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Soul searching about a sailor in trouble

With all the armchair sailors here criticizing people who are actually out
sailing around in their boats, I think I'll take time for an account of a
sailor who is, or was, a real hazard to himself. I'm also doing some soul
searching about it.

I sailed my son around the Cape on Wednesday to drop him off for a hike back
through the towns' greenbelt trails. As we were leaving, we passed a fairly
competent looking double ender that was remarkable for jogging along under
only a half luffing staysail. I figured he was just getting started and
organized. The boat appeared well equipped and there was just one person on
deck.

On my return, I saw the boat again, still jogging along at about 1 knot
under just the staysail which appeared to be sheeted way too far aft so that
the foot was tight and the top half flogging. The boat had just crossed a
long dangerous ledge without running aground. It's a short cut I often take
but I know the waters and I don't do it when there is a sea running like
there was on Wednesday.

I thought briefly of going over to take a look but he was past the danger
and the occasional large seas breaking nearby certainly would have clued him
into not returning that way. It was one of those days that looks nasty but
generally doesn't have much wind. I decided he was just taking it easy and
enjoying the view. You could spend all afternoon sitting on a porch watching
the ocean so why not just jog along the coast at 1 knot if you felt lazy? I
also wanted to be home when my son returned and had another home alone.

This morning, I read in the paper that a disoriented sailor was brought in
by the Coast Guard about 25 miles south the next day. I did some checking
and it was the same boat with the sole POB suffering the effects of
diabetes. He's home now and the boat is safe. He had been out in the heavy
rain and weather that brought a rare tornado watch to Maine.

I'm kicking myself now because, thinking back on how the boat was being
sailed, I'm sure he was impaired at the time I saw him and I probably could
have detected it if I'd gone over to check him out or tried to raise him on
the radio. It never occurred to me though that he might actually be trying
to go somewhere instead of just being out for a slow daysail. If he had come
to grief, I would be pretty torn up about it today.

OTOH how often is there any upside to hailing someone by voice or radio and
pointing out that they are sailing like a bozo and are they all right? I
learned later that he was swearing on the radio at some charter fishing
boats that inquired about him and that this behavior played a part in
instigating the SAR which involved both boats and aircraft.

Next time I see something like this, I'm sure I'll take a closer look but I'm
still not sure of the best way to handle it. It's a miracle that he made it
past the ledges off the cape and as far as he did.

--
Roger Long

Soul searching about a sailor in trouble

wrote in message
...
On Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:35:49 -0400, "Roger Long"
wrote:

With all the armchair sailors here criticizing people who are actually out
sailing around in their boats, I think I'll take time for an account of a
sailor who is, or was, a real hazard to himself. I'm also doing some soul
searching about it.

I sailed my son around the Cape on Wednesday to drop him off for a hike
back
through the towns' greenbelt trails. As we were leaving, we passed a
fairly
competent looking double ender that was remarkable for jogging along under
only a half luffing staysail. I figured he was just getting started and
organized. The boat appeared well equipped and there was just one person
on
deck.

On my return, I saw the boat again, still jogging along at about 1 knot
under just the staysail which appeared to be sheeted way too far aft so
that
the foot was tight and the top half flogging. The boat had just crossed a
long dangerous ledge without running aground. It's a short cut I often
take
but I know the waters and I don't do it when there is a sea running like
there was on Wednesday.

I thought briefly of going over to take a look but he was past the danger
and the occasional large seas breaking nearby certainly would have clued
him
into not returning that way. It was one of those days that looks nasty but
generally doesn't have much wind. I decided he was just taking it easy and
enjoying the view. You could spend all afternoon sitting on a porch
watching
the ocean so why not just jog along the coast at 1 knot if you felt lazy?
I
also wanted to be home when my son returned and had another home alone.

This morning, I read in the paper that a disoriented sailor was brought in
by the Coast Guard about 25 miles south the next day. I did some checking
and it was the same boat with the sole POB suffering the effects of
diabetes. He's home now and the boat is safe. He had been out in the heavy
rain and weather that brought a rare tornado watch to Maine.

I'm kicking myself now because, thinking back on how the boat was being
sailed, I'm sure he was impaired at the time I saw him and I probably
could
have detected it if I'd gone over to check him out or tried to raise him
on
the radio. It never occurred to me though that he might actually be trying
to go somewhere instead of just being out for a slow daysail. If he had
come
to grief, I would be pretty torn up about it today.

OTOH how often is there any upside to hailing someone by voice or radio
and
pointing out that they are sailing like a bozo and are they all right? I
learned later that he was swearing on the radio at some charter fishing
boats that inquired about him and that this behavior played a part in
instigating the SAR which involved both boats and aircraft.

Next time I see something like this, I'm sure I'll take a closer look but
I'm
still not sure of the best way to handle it. It's a miracle that he made
it
past the ledges off the cape and as far as he did.

Thankfully, the Charter Fishing boat realized that the response itself
indicated something was not right and they followed through by
notifying the proper authorities. That was a proper way to handle it.

I've occasionally seen a boat that appears to be somewhat
uncontrolled. Things such as a Genoa flogging badly for more than a
short interval with no apparent effort to trim it. I usually just
keep an eye on them, and if things still look amiss 10 minutes later,
I go closer and observe whatever activity I can.

A few times that has prompted me to go even closer and hail them. I
don't tell them they are sailing like a Bozo. I just ask if they need
any assistance. Most will automaticaly say they are okay, but you can
usually tell if they really are by the tone of the response.

I once spent an afternoon coaching a couple who were sailing their
Catalina 27 for the first time. It was on a gusty spring day with a
bit of chop. They were having a lot of trouble because all previous
sailing experience had consisted of sailing on a rented Sunfish while
on vacation somewhere. They had motored out of the harbor and then
shut off the motor to raise the sails. Now they had fouled that up
pretty well, and wern't sure even how to undo what they had done and
restart the motor to chug home. Things jammed and tangled all over the
place. Half the problem was caused by panic. I was tempted to just tow
them in, but instead, calmed them down and got them more or less
straightened out. I still see them occasionally, and they have
improved considerably.

If they had rebuffed my help after the second offer, I would have
backed off, and just called it in to the CG. I was pretty sure they
were not going to get themselves out of trouble and home safely
without somebody getting involved.

I had a couple of similar situations on the bay out here... one was a Mac26
(no bashing intended), that seemed to be unable to sail in fairly heavy
weather. I got within shouting distance and offered to standby while they
moved to a bit more sheltered area. They got there, then reefed, which is
what they were trying to do in the higher wind. Finally saw them back on the
dock, and I gave the skipper a quick lesson in tying a cleat hitch.

Another was in the same basic area, but this time was a guy with his young
daughter. They were on some tiny something or other, and they seemed to be
unable to keep the boat up long enough to get going. This was right in the
middle of a fairly high traffic area. We asked if they needed help, and he
said no, but we stood upwind of them anyway. I think we gave them enough of
a wind block, since they were able to get it going on the next try. She
looked fine, but he was starting to get that pre-exhausted look. They
immediately headed into a more protected area.

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

Soul searching about a sailor in trouble

If you have doubts, then check it out. Nature is not kind and if you tend to
feel responsible for another man's actions then by all means.

Would you check out the obvious in this video if that person was alone far
offshore?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLNx2N0E8zw

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
With all the armchair sailors here criticizing people who are actually out
sailing around in their boats, I think I'll take time for an account of a
sailor who is, or was, a real hazard to himself. I'm also doing some soul
searching about it.

I sailed my son around the Cape on Wednesday to drop him off for a hike
back through the towns' greenbelt trails. As we were leaving, we passed a
fairly competent looking double ender that was remarkable for jogging
along under only a half luffing staysail. I figured he was just getting
started and organized. The boat appeared well equipped and there was just
one person on deck.

On my return, I saw the boat again, still jogging along at about 1 knot
under just the staysail which appeared to be sheeted way too far aft so
that the foot was tight and the top half flogging. The boat had just
crossed a long dangerous ledge without running aground. It's a short cut I
often take but I know the waters and I don't do it when there is a sea
running like there was on Wednesday.

I thought briefly of going over to take a look but he was past the danger
and the occasional large seas breaking nearby certainly would have clued
him into not returning that way. It was one of those days that looks nasty
but generally doesn't have much wind. I decided he was just taking it easy
and enjoying the view. You could spend all afternoon sitting on a porch
watching the ocean so why not just jog along the coast at 1 knot if you
felt lazy? I also wanted to be home when my son returned and had another
home alone.

This morning, I read in the paper that a disoriented sailor was brought in
by the Coast Guard about 25 miles south the next day. I did some checking
and it was the same boat with the sole POB suffering the effects of
diabetes. He's home now and the boat is safe. He had been out in the heavy
rain and weather that brought a rare tornado watch to Maine.

I'm kicking myself now because, thinking back on how the boat was being
sailed, I'm sure he was impaired at the time I saw him and I probably
could have detected it if I'd gone over to check him out or tried to raise
him on the radio. It never occurred to me though that he might actually be
trying to go somewhere instead of just being out for a slow daysail. If he
had come to grief, I would be pretty torn up about it today.

OTOH how often is there any upside to hailing someone by voice or radio
and pointing out that they are sailing like a bozo and are they all right?
I learned later that he was swearing on the radio at some charter fishing
boats that inquired about him and that this behavior played a part in
instigating the SAR which involved both boats and aircraft.

Next time I see something like this, I'm sure I'll take a closer look but
I'm still not sure of the best way to handle it. It's a miracle that he
made it past the ledges off the cape and as far as he did.

--
Roger Long

Soul searching about a sailor in trouble

Thinking about it for a day, I realize that this incident is largely about
intuition. Back when I was flying, several wise old pilots (the old ones
are usually wise becaue the Darwin effect is stronger in the air) told me
that, when you start rationalizing away the little voice that tells you that
you are in trouble, you probably really are in trouble.

I still couldn't make a rational case for intruding on this guy's sailing
based just on what I could see and describe. He was going slowly but under
control and on a straight course. Sail trim was sloppy but how unusual is
that? His course was over shoals but the same route I often follow.

But, I KNEW something wasn't right. I just let the fact that I couldn't
back up that intuition with hard observations keep me from diverting to take
a look. The boat was also a factor. If it had been your Catalina or Hunter
I probably would have been more likely to check it out. It looked like the
kind of long traveling boat owned by someone who knows what they are doing
so it was easier to convince myself that he had his reasons for sailing that
way.

More in the paper today. The operator was 68 years old and made a distress
call that his sails were torn and his engine disabled. Seas were 6 feet and
winds 20 plus. A Falcon jet did not locate him at his reported position but
they found him by his cell phone signal. The paper reports that it was the
third time he had required assistance in 36 hours so I don't feel quite so
bad about checking him out. If the USCG didn't notice something wrong the
first two times, I probably wouldn't have been able to justify getting them
involved just by making a close pass.

--
Roger Long

Soul searching about a sailor in trouble

"Roger Long" wrote in
:

The paper reports that it was the
third time he had required assistance in 36 hours so I don't feel
quite so bad about checking him out. If the USCG didn't notice
something wrong the first two times, I probably wouldn't have been
able to justify getting them involved just by making a close pass.

CG screwed up. They should have confiscated his boat on the 2ND call and
put him before a judge to have his competency tested by a shrink.

Of course, we COULD have some SANE laws that says NOONE OVER 60 SAILS
ALONE......which is fairly obvious, but we'd rather risk CG sailor's lives
than screw with the elite's right to be stupid.

I'm 62. I don't give a **** how "fit" a 60-year-old is, in his
mind....Jack La Lane shouldn't be out sailing alone over 60....maybe over
50!

Soul searching about a sailor in trouble

"Larry" wrote

Of course, we COULD have some SANE laws that says NOONE OVER 60 SAILS
ALONE......which is fairly obvious, but we'd rather risk CG sailor's lives
than screw with the elite's right to be stupid.

I can't believe you're suggesting someting so draconian and restrictive;
especially in view of other comments you have made about government
intrusion in our lives.

There are plenty of 20 year olds who shouldn't be sailing alone for medical
and other reasons and many 80 year olds who are safer than most sailors out
there. Long before an arbitrary cut off date for single handing like that,
I would advocate medical testing and licensing. I don't advocate either.
The FAA medical system for private pilots is a joke that wastes millions of
dollars a year, keeps healthy pilots out of the air, and lets dangerous ones
fly. I doubt the gubmint would do a better job with boaters.

If 60 plus citizens shouldn't be sailing alone, they shouldn't be driving
cars either.

I plan to be sailing well into my 80's, often alone.

--
Roger Long

Soul searching about a sailor in trouble

On Jul 26, 7:09*am, Larry wrote:

I'm 62. *I don't give a **** how "fit" a 60-year-old is, in his
mind....Jack La Lane shouldn't be out sailing alone over 60....maybe over
50!

I can not disagree more! I am a liberal Democrate and belive that
govenment intrusion is not a good thing. To simply mandate an upper
age limitt is simply ignorant. I looked at the "special-better than
the rest of us" web page roger created for RBC. Looking at the pics of
the authors here Id say youre right. All over 50 ... white ..... and
pudgy to dangerously inable and feble. even though Roger claimes to
have the back of a 30 year old.

I say performance based licensing is the answer. Get an ocupational
theropist and a HRM guy to do a task analysist on sailing. Then create
a physial/mental agility test. In its most simple terms [eye test,
can you run 2 miles in 12 min, do 50 crunches, lift 80 lbs to yor
chest 30 times in 3 min. etc. that sorta stuff] Dont pass. Dont go to
sea.

But to say no sailing after 50 is bull****.... well that is unless you
live in select areas of the USA where 50% of the population is OBEASE!
Old fat ****s and people without a clue have no business off shore.
Keep them on inland and western rivers and let the county/city water
cops take care of them

Bob

Soul searching about a sailor in trouble

Bob wrote:
...Old fat ****s and people without a clue have no business off shore.

As far as people without a clue, I tend to agree with you though on the
other hand, I think that people have a right to commit suicide any way
they choose as long as they don't activate their EPIRB and risk other
people's lives in doing so.

However, as an old fat ****, myself, I disagree with that part of your
statement. My wife and I have made 3 ocean crossings of 20-30 days each
as well as numerous shorter passages, logging something like 30,000 nm
on our boats. Further, we'll be back out there again as soon as family
matters permit. Since we've got hank on sails, we've done our share of
sail changes out there on the end of a bouncing bowsprit and all the
other tasks the cruising life includes.

Cruising is not an aerobic activity. Prior planning, common sense, a
knack for fixing things and a willingness to do whatever it takes at
times are far more useful than the ability to "run 2 miles in 12 min, do
50 crunches, lift 80 lbs to yor chest 30 times in 3 min. etc". If you
don't understand this then I submit that I am probably far safer out
there than you are.

My days of physical prowess are behind me, but I've still got a lot of
years of great cruising ahead of me. It may take me a little longer to
get to the top of my mast or to haul my anchor with my manual windless
than you, but it's not a race.

Hopefully, someday we'll find ourselves in the same anchorage and we can
meet face to face and enjoy a sunset and some sushi together.

--
Dan Best - (559) 970-9858, Fresno, CA 93704
B-2/75 1977-1979
Tayana 37 #192, "Tricia Jean" http://triciajean192.home.comcast.net