On Wed, 13 Jun 2007 16:32:55 -0400, Jeff wrote:


The one possibility might be a used Corsair F24 tri - rather spartan
on the accommodations, but shoal draft, wicked fast, and used they can
be under 30K.

Thanks. I had discounted tri's because of cabin size, but after
looking a little deeper now, the F24 is a possibility for the trips I
have in mind. This thing can sail as fast as a Mac can power, and
actually drafts less.

The Mac episode was rather different. Someone had borrowed the boat
on July 4th and took out some friends (with a few kids) to watch the
fireworks. Yes, there were a few people above the recommended limit,
and yes there was alcohol, but this was probably the case for half the
boats that left the dock that night across the country. The weather
was perfect: no wind, no waves. They pulled the anchor and apparently
the driver goosed the throttle by mistake. The boat tipped, someone
probably grabbed a stay, and it rolled over. I might expect this
behavior from a racing dinghy, or even a centerboard daysailer, but
not a 26 foot "cruising" boat. It is the totally unexpected nature of
this accident that sets it apart.

Well, my take is plain operator stupidity, and AFAIK it's a unique
incident. There were *11* people and a dog on the boat.
Three little girls, two of whom tragically drowned - that really
****es me off - and the dog were in the cabin.
The operator was in the cockpit. The other *7* adults, weighing who
knows how much, were on the bow. Duh.
*Nothing* is idiot-proof.
I was driving a big rented pontoon boat on a family fishing trip one
time and the damn thing almost tipped over when 4 heavyweights all
went to a forward corner. Totally unexpected.
The current was strong, and of course nobody was wearing a PFD.
It was scary, and if somebody drowned it would have been my fault for
not knowing the boat's limitations, and not instructing the passengers
on the rules.

--Vic