How to turn one aluminum stick into three!

[wristwister]

I'm pretty sure there was a much less destructive solution to this problem:

 

[Innocent Bystander]

TowBoat/US. So much for "professional operators" .

Wonder who gets to pay the deductible?

 

[Blitz]

Moe power Scotty. But captain I'm giving you all shes got. Wait, never mind.

 

[ClevelandSteamer]

Looks like someone failed basic geometry and physics. They should have yanked on a halyard to lower the mast before pulling on the boat.

 

[couchsurfer]

.

..holy FACK...I can only think the tow-boat was being paid to -destroy- the mast........insurance job? :mellow:

............liked the golf-clapping from the shoreside spectators

 

[blackjenner]

I thought the golf clapping and laughing was pretty sub-par, but then I'm not an asshole.

There are discussions going on about this on a FB page dedicated to a local race (Duck Dodge).

Some started questioning why the boat got there and assumed the owner was a dumb ass for thinking his mast would fit under the fixed (south) portion of that bridge.

The thing is, they could have thought they would fit and were wrong but, I think there is another possibility.

Coming out of the small locks, their engine failed. The current there is strong, because of the locks and waterfalls that empty Lake Washington into the sound. If you have an engine failure right there, and you can't deploy an anchor within seconds, you get pushed downstream at about 5 knots -- easy.

That's what could have happened and I won't clap for it.

 

[couchsurfer]

.

...the clapping was at the end,,,when the idiot tow-boat did such an eloquent job of rescue destroying the mast

 

[hobot]

+1 on the swift current, that is a bit of a pickle there as the bridge doesn't open on the that side.

 

[steele]

I think BJ's analysis is likely correct, the boat is stuck in the side channel, not where the bridge opens. It is hard to imagine getting a boat in that spot on purpose, and the current there is stronger than the center. On my last trip out of the locks a large ketch got sidways at the end of the lock and spun down the channel towards the same bridge. The skipper finaly got it all sorted, but the current when the lock opens, especilaly durring an ebb can be pretty fast.

Now why they did not pull the boat over on it's side to get it out is another question.

 

[U20guy2]

Two boats involved in unsticking it and they didn't bother trying to pull a halyard with one and pulling the hull the opposite direction with the other?

 

[GnarlyItWas]

Where was the owner / skipper of the sailboat ?

 

[Vincent DePillis]

I heard they moored there at low tide, had to wait so long that the rising tide stuck the mast into the bridge.

 

[Bruno]

congrats on another successful rescue in order apparently, and a nice sunny day to boot

 

[Keith]

omg....... :blink:

 

[Timo42]

This is an update from someone who spoke to Vessel Assist.

NEWS. Spoke with Vessel assist. Boat lost power and both wind and current pushed under bridge. And a tide was coming up it was pushing the hull underwater with running current. So decision was made to intentionally sacrifice the stick to save the boat. Great Company Vessel Assist.

So, if you lost power leaving the small locks in your sailboat, what would you do?

From the comments...

 

[SloopJonB]

Drop the anchor(s) which should always be ready to go but seldom are - usually in a locker someplace below.

 

[Russell Brown]

Having come very close to greif on this same bridge, my heart goes out to the boat owner. Really nice work by Vessel Assist.

This rail road bridge is the last barrier between the city and the open water. The temptation is to hit the gas when leaving the locks and head toward the sparkling sea, not noticing the bridge in the way. Anyway, that's what happened to me. My buddy put a monster dent in his mast for the same reason.

 

[Norm]

So ? what should have happened ?

hook a halyard up to the towboat to lean it over more and and two ropes ones to bow and one to stern and drag it out sideways - almost need a tug boat

whats the best way to remedy ?

 

[wristwister]

Look closely at the video. Something is holding the top of that mast firm onto the underside of the bridge. Even after the mast breaks its still stuck to the bridge. Tow boat had to gun it hard to unstick it, then the mast immediately came tumbling down. I'm guessing they either tried the halyard trick, or it was obvious from the get go that it wouldn't work.

... and regarding the idea of anchoring, I'd be amazed if anyone could actually pull this off coming out of those locks. Without and engine they were probably doing the spinning turd in a toilet bowl trick coming out of there (much to the delight of the hordes of tourists at the locks), and there's very little time before you're at that bridge.

Bummer for this dude and his boat. Hope he knows about the Sailboat Wrecking Yard up north where he may be able to find another stick.