SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Multiple Rescues today from SailNet Members

1063 Views 26 Replies 8 Participants Last post by Arcb, 13 d ago

MarkofSeaLife

Discussion Starter · 15 d ago

This is to entice the reluctant other member to spill the beans, and photos on his rescue today.
We got one too about 7:30pm Mayday on the VHF boat that ripped his genoa trying to make the anchorage we are in until his engine failed. Couldn't sail in because theres weird wind conditions here, dead calm or gusting 30 knots because of a mountain. Quite a choppy sea.

Map Slope World Parallel Atlas

Half mile off shore, 1 nms downwind from us. Stong Southerly where he is. "bullets' where we are. Darkness.

I decided to take the dinghy instead of the big boat for a variety of reasons (that might seem crazy LOL)

He had no AIS so position was from the Coast Guard but we could see his lights.
Took off and tied off to him on his leeward side, quarter. 1/4 power on a 15hp OB got us going at 1.5 knots. Heading towards the shore. A 40 ft mono came up and offered to do a tow and the guy on our boat prefered him than our dink

so we let go and returned home.

An hour later and they are still trying to anchor the 2 attached boats. - Thats one of the reasons I took the dinghy not the big boat

Relaxed now with a jar of rum.

Marjorie's first rescue, first interaction with MRCC in French. All good. She did a wonderful job

Mark

See less See more

Reactions: 5

1 - 20 of 27 Posts

vbiz59

· #2 · 14 d ago

MarkofSeaLife said:
This is to entice the reluctant other member to spill the beans, and photos on his rescue today.
We got one too about 7:30pm Mayday on the VHF boat that ripped his genoa trying to make the anchorage we are in until his engine failed. Couldn't sail in because theres weird wind conditions here, dead calm or gusting 30 knots because of a mountain. Quite a choppy sea.

View attachment 148528

Half mile off shore, 1 nms downwind from us. Stong Southerly where he is. "bullets' where we are. Darkness.

I decided to take the dinghy instead of the big boat for a variety of reasons (that might seem crazy LOL)

He had no AIS so position was from the Coast Guard but we could see his lights.
Took off and tied off to him on his leeward side, quarter. 1/4 power on a 15hp OB got us going at 1.5 knots. Heading towards the shore. A 40 ft mono came up and offered to do a tow and the guy on our boat prefered him than our dink so we let go and returned home.

An hour later and they are still trying to anchor the 2 attached boats. - Thats one of the reasons I took the dinghy not the big boat

Relaxed now with a jar of rum.

Marjorie's first rescue, first interaction with MRCC in French. All good. She did a wonderful job

Mark

You're a good man Mark

Zanshin

· #3 · 14 d ago

6

Yesterday morning the seas in Deshaies, Guadeloupe were flat with the surface looking mirrorlike. But Deshaeis winds are known to be fickle, and the holding is generally considered "challenging". I'm anchored in about 50 feet of water with just over 200 feet of chain put out. I would have used more, but the anchorage is often backwinded and the boats ahead of me are only in about 20-30 feet, so will have less scope out.

During the course of the morning the winds started picking up and funneling through the hills. Because the airmass is stable, the winds didn't separate and create the usual backwinding, but stayed laminar and that catabatic effect strengthened. For a while we had constant 20+ knots coming through and that started the fun and games. One empty boat dragged into a cruiser and it took some effort to untangle the anchors. I took a look topsides and saw a boat drifting away towards Montserrat and Mexico. The binoculars showed a dinghy and a paddleboard attached. I assumed someone was aboard and either asleep or oblivious and contacted @MarkofSeaLife to ask if he thought it likely someone was aboard. The boat was a bit too far for me head out alone in those seas and wind, as I wouldn't be able to easily return. After trying to get assistance via VHF on ch. 16 and not getting any volunteers I took another look and could discern that someone was now moving on deck. The problem solved itself.

Then came some constant 30 knots and that brought some excitement to the anchorage. The boat in front of was no longer 200 feet ahead but much closer. As I doubted I was dragging upwind, I shouted and waved at the 4 people on deck. Despite them looking around at the conditions, they hadn't noticed that they were dragging. They were getting their engine started and going forward to lift the chain as they dragged past where I'd been, only seconds before. I'd started my engine and with full throttle managed to get myself and my chain out of their way.

By now one Jeanneau had drifted far out. Two people called on VHF 16 to warn about a drifting boat, but when I hailed them seconds later asking if they would assist me in retrieving said vessel they were silent. I wasn't going out alone in those conditions, and that drifting boat had a ways to go before hitting land.

Another announcement came on VHF16 looking for additional help, so I volunteered and soon Peter, Tom and myself were dinghying to the now distant boat. We got aboard and the boat was locked up tight and the main breaker was off as the engine had no power. I thought about just forcing a hatch handle to get in when I looked at the sliding companionway hatch locking assembly. With a screwdriver I undid 2 screws and within 15 seconds we were inside the boat. Main breaker on, windlass breaker on. I got the engine fired up and drove forward while Peter and Tom got the chain up. There wasn't much of it - under 100 feet in total with no rope rode.

Back in Deshaies we tried to anchor in about 20 feet of water close in, while the winds were howling, with no luck. So we ended up using a big mooring ball. I don't know whose it is, and must admit that I don't care.

There's still nobody aboard today - so had nobody assisted yesterday, that boat might have become lost!

See less See more

Reactions: 5

MarkofSeaLife

Discussion Starter · #4 · 14 d ago

Zanshin said:
soon Peter, Tom and myself were dinghying to the now distant boat. We got aboard and the boat was locked up tight and the main breaker was off as the engine had no power. I thought about just forcing a hatch handle to get in when I looked at the sliding companionway hatch locking assembly. With a screwdriver I undid 2 screws and within 15 seconds we were inside the boat. Main breaker on, windlass breaker on.

One of them looks very happy to be helping. Great photos! They look like good people to know

Nice house busting with a screwdriver on the lock. I can't believe theres locks with exposed screws! 🤪

That bay has a problem in that the shallow areas drop off very quickly. If the anchor is in 10 feet of water the 3:1 scope seems right... but its wrong because if the stern of the boat is in 50 feet of water then the chain looses all its catenary affect, then when the boat starts to drab the scope diminishes quickly.

The boat owners were lucky you were there to get their boat back!

Mark

Reactions: 1

Zanshin

· #5 · 14 d ago

The lock didn't have exposed screws, but the wooden block that the latch bolt goes into was attached by those 2 screws on the outside. Not the most secure of doors. The wind is howling again here in Deshaies at constant 25 to 30 knots! 2 hours ago it was dead calm.

Reactions: 2

OntarioTheLake

· #6 · 14 d ago

Nice saves!

Reactions: 1

MarkofSeaLife

Discussion Starter · #7 · 14 d ago

Zanshin said:
The wind is howling again here in Deshaies at constant 25 to 30 knots! 2 hours ago it was dead calm.

Same here. Crazy. All wx models still wrong except Arome.

Reactions: 1

hpeer

· #8 · 14 d ago

Deshaies is always tons of fun. I have not experienced those conditions within the harbor, but have while running down the coast. Got broached badly one day.

I have to imagine Deshaies is fairly empty right now, compared to deep into the season. We were there in Feb and April. February is was chick full.

Good on both if you guys for your proactive efforts. I have done similar things, others tell me I am crazy taking the risk. But that is not in me to lest a boat wreck.

Reactions: 1

Zanshin

· #9 · 14 d ago

3

MarkofSeaLife said:
Same here. Crazy. All wx models still wrong except Arome.

Crazy in the anchorage, and more drama with some idiots taking a small skiff out in 32 knots of wind

Map World Gps navigation device Font Display device

Water Cloud Sky Boat Watercraft

Cloud Water Sky Boat Watercraft

See less See more

Reactions: 1

MarkofSeaLife

Discussion Starter · #10 · 14 d ago

Water Boat Watercraft Tree Lake

Our guy this morning. He got the genoa down. He must had a flappy night lol

See less See more

SanderO

· #11 · 14 d ago

MarkofSeaLife said:
One of them looks very happy to be helping. Great photos! They look like good people to know

Nice house busting with a screwdriver on the lock. I can't believe theres locks with exposed screws! 🤪

That bay has a problem in that the shallow areas drop off very quickly. If the anchor is in 10 feet of water the 3:1 scope seems right... but its wrong because if the stern of the boat is in 50 feet of water then the chain looses all its catenary affect, then when the boat starts to drab the scope diminishes quickly.

The boat owners were lucky you were there to get their boat back!

Mark

Does not loose it's catenary. Compute the scope from the depth where the anchor is set.... not where the keel is.

Zanshin

· #12 · 14 d ago

@SanderO - the problem is when the wind strengthens and the anchor starts to reset in deeper water. Then the scope becomes insufficient and the situation gets worse as the water deepens. I check the depth after I've backed down on the anchor and set my scope according to my depth now rather than what it was when I started to anchor. That is prudence. When flying, runway behind you and altitude above you isn't relevant. As is anchor chain in your locker

Reactions: 3

SanderO

· #13 · 14 d ago

Zanshin said:
@SanderO - the problem is when the wind strengthens and the anchor starts to reset in deeper water. Then the scope becomes insufficient and the situation gets worse as the water deepens. I check the depth after I've backed down on the anchor and set my scope according to my depth now rather than what it was when I started to anchor. That is prudence. When flying, runway behind you and altitude above you isn't relevant. As is anchor chain in your locker

In that case ... the anchor moves to deeper water the scope is less.

Zanshin

· #14 · 14 d ago

@SanderO - and in that case if the scope wasn't good enough to hold once, then odds are it won't hold again another gust; but now the scope is less than the first time... I'm just pointing out that it is necessary to set more scope on a downhill slope than on even or rising ground. A typical 4:1 scope when the anchor is in 10 while the keel is in 30 feet isn't going to let me sleep comfortably at night.

Reactions: 1

hpeer

· #15 · 14 d ago

I have found poor anchoring patches in Deshaies, notably a little deeper along the channel. Anchor seems not want to set well there.

Reactions: 2

MarkofSeaLife

Discussion Starter · #16 · 14 d ago

hpeer said:
I have found poor anchoring patches in Deshaies, notably a little deeper along the channel. Anchor seems not want to set well there.

Needs loads of scope. But the backwinding can dislodge the pick.

Arcb

· #17 · 14 d ago

MarkofSeaLife said:
This is to entice the reluctant other member to spill the beans, and photos on his rescue today.
We got one too about 7:30pm Mayday on the VHF boat that ripped his genoa trying to make the anchorage we are in until his engine failed. Couldn't sail in because theres weird wind conditions here, dead calm or gusting 30 knots because of a mountain. Quite a choppy sea.

View attachment 148528

Half mile off shore, 1 nms downwind from us. Stong Southerly where he is. "bullets' where we are. Darkness.

I decided to take the dinghy instead of the big boat for a variety of reasons (that might seem crazy LOL)

He had no AIS so position was from the Coast Guard but we could see his lights.
Took off and tied off to him on his leeward side, quarter. 1/4 power on a 15hp OB got us going at 1.5 knots. Heading towards the shore. A 40 ft mono came up and offered to do a tow and the guy on our boat prefered him than our dink so we let go and returned home.

An hour later and they are still trying to anchor the 2 attached boats. - Thats one of the reasons I took the dinghy not the big boat

Relaxed now with a jar of rum.

Marjorie's first rescue, first interaction with MRCC in French. All good. She did a wonderful job

Mark

Maybe, just maybe, if they had reefed before hitting 30 knot katabatic winds their Genoa wouldn't have blown out? I get it, cruisers don't reef, but they can.

Engine problems, were Genoa sheets wrapped in the prop?

Reactions: 2

MarkofSeaLife

Discussion Starter · #18 · 13 d ago

Arcb said:
Maybe, just maybe, if they had reefed before hitting 30 knot katabatic winds their Genoa wouldn't have blown out? I get it, cruisers don't reef, but they can.

Engine problems, were Genoa sheets wrapped in the prop?

And had sails less than 30 years old.

Yes, the conditions were steady for hours at the level of a first reef, downwind, second reef upwind.

No I didn't see sheets over the side on the side we were on.
Yes he could have sailed in on the mainsail alone.
Iirc when we arrived he had a full main. And would have needed it in the fkukey winds near the coast.

Water Boat Watercraft Tree Lake

See less See more

Reactions: 1

colemj

· #19 · 13 d ago

MarkofSeaLife said:
And had sails less than 30 years old.

Yes, that rip had nothing to do with wind strength. That is rotten sailcloth/thread all around.

Mark

Reactions: 1

colemj

· #20 · 13 d ago

Arcb said:
cruisers don't reef, but they can.

I've never heard this, and always attributed that type of thing to racers. We reef earlier than necessary.

Mark

Reactions: 1

1 - 20 of 27 Posts