[RTB]

For all of you Gulf Coast sailors with friends racing in this year's HMR, here is the link where live tracking is available. Harvest Moon Regatta?

Any Sailnetter's entered? It looks like some good winds for this one.

Ralph

 

[smackdaddy]

Man, I wish! That is one of the best off-shore races around...especially if you have the right crew:

I'm afraid my offshore racing days are done until the boys get a bit older...and our boat is ready.

 

[RTB]

Yeah, I remember that badass crew. You were a lucky dog!

We've got a couple of boats that pulled in here at Harborwalk that are racing. I'm going to take a look at their boats and maybe a visit. One a Catalina 42 (Bumboat), the other a Morgan 44CC ( La Vie Dansante).

Plenty of Catalinas, Hunters, and Beneteaus entered. See, you can have fun with a production boat!

Ralph

 

[RTB]

Many of the boats left Port Aransas yesterday for the return trip to Galveston/Kemah. I just heard a Coast Guard report on Ch.16 that French Kiss has sunk near the Galveston jetties. She's a Bene 44. No further info. Last spot update was at 7:00 am this morning.

Also heard an hour ago, a call from Island Jade, a Pearson 365 is aground in the ICW near us.

Transcend, a Hunter 450 is still offshore, heading for the Galveston inlet, but is still SW of Freeport, so a long day still ahead of them.

We've had very strong winds overnight (30+) and all day, with a SCA. The cold front has passed through, and it's blowing stick out of the NW now.

I hope everyone is ok.

Ralph

 

[RainDog]

Coast Guard facebook page says two were on board and both are safe. One with minor injuries. https://www.facebook.com/pages/USCG-Station-Galveston/175489457419

 

[RTB]

Thanks Raindog.

A few more photos here - Boaters rescued after sailboat lodges on Galveston jetties - Houston Chronicle

Ralph

 

[smackdaddy]

Wow! What the hell happened???

 

[RainDog]

Skipper was one of the founders of HMR. Sounds like a very experienced cruiser in those waters.

 

[RTB]

Wow! What the hell happened???

Probably what the insurance company is going to ask. I really don't like doing inlets in the dark, especially if it's in unfavorable weather. I would have waited an hour for sunrise. Lucky no one was seriously injured....or worse.

More here - http://www.dvidshub.net/news/144971/coast-guard-rescues-2-sailors-off-galveston-jetties#.VDw-oep0zIU

Looks like they just cut it too close to the south jetty.

Ralph

 

[smackdaddy]

There were also a couple of rescues around Port O'Connor. Rudder failure on one (towed in) - and head injury on another (injured crew pulled off).

Sounds like it was a serious yard sale out there.

And you're absolutely right about the inlets. I've seen some wicked waves at the Port A and Freeport inlets. Cutting the Galveston Jetty that tight in big seas and winds? With only a reefed main showing maybe they just had an engine failure.

 

[RTB]

I just talked to some guys that came in here for the night. Supposedly, the owner of French Kiss was not on board, and had two crew members bringing the boat back. May not be a fact though.

Looking at the tracker, they just drove right into the south jetty-http://trackleaders.com/harvest14i.php?name=FRENCH_KISS

Ralph

 

[rgscpat]

RTB, when I click on the linky what I see is the OUTBOUND track for the race itself. Is there a different place to go to that would have an inbound track for the post-race return home?

One of the coast guard pictures does generally appear to show the owner as one of the two rescued crew.

 

[smackdaddy]

I just talked to some guys that came in here for the night. Supposedly, the owner of French Kiss was not on board, and had two crew members bringing the boat back. May not be a fact though.

Looking at the tracker, they just drove right into the south jetty-http://trackleaders.com/harvest14i.php?name=FRENCH_KISS

Ralph

Yeah - definitely looks like they drove right onto the rocks.

And by this CG pic, it looks like the owner was on it (looks like the same guy from his Linkedin profile)...

 

[RTB]

RTB, when I click on the linky what I see is the OUTBOUND track for the race itself. Is there a different place to go to that would have an inbound track for the post-race return home?

One of the coast guard pictures does generally appear to show the owner as one of the two rescued crew.

I was watching the spot tracker as the boats were returning (live) that day. The link no longer shows the return trip, unfortunately. French Kiss was shown (moving 0 knots, where she hit the rocks). To me, the track was on a slightly lower line (south of their start) when they hit the jetties (possibly using the start as a waypoint). Although the inlet is huge, the jetties are deceiving when approached from the south. A good chart plotter should have kept them safe, and visual navigation would have been very challenging in those conditions at night. Obviously, something went wrong.

I don't know the owner. As I said, my info was second hand. I really feel for whoever was at the helm. That is a huge inlet....some one messed up.

Ralph

 

[rgscpat]

Thanks, Ralph, that does clear up the tracker question.

I guess very early morning, low jetties awash in a sea, only two on board for a overnight or longer passage after a similarly long race, could maybe have been a challenge. Pat

 

[RTB]

A friend, my wife, and I walked out to the south jetty yesterday. We looked for the mast, but it is a long way to the north jetty and we didn't spot the mast. We'll ask a few guys in Kemah what they have heard. I'll post any reliable information I get.

Ralph

 

[ThirdCoastSailor]

I sure would like to know what happened on board French Kiss so I can avoid their mistake. I've been through those jetties several times but never at night. I can image sorting out the lighted nav aids at night is not trivial but as Ralph has pointed out a good chart plotter should have done the trick. I bet there is a lesson (or two or three) for all of us in this one if we can just figure out what happened.

TCS

 

[sunnyside]

closer view of French Kiss from track leader. Put the coordinate for the outside marker as a way point may help. Never try and cut close to the jetties, shallow. We go way out before turning. Safe sailing. https://mobile.twitter.com/far_from_sea/media/grid?idx=1&tid=521842623620071424