The Mobile Bay Dauphin Island Race of 2015 which resulted in six drownings as a front came through during the middle of a long distance 'cross Bay race.
A reminder that you are always the sole determinant of when it's safe to be out. It's okay to decide not to go or bail early. There will be times when you would have made it just fine even though you bailed but that's part of the process.
Having been within 30 minutes of getting caught out in the big blow this summer on Lanier that no one saw coming (we only thought rain was on the way), it's almost indescribable how violent it can get at times.
Having said all that - in a good year, looks like a fun thing to do. Reminds me I need to really start carrying a burner phone on the water.
A written version of the same story: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/racing-storm-story-mobile-bay-sailing-disaster-180963686/
Barrett
6? Man...
Usually on the gulf here the direction is such that you can see things coming, but there have been instances where dark clouds start forming rapidly. Thankfully I've had some warning or been close enough that I can just zip in and that's that. I try to measure how far out I'll go with my watch in the open gulf and limit myself to about 1/4 mile because I know that if I have to I can swim that back dragging everything.
My biggest worry would be kind of a side shore situation with a head forming right off the shore and causing cold air to sink and blow offshore against the prevailing wind. i've seen how that can happen in fairly protected areas at the top of bays where some of the land tends to squeeze things and you get pretty weird changes in direction.
Sometimes risk isn't what you think it is. I saw a post on stackexchange today on the relative risk of rock climbing vs ski touring in Switzerland. As someone who gets scared on a step stool, I'm thinking: Rock climbing, of course!
But the reality is much more nuanced: https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/questions/29422/mortality-statistics-ski-touring-vs-rock-climbing
(Spoiler: Avalanches are a bitch)
When I was in Seattle I had a coworker that was into mountaineering. He was there on Friday, gone the next week (avalanche).
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/seattle-engineer-bellingham-guide-idrsquod-as-dead-skiers-in-oregon-avalanche/
Another one. A local sailor and friends were on this boat the first night of a 14 day ferry from FL to BVIs. Somebody's gut went "Nope" so they bailed. Saved them a swim.
"And this is why it’s important to listen to your gut about situations you may be in. Our crew decided after only 1 night of a supposedly 17 day trip to deliver a beautiful catamaran to the BVi’s from Ponce Inlet that it was not a safe vessel or a competent captain. Even though we did our due diligence & asked the right questions, you never know until your on the boat & what the real situation is. Thank goodness my friend listened to his intuition & we got off that boat, otherwise there’d be 3 more Sail Rats rescued from the CG."
https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3613731/coast-guard-aircrews-rescue-us-citizen-from-sailing-vessel-taking-on-water-170/
post on LL Sail Rats on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/529480474100829/posts/1965860507129478/
Coast Guard account
"SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Coast Guard aircrews rescued a sole sailor, Friday, from a sailing vessel that was taking on water, approximately 170 nautical miles northwest, of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
Rescued is Neil Treitman, a 69-year-old man and U.S. Citizen, who was transiting aboard the 46-foot sailing catamaran Sailicity from Nassau, Bahamas to Tortola, British Virgin Islands, when the vessel started taking on water.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector San Juan received a call at approximately 9:58 p.m. Friday, in which the reporting source called from the British Virgin Islands and informed to have received a satellite communication from Trietman reporting the distress. Watchstanders later received an Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon 406 MHz distress signal from the Sailicity.
A Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Borinquen, an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from Air Station Miami, and the Coast Guard Cutter Pablo Valent responded to find the Sailicity and render rescue assistance. Watchstanders also conducted an Emergency Group Calling and transmitted an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast to alert commercial vessel traffic of the ongoing distress. Once on scene, the Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter crew deployed their rescue swimmer who was able to get onboard the sailing vessel and hoist Treitman safely aboard the aircraft.
Treitman later informed that during the voyage he noticed that water was slowly coming inside the vessel and that he was able to activate the vessel bilge pumps and use buckets to mitigate the flooding. Despite Treitman's efforts, the mitigating measures were ineffective as water started to enter the vessel at an accelerated pace.
"We’re very thankful Mr. Treitman had the necessary equipment on board his vessel so we could safely and efficiently locate him far offshore," said Lt. Cmdr. Vince Knaeble, Air Station Borinquen MH-60T Jayhawk aircraft commander for the case. "The deployed HC-144 from Miami was critical for this case as our cover asset, and we’re thankful for the awesome SAR support they provided."
Following the rescue, the Coast Guard aircrew transported Treitman to Air Station Borinquen. No injuries or medical emergencies were reported in this case."