy-Boy...
here's a reminder that real life dangers do exist..
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...ip-search.html

That's it. Aren't there EPIRBS that attach to life vests? I'm buying one
before the boat hits the water this spring.
At this point I believe they are too big and expensive.
I carry a VHF handheld on my person while sailing.
Too bad someone can't design a minature EPIRB that could pin to your PFD
similar to the little strobe lights.

This one's tiny.
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/61792/0/0/epirb/All_2/mode+matchallpartial/0/0
That might be the ticket.


It's only 121.5 MHz, and that satellite monitor freq. is going away in 2009.

But this one is 406 with GPS
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...oductId=136072

Real life danger...
 

Gene Kearns wrote in message
...
On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 14:44:48 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

"Don White" wrote in message
...
After reading days of posts about singlehandling and monster
waves.....most probably imagined after one too many drinks in a comfy
Lazy-Boy...
here's a reminder that real life dangers do exist..
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...ip-search.html

That's it. Aren't there EPIRBS that attach to life vests? I'm buying one
before the boat hits the water this spring.


Hopefully, ever bearing in mind that the 121.5 MHz units will be
illegal for use in about 20 days.....
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-o/g-opr/OnScene/OSFall06.pdf


Yeah, but that was just an example of a small one. I figured you knew that.

Real life danger...
 

"krj" wrote in message
.. .
Capt. JG wrote:
"Don White" wrote in message
...
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Don White" wrote in message
...

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:

"Don White" wrote in message
...


After reading days of posts about singlehandling and monster
waves.....most probably imagined after one too many drinks in a
comfy Lazy-Boy...
here's a reminder that real life dangers do exist..
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...ip-search.html

That's it. Aren't there EPIRBS that attach to life vests? I'm buying
one before the boat hits the water this spring.
At this point I believe they are too big and expensive.
I carry a VHF handheld on my person while sailing.
Too bad someone can't design a minature EPIRB that could pin to your
PFD similar to the little strobe lights.

This one's tiny.
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/61792/0/0/epirb/All_2/mode+matchallpartial/0/0
That might be the ticket.


It's only 121.5 MHz, and that satellite monitor freq. is going away in
2009.

But this one is 406 with GPS
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...oductId=136072



Yeah, and it's only 5x the price. :-)


--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Real life danger...
 

On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:17:46 GMT, Don White
wrote:

mr.b wrote:
On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 20:01:37 -0800, Tim wrote:


another article says:

"...Laura Gainey, 25, was swept off the Picton Castle on Friday night. She
wasn't wearing a life jacket or a survival suit...."

Tells a lot right there. I doubt if they find her.


Let's try not to blame the victim here. According to the capt she was in
an area on the stern he referred to as a storm deck, a "safe" and
appropriate place for her to be in these conditions. Short and long: She
could have been swept off by the same wave wearing a pfd and/or "survival
suit" and still not be found.

When it gets the least bit rough... even within sight of land, I wear my
PFD with VHF, GPS, signal whistle and mirror reflecting device all
attached by lanyards.
If I'm going in...I plan on making a lot of noise. If anyone's within 4
miles or so, at least they'll save my body from the fishes.

There was mention of a "rogue wave." Not sure how common these are in
relatively calm conditions, but stuff happens. On my can I came off
an 8-12 boiler room watch at midnight while we steamed a few hundred
miles west of Gibraltar as we headed to the Med.
Went up to the 02 level with a watch mate, an mean ugly old-timer
1st-class named Ozborn, to get some air and enjoy the clear warm
night. Could have well went to the fantail but the 02 level offers a
better vista and it doesn't have the noise and vibration of the screws
pounding the water. We were steaming about 20 knots.
There were long following swells and the ship was pitching gently.
There was a light warm breeze and the water was like glass.
Except for Ozzie's mug, it was just beautiful out there.
We were on the starboard side railing, a good 18-20 feet above the
sea.
The ship changed course to starboard. The course change wasn't
sharp, but we soon found the swells abeam. We rode 2 or 3 of them
easily, and I saw the next one coming was different. It looked to be
awfully high. I turned my head to note that to Ozzie but he was
already running to the 5-70 gun mount. I sprinted after him but only
got two steps before I was swept off my feet and floating. I was
quickly dropped back on the deck by the railing. Not sure if the
railing kept me from going overboard, as my heart was beating too fast
for my brain to record that.
I went below, dried off and hit the sack.
Ozzie had jumped a couple of ladder rungs up on the gun mount before
his lower half got clobbered by the wave. He stayed up there to dry
off, not wanting anybody to see how his saltiness got wet. I heard
him sneaking in before I dozed off. Pretty stupid, since I told
everybody what happened anyway, including the fact that he didn't want
them to know about it. I considered it safety training.
We had some deck apes who would tie themselves to the Tartar
rocket mount when standing their aft lookout. We joked about it,
but after what happened to me I never could blame them for doing it.
I really like the idea of these electronic beacons. All I remember
our crew having available was clip-on single cell flashlights which
I never saw anybody wearing, but I took with me a couple times when
dumping trash in heavy weather. Their light was pretty dim.
The thing is, if the sea is choppy and night black, it's almost
impossible for vision to see much, even with big spotlights.
A couple times doing plane guard we searched for downed pilots in
these conditions, and I was disheartened by how much water has
to be looked at in the chop. A 25 square foot piece of the ocean
may not be visible for some time as you scan the chop, and it is easy
to be looking elsewhere when that spot becomes visible.
Here's a "stupid" incident that almost killed my brother.
I just talked to him to get the details straight and he mentioned that
the Canadian girl's father is a hockey hall-of-famer.
Anyway, my bother was working construction in Florida around Ft.
Meyers.
Him and 3 work buddies rented a sail board contraption and sailed out
into the gulf a mile or so. Hardly any wind and the sea was flat.
At some point he was swimming alone and a strong breeze came up
and the sail board took off. My brother was not a "good" swimmer, the
kind that almost has gills, but just an "I can swim" swimmer.
The other 3 guys couldn't get the board back to him. When the breeze
was there they couldn't properly tack, and sometimes the breeze
would disappear.
He's swimming/paddling about half an hour and thought he was going to
drown. The board gets about 50 yards off and one of his buddies who
was a gill type swimmer dives off and swims over to him and keeps his
head above water until the other two get the board closer, which is
almost another half hour. Brother was lucky. There's so many ways
after the first mistake this could have ended differently.

--Vic

Real life danger...
 

A couple of great stories, Vic.

Thanks!


Vic Smith wrote:
On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:17:46 GMT, Don White
wrote:

mr.b wrote:
On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 20:01:37 -0800, Tim wrote:


another article says:

"...Laura Gainey, 25, was swept off the Picton Castle on Friday night. She
wasn't wearing a life jacket or a survival suit...."

Tells a lot right there. I doubt if they find her.


Let's try not to blame the victim here. According to the capt she was in
an area on the stern he referred to as a storm deck, a "safe" and
appropriate place for her to be in these conditions. Short and long: She
could have been swept off by the same wave wearing a pfd and/or "survival
suit" and still not be found.

When it gets the least bit rough... even within sight of land, I wear my
PFD with VHF, GPS, signal whistle and mirror reflecting device all
attached by lanyards.
If I'm going in...I plan on making a lot of noise. If anyone's within 4
miles or so, at least they'll save my body from the fishes.

There was mention of a "rogue wave." Not sure how common these are in
relatively calm conditions, but stuff happens. On my can I came off
an 8-12 boiler room watch at midnight while we steamed a few hundred
miles west of Gibraltar as we headed to the Med.
Went up to the 02 level with a watch mate, an mean ugly old-timer
1st-class named Ozborn, to get some air and enjoy the clear warm
night. Could have well went to the fantail but the 02 level offers a
better vista and it doesn't have the noise and vibration of the screws
pounding the water. We were steaming about 20 knots.
There were long following swells and the ship was pitching gently.
There was a light warm breeze and the water was like glass.
Except for Ozzie's mug, it was just beautiful out there.
We were on the starboard side railing, a good 18-20 feet above the
sea.
The ship changed course to starboard. The course change wasn't
sharp, but we soon found the swells abeam. We rode 2 or 3 of them
easily, and I saw the next one coming was different. It looked to be
awfully high. I turned my head to note that to Ozzie but he was
already running to the 5-70 gun mount. I sprinted after him but only
got two steps before I was swept off my feet and floating. I was
quickly dropped back on the deck by the railing. Not sure if the
railing kept me from going overboard, as my heart was beating too fast
for my brain to record that.
I went below, dried off and hit the sack.
Ozzie had jumped a couple of ladder rungs up on the gun mount before
his lower half got clobbered by the wave. He stayed up there to dry
off, not wanting anybody to see how his saltiness got wet. I heard
him sneaking in before I dozed off. Pretty stupid, since I told
everybody what happened anyway, including the fact that he didn't want
them to know about it. I considered it safety training.
We had some deck apes who would tie themselves to the Tartar
rocket mount when standing their aft lookout. We joked about it,
but after what happened to me I never could blame them for doing it.
I really like the idea of these electronic beacons. All I remember
our crew having available was clip-on single cell flashlights which
I never saw anybody wearing, but I took with me a couple times when
dumping trash in heavy weather. Their light was pretty dim.
The thing is, if the sea is choppy and night black, it's almost
impossible for vision to see much, even with big spotlights.
A couple times doing plane guard we searched for downed pilots in
these conditions, and I was disheartened by how much water has
to be looked at in the chop. A 25 square foot piece of the ocean
may not be visible for some time as you scan the chop, and it is easy
to be looking elsewhere when that spot becomes visible.
Here's a "stupid" incident that almost killed my brother.
I just talked to him to get the details straight and he mentioned that
the Canadian girl's father is a hockey hall-of-famer.
Anyway, my bother was working construction in Florida around Ft.
Meyers.
Him and 3 work buddies rented a sail board contraption and sailed out
into the gulf a mile or so. Hardly any wind and the sea was flat.
At some point he was swimming alone and a strong breeze came up
and the sail board took off. My brother was not a "good" swimmer, the
kind that almost has gills, but just an "I can swim" swimmer.
The other 3 guys couldn't get the board back to him. When the breeze
was there they couldn't properly tack, and sometimes the breeze
would disappear.
He's swimming/paddling about half an hour and thought he was going to
drown. The board gets about 50 yards off and one of his buddies who
was a gill type swimmer dives off and swims over to him and keeps his
head above water until the other two get the board closer, which is
almost another half hour. Brother was lucky. There's so many ways
after the first mistake this could have ended differently.

--Vic

Real life danger...
 

I was watching the Sharks game, and they mentioned her, and I said to
myself, "is this the same gal I read about on the NG?" Until this post, I
saw no mention of her being the daughter of the Canadiens GM. Thanks for the
article.

--Mike

"NE Sailboat" wrote in message
news:PCefh.1244$e26.826@trndny04...
"It's unclear exactly what she was doing when a mid-Atlantic wave rushed
over the covered rear deck where she was working. Moreland said she wasn't
wear a life-jacket, nor a line to secure her to the deck."

Storm, night, Atlantic, ........... yet she wasn't wearing a life-jacket
nor was she attached to the ship.

Am I missing something? Safety never takes a day off. That is how my old
boss put it. If she had been attached to the ship, this would be an
onboard story about the big wave the other night.

Next time your crewmate says "I don't need a life-jacket, and I don't like
attaching this stupid satety strap". Tell him/her that safety never takes
a day off.

================================================== =====================================
Prospects bleak for missing sailor
Woman swept off tall ship on Friday is Bob Gainey's daughter
By MICHAEL TUTTON The Canadian Press


The "devastated" crew members of a Nova Scotia tall ship were making final
attempts in the darkened Atlantic late Sunday to find the daughter of
Montreal Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey.

Laura Gainey, the 25-year-old who recently discovered her passion for
sailing the high seas on the square-rigged, three-masted Picton Castle,
was swept off the 44-metre barque's rear deck by waves during a powerful
storm on Friday night.

Family, friends and former crewmates of the young woman were struggling to
contain anxiety and tears Sunday evening, after almost 45 hours of
searching by U.S. Coast Guard planes, a civilian ship and the Picton
Castle in an area about 700 kilometres off of Cape Cod, Mass.

A U.S. Coast Guard news release estimated Sunday evening that search crews
"have scoured" 2,400 square kilometres looking for Gainey. Officials
planned to continue searching through the night and into this morning.

Former crewmate Kimberly Helms recalled her first impressions of the
curly-haired woman as she climbed aboard the tall ship last spring in Cape
Town, South Africa.

"She's lovely, she was very cheerful. She was exceptionally enthusiastic
about being on the ship," she said.

Helms said whenever Gainey walked by the ship's galley, she'd shout in to
see if a hand was needed with kitchen work. Whenever one of about 50 other
shipmates were on watch, she'd stop by for a chat.

The ship's website shows a photo of Gainey laughing in a colourful bikini.
Another website set up by a newspaper photographer shows her cuddling the
ship's cat, Chibley.

Her confidence and happiness was a sharp contrast from her earlier life.

In past articles about Bob Gainey, who spent 16 seasons with the Canadiens
before becoming a coach and then general manager in the NHL, Laura has
appeared as a troubled teenager.

In 1995 - the year Gainey's wife Cathy died of a malignant tumour - Laura
was written about as a 14-year-old drug addict, who had to be sent to
clinics to cope with what sports writer Red Fisher called a "mind bending
culture of hash, marijuana, acid and speed."

Her recovery, and the fresh steps in the decade since, makes her loss all
the more sad for her father and family, said Helms.

Dan Moreland, the senior captain of the Picton Castle, said from Lunenburg
that Gainey was a "well-loved," enthusiastic volunteer on the vessel.

He described the situation as "completely devastating for everybody.

"She is hardworking, someone who wanted to turn her life around from
earlier stuff. She was passionate about it, loved it and worked very
hard," said Moreland. "She was no slouch."

Helms said she had just received a series of e-mails from her friend,
ecstatic about being accepted on a fresh trip to the Caribbean as
volunteer crew.

Her position as leading seaman entailed her taking a leadership position
in the watches, and instructing the volunteer trainees.

It's unclear exactly what she was doing when a mid-Atlantic wave rushed
over the covered rear deck where she was working. Moreland said she wasn't
wear a life-jacket, nor a line to secure her to the deck.

However, both he and Helms - a former paid crew member - said sometimes
crew don't wear life-jackets because it would reduce their ability to move
around.

"It seems this wave really filled up the decks," said Moreland. "There was
a great deal of water on board, and as the ship shook it off, Laura got
washed overboard.

"It could happen to any ship, to any captain, and from my point of view,
it's the captain's greatest fear."

In a news release issued by the Montreal Canadiens, the club said "the
thoughts and prayers of the entire Montreal Canadiens organization are
with Mr. Gainey and his family."

Gainey was awaiting news on the search with his three other children Anna,
Colleen and Steve. In the meantime, the club said that Pierre Gauthier,
assistant general manager, will take over Gainey's responsibilities.

Maureen Newby, the missing woman's aunt, told CTV on Sunday afternoon that
the family continued to hold out hope because her niece had substantial
sailing experience.

"I think it's probably two or three that she's been on - big voyages with
a tall ship, so she is experienced and a good swimmer and we're just
hoping that she'll be found," Newby told CTV.

The ship planned to continue its voyage to the Caribbean following the
search.

David Ostler, whose daughter is a crew member on the Picton Castle, said
from his home in Brampton, Ont., that he believes finishing the voyage is
the right thing to do.

"It's the safest thing to do. Coming back in the North Atlantic this time
of year, the seas can be heavy," he said.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Real life danger...
 

Vic Smith wrote:
snip
I just talked to him to get the details straight and he mentioned that
the Canadian girl's father is a hockey hall-of-famer.
snip...

Sure is...one of my favourite players from those powerhouse Montreal
Canadiens teams in the 70s. 4 straight Stanley Cups.
Hate seeing such misfortune happen to such a good solid low key type
like him. (wife died at age 39 from cancer)

Real life danger...
 

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 05:04:38 GMT, "Mike" wrote:


I was watching the Sharks game, and they mentioned her, and I said to
myself, "is this the same gal I read about on the NG?" Until this post, I
saw no mention of her being the daughter of the Canadiens GM. Thanks for the
article.


When they first reported it this morning, that was one of the items.

Then again, New England is big hockey terrority.

Unlike Canada. :)


Who do you think taught you the game?
http://www.birthplaceofhockey.com/

Real life danger...
 

"Don White" wrote in message
...
Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 05:04:38 GMT, "Mike" wrote:


I was watching the Sharks game, and they mentioned her, and I said to
myself, "is this the same gal I read about on the NG?" Until this post,
I saw no mention of her being the daughter of the Canadiens GM. Thanks
for the article.


When they first reported it this morning, that was one of the items.

Then again, New England is big hockey terrority.

Unlike Canada. :)


Who do you think taught you the game?
http://www.birthplaceofhockey.com/


Speaking of hockey, have you ever seen the Ninja Turtle movie (not the
cartoon), where they somehow bring some Samurai warriors into the 20th
century (for reasons I don't remember)? They have to keep these guys out of
trouble, and television turns out to be the way. The Samurai guys go nuts
over hockey. Especially the fights. :-)

Real life danger...
 

Don White wrote:
Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 05:04:38 GMT, "Mike" wrote:


I was watching the Sharks game, and they mentioned her, and I said to
myself, "is this the same gal I read about on the NG?" Until this
post, I saw no mention of her being the daughter of the Canadiens GM.
Thanks for the article.


When they first reported it this morning, that was one of the items.

Then again, New England is big hockey terrority.

Unlike Canada. :)


Who do you think taught you the game?
http://www.birthplaceofhockey.com/

One would think Canada could play the game better than they do, eh?

Real life danger...
 

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Don White" wrote in message
...

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 05:04:38 GMT, "Mike" wrote:



I was watching the Sharks game, and they mentioned her, and I said to
myself, "is this the same gal I read about on the NG?" Until this post,
I saw no mention of her being the daughter of the Canadiens GM. Thanks
for the article.


When they first reported it this morning, that was one of the items.

Then again, New England is big hockey terrority.

Unlike Canada. :)


Who do you think taught you the game?
http://www.birthplaceofhockey.com/



Speaking of hockey, have you ever seen the Ninja Turtle movie (not the
cartoon), where they somehow bring some Samurai warriors into the 20th
century (for reasons I don't remember)? They have to keep these guys out of
trouble, and television turns out to be the way. The Samurai guys go nuts
over hockey. Especially the fights. :-)


Been a long time since I saw any Ninja Turtle stuff. My #2 son was big
on them...but it peaked just after our Disney World trip in 1993.
He's 25 now.

Real life danger...
 

Reginald P. Smithers III wrote:
Don White wrote:

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 05:04:38 GMT, "Mike" wrote:


I was watching the Sharks game, and they mentioned her, and I said
to myself, "is this the same gal I read about on the NG?" Until
this post, I saw no mention of her being the daughter of the
Canadiens GM. Thanks for the article.



When they first reported it this morning, that was one of the items.

Then again, New England is big hockey terrority.

Unlike Canada. :)



Who do you think taught you the game?
http://www.birthplaceofhockey.com/


One would think Canada could play the game better than they do, eh?

Interest wains if one side continually wins... and since the NHL wants
those Yankee dollahs big time...it's in everyone's interest to let y'all
win once in a while.

Real life danger...
 

"Don White" wrote in message
...
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Don White" wrote in message
...

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 05:04:38 GMT, "Mike" wrote:



I was watching the Sharks game, and they mentioned her, and I said to
myself, "is this the same gal I read about on the NG?" Until this
post, I saw no mention of her being the daughter of the Canadiens GM.
Thanks for the article.


When they first reported it this morning, that was one of the items.

Then again, New England is big hockey terrority.

Unlike Canada. :)


Who do you think taught you the game?
http://www.birthplaceofhockey.com/



Speaking of hockey, have you ever seen the Ninja Turtle movie (not the
cartoon), where they somehow bring some Samurai warriors into the 20th
century (for reasons I don't remember)? They have to keep these guys out
of trouble, and television turns out to be the way. The Samurai guys go
nuts over hockey. Especially the fights. :-)
Been a long time since I saw any Ninja Turtle stuff. My #2 son was big on
them...but it peaked just after our Disney World trip in 1993.
He's 25 now.

Start nagging him for grandchildren. It's worth it, just for a reason to see
the movie again. :-)

Real life danger...
 

Don White wrote:
After reading days of posts about singlehandling and monster
waves.....most probably imagined after one too many drinks in a comfy
Lazy-Boy...
here's a reminder that real life dangers do exist..
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...ip-search.html

Was it possibly rogue waves like this, maybe even bigger.. that could
have been the death of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior?

I've heard of monster waves called the "Three Sisters" that could have
possibly caused the wreck, or at least, been a contributing factor to
the sinking?

Not sure, though. That's why I'm asking.

Real life danger...
 

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On 12 Dec 2006 16:40:35 -0800, "Tim" wrote:

Was it possibly rogue waves like this, maybe even bigger.. that could
have been the death of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior?

Not really.

USCG and a later NTSB ROV survey indicated that two conditions
probably caused the sinking.

The first was leaking hatch covers which was originally rejected by
the NTSB, but after the ROV investigation, they revised their report
to reflect the original USCG determination.

A secondary cause was bilge pump vent failure caused by heavy wave
action which caused the Edmond Fitzgerald to list to starboard and it
hit a big wave which caused it to spin in breaking up as it sank.

Tom, I can understand the leaking hatchs, especially if they had been
reported int he past, and/or had a history of such.

But how would one know about the pluged bildge vent? had this also
been neglected?

or a speculative afterthought?

Anyhow, what you said makes sense.

Real life danger...
 

On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 02:28:34 +0000, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:

Not really.

I think you mean "not known".

USCG and a later NTSB ROV survey indicated that two conditions probably
caused the sinking.

I think you mean "possibly" caused the sinking.

The first was leaking hatch covers which was originally rejected by the
NTSB, but after the ROV investigation, they revised their report to
reflect the original USCG determination.

The leaking hatch cover scenario was first advanced by the Company and its
insurance company. It was stated that lax on-board procedures by capt and
crew were the cause. Qui bono here?


A secondary cause was bilge pump vent failure caused by heavy wave
action which caused the Edmond Fitzgerald to list to starboard and it
hit a big wave which caused it to spin in breaking up as it sank.

This is pure speculation on anyone's part. In fact -the only factual
thing- that can be said about the sinking is that the cause is still
unknown. Rogue wave, keelson failure, grounding, mechanical failures,
crew error or any combination of the above are still valid possibilities.

Real life danger...
 

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 12:42:40 -0500, Reginald P. Smithers III wrote:

Don White wrote:
Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 05:04:38 GMT, "Mike" wrote:


I was watching the Sharks game, and they mentioned her, and I said to
myself, "is this the same gal I read about on the NG?" Until this
post, I saw no mention of her being the daughter of the Canadiens GM.
Thanks for the article.


When they first reported it this morning, that was one of the items.

Then again, New England is big hockey terrority.

Unlike Canada. :)


Who do you think taught you the game? http://www.birthplaceofhockey.com/

One would think Canada could play the game better than they do, eh?

hmmm....Salt Lake City....hmmm...what happened?...oh wait it's on the tip
of my tongue....oh that's it...both our teams kicked your arses. Coming
to Whistler? ;-P

Real life danger...
 

Let's try not to blame the victim here. According to the capt she was in
an area on the stern he referred to as a storm deck, a "safe" and
appropriate place for her to be in these conditions.

Above decks, in the North Atlantic, in Winter... there's no such thing as a
'safe' area above decks in those conditions, even without a storm.

The seas don't tolerate stupidity easily.

Real life danger...
 

Bill Kearney wrote:
Let's try not to blame the victim here. According to the capt she was in
an area on the stern he referred to as a storm deck, a "safe" and
appropriate place for her to be in these conditions.


Above decks, in the North Atlantic, in Winter... there's no such thing as a
'safe' area above decks in those conditions, even without a storm.

The seas don't tolerate stupidity easily.


Aren't you the picture of compassion and respect!