Bad day on the lake

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CaptG

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Jan 3, 2007
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Otsego, Mi, USA.
Got a call from the marine patrol this afternoon, a 44 foot sail boat was adrift, lost his motor and at this time don't know why he was not under sail. 6 foot waves spaced at about 5 seconds apart and 20 knot winds pushing him towards shore and the rocks. I got the rope to him and he tied it off for the tow. He had set his anchor and was only about 80yards off the rocks and shore. I started the pull and the rope (1 1/4 dia.) snapped, cut by something he put the rope over when he tied it off. Back round for another pass and hooked up again. Same thing. Around again and a 10 foot wave popped up from somewhere, grabbed my tow boat and turned me on my side and started surfing me towards the sail boat. Wheel hard over, on the throttle and was shooting away from him to circle and come around again when I discovered he had cast off his anchor line from the boat. I saw it as I went over the top of it. Yup, fouled my prop and killed the big diesel jerking me to a stop. I am now dead in the water with his anchor holding me stern first into the waves about 100 yards off a rocky lined shore. CRAP. Boat fills up with water washing over the stern and sinks. My auto inflate life jacket works and I made it to shore with only a few scrapes from the rocks. I have a nextel brute phone that is supposed to be water proof to 3 meters. It is not. I borrowed a phone from one of the rescue team when they arrived to remove the 4 persons from the sail boat 'cause it washed up on the rocks shortly behind me, to let my boss know I sank his boat. He took it pretty well, even brought me another boat so I can recover the first one and the sail boat when the lake lays down in a couple days. I gotta go to bed, for some reason I am tuckered out.
 
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ctubbs

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Our rule here, Any day on the water that you return home with only a few scratches is a wonderful day. Great try Gary. The only person that does not mess up is the one that never does anything. Keep it up and you may make electrician!
Charles
 

corian king

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chesapeake va
At least you made it home in one piece Buddy. you have to say that you were being watched from up above.Get some rest Sir!!and take care!
JIM
 

JohnU

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Jan 31, 2008
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Ottawa, Illinois
Holy Sh-t! Comes to mind. After something like that it's ok to be tuckered out. Get some rest Gary. Glad to see you are all ok.
 

seamus7227

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Mar 18, 2009
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Wichita Falls, TX
wow, thats an incredible story, glad you are ok, the boats are replaceable, your life is not. When I was in the army our motto was "stay alert, stay alive!" I try to live by that now.

Sent from my Epic using Forum Runner
 

PenPal

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Canberra, A.C.T., Australia.
Gary,

I sense your frustration and your bravery I for one am thrilled you made it out OK, such is life for the sailing vessel however in the event terrible things happen in emergency situations, responsibility shared, outcomes never certain.

Please take care my friend.

Kind regards Peter.
 

hewunch

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Albany, GA
Glad you are ok. Not your typical day in the office I guess. Did you ever find out what was snapping the rope?
 

PenMan1

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Jul 8, 2009
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Eatonton, Georgia
Wow! Hundreds of thousands of dollars of loss, possible loss of life because a "sailor" is too stupid to cleat off a line or raise a mainsail. I think I would have let him eat rock after the second pass.

I am very sorry for your loss, Gary. I know how hard you have worked to make it and how difficult sea tow can be. I'll bet this yahoo takes the insurance settlement, buys a 55 footer and ends up in the same rocks next year!

Glad you are ok, sorry about the tow boat.
 
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Finatic

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Oct 9, 2010
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Southington, CT 06489
Glad you made it OK. Sad state of affairs, when someone like that can write a check for a qazillion $$$$, buy a boat, and have no clue how to run it or take care of it.
 

Rounder

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Marlin, TX
Like the saying goes, "You can't fix stupid!" Not even with money. Money doesn't give you the brains to be smart in dangerous situations. Sorry his stupid-ness put you in danger. It is great that you are OK and safe. Get some rest, just reading that makes a person tired.
 

workinforwood

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Mar 1, 2007
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Eaton Rapids, Michigan, USA.
I wouldn't know how to run a sailboat, and don't know the experience level of the owner of that boat, but I'm thinking maybe he was anchored close to shore for some relaxing, maybe some fishing. A storm rolled in, they come up fast and unpredictable on these lakes, as these are no ordinary lakes, there more like mini oceans...the engine would not start. The coast line is most likely on his east side from the boat. The wind is most likely coming from the west. To raise the sails, you'd have to sail into the wind, I don't know how that works, but can't be easy especially if close to shore..so the owner was more likely fearful as I would be too because raising the sails and not knowing how you sail into the wind, would mean the sails will blow you into the rocks even faster. Gary is on the East side of Lake Michigan, and Wind almost always come out of the west, this is all I really know for sure, being I live here. Don't know what was cutting the ropes. Maybe he had that big long stabilizer thing under the boat and it was stuck in the rocks and that was making the rope break from shear strain? I don't know, but I bet the swim to shore was COLD!!! Unless you are a little kid, you darn near need a wet suit to swim in lake Michigan. Something about little kids, ice water doesn't bother them..the excitement of swimming must cancel out the reaction to the cold.
 

PenMan1

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Jeff:
The reason the sloop was anchored was "buying time" waiting for someone to respond to a "MayDay". He knew enough to know that the anchor was the only thing keeping his boat floating.

With 8 foot "rollers" swimming distance from shore, this yahoo obviously overlooked a "small craft warning". Additionally, at minimum, this boat would have been equipped with a mainsail, a jib sail, and likely a "sheet" or spinacker. Fluffing any one of the three of these would have allowed him to advance to deeper water and tach until help arrived.

Damned lake sailors! Luck he didn't kill somebody, instead of just putting a small business man, out of business. When you put a tow tub down, replacement insurance comes at a hefty price.

Casting off anchor before the tug had a grip could have easily killed everyone.
 
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Sylvanite

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Jul 18, 2006
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Hillsborough, North Carolina, USA.
20kt winds and 6ft seas is only "moderate" conditions for a 44ft sailboat. I don't know why he couldn't sail away. Perhaps he was simply stuck in the notion of motoring. There shouldn't be anything capable of cutting a 1.5" tow line on the bow. I also can't imagine casting off the anchor line until one is securely under tow.

On the bright side, however, your boat being anchored on the bottom is probably better than dashed on the rocks. Plus, you can charge yourself salvage value when you go get it :biggrin:

I'm glad you (and the others) are not injured.

I'd rather be on a boat with a drink on the rocks, than in the drink with a boat on the rocks,
Eric
 

Buzzzz4

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Dec 7, 2008
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Grand Rapids, Mi
Wow, Gary. I can't imagine. So glad you are safe, my friend.
We were in Grand Haven today on the pier. The waves were wild. I couldn't believe some of the boats going out in it. We also saw the Coast Guard take off out of harbor quite quick this afternoon.
 
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LEAP

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Dec 22, 2006
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Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Glad you made it through allright, I've been around the world a few times on ships and seen some really nasty weather but nothing compares to the great lakes. Never seen a sea build up so quickly or violently as on the lakes. I've been a long time advocate of requireing licensing for any operator on a boat over about 20 feet. Not a full commercial license but enough to ensure they know what to expect and do when the going gets rough.
 
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