[SCOW] Fwd: Sabrina Renders Assistance to Small Boat Taking on Water - Leukemia Cup, Race 1

SCOW Members,

Here is a report from the skipper of the boat that Sabrina rendered assistance.  SCOW Member Sabine Moty was part of the crew on Sabrina that rendered assistance!

Charles Gilbert

SCOW Membership Director 2012

membership@scow.org

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Subject: Re: Sabrina Renders Assistance to Small Boat Taking on Water - Leukemia Cup, Race 1
Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:55:54 -0400

The small boat in distress was the Bluenose, Tignish.  I really appreciate the help and excellent seamanship of Sabrina and her crew.  I noticed Split Decision surveying the situation and not leaving the vicinity until it was obvious that Sabrina was assisting.  That too is greatly appreciated.   

 

We were knocked down from a gust near the bottom mark.  With the masthead in the water the cockpit was filling up fast.  The boat righted herself and we dropped the spinnaker and furled the jib.  In retrospect we should have doused the main and started the engine.  Before we had fully cleared the water out of the boat we were knocked flat and started to fill again.  If the water reached the companionway the boat would sink like a brick.  I was knee deep in water, standing on the cockpit coaming on the low side.  I decided to get my weight off the underwater rail hoping this would help the boat recover. I stepped off the coaming into the river.  The boat popped upright a second time.  We doused the main and the crew started bailing and pumping.  My crew was doing a great job.  We had been knocked down twice, almost sinking each time, and both times they did all the right things without a lot of wasted motion or unecessary excitement.

 

At that point I started hailing and waving at Sabrina.  Without hesitation she recognized our situation and started dropping sails and making her way over to us.   They came alongside to weather, took off crew, leaving only those who  were working on the pump, called in a mayday, communicated with the race committee and handed us a line.  I thought with great comfort and respect that these people know what they are doing.  Without a second thought they were kind enough to give up on their day and, very competently, rescue us.

 

Lessons (these are all very basic but I got complacent.):

1.  Skipper and crew were not up to the challenge of flying a spinnaker on that day in that boat.  At the dock it is difficult to admit your limitations.  When the mainsail is under water they become obvious.

2.  The mainsheet is too far aft.  It is six feet aft of the helm and at a difficult angle.  If we had been faster cutting the main we would not have sufferred the second knockdown.  I have been thinkng about moving it forward for a couple of years.

3.  Close the companionway hatch when the wind comes up.  Because it is so narrow, the waterline on a Bluenose laying on its side is right up to the companionway opening escalting the possibility of sinking during a routine broach.  We were very lucky not to have sunk.

4.  Spend the money on good life jackets. 

5.  Getting back on a sailboat, even one with low freeboard, is really hard.  It took three people a couple of minutes of hard work to get me back aboard.  I am not sure I did the right thing by leaving the boat.  Luckily it worked out OK.

6.  Don't second guess yourself about asking for help or calling a Mayday.  Sure, you might end up OK

 

Thanks to my crew and to all who assisted.  The Corinthian Spirit is alive and well on the Potomac.

 

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Sun, Sep 9, 2012 1:01 pm
Subject: Sabrina Renders Assistance to Small Boat Taking on Water - Leukemia Cup, Race 1

After Split Decision rounded Marker 9 during the first race the crew of a small sailboat with a black hull (do not know name) was waving to us for help.  By the time we took down our sails Sabrina and crew were already rendering assistance.  The small sailboat and Sabrina were blown 150 ft West of marker 9 (toward the airport) into very shallow water.  The water was very choppy with 20-25 knot winds.  We ran soft aground trying to provide redundancy to the help effort.  We made several radio calls to let the committee boat and fleet know what was happening.  Sabrina was very persistent in those conditions and somehow got a line to the small boat and was towing her to safety and hopefuly home when we started motoring back the starting line.

 

Hats off to Sabrina and crew for putting themselves in peril to help another boat.

 

Phil Akers  

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