Dangerous Rocks & Shoals

[BeauV]

I am putting together a talk on dangerous reefs and shoals for our local Club and as a result I've been surfing around the net looking for pictures of places where even a prudent seaman could be surprised. All of this got a big boost from the loss of the LOW SPEED CHASE on Southeast Farallon Island last summer and the resulting self-examination that the sailing community in Northern California has been doing. I thought I'd share a few of the "special" places that I've stumbled across where folks have lost their boats or their lives, and that I'd ask you all to contribute your favorite places as well.

Perhaps we can build a thread of Rocks & Shoals that we can reference when we need it. I have to say, some of the pictures are just terrifying! Sit back and enjoy this video of Cortez Bank, located about 100 miles due west of San Diego and about ten to twenty miles south of the typical TransPac course. There is no land anywhere around, the nearest is San Clement Island dozens of miles away. Imagine arriving here in the dark on a square rigged ship in light winds in the winter, when you couldn't get away from it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXZ6i9gnOzQ[/youtube]

[cap10ed]

Beau we have our own mystery shoal on Lake Superior. Loaded ships at 26’ and up wards to 29’ need to pay attention to this mountain jutting off the bottom . Clearance of around 21 at datum. Add wind and sea’s and not keeping a good position on your chart, you just might become a notice to mariners.
Your video clip is scary stuff. I am amazed by surfers and the waves they take on. Crazy !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_Shoal

[Tigger]

I'd consider adding a section about people who pile their boats up on hazards they knew were there.

How many folks have we seen run into things, and after hear them say 'I thought I was far enough away'? How many of us have done it? (me) Particularly if you are closing the hazard at an oblique angle, or it is at night where there is the propensity to close a shore.

As far as specific places--perhaps a river bar, big or small, where storms can shift the position of the channel.

Sounds like a good session!

R

[cap10ed]

Tigger your comment about the river bar reminds me of a story. Back in 85’ we were headed south on our boat and got caught in the tail end of a depression that rattled the Carolina coast. We anchored for 2 days waiting for the blow to head out to sea. Another boat in our anchorage was eager to head out on the ocean and asked if I was going out the next day after the blow. I told them New Topsail Inlet had shifting sand bars and local knowledge was paramount especially after such a big storm. I told him my intention was to head south on the intra coastal once power was restored to the bridges and find a better and deeper passage to the ocean. Needless to say his enthusiasm over rode his judgement and he ran aground heading out the passage and worse yet, on a falling tide. Big mistake. The local tow boats jumped on this like wolves on a carcass. The local towing company dispatched a boat for his assistance from 20 miles away and the clock was ticking from the time the dock lines were let go. The tide had to go through 1/2 cycle before it would be a rising tide. The bill was through the roof. A lot of lessons in this incident and the 40’ sailboat survived with some sand rash and busted ego’s.
Lessons:
Patience when dealing with weather
Local knowledge in unknown waters
Viable alternatives
Explore possible route on a rising tide in calm conditions in a dingy
"When the draft of your vessel greatly exceeds the available water, then my friend you are most assuredly aground. "

[Ish]

The beautiful Robertson II, driven way up on a well-charted reef at midnight in the middle of summer. Were there beverages involved? Nobody's saying.



Last time we passed by, in September, there was one rib left.

[bob perry]

I taught my boys, "When in doubt, stay out."

[BeauV]

It's so sad to see that schooner on her side like that.... bah!



I'm sure you all heard about the Sydney38 LOW SPEED CHASE that went up on Southeast Farallon Island, one of the Farallon Islands just outside the Golden Gate. Here is sailing out past Pt. Bonita on her way to Southeast Farallon (above) and what she looked like sitting up on the island apx 25' above sea level (below), right were a pair of BIG waves left her.



In this next picture you can see the tracks of all the competitors in the race. The red track that goes ashore is that of LOW SPEED CHASE. It's interesting to have a look at the Green Track that passed over the same shoal a few minutes (literally) before and was lucky enough to do so during relatively normal waves. Starting atop the 4 fathom shoal, LOW SPEED CHASE was picked up and moved 1500 feet to leeward by two waves over the course of about 30 seconds.



Five crew were killed, including two friends of mine, and three survived. The boat was lifted off the island, which is a marine sanctuary, by helicopter.



Photo Credit to Lat-38.

[cap10ed]

Beau what direction was the rounding? Clock wise or counter? If standing in from seaward going counter clockwise you might pick up the imminent danger by visual clues and maybe sounds of the surf zone breaking ashore.On a rookie passage into Nassau at night we listened to the surf and watched the depth sounder to get into the harbor under sail.Something I would never do again.(pre GPS days). In the USA 2012 was a bad year for west coast sailing. Sorry about your lost sailing buddies Beau.

[BeauV]

Ed,

The sailing instructions let you go either way around the island. Almost everyone goes around counter-clockwise, leaving the island to port, because modern boats can point high enough in the prevailing winds to sail above the island on starboard (wind is from the NW) on their way out from San Francisco, then they just bear off and spend their time on the backside of the island planing with the chute up vs beating to windward. That gives a much shorter rounding time.

As a result, you are completely correct, when sailing the race you're looking at the upwind side of the waves and it's hard to judge their size. That said, the two waves that got LOW SPEED CHASE broke to starboard of her, outside of her course around the island, and washed her ashore. The best estimates are that the waves were about 35 to 40 feet high, while the "typical" waves that day were about 10 to 15 feet high. It's the fate of surfers in big breaks - being caught inside on a big set - you get pounded.

Back in the day, when I was just a sprig, boats couldn't sail as high going to windward and we would leave the island to starboard as we were going to have to beat up further either way. Back then there were other races that went around S. Farallon, including a number of roundings in the middle of the night. I can still remember the sight of all that foam from the surf in the moonlight - beautiful and scary at the same time.

Thanks for your thoughts about my buddies. They were both very accomplished sailors, one was the pro onboard who had years of experience. They are missed.

BV

[Tigger]

Last time we passed by, in September, there was one rib left.

She went aground in July of 2007. This photo was taken a year later in August of 2008. Amazing how quickly she broke up ...

DSC01664.jpg

[VALIS]

This isn't location-specific, but I've found that I am most in danger of making a boneheaded move when I am returning to port after a long passage. In 2008, when I entered the S.F. bay after sailing from Hawaii, I sailed entirely too close to the point at Horseshoe Cove, then almost nailed a mooring buoy (unlit but one I was familiar with) while heading into Sausalito. I was in the home stretch, was focusing on our arrival, and had let my guard down. I understand that I'm not the only one who has experienced this situation.

I suppose my point is that sometimes the rocks and shoals you know about can still be dangerous!

[Tigger]

This isn't location-specific, but I've found that I am most in danger of making a boneheaded move when I am returning to port after a long passage. In 2008, when I entered the S.F. bay after sailing from Hawaii, I sailed entirely too close to the point at Horseshoe Cove, then almost nailed a mooring buoy (unlit but one I was familiar with) while heading into Sausalito. I was in the home stretch, was focusing on our arrival, and had let my guard down. I understand that I'm not the only one who has experienced this situation.

I suppose my point is that sometimes the rocks and shoals you know about can still be dangerous!

And then there is the sun early in the morning. I almost t-boned a spar bouy in Nanaimo harbour at sunrise...was distracted by the Gabriola Ferry...sun in my eyes...good, Ferry is going to cross well ahead...oh yeah, the spar bouy--where exactly is it...DOH! Missed it by about a foot, and only after throwing the wheel all the way to starboard and then immediately all the way to port. The same manouevre the Titanic tried.

[BeauV]

The buoy you know!

Back in the '60s my old man was sailing home from Catalina with five or six of his buddies, yes there were liquid refreshments involved. After entering LA harbor he hardened up for Fish Harbor where his boat lived and right on the rhumb line there is a full sized Red Bell buoy - the big old US Gov. type. Dad had the deck sweeper genoa up for the broad reach back from the island, and when the guys hauled the sheet in Nis Randers heeled way over and everyone started to sort out their drinks and snacks. Sure enough, they clobbered the Buoy and actually sunk it. There was about a 6" deep dent in the steel bow of the Nis Randers. Dad was really embarassed and called the USCG to let them know that he'd sunk their buoy. They said something like "thanks". Then a few weeks later a bill for $3,400 appeared for the repair of the buoy!

The stem on the Nis Randers was a steel plate set on edge 1" thick and 6" deep - I can't imagine any other boat sinking the frigging buoy!

Beau