Tall ship sinks

[NaviGsr]

As a responsible husband and father you would never be in similar conditions in your 30' coastal sailboat. The Concordia was making a passage through known bad weather and got caught in a microburst.

When you say microburst, you may as well think tornado, because that's what the aftereffects of one look like. Microbursts can generate 60-120 MPH of sustained wind force straight down. Few boats can withstand being held down that long without taking on enough water to swamp them.

Be prudent about the weather: don't sail in thunderstorms!

[MoonSailer]

John Vigor wrote a book on seaworthy boats. Small cockpits with a high bridge to prevent water in the cockpit from going below helps. Companionway hatch boards that lock in place. As to beam a wide beam introduces form stability while a narrow beam boat uses ballast. Some boats with wide beam are almost as stable inverted as upright ..think twin hulls. The general ideal is that a narrow boat will roll faster before flooding. The capsize ratio is a measure but also there are much more accurate ways to measure a boat's righting ability. My boat has a capsize ratio of about 1.7. Many Catalinas are greater than two. In general a boat with a CR greater than two is thought less seaworthy and more of a coastal boat.

[Minnewaska]

Tall ships were engineered during the days when you were bled to relieve an infection and fresh air was considered a cure for tuberculosis (really only a good way to keep you peaceful while you died). Your boat was engineered during the days of penicillin and MRIs.

[ManfredOrlow]

513-gt 3-masted Canadian sailing vessel Concordia, with 64 passengers and crew, sank in high winds off the coast of Brazil on Feb. 18. The vessel had been due in Montevideo on Feb. 23. A Brazilian Air Force plane spotted the rafts from the Concordia floating about 300 miles off the coast of Rio de Janeiro three hours after distress signal. Successful rescue with no injuries reported. [From our Sr. Correspondent Tim Schwabedissen, 20-2-10]

From Manfred Orlow, Dayton,Ohio
The above quote is from "Daily Ship Casualty Report" on the public forum CargoLaw.com out of LAX in Los Angeles. The sinking happened on Feb. 20 og this year.

[scottbr]

Hey, chamonix I recognize the boat name.

Just don't show her this picture or tell her about the 53 knot winds we got hit with at the north end of Georgian Bay




Reality is, very unlikely you'll encounter conditions that will take the boat right down and / or pin it long enough to take on water. We do see micro bursts, gale force and stronger winds, but for the most part, conditions will be such that you'll not be on the water anyways. In other words it won't go from sunny and 10 knots to t-storms and squalls.... but then again in the pic above we started out that morning in W 10 knots and were hit by E 30 knots in a matter of minutes that afternoon....


Scott, Sunset Chaser....... your dock neighbour.

[jackdale]

In September of 2009, the tall ship SV Concordia sailed out of Lunenburg NS.

Joining the crew on board were students attending the Class Afloat program - a mix of academic studies and sailing skills.

Five months later, on a blustery day off the coast of Brazil, the unthinkable happened.

Without warning, The Concordia was knocked over on her side and began to flood with water.

18 minutes later, she sank. For everyone on board it was a harrowing escape, a fight for survival, and an experience that will haunt them forever.

In this episode of Land and Sea, first-hand accounts of a brush with death on the high seas.

CBC | Land and Sea

I know some students from Calgary who had sailed on her.

[puddinlegs]

Originally Posted by MoonSailer

John Vigor wrote a book on seaworthy boats. Small cockpits with a high bridge to prevent water in the cockpit from going below helps. Companionway hatch boards that lock in place. As to beam a wide beam introduces form stability while a narrow beam boat uses ballast. Some boats with wide beam are almost as stable inverted as upright ..think twin hulls. The general ideal is that a narrow boat will roll faster before flooding. The capsize ratio is a measure but also there are much more accurate ways to measure a boat's righting ability. My boat has a capsize ratio of about 1.7. Many Catalinas are greater than two. In general a boat with a CR greater than two is thought less seaworthy and more of a coastal boat.

Geeze, don't tell that to any of the Mini 6.5, Open 9.5's, 40's, 50's, 60's, or 70's...
Many many problems with generalizations... Companionway hatch boards that lock in place are a must for any boat in bad weather, skinny or fat.

[GaryHLucas]

Or you could buy an Etap. Of course you could still catch fire.

Gary H. Lucas

[ChuckA]

Jackdale,

CBC | Land and Sea

That is an awesome video! Thanks.

[birdpepper]

Not the biggest deal.