Over the last 3 years I have participated as crew in a passage from Hampton, VA to Tortola. Last year in the Caribbean 1500 One of boats in the group diverted to the Bahamas and sank on a reef with the loss of one crew member. This year in the NARC, the wife in an experienced husband and wife team was washed overboard by a 30' wave. Preparing the boat is part of getting ready for passages is only part of getting ready for cruising but you need to prepare yourself as well. I cannot comment in detail on what happened in each of these situations but the following are my views:
My understanding is that the boat in the 1500 had 2 crew members who were seasick for several days. It appears that they were not fully prepared for what to expect on a passage. They also made a bad decision to try to enter an unfamiliar harbor at night in bad conditions. Building your experience and capabilities is essential. Know what to expect and prepare for it. Carefully work with your crew to make sure that they also know what to expect. Seasickness can be debilitating but it also can be dangerous if it goes on too long and that can affect decision making.
I don't understand the tragedy this year. The conditions were not forecasted to be as bad as they were and the boat did report that they hove to for a period of the time, which they possibly could have maintained. We were at sea during this same period but we left from further south and stayed further west to avoid the worst of the weather. Play it safe when dealing with the weather and avoid it if possible. Heave to or run with it instead of fighting it. Look for opportunities to upgrade your skills in the off season and work with potential crew members to ensure that they will have strong skills as well. I have several perspective crew members for passages but need to start working with them ahead of time to make sure they know the boat and what to expect. We will plan to practice heaving too and MOB drills. Off season is a good time for skill discussions and planning.
The Chart is from Herb Hilgenberg's website and was created by Professor Dr. Peter Ponzo. I have added the dates of Saun’s position and that of Patriche II (Yellow Stars) for this overview. Please note that the 11/7postion is 3 days after storm conditions (45kts+) existed in that location. Our weather conditions remained at 20-25 kts with high rolling seas in the 20’+ range for 4 days.
There is also a good overview of what happened on the NARC at the following location.
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