Sunken Westsail?

Stuart, Fl
No LL

Some people on a neighboring yacht told us that a Westsail named Second Wind struck a reef and sank in the Bahamas, but that the people got off OK. What that heck! Westsails don't do that.

I decided to check it out. I looked at the discussions on the Westsail Owners Group site. Nothing. I did a Google search. That found a news article. However, the article said that it was a 43 foot motor sailor, not a Westsail. It also said that the boat was stolen and abandoned on the reef. So much for that rumor.

Westsails have been run on reefs, they have been rolled over, and pitch poled (rolling over end-to-end). They have been rammed by giant ships. They don't get holes in their hulls or sink readily.

I have heard of several Wesails holed and sunk when blown on shore by hurricanes. I also heard of one W32 that left San Fransisco, bound for Japan (I think) and was never heard from. In general though, simple groundings or collisions don't sink
W32s.

Libby and I read in a sailing magazine and account of a couple sailing in the Caribbean on their 47 foot yacht. At night, in gentle winds, they struck something, don't know what, while sailing at 7 knots. Their boat was holed, took on water and sunk. The cruising couple rescued themselves in their dinghy. Our reaction was huh? They should have had a W32.