Woody
Well-Known Member
Glad everything turned out ok. This first hand narrative should cause us all to review how prepared we are for the "what ifs".
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature currently requires accessing the site using the built-in Safari browser.
I appreciate all the good ideas and suggestions about what to do next time... It is easy to be the Monday morning quarterback or quote what the "book" says, but we did not have many options.
We could have left earlier, not stopped, but our friend was in the ocean, and we were determined to make sure he was safe... If something had happened to Paul and Olga we both would have been out that inlet searching for him when the storm passed.
My anchor windlass was jammed with gordian knot, the breaker tripped and broken... Even with 100' of chain and 20' of rope my anchor was not holding... We both had our engines running. If we would have split up I would have been not be able to retrieve my anchor, and would have been forced to cut my rode... If we were able to pull up the anchors, there was no space wide an deep enough to ensure safe maneuverability, remember the Barnegat has an average depth of 3'... All the charter fishing boat were headed through the inlet, to port, in the midst of the storm... They know what to do, and for them it was get out of the Ocean and back to port... The people on those boat were cheering as if they just had the ride of their lives.
In hindsight, I think we should have listened to my wife's suggestion of moving our anchoring spot further in, with a twist... I would have headed over to the HBH marina and grabbed a "T' dock slip and tied up until the storm passed... I can say now, that I am glad for my friend, and now we have a story, a little more experience, a closer friendship, and I am putting my spare Danforth anchor on my boat tomorrow...
That was some storm. We were at Tices Shoal Sunday and saw the clouds coming. My neice had a weather service on her phone and showed me the doppler radar. As soon as I saw what was coming, we took off. I'm glad you guys are all ok and no one got hurt.
I'm sure you saw this..."training" on a sailboat in that storm with NO LIFE JACKET on. Very sad. http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010100726028
Rod/Alex that was some experience. I'm glad everyone made it out safe. Sorry to hear about the damage to Rod's boat.
When that storm hit, I was less than 1/2 mile from my cove. My initial plan was to stay out in the bay and ride it out. However, there were so many boats running for cover, that I decided it was safer to leave the channel and troll into my cove. Boats were buzzing around on plane in zero visibility. (no shortage of idiots in my neck of the woods) I sent my wife and daughter down into the cabin, while my friend Jeff and my son tried to hide from the driving rain under a towel on the back of the boat. (It didnt work, but they at least had fun trying)
As I entered the day markers to my cove, the wind caught the nose of my boat and turned me 180 degrees. There were 2 other boats within 200 feet of me. At that point I decided I would be better off driving into my canal and let the houses break the wind. It would have been a good plan, if I didn’t run over the no-wake buoy and wrap a chain around my port shaft.
Greg, we were wondering how you did in the storm. we kept looking back to see if you were catching up to us.
Some kid thought it was a good idea to go swimming in the east river, then about half way across he flagged a sailboat for help. he fished him out and called the coast guard to see what to do with him as there was no place to dock. They sent a boat to get him, he got nervous that he would get in trouble so he jumped back in. They fished him out again.
when you saw the sky getting dark why didn't you put up your canvas?
I'd keep it down to prevent getting torn to shreds.
Next year, I vote that we have a Captain's meeting :thumbsup: prior to our morning departure and discuss the weather, and who is traveling with whom... The party is not over until everyone is home safe and sound...
Next year, I vote that we have a Captain's meeting :thumbsup: prior to our morning departure and discuss the weather, and who is traveling with whom... The party is not over until everyone is home safe and sound...
The diesel guys had a captains meeting that morning:
Y'all didn't have one on the dinghy dock? :grin:
Vince,
A quick question, when you saw the sky getting dark why didn't you put up your canvas?