Captain Bob, Part 2

Vero Beach, FL

No LL

In recent years, Bob likes to winter in North Palm Beach, FL and to summer in Long Island, NY. His routine is to go out the Lake Worth inlet, get into the Gulf Stream. 10 days later he is in New York. He does this single handed. The year we first met Bob he took the inside route from Beaufort, NC to Norfolk, VA.

On his last voyage, Bob said he made it north to a point off Cape May, NJ. Only 300 miles to go. He said a Coast Guard C130 began circling him and hailed him on the VHF radio. The plane said that there was a Nor-easter heading his way and that he would be hammered within two hours. They recommended that he flee for shelter ashore. Bob took their advice, a point he now says was a bundler; more on that later.

He sailed for Cape May. The nor-easter hit with winds 50-60 knots. He was OK though, the CSY can handle that well. However, Cape May lay in the windward direction so progress was very slow. After a while, his stay sail split. "Uh Oh," he said, "I can't go North anymore. I better turn around and go South." That headed him toward the mouth of the Delaware Bay.

Close to the bay, the water shallows to 40-50 feet. That means that the wind driven waves were no longer 20 feet high, they soared to 30-40 feet breaking waves. Bob was pooped 15-20 times, but because the CSY is sea worthy that did no damage.

Bob said that at this point his thoughts turned to death. He remembered an earlier medical near death experience he had. He thought that the passage from life to death was not scary.

He missed the Delaware Bay. The next stop south is Ocean City Maryland. Bob tried to guide Bon Lass into the jetty at the inlet (see the picture) but he missed. That was extremely bad. Now the wind carried him into the shoals south of the jetty. He started his engine but it wasn't powerful enough. The boat still moved backward into the shoals.

He didn't touch bottom but he was still losing ground. I should also mention that at this point, Bob had been at the helm for 36 hours without a break. Suddenly his steering gave out. Now he had no control at all. Bob went below to find out what was wrong with the steering. Before accomplishing that, he heard a loud roar. It was a Coast Guard helicopter.

The helicopter told Bob that they were low on fuel. His boat was about to wash up on the beach. He could try to ride it out, or he could get rescued, but his decision would have to be immediate. He elected to not die, jumped overboard and allowed the copter to rescue him.

The day after the rescue, Bob started calling the Coast Guard to learn the fate of Bon Lass. No word. Day after day he called. Still no word. Finally, after three weeks, Bob got a call. Apparently, Bon Lass never did ground on the beach, she drifted out into the Gulf Stream on her own. Some men out fishing spotted Bon Lass near Rhode Island. She was drifting North in the Gulf Stream. The men boarded her and found six inches of water above the cabin sole. They also found Bob's contact info and notified him.

Bob said that he had a leak from the shaft log. Many older boats have such leaks (including Tarwathie.) It is no problem as long as the bilge is pumped out every day or so. With nobody on board to pump, Bon Lass was sinking.

Bob didn't have the financial resources to launch a high seas salvage of Bon Lass so he was forced to let her go. She was never seen again.

Now for the lessons. Bob bitterly criticizes himself for being caught by such an elementary mistake. Sailing 101 -- sea room.

In rough weather a sailor must never let himself get caught too close to shore on the windward side. A sailboat needs the freedom to head at different angles to the wind to make way. That's called sea room. Also, he should have known that the waves out at sea where the water it 1,000 or more feet deep are much easier to handle than those close to shore only 40 feet deep. His blunder was in following the Coast Guard advice to run for shelter. He should have headed out to the open sea.

Now Bob is looking around for a new boat. He really wants another CSY 37, but those are very hard to come by.

Wow. What a guy. What a story. Bob says he has many more such stories. I really hope that he writes his book.