Becalmed Boat Hit By Motoring Vessel With No One On Deck

On Monday, July 17, my Mariner 31, Spring Moon, was struck by the Colvin Schooner Indigo of Seattle. Spring Moon was becalmed outside of Budd Inlet in Puget Sound when the large steel schooner Indigo, motoring at speed with no one on deck, struck us.
By some miracle the only damage was a ruined whisker stay turnbuckle and a chip in the bowsprit. We feel very lucky that this was the only damage. Had the schooner struck us amidships it would have certainly ruined and possibly sunk our boat. At the time there were two children below on the starboard side that may have easily been killed by the collision.
The vessel Indigo came out of Budd Inlet and did a quick tour of Boston Harbor, after this the boat was set on a course directly towards Spring Moon. I figured the skipper was just going to swing by for a look and to say hello, as we both had classic looking boats. Apparently the skipper went below for about a half-hour as the course of Indigo did not change between the time it left Boston Harbor and struck us.
As Indigo approached I became more and more concerned as I could not see anyone at the helm. At this point I should have started the engine and gotten out of the way, but I was like a deer in headlights and couldn't believe the boat would just continue steaming towards us, all I seemed to think of was jumping up and down and yelling "ahoy." The skipper of Indigo came on deck just as his vessel struck muttering something like "if you weren't just sitting in the middle..."
I cannot describe fully the feeling of watching a 14 ton steel boat bearing down with no one on deck. Suffice to say it still haunts me—the image of what could have happened gives me shivers.
This is a lesson to me and from now on I will never assume that someone is on the deck of an approaching vessel. I would have thought that after 50,000 miles of sailing I'd learned my lessons, but apparently this one slipped by me until now. So let your readers beware. I personally will never again exercise rights of way as I have in the past. I was foolish and arrogant to believe that being under sail meant that a boat under power and overtaking would stand clear. I put my boat and my crew at risk. I did not think clearly or quickly, rather I assumed, until it was too late, that the vessel was under control of a helmsman.

Steve Purcell

I've heard a lot of stories over a lot of years, but am still shocked by some people's arrogance on the water. Thank goodness no one was hurt. I always figure there's two sides to every story, but I can, under no circumstances, see where the skipper of the Indigo can attribute this to anything but negligence, poor seamanship, and whatever else you'd care to throw in.
Boats and things can be repaired, but the consequences of serious injuries or loss of life that could have occurred is immeasurable. Hopefully you're close call will keep us all more attentive and safer.

Now A Type I Sailor

Enjoyed the humor and levity with which Douglas Bond was able to discuss the serious subject of going aground ("Attention Type II Sailors", 48° North July 2000). What really brought the story home was the fact that just two weeks prior I had "drug" the rocks just west of Yellow Island, the same rocks that Mr. Bond mentions in the article. We had spent the night in the San Juans at Deer Harbor, and the following morning we were heading southwest into the San Juan Channel. On the chart I noticed the rocks that are west of Yellow Island, so I told the helmsman (my wife) to give the island a "wide berth". Not wanting to mess up, she decided the prudent thing to do was to pass helm control over to me. Under sail and confident that I had plenty of room between us and the island, I was shocked when the depth sounder showed the bottom shooting up to less than 2 fathoms. At the same time I noticed that we were sailing through seaweed which was growing just under the surface in shallows. Before I got the boat turned and headed back the way we came, the keel hit rock and we heard the terrifying sound of iron on stone (I'm sure it does not sound as bad as fiberglass on stone, but it has got to be close). I yelled at my wife to loosen the bolt that keeps the swing keel down, which meant that she had to reach into the bilge. While undoing the bolt, she was convinced that at any moment a rock was going to pop up through the bottom.
Our Catalina 22 (swing keel) was very forgiving and we lived to sail another day. This fall, when I do my annual inspection and repair of the iron keel, I'm sure there will be extra rust as a result of having left some of the paint back on those rocks. But otherwise we seemed to have made the transition from "Type II" to "Type I" sailor without making a permanent impression on the boat. But the impression in our minds will last a lifetime.
I have mentioned the incident to several other boaters in the area, and it seems that everyone has either witnessed or knows someone who has witnessed a crackup on those particular rocks. With so many of the rock hazards within the San Juans having been well marked with signs, I have to wonder why these rocks have been overlooked. Who does the marking and how does one go about requesting that a site be evaluated for being marked?
I really enjoy reading 48° North, but have a hard time locating it up here in Whatcom County. Wish more of the articles were posted on the internet.

Bill Crawford
Ferndale, Washington

You can send in a notice to the NOAA or the Coast Guard, telling them the exact location of the rocks you think should be marked.
The web is just a "Bite of 48° North". For the full meal you need a magazine. Lots of places in Bellingham and at the marina in Blaine to pick up the mag—or subscribe! It's much cheaper than a computer and updates are included.

Pirate In the National Reigister of Historic Landmarks

Little Pirate Plans Available

Progress is a great word. Our eleven pound dictionary has half a dozen definitions for the noun and the verb, and the Pirate project is meeting most of them. Thanks to all the people who soldiered on through the rainy season to bring us to Daylight Savings Time with a restoration well underway, an original rig renewed, hard to find supplies on hand, money in the bank, and numerous opportunities to further our progress financially and materially in the months to come.
The biggest single item of news at this time is the nomination of Pirate to the National Register of Historic Landmarks. This was submitted to the governing authorities in April. On June 2nd, at a meeting in Fall City, she was formally placed on the Register by the Washington State committee. This represents the first time a boat belonging to the Center for Wooden Boats has been so honored. With this credential, we can now approach some institutional and governmental grantors for support. This is all thanks to the diligent efforts of Larry Johnson and Howard Miller, who worked so hard on this application.
Little Pirates
The Pirate Committee is happy to announce that no one need be mere onlooker in the world of Pond Racing. We now have plans for three Ted Geary sailing models, ready for mailing to interested enthusiasts. Pirate Pond Boat: A single sheet plan for building a 39" sailing model of the famous RClass sloop Pirate. Designed in 1927, construction is a simple bread-and-butter method, and the plan includes sections, rigging plan and sail plan. Templates for lifts and the profile are full scale. $20
Olympic: A 1"=1Ô model of a Six-Metre yacht, 36" long, this boat was designed at Geary's Los Angeles office in 1932 to commemorate the Olympic games being held in the city that year. The Six and Eight-Metres were the big keep boat classes in the L.A. Olympic regatta. These are also bread-and-butter construction boats with full scale lifts and profile, and many helpful rigging details. $20
Class C Model Yacht: This one is serious. Designed in 1922, it is 72" long, with a graceful sheerline and lovely long overhangs reminiscent of Geary's controversial racer Spirit II. There is no sail plan on the drawing, but a total sail area of 2,200 square inches is calculated. The drawings are 1' to 1". $30
If the 72-incher is just too small for you, the Pirate Committee has beautiful sharp prints of the Pirate, scanned from two original ink drawings for the boat. The sail plan, in 1:24 includes the original rigging plan and outboard profile of the boat as designed. The construction drawing, 1:12 shows profile and plan views as well as the deck plan. The two drawing set is ready for your summer project. $50
Flash! We now have Pirate crew T-shirts and sweatshirts available. All cotton, the shirts are red with a gold "Pirate R-11" embroidered over the heart. The T's sell for $20 and the sweatshirts are $35, all profits going into the operations of the Pirate Committee at CWB.

Jay Broze
Scott Rohrer

Take A Course

Thank you so much for printing Tom's firm and dead-on reply to the gadget-happy would-be island hopper. All the electronics in the world on your boat will never be a substitute for good judgment, experience, a good set of charts and knowing how to use them—and the right attitude about sailing in general. In addition to taking Tom's excellent advice, I also suggest Mr. Williams enroll in one of the boating safety classes run by the Coast Guard Auxiliary or U.S. Power Squadron before proceeding offshore, since safety seemed to be his main justification for having all the "stuff" on board. The investment in time and money for these classes is nominal compared to the price of the toys listed. Even though I had been sailing and cruising for ten years, and taken a solid on-the-water sailing course, I still learned some new things when I took my Auxiliary safety course a year ago.
And just a passing thought: I read somewhere in one of the mainstream cruising magazines that many of the marine insurance companies won't insure your boat for offshore or blue water cruising unless at least one of the principals on board has celestial navigation training and/or experience. I don't know if that is still the case. Mr. Williams might want to check into that aspect, if safety is really the bottom line. Again, thanks for an excellent and timely article.

Kerstin Oman
Bellingham, WA

Many insurance companies will give you a discount if you've taken a Power Squadron or other accredited boating education course, but we haven't heard about celestial navigation being a requirement for offshore insurance. "It may be considered as part of an overall lack of experience," says Jill Landback of Anchor Marine Insurance. "That might result in not issuing offshore insurance to an individual." But she'd never heard of that being the specific reason for insurance being denied.

Appeasing the Water/Boat Gods

Having owned several boats during the past 30 years and growing up in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, boating has been a part of my entire life. I recently purchased a new used 32' Carver. After my last improper re-naming experience, which became very costly in both time and money. I would like to ask, when purchasing a new used boat and ÔNot' changing the boats name, just the hailing port, should I perform some type of "Change of Master" ceremony, just to welcome the boat into its new family? I have thought about this for weeks and I am disturbed, I do not want the "Water/Boat" God's upset or angered in any manner. This is our pre-retirement boat, and I expect the boat to provide safe passage to several ports of call, including the islands? Any help would be appreciated.

Thank You
Jack K. Parman

We contacted John Vigor, the recognized mediator between sailors and the Water/Boat Gods. He advised the following: "Regarding the query about a change of hailing port, I'd have to say that your correspondent would need to go through the full change of name ceremony, including the denaming bit. "The hailing port is actually a part of the full name, and is a positive identifier. You'd have to ask the gods to strike out the name of "Susie of Seattle" and then rename the boat "Susie of Seaport" or whatever. You'll notice that the US Coast Guard also requires redocumentation in the case of a change of hailing port."

Stays at Blake Island 7 vs. 3 Day Stays

A recent visit to Blake Island revealed there is now a SEVEN day limit for boaters instead of the usual THREE days. I don't know if this is a problem or not. However, it appears to be a whim of the park manager and implemented without benefit of public hearings. I don't know if this is a test case for all marine parks or just Blake Island. Perhaps your fine magazine can provide the forum for the public to comment on this change. The three day limit has been in place for many years and it is difficult to predict what the future will be like with a seven day limit. My initial reaction is a vision of wall-to-wall power boats, with generators running all summer long. I hope I am wrong!

Thanks,
Scott Smith
Seattle

The WAC now reads three days "unless otherwise posted". Blake Island is now seven days, which shouldn't really change anything, other than allow people to stay longer and use the park more during the week when it's relatively empty.

Gokstad Viking Ship to be Built in BC

We would like to announce that we are underway with our 1/2-size replica of the Gokstad Viking Ship. The BC Viking Ship Project is under the auspices of the Norwegian House Society of Burnaby, B.C. (near Vancouver). This is a completely volunteer group of enthusiasts, under the direction of Kris Frostad, a well-known BC boatbuilder from Norway. We have built a platform, Kris has lofted the boat, and we will be putting the keel together in the next few weeks, working toward a "keel raising" ceremony in the beginning of September. We hope to complete the project in May 2001. The boat is the first to be built in our area, and will be used for all types of activities in the BC/Washington area.
We do have a website: digitalnorseman.com, put together by our Chairman, Preben Ormen. My own activities with the group include promotion, fundraising, as well as research on sails and rigging: I would very much appreciate opening up contacts with any people who have knowledge on these subjects, or who would like to discuss any aspect of the project. We would be glad to send you pictures of our work-in-progress, and any other information that you would like. If you would be able to mention our project, we would be VERY HAPPY! The more people who learn about us, the better! (I am a regular reader of 48North, too!) Thank you, in advance, for your interest in our project.

Yours truly,
Tom Kottmeier (tom@infospec.com)
Chairman Preben Ormen
(norseman@digitalnorseman.com)

To: Dr. Allan Tasman President
The American Psychiatric Association

As a marine professional, one who prepares wood then applies varnish to so-called pleasure boats, I write you in the hope that you will include a new mental disorder in the next edition of your psychiatric bible, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). This little-understood affliction is called Recreational Boat Ownership (RBO). RBO is characterized by some anal retentive/obsessive -compulsive behavior, the use of strange words to describe common structures, objects and actions, clearly illogical spending habits, and a nearly-perpetual state of denial. There is no known cure.
The obsessive-compulsive nature of RBOs is exhibited by their Sysiphian attempts to keep things "shipshape." It involves anal retentive use of numerous, and sometimes noxious, liquids and solids to almost-constantly clean and lubricate various boat parts. And RBO sufferers uniformly label boat parts with names even stranger than doctors call body parts. It's true.
As a mental health professional you'll be shocked to know that, to RBOs, a "wall" becomes a "bulkhead," a "ceiling" becomes an "overhead," and the toilet becomes, simply, a "head." Any group which sees their heads as toilets definitely needs help.
Sailboat owners—a sub-culture of RBOs—are among the worst. They constantly demonstrate classic passive-aggressive signs by not sailing directly into the wind but avoiding such a course with sly manipulations they call "tacking." They become models of self-victimization, with traces of a persecution complex, when they encounter no wind: they call that state "in irons." And they show their grandiosity by terming bow platforms "pulpits" and motorized yachts "stink pots."
Nowhere have I seen such mental illness as with the people who hire me to prepare and varnish their objects of dementia. Sure, after spending reasonable amounts of good money to have me carefully remove the old finish, finely sand the underlying wood and apply coats of high-quality varnish for an amazingly beautiful finish, they say things like "Great!' "Looks better than new!" and "You've got a true art for restoring neglected wood." But they're only fooling themselves. For at best, an RBO sufferer, like all mankind, can only temporarily conquer the elements. RBO victims are not in total denial when it comes to their illogical spending habits: many call their vessels "holes in the water into which you pour money." Yet they keep buying them and keep financing them and keep demonstrating their psychosis—their complete loss of touch with reality—by enjoying them, proof positive the whole lot is masochistic.
This is why I petition you to list RBO in your next edition of the DSM. At the least, it will make the millions of RBO sufferers eligible for medical benefits under the Americans with Disabilities Act so they can get help. Many have, instead, spent their last penny getting their latest RBO fix. For these clearly-touched souls act out Plato's maxim, listed in his Dialogues, when he opined:
"But what is man's logical reasoning, compared to the power of divine madness?"

With Hope,
Fredric Alan Maxwell
"Fred the Finisher"
fredricmaxwell@hotmail.com

That would be ideal. If RBO was recognized as a disability, making us unable to work, then we could get disability payments and have all the time we wanted to work on boats. And we thought it was just "divine madness".

Royal Victoria Yacht Club Sets New Level for Excellence in Safety at Swiftsure

The RVYC (Royal Victoria Yacht Club) has obtained a new high level of excellence in their safety program, during the "Swiftsure" race.
The annual "Swiftsure" race started in light winds. We gleefully sailed toward what appeared to be a nice little puff, near Race Rocks. Within seconds, the wind jumped from just a few knots to over 40 knots. The three boats near us were flattened. In the blink of an eye, they all were dismasted. One boat stayed over longer than the others and was swamped. Sea water overwhelmed its engine. To make matters worse, the disabled craft was drifting near rocks. The RVYC race committee's response was truly amazing. Within two minutes, they had a rescue helicopter over head. The helicopter hovered over the swamped boat, until they were under tow by a large rubber dingy launched from a passing power boat.
The helicopter then hovered over the other two boats until their crews recovered from shock and were able to pull on deck, the tangled messes that were once their sails and rigging. These two boats were able to return to port under their power.
Our boat, Ichi Ban, was able to continue on, under reefed main and storm jib. The helicopter stayed with us, until we were well past Race Rocks, and were out of immediate danger. The helicopter checked on us several times during the afternoon.
I saw first hand the RVYC's safety program in action. I believe, the RVYC's safety program has become the "gold standard" by which other sailing regattas should be judged. Thank you, RVYC.

Sincerely,
Joe Walsh and Team Ichi Ban
Milltown Sailing Association
Everett, WA

Joe and I talked more on the incident where he reiterated his admiration for RVYC's response to the distressed boats. "Usually race committees only hear about things that people don't like about a race. I want to make sure the race committee knows how much their preparedness is appreciated by the racers."
It's a good thing to remember the next time there's problems with any regatta. Race committees do their best but are only human. No matter how well you prepare, there's always some unknown element lurking out there to disturb someone's enjoyment of a regatta. "The best laid plans of mice and men..."
There a million details to putting on a large regatta in a challenging locale. Our hats are off to RVYC for taking care of the number one rule—safety.

Looking for Information on Buchan 37

I have an opportunity to buy a Buchan 37. The boat is in fair/average condition for its age. Although I recognize the designer's name and believe his reputation in the NW is very good, is the Buchan 37 a good boat? What are her sailing characteristics? What flaws may have developed in the hull, deck and interior?
What is the price range for a Buchan 37 with good sails, deck hardware and engine, poor topsides and fair interior? Any information will be greatly appreciated from current and former Buchan 37 owners.

Thank you
Adrian Blunt
adrianworking@home.com

I don't think you'll hear anything but good things about Buchan 37's, especially in the Northwest. Considered very light and fast when she was first introduced, Buchan 37's are still winning trophies on Puget Sound. As for price, I won't even hazard a guess. Many of them were "home built" from the hull up, and vary in quality, along with upkeep over the years.

Bahama 25 Really a 26

Re: the Bahama 25, owned by reader Ron Toews. I believe that what he has is an Islander Bahama 26, a Bob Perry design. My records do not show a 25 footer by Islander. If reader Ron were to type in "Islander Yachts" he would find a rather large website pertaining to these boats. A similar hit to "Columbia Yachts" would result in the same information, as the history of these two companies is closely related. If this is indeed a 26, Bob Perry can provide extensive information pertaining to this boat.

Kurt Hanson
Islander 24 #355
Rangoon Moon

Manuals for Islander 30 Mk II?

We have just purchased a 1973 Islander 30 Mark II. We have little information about the boat. If you or your readers have any first hand information or manuals on a Islander 30 it would be much appreciated.

Thank you.
Larry Folenius Folenius@ Home.com

US Yacht 25 Clubs

I have subscribed to 48° North for about five years and a better sailing rag does not exist. Please keep up the good work!! I have recently (thanks to all the cruising articles) just made the jump from dinghy day sailing to a fixed keel boat. I have had my US Yacht 25 since May and have been spending a lot of time in the San Juan Islands. My question is, are there any US Yacht owner's groups out there? Thanks for your help and keep up the great work!!

Rick Lobb S/V Savannah Jane S/V Turbo