2 kinds of sailors...

[Joesaila]

Well I really did it yesterday...tried a 'shortcut' in the heavy fog. Thought my new radar would help me pick through the back side of the Brewsters [near Graves Light. why do they call it that? ] I did fine until my buddy hollered 'rocks!' When I turned my bow hit a submerged rock...It was a horrible thud but glancing so I tried to continue the turn and put us on a big rock. Did some up and down thumping, called the coast guard and dropped sails. Checked the bilge and dropped anchor to try and stay relatively stationary...
Here is where it got interesting and educational. Sea Tow was called by the C.G. and arrived w/i 10 minutes. He did a halyard pull and we were off and guided to safe waters easily. The C.G. showed and stood by. After exchanging paperwork w Sea Tow [I'm a member ] we started back and after about a mile the Coasties showed up and tooted. We slowed, they came alongside and requested to come aboard for a 'safety check'. They were professional and courteous. We made small talk and I mentioned how I'd just bought the book "Two Tankers Down; the greatest small boat rescue" 70 foot waves and I was really surprised that the Petty Officer remarked how ''we don't do that anymore" as in 'they don't go out if the seas are too rough. The addage of 'you have to go out, but you don't have to return' no longer applies. I was really surprised. He said they will send helo's if possible. I have to say I was miffed. I felt like they were more just a government administrative office or perhaps law enforcement but no longer the heroic Coastguard I'd come to expect. Am I alone with this thinking?
Next time [no more shortcuts, I learned!]...if there is a next time, I'll just call Sea Tow myself and save the paperwork and notariety.

[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by Joesaila

Well I really did it yesterday...tried a 'shortcut' in the heavy fog. Thought my new radar would help me pick through the back side of the Brewsters [near Graves Light. why do they call it that? ] I did fine until my buddy hollered 'rocks!' When I turned my bow hit a submerged rock...It was a horrible thud but glancing so I tried to continue the turn and put us on a big rock.

You have no charts or GPS/chartplotter that would've told you the rocks were there? Or you did and thought your radar would show you submerged and partially submerged rocks?

Jim

[JomsViking]

Or the exact opposite, namely a GPS assisted grounding, of which a few has happened as people have blind faith in GPS/Chartplotters.
Joe, I hope your boat is ok?

Originally Posted by SEMIJim

You have no charts or GPS/chartplotter that would've told you the rocks were there? Or you did and thought your radar would show you submerged and partially submerged rocks?

Jim

[WanderingStar]

The petty officer was overstating the case. If you're a veteran you remember how much junior personnel gripe about policy. That's probably true in business also. The old motto: "you don't have to come back" was bold, but does not recognize the reality of all rescue. That is the necessity to evaluate the likelihood of successful rescue against the chance of losing your own rescue crew and encouraging more casualties. I am a CG veteran, one of the first things they taught us is that our first responsibility was to remain alive and healthy. A dead coastie rescues no one. Still, if you read reports and news stories, you'll find plenty of brave rescues on the sea.

[hellosailor]

"The addage of 'you have to go out, but you don't have to return' no longer applies. "
They've finally figured out that the USCG has a budget, a really thin budget, and there's just no sense in sending men and machines out of suicide missions.
You'll find the same philosophy is being taught to all "emergency responders" in the post-9/11 re-examination of emergency response. Your first job, as a responder, is to KEEP YOURSELF SAFE and not to be a hero. That's the official line and since the USCG is under the DHS umbrella now--it has to be applied to them as well. (No one expects it to be applied uniformly or all the time, but that's the "book".)
So you have a boat crew, maybe 4-6 Coasties, lots of money invested in their training and death benefits and the boat itself, and you are gambling the loss of that asset versus what? Three or four folks who decided to go out someplace where they shouldn't have been? Do the math, what's the sense in any way of losing the USCG crew?
They've always done a hard brave job & they have my respect for that. But no, they are far from the first service to figure out that suicide missions are simply beyond their purpose.

[bubb2]

Originally Posted by WanderingStar

The petty officer was overstating the case. If you're a veteran you remember how much junior personnel gripe about policy. That's probably true in business also. The old motto: "you don't have to come back" was bold, but does not recognize the reality of all rescue. That is the necessity to evaluate the likelihood of successful rescue against the chance of losing your own rescue crew and encouraging more casualties. I am a CG veteran, one of the first things they taught us is that our first responsibility was to remain alive and healthy. A dead coastie rescues no one. Still, if you read reports and news stories, you'll find plenty of brave rescues on the sea.

I a vet also and I agree with you, but I do remember the time the order came down to fix bayonets.

[davidpm]

So what are the two kind of sailors? Those who have run aground and those who lie?
Probably should do a quick haul because if their is damage it would be better to notify the insurance company earlier than later.
Some damage is hard to detect but still has to be fixed.

[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by JomsViking

Or the exact opposite, namely a GPS assisted grounding, of which a few has happened as people have blind faith in GPS/Chartplotters.

Well, yeah, there's that, too. But do GPS/Chartplotters often show rocks where there are none? Without putting too fine a point on it (I hope): It seems to me unwise to venture into an area where the charts show (submerged) rocks, or other hazards, that is unfamiliar to the skipper and crew, in the fog, radar or no radar. Radar certainly won't reveal submerged hazards.

Originally Posted by JomsViking

Joe, I hope your boat is ok?

Likewise!

Jim

[jrd22]

First, sorry to hear about the damage to your boat. Second, there's a couple of lessons provided here.
"Short cut", "thick fog", "NEW radar": any one of these is an accident waiting to happen, when you combine them all it's a wonder that you got off as easily as you did. I'm not beating you while you are down, I'm sure you have learned a lot of things from this experience, but others can benefit from the mistakes you made as well. When in reduced visibility you need to stay in established channels and allow extra distance to any possible obstruction. Choosing to head out in thick fog should always be avoided if possible. Thick fog is not the place to cut your teeth on radar, practice in good visibility so you can get a feel for it.
The USCG regularly goes out in "suicide" conditions around here to rescue people in need, not sure about anywhere else.

[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by davidpm

So what are the two kind of sailors? Those who have run aground and those who lie?

One imagines that's the reference.

We've run aground twice, on our first two or three outings. (I believe I already described them here, in the past.) The first time: I was at the helm. The second time: The Admiral was. Both times under motor. Both times getting too close to in "island" in the middle of a lagoon we transit to/from the lake. The depth goes rapidly from eight feet to three or four. (We draw five.) Both times it was little powerboats that got us off. It was sand/mud/muck, and we'd been going slow (3 kts or so), and we weren't grounded hard--we'd just kind of ground to a slow halt. We probably could've kedged ourselves off, if we'd had to.

Ever since, we give that thing wide berth

Jim