Dauphin Island Regatta Strom

[tjr818]

Here is a some additional information from Fox10 News in Mobile:

Joshua Edwards captured more than 40 minutes worth of video while he and the rest of his crew aboard their boat, "St. Somewhere," in the regatta.

Edwards' mother, Libby Hoffman, spoke with FOX10 Sunday afternoon. She was steering the boat during the storm.

She told FOX10 the crew had already finished the race, and was sailing back to the Mobile Yacht Club to dock, when the thunderstorms hit.

She said had never sailed in weather so severe.

“First thing I did was pray, and basically it was short and sweet, ‘Jesus you calmed a storm for me once, I wouldn't mind it if you did it again for me,'” said Hoffman.

Hoffman said after the storm cleared up a bit, her crew came across another boat in distress in Mobile Bay.

“(We saw) a man and his wife, and their 11-year-old daughter, and his wife was waving her arms trying to flag anybody down, so we circled back around, were able to throw them a tow line, and they followed us all the way home," Hoffman recalled.

She said that boat was from the Fairhope Yacht Club.

Hoffman told FOX10 News she feels blessed that she is alive to tell her story, and she is saying a prayer for those who were lost in the same severe weather she endured Saturday afternoon.

“For anybody that's still praying, don't stop, just don't stop, God's good all the time, and those families need to be surrounded, and held up," said Hoffman.


I feel better about the crew now.

[Gulf Coast Greg]

Thank God and Carl Alberg!

Myself and the crew of the SV Amazing Grace made it to Dauphin Island after the squall. The storm hit with remarkable quickness. I had decided to head south and reduce the mainsail another reef, however winds of over 50kts hit us before we could do anything. We went over on her beam ends and the mainsail ripped from the leech to the mast and began to luff to rags. We past five persons in the water and threw cushions and the life sling but we were in the grip of the storm and could not reach them, they did have PFDs on. We initiated the first of a long day of calls to the Coast Guard to report their position. We then saw flares dead ahead and called that in but saw no boat. With the mainsail gone and the staysail still set I was able to gain control and turn the boat into the wind and 10ft waves. We rode the squall out this way and ended up farther south than I though we could in such a short time. When the squall abated, we were OK but with water in the cabin about 8 inches above the sole. The pumps were blocked( stow all paper items!) so I made due with a bucket. The electrics were good and worked throughout. We started the engine and headed to the Island and picked up two survivors along the way. My crew were experienced sailors and my boat sound and with the Grace of God I can write this today

[tjr818]

Great work Greg. Sorry about the mainsail . . . and the cabin sole.

[Astronomertoo]

I had a hard time getting to sleep last night. I kept reviewing that YouTube video and thinking about the two sailors in that little boat that still had the mainsail up. The people filming that were so close. Instead of fixing the disaster they should have gone over to render any assistance that they could. I hope those two made it.

Hello all.
We must all learn from this event, and it would be good if all sailing clubs feature such discussions in the near future, no matter their location.
This sad story has also reminded me too, of the Fastnet Race disaster, which our small sailboat club at San Leon on Galveston Bay watched together on tape afterwards.
This was a survival storm for all the small craft who stayed out for the race, even though it was not far from shore. Even for the larger boats it was a serious event. In such described conditions it is impossible to recover people in the water, or maneuver around other boats in those conditions, especially with too much sail on either one. The best one can do is try to get floatation near them for them to hang onto, and advise the professionals of the location as best you can. I can tell you there is no way to stop and hold station near, or throw ropes to recover people in the water, regardless of vessel size.
We all know every person out there should have had their best available PFDs on, tied securely, with whatever extra safety equipment attached early, and the sails reduced conservatively, BEFORE the storm hit them so hard. This is the responsibility of the skipper of each boat. It would at least have made recovery easier for the lost souls after the storm.
I was not in that race, but from the best of the descriptions, most people did well to take care of their own regardless, and hopefully everyone learned a lot about what to do, or not to do, in such extreme conditions.
I worked off shore long ago for 5 years on a research vessel in the manned submersible business, and have some good sea time, and experienced some bad times in both the great lakes, and the gulf stream. I have spent 8 hours in a search pattern for a missing friend, long ago on a larger boat, in much worse conditions off Florida, and it has affected me to this day. I also have the safety equipment which both me and my crew will always donn sooner rather than later. I also tend to study the weather for myself, make my own decisions as to go or stay, regardless of what the pros say the weather will do during a race. On that day many probably otherwise very good, conservative sailers probably did not want to question the racing committee, and did not want to be chicken or a praty pooper, but might think harder next time. Besides it was going to be a fun, nice family sailing day. I am also sure some did not go out due to doubts, but the ones who were most affected were the occasional calm water sailers and families who did not have sea experience, or a capable boat for what they found offshore. I feel bad for all the scared, people out there that day, and will offer my condolences to those who's loved ones did not make it.
I wish everyone well and we all need to learn from this.
In particular I expect to hear all race committees will be treating a pre-race checklist, safety meeting, and discussion with the skippers a little different in the future. And buy better safety gear!
Best wishes
BobC
(a very small 1975 CD 25)
Moon Shine