Greg Ross
Not the newest member
Had a misadventure this past Summer with the new (to me) I 31. My cruising Waters are East Coast Canada, Northumberland Strait area between PEI, NB and NS. We had set off on our first extended/ overnight trip with the new boat sailing a section of coast we had done previously on our little Cape Dory.
Installed but not commissioned was a new GPS Map with the local Map cartridge, had done the install minus connecting power the week between the wedding and our Honeymoon departure. A true test of a relationship!
About 45 minutes after high tide I/ we managed to drive the boat onto a Shoal about a 1/3 of a mile off the Coast of PEI. Having sailed this shore previously with a shallower draft boat I had not done a detailed Chart review, and we did have the paper charts aboard to make one feel really inadequate!
I had prepared a departure package of Tide Times and hourly water heights charts from Environment Canada. Quick check revealed the night tide was only going to be about 90% of the tide height we'd just driven in on. The forecast for that night was for winds and rain, we had to get off. I didn't bring the Dink so kedging wasn't an option.
Got on the VHF and the Passenger Ferry, "Confederation" responded to my "Pan, Pan, Pan". Asked if we were on Indian Rocks, and I confirmed "Yes" The radioman indicated he would attempt to get a Fisherman out of Wood Island to come out to assist us. About one hour later we're very glad to see a Cape Island/ local Lobster Boat come out past the breakwater. By this point we're hard aground and healing probably 15 degrees.
Fishermen don't tow a dory so since he and I had not spoken before his leaving Port (mistake No 2) there was no means to get a line aboard. I had by this point rigged about four hundred feet of tow line connected ultimately to the main haylard. The shoal we were on was about 150' wide and 600' long roughly. The falling tide produced a substantial current over these shallows, 1-2 knots est.
Our new friend had tried a float on the end of several hundred feet of nylon line but could not get directly above us due to the shape and length of the Shoal. I told Jamie I was going to have to get in the water and swim to the Tow Boat. She insisted she would do better in the water then I with a Bad Hip, so Life Vest on and a light line in tow over the side she went. After several minutes of swimming against the tide we decided she would have to drop the line and free swim. She swam perpendicular across the current and got ahold od the Tow boats' float.
Same problem prevailed, with the drag of the Line she couldn't make any way across/ against the current. On the VHF Jimmy, our Fisherman and I decided the only option was to tow Jamie "Up-Current" and let her swim back to me diagonally across the current. I attempted to yell/ convey to Jamie what we were planning to do but the message was not understood. She later described it as something akin to the pull off the beach when attempting to Water Ski at a young age.
By the time Jamie got back along side she'd been in the water for an hour and the boat was over 30-40 degrees.
I had a rope ladder over the side and Jamie passed me the Line. I removed the Float/ fender and connected/ tied off his nylon to my tow rope. I no sooner dropped the knotted line in the Water then Capt. Jimmy Bell took off. Jamie bellowed, "get me out of the Water"! Got her aboard and then moved back to the high side (boat laid down to port) where I had my tow line nested in roughly 100' coils on the tops of the stanchions.
Leading up to this the fisherman had expressed concerns about ripping the Rig right off the Boat, I assured him it was a robust Rig and was the only way we were getting off in one piece. Between getting Jamie back on deck and from the low to the high side of the boat I was nearly tangled in the Tow Line, twice! a frightening prospect!
As the Line came taught the boat pivoted 90 degrees as he was at that point immediately off our Stern, and away we went. Via VHF I kept up a conversation advising Jimmy of the relative depth as I viewed it. We were shipping water over the coaming, healed now 60 to 70 degrees and hanging on. Once the water depth looked Ok we had Jimmy back off on the power.
While shipping water into the cockpit I had been totally unconcerned with the scupper drains to carry away that water. What I did not consider was the vents outboard of the coaming for the aft space. A 3" diameter hole can ingest alot of water in a short time. When we came upright we had the cabin sole awash. Pumped it out immediately and declined Jimmys' offer of a Tow. The Yanmar started right up, I had to shut her down immediately remembering I had closed all the Seacocks including "engine cooling"
Once alongside in the port of Wood Island we found wetness all the way forward as far as the hanging locker port side. Dragged out all the damp material to dry on the Cabin Top and I'm thinking to myself, "this is the end of Jamie's recreational sailing career" She was tired and pretty shaken, she'd saved the Boat! Capt. Jimmy would not accept a penny for the Services rendered, and I offered twice. Subsequently picked up a Gift Certificate from the local commercial marine store, that will find it's way to Mr. Bell in a X-mas card.
I dove the keel and could see nothing but a few scrapes in the black Anti-Fouling" The evidence of the extent of heel we experienced was there for the viewing about a half a foot above the Boot Top Stripe. There were several parallel slim scars in the gelcoat where barnicales on the top of a rock had touched the Hull. We felt no bumps or lifts while under tow.
Unknowingly, or unwittingly, I had intended that we be towed by the starboard side but the current laid us to port.
The only sustaining damage, the Frigibar Compressor/ Control module had gotten wet. It was installed high up against the U/S of the deck, port side. It did come back to life with a little encouragement but died permanently about a week later.
We laid up the next day and by the third day out were heading for Nova Scotia across the Straight. My Lady, she is a Trooper, we were still talking and the marriage had survived. She's doing her Power Squadron Course this Winter, has absolutely no faith in my navigating skills obviously!
Installed but not commissioned was a new GPS Map with the local Map cartridge, had done the install minus connecting power the week between the wedding and our Honeymoon departure. A true test of a relationship!
About 45 minutes after high tide I/ we managed to drive the boat onto a Shoal about a 1/3 of a mile off the Coast of PEI. Having sailed this shore previously with a shallower draft boat I had not done a detailed Chart review, and we did have the paper charts aboard to make one feel really inadequate!
I had prepared a departure package of Tide Times and hourly water heights charts from Environment Canada. Quick check revealed the night tide was only going to be about 90% of the tide height we'd just driven in on. The forecast for that night was for winds and rain, we had to get off. I didn't bring the Dink so kedging wasn't an option.
Got on the VHF and the Passenger Ferry, "Confederation" responded to my "Pan, Pan, Pan". Asked if we were on Indian Rocks, and I confirmed "Yes" The radioman indicated he would attempt to get a Fisherman out of Wood Island to come out to assist us. About one hour later we're very glad to see a Cape Island/ local Lobster Boat come out past the breakwater. By this point we're hard aground and healing probably 15 degrees.
Fishermen don't tow a dory so since he and I had not spoken before his leaving Port (mistake No 2) there was no means to get a line aboard. I had by this point rigged about four hundred feet of tow line connected ultimately to the main haylard. The shoal we were on was about 150' wide and 600' long roughly. The falling tide produced a substantial current over these shallows, 1-2 knots est.
Our new friend had tried a float on the end of several hundred feet of nylon line but could not get directly above us due to the shape and length of the Shoal. I told Jamie I was going to have to get in the water and swim to the Tow Boat. She insisted she would do better in the water then I with a Bad Hip, so Life Vest on and a light line in tow over the side she went. After several minutes of swimming against the tide we decided she would have to drop the line and free swim. She swam perpendicular across the current and got ahold od the Tow boats' float.
Same problem prevailed, with the drag of the Line she couldn't make any way across/ against the current. On the VHF Jimmy, our Fisherman and I decided the only option was to tow Jamie "Up-Current" and let her swim back to me diagonally across the current. I attempted to yell/ convey to Jamie what we were planning to do but the message was not understood. She later described it as something akin to the pull off the beach when attempting to Water Ski at a young age.
By the time Jamie got back along side she'd been in the water for an hour and the boat was over 30-40 degrees.
I had a rope ladder over the side and Jamie passed me the Line. I removed the Float/ fender and connected/ tied off his nylon to my tow rope. I no sooner dropped the knotted line in the Water then Capt. Jimmy Bell took off. Jamie bellowed, "get me out of the Water"! Got her aboard and then moved back to the high side (boat laid down to port) where I had my tow line nested in roughly 100' coils on the tops of the stanchions.
Leading up to this the fisherman had expressed concerns about ripping the Rig right off the Boat, I assured him it was a robust Rig and was the only way we were getting off in one piece. Between getting Jamie back on deck and from the low to the high side of the boat I was nearly tangled in the Tow Line, twice! a frightening prospect!
As the Line came taught the boat pivoted 90 degrees as he was at that point immediately off our Stern, and away we went. Via VHF I kept up a conversation advising Jimmy of the relative depth as I viewed it. We were shipping water over the coaming, healed now 60 to 70 degrees and hanging on. Once the water depth looked Ok we had Jimmy back off on the power.
While shipping water into the cockpit I had been totally unconcerned with the scupper drains to carry away that water. What I did not consider was the vents outboard of the coaming for the aft space. A 3" diameter hole can ingest alot of water in a short time. When we came upright we had the cabin sole awash. Pumped it out immediately and declined Jimmys' offer of a Tow. The Yanmar started right up, I had to shut her down immediately remembering I had closed all the Seacocks including "engine cooling"
Once alongside in the port of Wood Island we found wetness all the way forward as far as the hanging locker port side. Dragged out all the damp material to dry on the Cabin Top and I'm thinking to myself, "this is the end of Jamie's recreational sailing career" She was tired and pretty shaken, she'd saved the Boat! Capt. Jimmy would not accept a penny for the Services rendered, and I offered twice. Subsequently picked up a Gift Certificate from the local commercial marine store, that will find it's way to Mr. Bell in a X-mas card.
I dove the keel and could see nothing but a few scrapes in the black Anti-Fouling" The evidence of the extent of heel we experienced was there for the viewing about a half a foot above the Boot Top Stripe. There were several parallel slim scars in the gelcoat where barnicales on the top of a rock had touched the Hull. We felt no bumps or lifts while under tow.
Unknowingly, or unwittingly, I had intended that we be towed by the starboard side but the current laid us to port.
The only sustaining damage, the Frigibar Compressor/ Control module had gotten wet. It was installed high up against the U/S of the deck, port side. It did come back to life with a little encouragement but died permanently about a week later.
We laid up the next day and by the third day out were heading for Nova Scotia across the Straight. My Lady, she is a Trooper, we were still talking and the marriage had survived. She's doing her Power Squadron Course this Winter, has absolutely no faith in my navigating skills obviously!