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Around the World of Sailing
25 July 2001
Event News:
Port Huron Mackinac Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/atwos/2001/jl/0725/ms.htm
The 2001 Bayview Yacht Club Port Huron to Mackinac began as
a fast race. In fact, so fast that the trimaran Earth
Voyager set a new elapsed time record for the Southampton
course in 24 hours 19 minutes.
However, once the bigger mono hulls such as Decision and the
Great Lakes 70's finished the wind died the smaller boats
with shorter masts struggled to the Island. From a fast
race to a slow race, with the whole scenario benefiting the
bigger boats.
This favored bigger boats in corrected time calculations.
The largest division sailed under PHRF. The Santa Cruz 52
Lightning took the overall corrected prize. This after
first to finish monohull Decision was disqualified for a
starting sequence collision. PHRF A's big boats took 6 of
the top 10 spots in the overall standings.
The Great Lakes 70's class was won by Holua, 1st boat over
the line in the class.
Nice Pair scored a 3 minute corrected time win over record
setter Earth Voyager in the Open Class.
The Shore course overall win went to another early finisher
as Cygnus won by nearly an hour over Grizzly. 7 of the top 10 overall corrected time finishers came from the Shore Course's big boat class.
Links:
Port Huron Mackinac.com
http://www.porthuronmackinac.com
Bayview Yacht Club
http://www.byc.com/mack01/
Theme: Cruising
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/atwos/2001/jl/0725/ms.htm
July's theme is cruising. This is the relaxing side of
sailing. However, cruising may not be as flat relaxing as a
simple trip to your local beach. Between stops in charming
ports and relaxing anchorages come the sailing voyages. So,
cruising can be both relaxing and challenging.
Ultimately - after books, websites and cruising guides - you
need a destination. Without it there won't be a cruise.
Here is one person's recommendation on a Lake Michigan
cruising destination. As the name implies, Arcadia is a
small and peaceful place. It's located 14 miles south of
Point Betsie.
As with most ports on Lake Michigan's east shore you enter
into a smaller lake via a channel. Channel depth is 8 feet,
although this should be checked in our low water times.
A left turn to the north brings you into a natural harbor.
On one side is the marina. Nearer the lake is a sand spit.
Here you can anchor literally right next to Lake Michigan.
Arcadia Veterans Marina is the primary transient marina. In
addition to slips Gas, Diesel and Pump Out is available.
While not a booming urban area, Arcadia does have shore
based activities. These include the Arcadia Historical
Museum.
Links:
Arcadia MI http://www.arcadiami.com/
Event News: Preview of Sail Michigan Weekend
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/atwos/2001/jl/0725/ms.htm
This coming weekend will see sailboats racing in three lower
Michigan venues. In Harbor Springs the traditional U Gotta
Regatta will be held. Cheboygan will play host to the Level
35 Northern Lakes regatta for the second straight year.
Muskegon will host the second part of the North Sails Summer
Series for Mumm 30's.
In Harbor Springs, the One Design 35 class will continue it's
season series. Hippy Chick won the initial event at the
Chicago NOODs. Tsunami was the top 1D35 in the Chicago
Mac. One things is for sure. With Heartbreaker out of the
class a new boat will win and take the championship standing
lead.
The Cheboygan regatta will serve as a showdown between the
J35's Ragtime and Wild Ride. Ragtime has won the Chicago
NOODS and Chicago Mac. Wild Ride, the Detroit NOODS and Port
Huron Mac. Last year Wild Ride won in Cheboygan while
Ragtime was 5th.
The Mumm 30's will sail their 2nd set of races on Muskegon
Lake. After this event only the Verve Cup remains in the
season series.
News: Boat Smart Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/atwos/2001/jl/0725/ms.htm
Boozers and boats a deadly mix
By Senior Chief Tom Rau, Coast Guard Group Grand Haven, MI
When LT Carol Stearns, Group Grand Haven's Operations boss,
e-mailed me a National Transportation Board (NTSB)
investigation into a deadly collision between two
recreational boats, I hesitated to write the story since it
wasn't local. But after reviewing the report I understood
why she felt it worth passing. The report vividly shows
that boozers and boats make for a deadly mix regardless of
the waters.
The booze driven carnage occurred on the St. Croix River
near Bayport, Minnesota, July 3, 1999 at 1: 24 a.m. Five
adult males died: three from drowning, two from blunt force
trauma. The combined speed of the boats on impact may have
been 105 mph. With booze, any speed is dangerous.
Incidentally, I use the word booze and not alcohol because
alcohol in itself doesn't kill but boozers do. The combined
blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of the five victims
was 0.197, almost twice the federal legal limit. Worse yet
the owners combined BAC was 0.235.
Now the story
The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway runs 252 miles along
the Wisconsin/Minnesota border to the Mississippi River.
The accident occurred near Bayport, Minnesota. According to
the NTSB accident report, the owner of an Advantage Victory-
a 27-foot cabin cubby motorboat- spent the day with guests
drinking on board the boat starting about 4 p.m. on July 3.
The Advantage operator shifted from one marina berth to
another around 6.30 p.m. According to witnesses, there were
parties on both the Advantage and the boat to which the
Advantage was moored, and the people on both boats were
earnestly consuming beer and mixed drinks (devil juice).
Around 1 a.m. the Advantage operator got underway, stopped
briefly at a marina. There a boater in the marina complained
about the Advantage entering the marina at an "excessive
speed" which stirred up a wake. Someone at the marina
called out to the Advantage operator to "watch" his speed.
The Advantage operator hollered back: "You're talking to the
wrong guy, buddy," and then sped out of the marina heading
downriver leaving boats in the marina rocking at their
moorings. Moments later he arrived at the accident site
(about 1:25 a.m.).
Meanwhile the owner of the second boat, a Bayliner, had
indulged in a similar intake of "devil juice". According to
a witness, he had joined a friend in a bar, and swigged
until the bar closed. The witness couldn't recall whether
the Bayliner operator and passenger were intoxicated. Come
on! The guy was tanked; the NTSB report showed a BAC of
0.220 for the operator.
The Bayliner's skipper promised to meet his bar buddy later
in Hudson. An idle promise, indeed. It wouldn't be the first
booze broken promise, but for certain the last for the
Bayliner crew.
How the boozers actually collided only they and the booze
demons know. The following is an account by those first at
the accident scene. The witness stated that he got his boat
underway and proceeded downriver along the Minnesota side.
He shined a spotlight on the water to see and avoid floating
debris. As the boat approached the power plant near mile
21, the witness sighted the capsized Advantage and he and
his passenger stopped to render assistance. He said that
the Advantage engine was not running and he could not see
any sign of the vessel's occupants. He recognized the
Advantage as being the boat that had entered the municipal
marina at an excessive speed a few minutes earlier. Moments
later the witness noticed the Bayliner about 100 yards
upriver. Upon approaching the Bayliner the witness observed
that it was extremely damaged and that two occupants were
severely mangled and appeared to be dead.
On July 3, 1999, divers recovered the Advantage, A body was
found on the bottom of the river during the afternoon of
July 4. A second body was found floating on the Wisconsin
side of the river on July 5. The third body was found on
the river bottom not far from the first body during the
afternoon of July 5. Divers found the Advantage's throttle
was in the full speed position.
Both boat operators reportedly were known to be experienced
boaters. But studies have shown that even highly qualified
boat operators begin suffering measurable impairment at BAC
levels of 0.035 percent. It takes longer to process
information, such as recognizing whether a potentially
dangerous situation is developing with another vessel and
then deciding how to avoid an accident. At such BAC levels,
a person's nocturnal vision will be more affected by glare
from lights, including boat navigation lights, shore lights,
and even moonlight.
That's at a BAC level of 0.035 which equates to around two
beers. The combined BAC levels of the two owners was
0.2345. What makes alcohol so deadly is that it
significantly increases self-confidence (liquid courage)
while severely debilitating the body's defense mechanisms-
what a deadly set up. Latest Coast Guard statistics show
that 26 percent of recreational boating fatalities involved
alcohol. Boat Smart, boat sober.
Note: Low Water Levels- Coast Guard officials report an
increase in recreational boats running aground on Lake
Michigan and connecting waters. Boaters should consult
nautical charts, stay within marked buoy systems, and call
ahead to harbor masters* if entering unfamiliar waters
advise officials.
*Boat Smart is on the internet at: www.boatsmart.net,
includes weather and water temperatures. The site also
links to Group Grand Haven's information rich web site:
www.uscg.mil/ghaven ,includes phone numbers for harbor
masters between St. Ignace and Michigan City.