TWL: In Shallow Water Over One's Head
Subject: TWL: In Shallow Water Over One's Head
From: Michael Maurice (mikem@XXX.XXX)
Date: Sun Apr 01 2001 - 09:42:55 EDT
I have just had a most interesting story provided to me.
The sailing vessel Tatoosh, a 50' Ketch, with engine was knocked down by a
breaking wave south of the San Francisco ship channel, in the vicinity of
buoy 4, sometime in December. 2000.
I and my crew delivered the boat to SF during the week of Dec. 8 without
incident, during a most delightful calm spell.
Some days later the owner and his friends elected to take the boat to Santa
Cruz. They went out the main channel with swell in the 14' high range and
made the mistake of turning south into the shallow 30 feet of water, before
the reaching buoy 2, which is outside 60' of water.
They took a massive breaker which rose up without warning right next to
them and rolled the boat on it's side. Water damage below was extensive and
one or 2 people were put in the water. The owner tells me that the dodger
is gone and some other topside damage occurred. One person did not have a
tether attached as he was in the hatch going below. No one was seriously
hurt and the lesson is, don't get into water less than 60' feet with any
swell over ten feet in height.
I understand the gory details have been provided to Latitude 38 as a letter.
The lady with the green eyes almost got them. Be careful.
Mike
Capt. Mike Maurice
Near Portland Oregon.
