Trip Shorter Than Planned.....

[Scott MacCready]

Just want to give an update to those few of you that were aware of my cruising plans and share the very short experience with the rest of you....

Since living on St. Croix in the USVI about 6 years ago, I've been making plans for an eventual trip back there on my own boat. This past year I acquired my 3rd Cape Dory and started making all the improvements I figured would be necessary for the trip. My original plan was a 5 year one, but as fortune would have it, things started falling into place sooner than expected and this summer I realized that perhaps leaving this Fall would not be out of the question. I put myself into full gear and prepared the boat as best I could giving the restraints of my wallet. The improvements I made to the boat were mostly to the sails, rigging, and electrical system, as well as an auto pilot and windvane self steering. Solar panels and and wind generator finished off my projects last week and this past Sunday, after waiting for a suitable weather window, I was on my way from Beaufort,NC.
I left at 5pm just as dusk was beginning to fall. Part of the reason was taking advantage of high tide, but also, being familiar with the Inlet and coastal waters off Cape Lookout, I figured I could handle those in the dark and tackle the Gulf Stream with the sunrise. I've been working the night shift for most of the past 20+ years so staying awake wasn't an issue for me.
That first night was beautiful, with a full moon so bright I could've read easily out in the cockpit if I had wanted. As it was, it allowed me to adjust sails and the windvane without the aid of a light. The winds were from the NNE at 10-15 knots. My initial tract was SSE out the inlet and then planned on turning East when past Cape Lookout Shoals. Once I turned east, or as east as the winds would allow me, my progress slowed to about 3-4 knots/hr. I could've hoisted more sail area but opted for less to give me time to acquire my sea legs and settle into a routine. I kept myself tethered anytime I was out of the cabin and had a very good first night.
In the morning, the winds circled to the East and coupled with the waves that were coming from the NE, the only course I was able to head was SSE, more south than I had planned. My plan was to get as much Easting as possible before finally heading south well east of the Gulf Stream. I spent much of the day inside due to rain but kept a frequent watch for any shipping. My progress was very slow. The winds had picked-up and I tried many sail combinations to limit my heal while still attempt to gain speed without success. Heading as close into the wind as possible really slowed my progress. As far as handling the Gulf Stream, it was a non-issue. Though the seas were high, the boat handled them well and I never felt in danger. The ride was comfortable with no pounding. The windvane worked very well and I rarely was at the helm.
As I said, my progress was slow and I was being forced further south than I wanted to be. My hope of letting the Gulf Stream maintain my northern position was not working out either. I had passed the strongest area of northward currents already. I really didn't want to motor but figured I would to avoid any further southward travel. I fired up the engine and headed NNE back up to where my original planned course should've been. The little MD7-A did very well. I also disengaged the windvane steering and switched on the Raymarine ST-4000 autopilot. For those of you wanting to know how this unit works in heavier seas---very, very good on this size boat. It kept me on course 100% of the time. I tacked back to the SSE under sail again and resumed my slow progress. I was really getting discouraged by now and was finally realizing the scope of what was ahead of me. Though the boat was keeping me safe, my sailing ability was not allowing me to make the progress I needed to be. At the 24 hour mark, though my total ground coverage was about 87 miles, due to having to tack, my course made good was only about 60 miles. It would be a very long trip indeed. Though I had enough provisions for well over a month onboard, I certainly didn't want to be out there that long. I also knew that I couldn't be out of touch from my family for that long a period. at 5PM, only 24 hours after beginning, I did a 180 and headed home to regroup.
The trip home was much quicker. Under jib and mizzen I surfed most of the way at 7-8 knots/hour. It was almost a dead run so I kept the mizzen prevented in case of a inadvertent jibe. If my way out had been that good, I'd still be out there.
At about 11PM, I saw the lights of a ship far off my starboard bow. It was the fist vessel I had seen since leaving port. I saw it's red bow light and a white light high up on deck. I went down below and grabbed my binoculars thinking maybe they'd allow me to see better in the dark. When I came back up into the cockpit, only a few minutes later, I couldn't see the ship where it had been. I finally located it again but it had crossed my path and was much closer off my port bow. I also could identify it as a sailboat. It was quite a rude awakening as to how you loose depth perception at night. I had thought it was a freighter way off in the distance, not a sailboat only a few hundred yards from me.
As I re-entered the coastal waters of Cape Lookout, I used the chartplotter to sort my way through the many buoy lights. So many lights and difficulty distinguishing them from one another due to lack of depth perception.... My course was taking me to Beaufort Inlet buoy R-10. According to my chartplotter, I was less than a mile from it but couldn't see it. I could see many other lights, even further in the distance, along with the many lights on the shoreline now about 5-6 miles distant, but not the buoy I was looking for. I kept heading for it with the chartplotter and kept searching. I ran down below for a second to grab my jacket as it had cooled significantly since leaving the gulf stream, when all of a sudden I heard this horrible screeching noise. I remember yelling out loud "what the f*** was that!" (no time for etiquette at that instance). My first thought was that something had wrapped my prop as I was now motoring for better manueverablily. Some of you might think I had found the buoy. I wish. As I turned and ran to the companionway, I saw the unmistakable form of the stern of a ship looming over my cockpit. I climbed out and looked up as I passed the fully lit-up ship. "where the h*** did that come from?" I screamed. I couldn't figure it out. It had only been a few seconds since I was on deck scanning forward for the buoy!. Was it anchored with all it's lights off and then turned it lights on as it saw me approaching? I looked up on deck but saw no signs of life. Surely if they had seen me someone would be watching from the deck. No one on the radio either. It seemed like everyone was sleeping but there was no mistaking that it was anchored there and lit-up like a Christmas tree. It was quite a while before I finally figured what had happened (I think). I think the reason that I couldn't see my buoy (which I now could see), was that it was behind the hull of the ship. The ship's light on deck blended in with the lights on the shoreline in the distance and because of the afore mentioned depth perception issues at night, didn't register as a ship in front of me, only part of the shoreline. While wresting with these issues, I was also surveying my boat for any damage. Starting with the hull I was pleased to see that no contact had been made. However, the scraping noise I heard was my starboard upper mizzen shroud against the ship's hull. It had severed completely. Fortunately, Alberg's design allowed for the mizzen mast to remain upright due to the triatic stay from the main mast and the lower shrouds. If I had been only several inches to port, I would've run directly into the ship at 6 knots and probably sunk. At the least, I would've been thrown forward and injured. I secured my mizzen halliards to the starboard rail for additional support and continued home without incident, dropping anchor at about 4am.
Well, I didn't tell many people on this board about my planned trip because of the fear of receiving too many opinions from the naysayers about what was needed for such a trip. I'm sure one of those things would be radar. I figured if I ever went to Maine, radar would be tops on the list due to fog but who needs it here, or in the tropics for that matter. Live and learn. Luckily I'm alive and will be able to read your responses. Have fun :0)

By the way, I have a (nearly) cruise ready Cape Dory 30-Ketch for sale ---more on that to come.

[Clay Stalker]

Scott:

What a great story, and I'm very glad you were not seriously hurt....sounds like a very close call...you should write that up and submit it to Sail Magazine.

I have never had radar, and also said I would only get it if I was sailing in the Maine fog....you have changed my thinking some. There is just more out there than we somethings think....

Selling your ketch? Can't wait for that story.

Clay Stalker

[Warren Kaplan]

Great story with a lesson for us all. The good news is that neither you nor your boat were seriously damaged and you will do this trip again when the right time presents itself.

[David van den Burgh]

Scott,

Glad to hear you and your vessel are okay. It's unfortunate that things turned out the way they did.

Selling your ketch? Can't wait for that story.

I hope this isn't the story.

Cheers,
David

[yves feder w1ux]

Scott,

I'm VERY glad you're OK and that you got home with such minimal damage, aside from being shaken up by the difference between "reality" and "perception" under those conditions. Shorelines at night can be a nightmare........

Even with our limited cruising I find radar a necessity. Long runs in a close fog, or at night, make it a Godsend. To hear the thumping of really big engines in a fogbank knowing that the sense of sound direction is lost in fog, and then to be able to easily plot not only the location of the Big Commercial Guy, but also his course, and plan accordingly, is super insurance. Also gives you a chance to confirm stuff with the BCG on channel 13.

Good Luck and Good Fortune Scott with your future plans.

[chase]

Scott,

Just read and then printed and re-read your account -- glad you made it through virtually unscathed. (I just now re-read it again over coffee with Mollie) I can always use a good reality check to remind me that even in our own familiar waters we can be afforded all the misfortune of the roaring forties, without the glory and book profits. Just this past week I was sailing alone with my two children on the Neuse when I left my 11 year old at the helm to go forward and claw down the sails prior to anchoring in the South River. In these moments and in reading your account I'm reminded how imminent disaster can be. It seems that successful voyaging takes so many different elements of preparation, concentration, ambition and downright luck. It has become clear to me that true seamanship will come to me over decades, not just in the coming one.

Do commercial vessels regularly anchor near there? Without a chart and from memory that is fairly close to the inlet and where I usually turn to port and head for the Cape. Is that a charted commercial anchorage?

I just installed a new chartplotter this week while out cruising with the kids. I almost hit a buoy while punching buttons and admiring my new tool.

Curious to know what is next for you? My cruising ambitions are always changing and evolving and I assume others are as well. We are talking about the idea of travel nursing and far away places but I struggle with the fact that my job is better than one I could dream up, and it is very connected to one little spot on the earth, and my children thrive in that spot.

Mollie and I will be down at NW Creek after Christmas, would love to get together in Beaufort for a meal or coffee or a beer if you're around. She'll be studying for her NCLEX, which is in January and we'll be enjoying our yearly week without children.

Glad you're safe,

Chase

[Scott MacCready]

Do commercial vessels regularly anchor near there? Without a chart and from memory that is fairly close to the inlet and where I usually turn to port and head for the Cape. Is that a charted commercial anchorage?

Hi Chase,
Yes, there is often a large tanker or other ship anchored between the Inlet and Cape Lookout. I assume they wait their turn to enter the port at Morehead City. There's no "anchorage" shown on the charts.
As far as my plans, they're up in the air at this point. I may stay and work in New Bern for the winter, or head back up to Maine. Or have myself admitted to a psych hospital. I'll know more in the next few days.

[chase]

roger that, standing by........

c

[Gary M]

N/M

[Parfait's Provider]

Scott,

First, I am delighted to hear that you are safe. You probably found my personal email to your account wishing you the best of trips. Sorry to hear that the trip was truncated. Some of us like to live vicariously, so I am glad you didn't sink.

For selfish reasons, I hope you stay on at New Bern so we, the Carolinas Fleet can enjoy more of your enthusiasm for life and sailing, but I sorta understand the draw to Maine; skiing can be exciting too.

BTW, IIRC, there is a large anchorage field outside the Beafort channel complete with lettered and numbered locations. They are shown on 11545.

I think there is a gathering planned in Oriental for the 9th of December. Hope you will be there.

[Judith]

What an adventure! Even if it's not the one you had in mind. . .I'm glad you and your boat made it through OK.

Thank you for posting your story. I remember you also posted a while back with a picture, asking for advice about how to trim your sails. You're very generous and upfront about sharing your experiences, and I, for one, appreciate and learn from that.

I would hope the "30' ketch for sale" announcement isn't just about this one setback. What's the deal?

[rtbates]

Scott:

Like others I am really glad to hear that the outcome wasn't any worse. I can only imagine the adrenaline rush you must have been
had on hearing the awfull noise and not knowing the cause.
I personally appreciate you sharing this story as it re-enforces my long held believe that entering inlets at night is not for me.

Best wishes on your future plans.

[darmoose]

scott,

read your story, very scary stuff. glad you came through alright. you mentioned that you might be selling your boat, and then i saw your boat on ebay had apparently been sold.

i know from your earlier posts that you planned to do some traveling on the boat. i dont mean to get personal, but you never said anymore about your change in plans. i couldnt help being curious, but if the story is too personal to share, then i withdraw the question. just want to wish you well. we will miss your presence on this board, me especially since we had the same boat.

good luck to ya
darrell randolph
s/v mystic rose

(from south florida-- where the only propellar that drags more than a stationery propellar is a propellar spinning in reverse)

[Parfait's Provider]

Parfait's Raymarine chartplotter does NOT show the anchorage areas on either side of the Beaufort channel even though they are clearly marked on chart 11545. Another reason RADAR can be important when closing on a coastline when visibility is impaired.

[rtbates]

That situation points out what I've read is the biggest danger with GPS. Relying on it too much and passing closer to objects than you would if you had not had GPS. To that I add, entering harbors, especially unknown ones, in the dark. I like to see what I'm about to hit !!

Thanks for the tip \\