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bajario
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Newport to Ensenada Race-Collision leaves 3 dead
Prayers out to all families involved.
A yacht racing off the coasts of California and Mexico apparently collided with a much larger vessel, killing three crew members and leaving one
missing, a sailing organization said early Sunday.
The Newport Ocean Sailing Association was hosting the 125-mile Newport, California to Ensenada, Mexico yacht race when the collision occurred late
Friday or early Saturday several miles off the coast near the border.
"An investigation was continuing, but it appeared the damage was not inflicted by an explosion but by a collision with a ship much larger than the
37-foot vessel," association spokesman Rich Roberts said in a news release early Sunday.
Three crew members of a sailboat were found dead and a search was under way early Sunday for a fourth, in the state's second ocean racing tragedy this
month.
Coast Guard boats and two aircraft as well as Mexican navy and civilian vessels were searching for the missing crew member.
Other yachts near the Coronado Islands in Mexico reported seeing debris Saturday morning. Searchers in the afternoon found the bodies and debris from
the Aegean, whose home port is Redondo Beach, Coast Guard Petty Officer Henry Dunphy said
Two of the dead were recovered by a civilian boat, while the third was found by a Coast Guard helicopter.
The Coast Guard said earlier that it hadn't determined what happened to the sailboat.
Dunphy said conditions were fine for sailing, with good visibility and moderate ocean swells of 6-to-8 feet.
A total of 210 boats were registered in the 65th annual yacht race, according to the Newport Ocean Sailing Association's website. It wasn't
immediately clear how many finished.
The association's commodore, reached by phone in Ensenada, told The Associated Press that he didn't know the members of the Aegean or how many people
were aboard.
"This has never happened in the entire 65 years of the race that I'm aware of," Chuck Iverson said. "We're all shocked by this whole event."
The names of the dead were not released pending notification of next of kin.
The Coronado Islands are four small, largely uninhabited islands about 15 miles south of San Diego.
The deaths come two weeks after five sailors died in the waters off Northern California when their 38-foot yacht was hit by powerful waves, smashed
into rocks and capsized during a race.
Three sailors survived the wreck and the body of another was quickly recovered. Four remained missing until one body was recovered last Thursday.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/29/3-dead-1-missing-in-mis...
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BajaBlanca
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jeez. terrible news ..... RIP sailors.
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Udo
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I crewed on several friend's boats in year's past. This usually is a big party for all involved, and attention to sailing the boats is not high on the
priority list for the majority of the boats.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Udo
I crewed on several friend's boats in year's past. This usually is a big party for all involved, and attention to sailing the boats is not high on the
priority list for the majority of the boats. |
Yeah....it's a downhill beer run. I noticed the participation is about half of what it used to be.
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skippermike
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Newport to Ensenada Race
I have sailed in approx. 30 Newport to Ensenada races, and an equal number of S.D. to Ensenada races - being on a class winning boat a few times. We
did pay atttention and sailed the best we could. Additionally, I have made a number of yacht deliveries up the Baja coast that transitted that route.
"Back in the day" there were +/- 400 boats entered.
Then, with the Baja Fear taking over, particularly for people north of S.D., the number of entrants fell off.
An alternative race was started that finished in S.D. - it has attracted a good number of participants.
A very real hazard has emerged in the tuna pens off So. Coronado Island. They are very poorly marked, and poorly lit at night. In addition, there
are often large steel barges anchored off the Island, along with work boats and tugs - also poorly marked.
We have had a number of boats coming to our boat yard for repairs after incidents with the above.
While I don't pretend to know what happened to these unfortunate souls, I wouldn't automatically attribute the accident to drinking and inattention -
there are many manmade hazards in the area. Deepest condolences to their families.
Someone who hasn't transited the area multiple times might not be fully aware of the hazards ahead.
Just saying ...
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Cypress
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A big ship ran 'em down, didn't see 'em. Didn't even know they were there. They might be able to get some paint smears off some of the newly arrived
vessels.
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by skippermike
I wouldn't automatically attribute the accident to drinking and inattention - there are many manmade hazards in the area. |
No one said that. Mike. We commented on the spirit of the "race" from it's inception.
"A yacht racing off the coasts of California and Mexico apparently collided with a much larger vessel"
-------------------------
Does that not indicate inattention to the radar on board? Where do I miss the point?
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MrBillM
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That Rundown Feeling
As said by the Charter Company when we Bare-boated in the BVIs, the MOST important rule to follow IS "De Bigga Boat has De Right O'
Way".
More so for those BIG Ships. No watch on ANY ship is likely to sight a sailboat, especially at night.
Sailing the Catalina Channel many times years ago and dealing with the traffic into and out of San Pedro/Long Beach I have been made aware of how fast
those ships close on you.
And, depending on position, can throw (from a LONG distance) a "Wind Shadow" that leaves you with slack sails.
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Gypsy Jan
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Well Said, Mr. BillM
I am a sailor and every time, I am reminded that the ocean is an unforgiving mistress.
One turn of circumstance and you can be locked into a situation you cannot control.
God bless those lost souls.
GJ
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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skippermike
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Newport to Ensenada Race
Sorry, I reacted to:
"attention to sailing the boats is not high on the priority list for the majority of the boats."
"Yeah....it's a downhill beer run. "
From having been watching radar on larger boats, small fiberglass sailboats, unless they have a radar reflector up, are not a great target. Having
said that, watch standing on some large ships may not be what it should.
A tragedy that should not have happened, for sure.
Unless, as Cypress says, the CG is able to trace some collision evidence no one may ever know what really happened.
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oxxo
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| Quote: | Originally posted by skippermike
From having been watching radar on larger boats, small fiberglass sailboats, unless they have a radar reflector up, are not a great target. Having
said that, watch standing on some large ships may not be what it should. |
I have transitted this area in a 40 foot trawler yacht. A mexican fishing trawler, larger and faster than us, challenged us off Ensenada one night
(he made an abrupt 90 deg. change of course to engage us from about one or two miles away) about 1am in the morning to the point we had to make a U
turn. Evidently we were about to run over his nets. I can give no other explanation other than he wanted us and all the others in the area out of
"his" waters. It was a near collision and would have turned out worse had we not taken immediate evasive action. We were on the radio in English and
Spanish with horns blaring but we got no response. However, other boats in the flotilla heard our frantic calls. We kept turning away but he would
match our course changes to stay on a collision course. He came so close we could see him in the lighted pilot house giving us the single digit
Mexican salute. When we turned 180 away, he resumed his orginal course.
Two questions for you skippermike:
I am puzzled why there were no emergency radio calls from the doomed vessel prior to the collision if they were run down by a large ship. There were
several boats in the flotilla who were nearby, yet apparently they heard nothing from the vessel prior to thhe mishap. Any theories on this?
What do you think the chances are this boat struck a large whale............or a submarine? Two years ago, one of the Baja Ha Ha boats was sunk by a
whale in this general area. Fortunately those aboard got off an emergency call and all aboard were rescued from the sea unharmed.
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durrelllrobert
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A new report by AP
....ENSENADA, Mexico (AP) — A 37-foot racing yacht was reduced to debris that looked it "like it had gone through a blender," a
searcher said Sunday after the boat apparently collided with a larger vessel, killing three sailors and leaving a fourth missing.
Race officials said they had few explanations for what may have happened to the Aegean other than it must have collided with ship like a
freighter or tanker that did not see the smaller vessel. The Coast Guard said conditions were fine for sailing, with good visibility
and moderate ocean swells of 6-to-8 feet.
If the smaller boat was bobbing around in light wind, the crew might not have been able to get out of the way of a larger ship, perhaps a freighter,
said Rich Roberts, a spokesman for the Newport Ocean Sailing Association, the race organizer.
The race goes through shipping lanes and it's possible for a large ship to hit a sailboat and not even know it, especially at night, Roberts said.
Other yachts near the Coronado Islands in Mexico — four small, mostly uninhabited islands — reported seeing debris Saturday morning.
Eric Lamb was the first to find debris of the boat — most no larger than six inches — scattered over about two square miles Saturday as he worked
safety patrol on the race. He saw a small refrigerator, a white seat cushion and empty containers of yogurt and soy milk.
"We pulled a lot of boats off the rocks over the years and boats that hit the rocks, they don't look like that. This was almost like it had gone
through a blender," said Lamb, 62.
Two race participants who were in the area at the time the Aegean disappeared said they saw or heard a freighter.
Cindy Arosteguy of Oxnard, Calif., remembers hearing on her radio someone say, "Do you see us?" as she saw a tanker about a
half-mile away.
"I got back on the radio and said, 'Yes, I see you,'" she said. "It was definitely a freighter."
Two of the dead were William Reed Johnson Jr., 57, of Torrance, Calif., and Joseph Lester Stewart, 64, of Bradenton, Fla. The San Diego County Medical
Examiner's office was withholding the name of the third sailor pending notification of relatives.
In Ensenada, several hundred people held a minute of silence for the victims at an awards ceremony that spilled out in a courtyard from a large white
canopy at a hotel that served as race headquarters.
Bob Durrell
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skippermike
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Newport to Ensenada Race
This is all so highly speculative, and we don't want to question the race crew in any way.
Based on what was reported, it doesn't seem like a trawler, tug or fishing boat was involved - not enough mass and speed for the damage reported.
I don't know their course, but if they were outside the Coronados they could have been run down by a fast freighter or container ship. Fast
freighters can run at 18+ knots and container ships at 24+ knots. THe closing time at those speeds would give little time to guess what was coming,
especially if coming up astern - where one typically doesn't keep an active watch.
It is not unusual to run a course 10-15 miles outside the Coronados to get better breeze than inside, and get a favorable wind angle to reach into
Ensenada bay.
Collision with a sub, whale or container doesn't seem like it would cause the destruction reported.
Container ships running up our butt have scared the hell out of me and my crew a number of times!
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Islandbuilder
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We live on an island right on the US/Canada border, where I spent 20 years as a custom home builder (island builder, get it?). About 12 years ago
I built a home for a guy who is the ultimate electronics guru. His home faces across Boundary Pass toward Saturna island, which is in Canada.
He has a radar on his house roof, and sits in his study looking across the Pass, monitoring his radios, and looking at his radar. There is a stunning
difference between the number of boats transiting the pass with lights showing, and those who show on his radar. Easily 75% of the vessels in this
busy and tricky area are running without lights. This all came too close when a couple of young men from our island disappeared while boating between
two islands at night. The theory is that they too were running without lights, because the lights destroy your ability to see the water in the dark,
and that they collided with another boat doing the same thing.
Some of the un-lit boats are legit, fishermen or yachts with limited electronics. Others are smugglers, often moving fast, and unlikely to report a
collision or search for survivors.
I know from experience that when a ship is very close, all you can hear is the sound of his bow wake. No engine sounds, and no lights visible from
under their bow. A big Donzi making 40 knots will sound like a B-25, no way it sneeks up on anyone.
It is a tragic loss.
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BajaNomad
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| Quote: | Originally posted by durrelllrobert
....ENSENADA, Mexico (AP) — A 37-foot racing yacht was reduced to debris that looked it "like it had gone through a blender," a
searcher said Sunday after the boat apparently collided with a larger vessel, killing three sailors and leaving a fourth missing.
Race officials said they had few explanations for what may have happened to the Aegean other than it must have collided with ship like a
freighter or tanker that did not see the smaller vessel. The Coast Guard said conditions were fine for sailing, with good visibility
and moderate ocean swells of 6-to-8 feet.
If the smaller boat was bobbing around in light wind, the crew might not have been able to get out of the way of a larger ship, perhaps a freighter,
said Rich Roberts, a spokesman for the Newport Ocean Sailing Association, the race organizer.
The race goes through shipping lanes and it's possible for a large ship to hit a sailboat and not even know it, especially at night, Roberts said.
Other yachts near the Coronado Islands in Mexico — four small, mostly uninhabited islands — reported seeing debris Saturday morning.
Eric Lamb was the first to find debris of the boat — most no larger than six inches — scattered over about two square miles Saturday as he worked
safety patrol on the race. He saw a small refrigerator, a white seat cushion and empty containers of yogurt and soy milk.
"We pulled a lot of boats off the rocks over the years and boats that hit the rocks, they don't look like that. This was almost like it had gone
through a blender," said Lamb, 62.
Two race participants who were in the area at the time the Aegean disappeared said they saw or heard a freighter.
Cindy Arosteguy of Oxnard, Calif., remembers hearing on her radio someone say, "Do you see us?" as she saw a tanker about a
half-mile away.
"I got back on the radio and said, 'Yes, I see you,'" she said. "It was definitely a freighter."
Two of the dead were William Reed Johnson Jr., 57, of Torrance, Calif., and Joseph Lester Stewart, 64, of Bradenton, Fla. The San Diego County Medical
Examiner's office was withholding the name of the third sailor pending notification of relatives.
In Ensenada, several hundred people held a minute of silence for the victims at an awards ceremony that spilled out in a courtyard from a large white
canopy at a hotel that served as race headquarters. |
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5imGae_QZlk...
When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.
– Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
We know we must go back if we live, and we don`t know why.
– John Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
https://www.regionalinternet.com
Affordable Domain Name Registration/Management & cPanel Web Hosting - since 1999 |
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BajaNomad
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http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/apr/29/thre-dead-1-missi...
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sailboat-accident-20...
http://newportbeach.patch.com/articles/three-killed-during-n...
"Ray Pollock of Marina Sailing, which rented Aegean when [the owner] was not using the vessel, told City News Service that [the owner] was
participating in the race for the seventh time. He won his class in 2011 and 2009. The vessel had a new engine and an experienced crew. 'I’d probably
rule out operator error,' Pollock said.":
http://www.petethomasoutdoors.com/2012/04/victims-in-deadly-...
When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.
– Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
We know we must go back if we live, and we don`t know why.
– John Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
https://www.regionalinternet.com
Affordable Domain Name Registration/Management & cPanel Web Hosting - since 1999 |
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bajaguy
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Interesting Site
Shiptracking:
http://www.shiptracking.eu/ais/
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oxxo
Banned
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| Quote: | Originally posted by skippermike
I don't know their course, but if they were outside the Coronados they could have been run down by a fast freighter or container ship.
.............THe closing time at those speeds would give little time to guess what was coming, especially if coming up astern - where one typically
doesn't keep an active watch.
It is not unusual to run a course 10-15 miles outside the Coronados to get better breeze than inside, and get a favorable wind angle to reach into
Ensenada bay. |
Thanks, skippermike. We were running inside the Coronados because in a trawler yacht you are looking for lack of wind. I know that many of the
sailboats run outside (sometimes way outside) for the very reasons you stated. The AEGEANs location should be known and published soon since they
found debris and they, and all the boats, were being tracked by the race committee.
I have looked closely at recent pictures of the AEGEAN. It appears to me that she was not fitted with radar which is common for a boat of this type
and size. We were fitted with a 40 mile radar which gave good targets about 25 nm or more, out.
It is just such a trajedy. I'm sure those four guys loved the sea as much as I do.
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vgabndo
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Bajaguy...THANK YOU for the ship tracking site. That is a really fun toy. It can be aquatic Google Street view. I camped over the Golden Gate Bridge,
sped up the time line, and then when I'd ID an inbound cargo ship, I hopped to a new window and brought up an image of whatever million ton Taiwanese
container ship it was.
Same for all the little harbor sight seeing boats that run out to the bridge, and go back to the Marina by way of Alcatraz. With the timeline sped up
it is pretty cool.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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MrBillM
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Lessons to be Learned ?
Don't leave the Slip ?
Seriously, reading the Newspaper this a.m. there's already talk of the need for rethinking rules and procedures, Yada, Yada, Yada, Yada.
Stuff happens.
People in any endeavor (including those highly experienced) are going to make poor decisions or be caught up in situations that were not foreseen.
And, SOMETIMES they get hurt and Die.
Ask Steve Fossett. At the next seance.
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