Bad Times in Mobile

[Bump-n-Grind]

Ajax, she better be asking you what you want on your sammich .... just saying.

btw, what is this "spray hood" y'all keep yammerin about. anybody have a pic of one?

edit: nevermind.. google etc ...

interesting

 

[the_chick_on_the_boat]

Ajax, she you better be asking you her what you she wants on your her sammich .... just saying.

Fixed it for 'ya.

Thanks for the tips on the PFDs. Will definitely look into these.

 

[nolatom]

Noon news in Mobile reports that one of the five missing has been located safe at home. Still four unaccounted for. More that 40 people rescued but not all participating in the regatta. Still searching but another nasty day and the CG is asking the boaters that were helping in the search yesterday to stay off of the water due to the present weather conditions.

The other big sporting event Saturday here on the Redneck Riviera was the Flora-Bama Mullet toss. Could have been all time record setting conditions for a long throw with that wind at your back!

Wait! They would have been throwing into the wind...

https://player.vimeo.com/video/21776986

Yeah another nasty day indeed, what happened here two hours ago:

http://www.nola.com/#/0 (freight cars blown off the Huey Long bridge, tornado watch over whole area)

is over Mobile about now.

 

[Rain Man]

TCOTB,

love my spinlock deckvest. It has a sprayhood, and I find it very comfortable to wear, even with the leg straps. Wore mine for the Greenport Ocean Race last year, 85 miles straight, and was never uncomfortable in the vest.

Suggested reading: The story of the UU tragedy....

 

[Rasputin22]

Thats for the heads up Tom, I'll keeps my eyes open here in Orange Beach. When I really want to see what is in store weatherwise, I go to Wunderground. Here is what just went through NOLA according to their severe weather page.


Max Top VIL Severe Hail Hail Max Hail Size Speed Direction (from) P0 57 dBZ 35,000 ft. 42 kg/m² NA% chance NA% chance NA in. 47 knots WNW (282) Q4 56 dBZ 36,000 ft. 47 kg/m² NA% chance NA% chance NA in. 35 knots WSW (258) S8 56 dBZ 51,000 ft. 36 kg/m² NA% chance NA% chance NA in. 74 knots WSW (252) Z3 55 dBZ 26,000 ft. 33 kg/m² 0% chance 70% chance 0.50 in. 39 knots WSW (258) J3 54 dBZ 22,000 ft. 17 kg/m² 0% chance 0% chance 0.00 in. 43 knots W (278) W6 53 dBZ 42,000 ft. 31 kg/m² 10% chance 80% chance 0.50 in. 39 knots W (272) I0 52 dBZ 30,000 ft. 28 kg/m² NA% chance NA% chance NA in. 33 knots SW (224) L2 52 dBZ 23,000 ft. 15 kg/m² 0% chance 0% chance 0.00 in. 41 knots W (270)
That cell S8 is a doozy, 74 knots and 50,000 ft to top of the anvil! Turned on the tracks and that S8 is way out in the Gulf but plenty of potential destruction roaming around in our neighborhood.

http://www.wunderground.com/radar/radblast.asp?ID=LIX

 

[vibroman]

Yeah another nasty day indeed, what happened here two hours ago:


http://www.nola.com/#/0 (freight cars blown off the Huey Long bridge, tornado watch over whole area)

is over Mobile about now.

Yup That stuff Rolled through Beaumont around 5 this morning.

Pretty good light show

 

[DarthSailor]

However....I was impressed that the gal had both the confidence to continue driving and that no one felt the 'need' to take over for her.

Well done jpuffyman and crew, and fair winds to those lost.

Veeger, I realize you THINK this is a compliment, but perhaps you should go back to the cave and shave your knuckles and try to figure out why what you think is a compliment is really a dig at women sailors, and frankly, women in general. The rest of us would like to continue reading and learning from a relevant discussion of the events.

Ajax, if you get any good intel on PFDs with spray hoods, share the wealth. I've wanted to upgrade mine for a while and this tragedy is a strong and sad reminder to do as sailing starts to gear up.

It is a shame that it takes an event like this for people to take safety more seriously. I'll often hear comments like "oh, its just the Bay" when talking about sailing on the Chesapeake. We've had crazy weather come through that would challenge some of the best offshore sailors, and a few summers ago, we went through a spate of weather-related accidents (especially on the Magothy River) that resulted in loss of life. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that those events are what it took for me to invest in a proper PFD and tether. Shit comes up fast on the Bay -- we were on a night race a few summers back and a storm came up -- 3 knots to 28 knots with gusts into the 30s in about 3-5 minutes. After about 20 minutes, everything settled back down and the rest of the night was an absolute perfect 10-15 downwind run home. That's Chesapeake Bay sailing.

The relatively calm "normal" conditions of any sailing location should never be taken as an excuse not to be as prepared as possible (jack lines, proper pfds, throw lines, etc.)

TCOTB

The gulf coast is a lot like the Chesapeake most sailing is done between 5-15 knots of wind speed and lots of time waiting on the sea breeze to fill in. I am not sure that the idea trying to be conveyed was 'normal' conditions are an excuse. More like normal conditions (in mobile) for your average weekend sailor and occasional racer don't provide a ton of opportunities to gain the experience to deal with a storm such as the one this weekend. I grew up on the gulf coast went to school in Mobile and I know casual racers there just don't go out when the wind gets up over 20. This limits the ability they have to quickly id and deal with something like this. It sucks hard because people get hurt when something like this happens. There are definitely experienced sailors like the folks on Tripp that handled this just and were able help others. (good work btw) The dauphin island race is a fun straight line shot down the bay that is kind of the kick off of the summer in Mobile and a good portion of the fleet were club level racers that this type of thing is just outside their experience.

You said it yourself until something like this makes an impact on you it is kind of out of sight out of mind.

Thoughts and prayers for everyone affected by this.

 

[shaggy]

Just found out that we lost a U20 (crew are safe) and the E33 mentioned above that pulled 3 from the bay was doublehanded!

Which U20?? Is there any poss of re-floating her? Curious as that one that sunk in green bay a couple yrs ago is still racing... What you been up to lately vibro?? Were you out there?? You get back this way give me a ring....

 

[PuffyJman]

+1 on the lady driving the piss out of it downwind, -1 on the OMG LJ's broke out too late, I take my own LJ on every boat I go on, don't hand me the orange one unless I lose mine.

There seemed to be conversation on the boat of steering into the wind "and riding it out" but the camera operator disagreed and they continued downwind. On that big boat I guess it is safer to go downwind but on a smaller vessel(Cat 22) wouldn't it better to face the storm?

Even a boat that size with IB isn't going to make headway into the wind in that wind and chop. No headway = no steerage. No chance of a Cat22 with an outboard doing so. Anchor not likely to hold, unless it's a really big one. Riding it out downwind the correct call, if there's enough searoom. Even a large dinghy (Scot, Lightning, etc) can go downwind under jib alone or bare poles in a short-lived storm, under control.

On the Tripp sat we quatered the waves under bare poles. The object was to keep flow across the rudder for steerage. It was a lot of work too jeep her there but that worked for us.

 

[kent_island_sailor]

I love my Spinlock. It is the most comfortable vest I have even worn and it has leg straps to keep it in place.

Ajax, she you better be asking you her what you she wants on your her sammich .... just saying.

Fixed it for 'ya.

Thanks for the tips on the PFDs. Will definitely look into these.

 

[vibroman]

Had some experience of this ... been caught in downdrafts and microbursts (High Mountain lakes) several times before. On each of those occasions there were visual indications that gave us some warning. Cumulonimbus, anvil clouds pollen coming off the trees etc.

Although I was not on the bay on Sat I was working in the yard fairly close by. I have to say that the usual signs that something was brewing were not there. It was hot and humid but there was a grey hazy overcast and the only indication (Aside from looking at the Radar on my phone) was a gradual darkening to the west. hence There was a little rumbling to the west but nothing terribly different than another afternoon in LA at this time of year. I think the speed of advance on this one was unusually high compare to norms for the area and that may have contributed to the "apparent complacency" and some folks being slow to respond.

I heard that 40 or so had to be rescued from the bay but only 5 or 6 of those were involved in the race.

I think the flipped hobie on the FP is somewhat disingenuous as that might be a pretty good survival strategy in the situation.

Saw a similar situation a few years back 0-55knts-0 in about 15 mins. High mountain lake ...A group of jnrs. got caught on the start line in lasers and a few other small dinghies. Their "chaperone" told em all to turtle and hang on. All came through fine and afterwards were back up and sailing before we were. I was out in an S20 and saw it coming down lake with about 4-5 mins notice. Great crew...PfD's on hatches closed and all canvas off and secured about 10 sec before it hit. Spreaders in water under bare poles.

All good in the end.

 

[CJV]

+100

+1

Well Done Sir!

We had just finished on a Tripp 26 and threw the kite up for the ride back to FYC when it hit us. According to the Ft Morgan weather station there was an initial gust of 62 followed by 20 min of 50 then over an hour where it was over 30. We were fortunate to have a boat full experienced sailors that didn't panic and did what it took to secure the boat and ride the storm out.

When it had settled down we threw a blade up and proceeded to head to FYC when we spotted three sailors floating, we rescued them and had learned they were sailing a Cal 24 that turtled and sank. They were in the water for more then an hour and were in shock as they lost 2 crew to drowning. We got them safely back to FYC.

My thoughts and prayers to the families of victims of this tragedy.

Well done to you and your crew.

 

[SaylurMaine]

Another video from the storm at the regatta:

https://youtu.be/gv6Ho4O6m2s

 

[vibroman]

Just found out that we lost a U20 (crew are safe) and the E33 mentioned above that pulled 3 from the bay was doublehanded!

Which U20?? Is there any poss of re-floating her? Curious as that one that sunk in green bay a couple yrs ago is still racing... What you been up to lately vibro?? Were you out there?? You get back this way give me a ring....

Hull 99 Eric's boat not sure on status yet as I an in Tx this week

sent ya a pm re visit

 

[TQA]

Another video from the storm at the regatta:

https://youtu.be/gv6Ho4O6m2s

What on earth were they doing with full sail still up.?

 

[SaylurMaine]

Another video from the storm at the regatta:

https://youtu.be/gv6Ho4O6m2s

What on earth were they doing with full sail still up.?

Yep. It's baffling. Esp. because they appear to have a roller furler.

 

[RKoch]

Dave, I have ridden out a squall on my old G-Cat 5.0 purposely turtled, survival conditions. Not the best way to survive but sometimes the only way if you can "hunker down" in between the hulls.

I've ridden out severe squalls in Lasers and Sunfish doing similar. Intentionally capsize in the blasts. Hold on to the CB, keeping enough pressure to keep from turtling, but not so much as to right the boat. If need be, right the boat in a lull and sail for more searoom.

 

[frostbit]

Condolences to all. If you sail enough, eventually you will encounter something like this, if not quite as powerful. You only have to experience it once to be the first boat next time to take sails down and secure them and to put on life jackets and harnesses. If your are racing In a fleet, every boat will watch the others to see what they think and what they are doing. Your decision to err on the side of caution will likely mean other boats follow your lead. Particularly if you are respected. It's a literal statement that lives may be saved b/c of your actions.

 

[Bruce T. Shark]

Went to the safety at sea seminar at Maritime last year, was impressed with the spray hoods and the elevated lights...Was in the Whitebread race too - Tony Dill and the RC made a good call for life preservers to be worn...good hindsight with the Alerion that sunk in that race...btw, i worked for the dad who almost lost his son on the Columbia 32 in california..and i am on the east coast and have sailed in the chesapeake for over 20 years, and did the down the bay race in the 34 to 40 knt gusts...

We know know the difference between 20kt gusts and 40 kt gusts..aint looking to upgrade to higher..

 

[ryley]

TCOTB,

love my spinlock deckvest. It has a sprayhood, and I find it very comfortable to wear, even with the leg straps. Wore mine for the Greenport Ocean Race last year, 85 miles straight, and was never uncomfortable in the vest.

Suggested reading: The story of the UU tragedy....

Dash,

I read it thoroughly. As I'm sure you are aware, the spinlocks have gone through a rev since then, not to mention that there was some contention that they weren't fitted properly. I've tested mine in Boston Harbor and I did not experience any of the issues that were cited in the report. However, I do appreciate your concern