Bar Crossing - Rescue

[T210DRVR]

If you are green at the gills on a boat with no propulsion in 12 foot seas it could seem pretty bad, especially when your wife is screaming at you to get her off the boat. I have no idea if that’s the way it happened but it’s certainly possible.

 

[wkearney99]

Every time I read a thread about something going wrong I'm reminded of this de-motivational poster from despair.com

 

[tiltrider1]

The boat has now washed up on Cannon Beach.

I’m totally speculating, boat canvas is in terrible shape, home port on back of boat is Anacortes. I’m guessing the boat was being repositioned when it broke down.

 

[rochepoint]

Here is a link

 

[Barabus]

Somewhat confused by the decision not to tow due to stability concerns? Not sure how to interpret? Boat was stabile enough to float to shore and looked good in the photos.

 

[twistedtree]

Somewhat confused by the decision not to tow due to stability concerns? Not sure how to interpret? Boat was stabile enough to float to shore and looked good in the photos.

I suspect crossing the bar would have been worse. I know plenty of people who have been told not to cross the bar and to tough it out. Cross the bar, you die. Tough it out, you puke. Take your pick. But now there appears to be a third alternative. I just hope the boat owners/operators pay for the rescue and the salvage of the boat.

 

[BandB]

I find one part of the article absurd.

We ask everyone to please leave the boat alone. In the past when boats have washed up, individuals have looted the boats. These are still private property and should be left alone until the salvage company can come retrieve it for the family.​

If you, newspaper, wanted it left alone, then why publish the photo and location in your paper and on the internet?

 

[SoWhat]

Somewhat confused by the decision not to tow due to stability concerns? Not sure how to interpret? Boat was stabile enough to float to shore and looked good in the photos.

CG is generally not in the towing business. They will stand by until a commercial tow arrives. Suspect the seas were too unstable for anyone to board and rig up tow lines.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

So based on the story so far: Boat is from Anacortes WA. Coming down the coast and looking at crossing the bar. So far so good.

Did he and his wife (maybe the dog) not check the weather on the bar or on the coast before departing Neah Bay?

 

[Larry M]

So based on the story so far: Boat is from Anacortes WA. Coming down the coast and looking at crossing the bar. So far so good.

Did he and his wife (maybe the dog) not check the weather on the bar or on the coast before departing Neah Bay?

If they we’re heading south, did they try Astoria? Or contact the USCG? I’d try the Colombia River bar over Seaside. My gut tells me they had limited boating experience on open oceans.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

If they we’re heading south, did they try Astoria? Or contact the USCG? I’d try the Colombia River bar over Seaside. My gut tells me they had limited boating experience on open oceans.

According to the story, they were trying to cross the Columbia River Bar.

I am glad the cap't and crew are safe. However why did the Cap't not check the weather? 12 foot seas when he was entering the bar? If he came down or up the coast did he check the weather and bar conditions? When he lost propulsion did he call the USCG? Mistake yes. Glad crew is safe but this could have been prevented and is on the cap'ts shoulders.

 

[SoWhat]

12 foot seas when he was entering the bar? If he came down or up the coast did he check the weather and bar conditions? When he lost propulsion did he call the USCG? Mistake yes. Glad crew is safe but this could have been prevented and is on the cap'ts shoulders.

Nothing was said about losing propulsion. Capt stated they were "bashed and battered" Said he was caught in a storm. He did call the CG in afternoon. They told him to wait. He pulled the plug at 2AM.

Small craft advisories are are for 40' and under. He was 45'. Maybe he thought he could handle it. I agree, it's on his shoulders. Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you.

 

[Larry M]

According to the story, they were trying to cross the Columbia River Bar. ..

My bad. The first article I saw mentioned Seaside.

But i agree 12' seas. Why go out in it? The forecasting is pretty good out your way.

 

[Wxx3]

Wow, what a shame.
I hope they can just drive the boat off the beach on a trailer.

The only question I have is why the CG didn't tell them to at least wait until daylight.
A night rescue is certainly more dangerous than sitting on a non sinking boat until daylight.

 

[rgano]

The word fear is getting big play here, but based on the articles referenced, I think some of the earlier suggestions indicating extreme weariness and the resultant lack of rational thought may have had more to do with it. I have seen it in a rescue we once made. Guy was stuck offshore and sick and tired and full of wrong decisions.

 

[gsholz]

Agree, exhaustion and seasickness would be my guess too. The "plan" likely was to do 15 knots coming down from Neah Bay to the Columbia Bar in 10 hours, crossing it in day light. Winds/seas picked up, could only do 7-8 knots - now you need a backup plan. Maybe, if possible, duck into La Push or Westport before exhaustion sets in. If those were not options, a sea anchor would have been nice to settle down the boat and rest the crew. Not many of us coastal cruisers carry sea anchors, maybe we should.

 

[Shrew]

I had to hand steer in rough seas for 6 hours. It was exhausting. I was not scared for a second, but it took 3 Bourbons and 90 minutes for my hands to stop shaking.

Another time I pushed a schedule based on an underestimated weather forecast, which ended up being way worse than what NOAA was calling for. I look over and there is my wife...crying. Not weeping........full blown blubbering.

Many wives simply don't drive the boat, don't drive the boat frequently, or for long periods. Very few drive in rough weather.

This guy could have simply hit the wall physically and psychologically. He might not have had any options for shift rotation.

I'd like to think I would have stayed, but know that it must not have been an easy decision to leave her.

 

[Northern Spy]

Sometimes the holes in the Swiss cheese just line up...

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Nothing was said about losing propulsion.

You maybe right. I saw it in one of the stories, but can't find it now....

 

[MurrayM]

Sometimes the holes in the Swiss cheese just line up...

Good one

 

[CaptTom]

Nothing was said about losing propulsion.

I thought the mention about being unable to tow them in - twice - might indicate that they needed a tow.

I don't think you'd want to tow a boat over a bar if it could make it on its own power. But again, all of this is speculation from a very sparse article probably written by someone with limited boating experience.

 

[psneeld]

Towing when the crew is unreliable/incapacitated isn't uncommon if putting someone onboard is too dangerous.

 

[Boatfever]

Agree, exhaustion and seasickness would be my guess too. The "plan" likely was to do 15 knots coming down from Neah Bay to the Columbia Bar in 10 hours, crossing it in day light. Winds/seas picked up, could only do 7-8 knots - now you need a backup plan. Maybe, if possible, duck into La Push or Westport before exhaustion sets in. If those were not options, a sea anchor would have been nice to settle down the boat and rest the crew. Not many of us coastal cruisers carry sea anchors, maybe we should.

I don't know that area at all, or what they were planning on. But that is a DeFever 44 and not anywhere near a 15 knot boat. More like 7 to 8 knots with twin Lehmans, Sabres, or JD's in later models. She can take a significant roll (heel angle) and come back up. Arthur DeFever is quoted somewhere on it, I think. Somewhere in the 60 - 65 degree range, IIRC. They have pretty good reputation for handling some seas.

 

[CaptTom]

Towing when the crew is unreliable/incapacitated isn't uncommon if putting someone onboard is too dangerous.

Across a dangerous bar? I'll defer to those who know more about the CG's procedures than I, but I've done a lot of towing and I wouldn't risk that if there were any other option.

 

[SoWhat]

She can take a significant roll (heel angle) and come back up. Arthur DeFever is quoted somewhere on it, I think. Somewhere in the 60 - 65 degree range, IIRC. They have pretty good reputation for handling some seas.

Wife not so much. You would need some very solid seat belts to be rolling in 12 footers for 8 hours.

 

[psneeld]

Across a dangerous bar? I'll defer to those who know more about the CG's procedures than I, but I've done a lot of towing and I wouldn't risk that if there were any other option.

Exactly the point...what are the options and possible outcomes?


Unless you could have put someone on that boat...letting the crew cross the bar may have been pretty dangerous too depending on their state of heath and mind.


The the USCG makes hoisting seem pretty easy and safe...believe me it isn't mush safer by a longshot... too many seniors in the chain of command believe it is over other choices.

 

[wkearney99]

Exactly the point...what are the options and possible outcomes?

Unless you could have put someone on that boat...letting the crew cross the bar may have been pretty dangerous too depending on their state of heath and mind.

The the USCG makes hoisting seem pretty easy and safe...believe me it isn't mush safer by a longshot... too many seniors in the chain of command believe it is over other choices.

While I'm sure hoisting isn't without risks, it'd seem to present fewer variables than towing. There's diver safety and risk to the aircraft, of course.

But with towing you start an open-ended series of risky events. No doubt part of which becomes financial risk exposure for "taking possession" of the towed vessel. There's few upsides to it for the gov't and plenty of downsides. We got the operator/passengers off the vessel... that THEY put in peril. The operator is the responsible party for the vessel (cleanup, salvage, etc).

Versus, the Coasties took over the vessel and then **** went sideways, leaving the USCG on the hook for all the expenses.

Sure, abandoning the vessel leaves open the risk of environmental damage, but that's on the boat operator. Not sure how readily that sort of situation could be transitioned to a towing/salvage job. That and there's potentially the financial hope on the part of the operator that the damned thing will just sink instead of turning into a shore cleanup hassles. As in, we were lucky to get out alive... but now we're up against hideous salvage/cleanup costs.

It'd certainly be interesting to hear more of how this happened, not just armchair spectating.

 

[psneeld]

Without a lot of actual case info...it's all speculation of the whys things were done or not. But ....


One tiny error or malfunction during the hoist can result in 6 dead immediately.


Then how do all those other "risks" factor in?

 

[wkearney99]

One tiny error or malfunction during the hoist can result in 6 dead immediately.

So what? There's risk in everything. Including being suckered into pointless troll post replies.

 

[psneeld]

So what? There's risk in everything. Including being suckered into pointless troll post replies.

Seriously....So What?


Been on all sides of this kind of operation....believe me a bit more thought goes into it besides So What? and no...lawyers show up later...operators make the decisions and liability is not high on the list usually.


Hoisting may have risks but usually greater consequences if it goes sideways.


The other options do too...but it take way more things to go wrong to kill 6 in seconds. Just pointing that out in case you still think I am a troll.