Foolish
Super Anarchist
I have often wondered if I could rescue people while singlehanding. I got the answer yesterday and it went perfectly.
A canoe with two people tipped over in Cadboro Bay (near Victoria) yesterday. It was blowing 18 knots with a chop. I heard a very faint "help" in the distance, and after a bit of looking around I saw them waving at me. I waved back to let them know that I was coming.
I tacked around and sailed up about 50 yards above them. Then I tacked again and hove too, and drifted down to them. I was still moving forward a bit, so I tossed them my spinnaker sheet and they grabbed on. I was moving slowly enough that I could easily pull them towards the boat.
In the hove too position, the boat has a strong lean to the leeward side. The Olson 30 is very low to the water and the leeward side was just inches above the water. So I pulled them to that side. I have spectra lifelines, so I cut the lower line giving them free access (this is a key benefit of spectra lifelines). The fellow was able to pull himself on board while I controlled the tiller, and the two of us each grabbed the girl's wrists and easily slid her on board, PFD and all. This would not have been possible with wire lifelines.
The whole process was very fast and proves my thought that sail boats should be sailed, not motored, when performing a rescue. In a wind like that, I have much better control of the boat under sail than under my little 5hp outboard. I heave too often when coming back to the docks, so I am very comfortable with how the boat moves.
We went back and found the fellow's 75lb pack and dragged it on board, but we were not able to spot the dark green canoe. It's probably floating out to the Pacific by now. We did warn the Coast Guard that it was out there somewhere.
This is NOT a photo of them, but I didn't think it prudent to call out "swim just a bit longer while I take a Facebook photo".
A canoe with two people tipped over in Cadboro Bay (near Victoria) yesterday. It was blowing 18 knots with a chop. I heard a very faint "help" in the distance, and after a bit of looking around I saw them waving at me. I waved back to let them know that I was coming.
I tacked around and sailed up about 50 yards above them. Then I tacked again and hove too, and drifted down to them. I was still moving forward a bit, so I tossed them my spinnaker sheet and they grabbed on. I was moving slowly enough that I could easily pull them towards the boat.
In the hove too position, the boat has a strong lean to the leeward side. The Olson 30 is very low to the water and the leeward side was just inches above the water. So I pulled them to that side. I have spectra lifelines, so I cut the lower line giving them free access (this is a key benefit of spectra lifelines). The fellow was able to pull himself on board while I controlled the tiller, and the two of us each grabbed the girl's wrists and easily slid her on board, PFD and all. This would not have been possible with wire lifelines.
The whole process was very fast and proves my thought that sail boats should be sailed, not motored, when performing a rescue. In a wind like that, I have much better control of the boat under sail than under my little 5hp outboard. I heave too often when coming back to the docks, so I am very comfortable with how the boat moves.
We went back and found the fellow's 75lb pack and dragged it on board, but we were not able to spot the dark green canoe. It's probably floating out to the Pacific by now. We did warn the Coast Guard that it was out there somewhere.
This is NOT a photo of them, but I didn't think it prudent to call out "swim just a bit longer while I take a Facebook photo".
