- Joined
- Sep 16, 2003
- RO Number
- 12212
- Messages
- 12,219
Saturday night after coming back to the boat from dinner in grove, we went out for an evening sail, impoasible to resist with a nice moon, nice breeze and cat boat tied at the stern ready to go. Had been windy during the day and we had stayed closed to shore and the spoil islands around the marina
After about 30' we noticed wind was picking up, 20kts or so and decide to come back. So we re on a run (downwind) in the basin of the marinas (monty's/chart house/grove harbor) moving pretty fast for a 12 footer. About 100' from some shelter behind a spoil island at the end of pier 1, I hear the rigging from docked boats singing... Sail is all out spilling wind and the next thing i know water is coming in over the side, sail and mast hits the water and we re swimming!
So we spend a feaw minutes gathering stuff that s trying to float away like cushions, PFDs, floor boards, etc... Clip on battery LED nav lights are still working so no risk of getting run over... But the boat isn't coming back up with the mast and sail in the water. Being close to one of the pier, Naomi swims over to walk back to our and get a friend to help with a tender. As she reaches the end of a pier a guy shows up with a small dinghy and gives her a to our pier while i start unrigging the boat. Not very easy to do at night in the water but within 10 minutes in had the sail, boom and gaff off the mast and in the boat (which righted it self once the mast was unstepped) and mast on top off the boat. By the time Naomi came back with a couple of friends a neighbors, I had the boat on the beach across the channel.
After 20 minutes of bailing, we re ready for the tow and head back home
After inspection, found very little damage (just the wooden ring and some glass damage around the mast hole on deck) which inll have repaired within a couple of days... Full moon coming up, can't miss any sailing! We only lost one cushion and one leaky dry bag resulted in a dead iPod...
Worst thing is that since i was doing the sailing, I m going to hear about it for a long time...
Lesson learned? Even if just 100' from shelter, things can happen and i should have turned closer to the wind where the boat is very safe and stable... Wood and foam core floats very well! A simple rig makes it very easy to unrig the boat at night in the water!
And check those dry bags for dryness once in while!
And more thing... You can't beat sailing in warm Florida water!!
After about 30' we noticed wind was picking up, 20kts or so and decide to come back. So we re on a run (downwind) in the basin of the marinas (monty's/chart house/grove harbor) moving pretty fast for a 12 footer. About 100' from some shelter behind a spoil island at the end of pier 1, I hear the rigging from docked boats singing... Sail is all out spilling wind and the next thing i know water is coming in over the side, sail and mast hits the water and we re swimming!
So we spend a feaw minutes gathering stuff that s trying to float away like cushions, PFDs, floor boards, etc... Clip on battery LED nav lights are still working so no risk of getting run over... But the boat isn't coming back up with the mast and sail in the water. Being close to one of the pier, Naomi swims over to walk back to our and get a friend to help with a tender. As she reaches the end of a pier a guy shows up with a small dinghy and gives her a to our pier while i start unrigging the boat. Not very easy to do at night in the water but within 10 minutes in had the sail, boom and gaff off the mast and in the boat (which righted it self once the mast was unstepped) and mast on top off the boat. By the time Naomi came back with a couple of friends a neighbors, I had the boat on the beach across the channel.
After 20 minutes of bailing, we re ready for the tow and head back home
After inspection, found very little damage (just the wooden ring and some glass damage around the mast hole on deck) which inll have repaired within a couple of days... Full moon coming up, can't miss any sailing! We only lost one cushion and one leaky dry bag resulted in a dead iPod...
Worst thing is that since i was doing the sailing, I m going to hear about it for a long time...
Lesson learned? Even if just 100' from shelter, things can happen and i should have turned closer to the wind where the boat is very safe and stable... Wood and foam core floats very well! A simple rig makes it very easy to unrig the boat at night in the water!
And check those dry bags for dryness once in while!
And more thing... You can't beat sailing in warm Florida water!!
