Around the World of Sailing

29 May 2002

Event News: Sailor Lost at Sea
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2002/my/0529/ms.htm

Sad news from the holiday weekend. Jamie Boeckel, 31, of
Newport, RI, boat captain of the 66-foot ocean racing sloop
Blue Yankee died after falling overboard Friday night while
competing in the Storm Trysail Club's Block Island race.

Boeckel was thrown from the bow when the spinnaker pole
broke off as he stood on the bow pulpit completing a
spinnaker change. Just after the incident Boeckel was seen
floating face down and was apparently unconscious. Long
Island Sound water temps were 50°. Neither Boeckel nor a
fellow crew that went to his rescue wore PFD's. Suggestions
such as requiring anyone outside the lifelines being
attached to the boat via a lanyard would help prevent this
type of loss. Boeckel's body has not been recovered.
However, sonar imagery has led all parties to believe he is
dead.

A Memorial Service will be held for Jamie Boeckel on
Thursday, May 30, from 2 to 4 PM at the Sayville Yacht Club.
If anyone would like to contribute in lieu of flowers, there
will be more details forthcoming. For now, make
contributions to the
"Sayville Yacht Club Scholarship Account - Jamie Boeckel Memorial Fund",
Sayville Yacht Club,
PO Box 127, Sayville, NY 11782.

Links:
Press Release
http://www.stormtrysail.org/Pages/01%20Breaking%20News/Frame%20Pages/2002-BI-Race-5-26.html
Sailed with America True
http://sl.sports.com/u/racing/americascup/1999/challengers/americatrue/crew.htm
Newspaper Report
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-liboat272721976may27.story?coll=ny%2Dlinews%2Dheadlines
Yacht Club Report
http://www.stormtrysail.org/Pages/01%20Breaking%20News/Frame%20Pages/2002-BI-Race-5-25.html
Report on Search
http://www.newstimes.com/cgi-bin/dbs.cgi?db=news&view_records=1&id=29391
Use of Sonar
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-liresc282722800may28.story?coll=ny%2Dlinews%2Dheadlines
Hometown Report
http://www.newportdailynews.com/display/inn_news/NEWS2.TXT

Theme Article: Personal Safety Kit
http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2002/my/0529/ms.htm

Sailors in the Volvo Ocean Race often wear a fanny pack
containing personal safety gear. This article looks at some
recommendations for the contents of such a kit. Per request
of readers prices are included with most items. Prices come
from various sources, check before buying. Torresen Marine
stocks many of these items and can assist with all types of
safety gear.

PFD- The foundation of this kit. If worn it will allow you
to float and use the other items in the kit.

Mustang Inflatable $ 157.50
http://www.mustangsurvival.com/catalog/SingleProduct.asp?ProductID=66

Extra Sport Inherently Buoyant $ 56.67
http://www.extrasport.com/page-prod-challenger-sail.htm

Lumbar Pack- $ 50.00 A blown up fanny pack where you store the kit.
http://www.rei.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prmenbr=8000&prrfnbr=1849331 or

Buoyant Equipment Pouch
http://www.landfallnavigation.com/sa2266.html

Reflective Tape, Solas Approved $ 4.25 per foot. Should be
added to your PFD if not included. Of assistance in night
rescue.
http://www.landfallnavigation.com/ssrt1.html

Whistle $ .55. Also should be added to your PFD if one is
not included.
http://www.marisafe.com/store/viewItem.asp?ID=101510671&CID=10152000
http://www.acrelectronics.com/ww3/ww3.htm

Flares Orion Star Tracer Belt Pack Kit $ 31.95.
Can be stowed in lumbar pack in case needed.
http://www.orionsignals.com/Marine/Products/ahkits/belt.html

Strobe Forespar RL2 $ 41.40. Should be attached to your PFD.
http://www.forespar.com/catalog/safety/rescuelight.htm

Knife Gerber Chameleon $ 48.00 Look for a knife that can be
opened with one hand. Also look for at least a partially
serrated blade.
http://www.gerberblades.com/gerberlegendaryblades.html?06435

Flashlight Weems and Plath Night Star $ 79.99 No batteries
needed.
http://www.weems-plath.com/pdfs/1160.pdf
Flashlight Friend. Allows flashlight to be used in many
different tasks.
http://www.niteize.com/friend.html

The above I consider essential items.
Below are a few optional items.

Safety Harness- There are arguments for and against these.
If you chose one make sure you have a good tether.
http://www.marisafe.com/Store/viewItem.asp?ID=101510680&CID=10151000&FLT=101510680

Wichard Harness Tethers. Pay attention to ORC rules if racing
http://www.wichard-usa.com/Safety%20Products/Safety%20Products2.htm

Handheld VHF. Look for how radio handles immersion in water.
http://www.raymarine.com/raymarine/ProductDetail.asp?site=1&section=2&page=96&product_id=591

Personal EPIRB.
http://www.acrelectronics.com/minib2/minib2.html
**********
Other items that can be kept in this kit include: sunglasses,
reading glasses if required, a bandana, which has lots of uses,
lip balm/sun screen, water bottle and hat.

The driving idea behind the above kit is that properly
stocked you have a built in safety gear program and kit no
matter what type of boating you undertake.

Event News: Volvo Ocean Race into the North Sea
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2002/my/0529/ms.htm

Tyco
Credit: ©Rick Tomlinson

The second to last leg of the Volvo Ocean race has been both
close and eventful. The fleet has rounded notorious Ushant,
sailed a boat length from the Dover breakwater, rounded an
oil platform and rounded Torungen Lighthouse off Norway.

A close call, a Ferry comes out of Dover harbour as Team News Corp sails less than a boat length off the break water..
Credit: © Damion Duke

Throughout Assa Abloy has managed a slim lead. Last report
had Assa Abloy 2 miles/10 minutes ahead of illbruck with 60
miles to sail to Goeteborg Sweden.

Assa Abloy in 25 knots
Credit: ©ThMartinez/AsssaAbloy

The first part of the leg along France to Ushant was
extremely unpleasant. According to Amer Sports Too, "We had
7 out of 13 chicks being sick." Conditions took their toll
on SEB, "First we broke a jib halyard, which was easily
fixed. Then we found problems with the wind instruments."

All the boats have had problem with weed and debris on their
appendages. Tyco reported, "We managed to hold onto this
until we discovered a load of weed on the keel and
propeller." Most have had to back the boat down to clear
away these problems.

A North Sea oil rig on the horizon from djuice

The end of this leg will occur in light air upwind
conditions. This will surely present a myriad of options,
along with many chances for position change.

Links:
SEB Problems
http://www.volvooceanrace.com/team/tseb/email/leg_8/20020526_krantz.html
Assa Abloy Backs Down
http://www.volvooceanrace.com/team/aart/email/leg_8/20020527_rudiger_2.html
European Forecast
http://www.ecmwf.int/products/forecasts/d/charts/deterministic/world/msl_uv850_z500
Quick Scat Wind Image
http://orbit212.wwb.noaa.gov/dataimages/qscat/cur/zooms/WMBds30.gif
Dalts forecasts light stuff
http://www.nautorchallenge.com/html/articles_show.asp?articleId=593

News: Boat Smart
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2002/my/0529/ms.htm

Boat Smart is a weekly column written by Chief Tom Rau,
Group Grand Haven, U.S. Coast Guard and appears in a number
of newspapers. Chief Rau has been writing and promoting safe
boating since 1986. Many of his columns are taken from real
life experiences from Station St. Joseph/South Haven, where
Chief Rau is currently serving.

The Lake of the Stinking Waters

Reportedly the first European to venture onto Lake Michigan
was a Frenchman named Jean Nicolet who in the year 1634
while canoeing from east to west across Lake Huron
encountered Mackinac Island located in the Lake Michigan's
northern most waters. From there, his journey carried him
across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin near Green Bay. There he
was greeted by skin clad natives who called the lake he has
just crossed 'The Lake of the Stinking Waters.'

Today, it could appropriately be called- 'The Lake of the
Sinking Waters'. In my research it's unclear as to the
origin of, 'Stinking Waters' but as for my modern adaptation
'Sinking Waters' plenty of data exist to lay claim to that
name starting with Jean Nicolet. Five years after his
stinking water discovery, he drowned in the Saint Lawrence
River. He could not swim. Sound familiar. The Griffin, the
first sail boat to reach 'The Lake of the Stinking Waters'
went down on September 18, 1679, with the loss of all hands.
And in the year 1821 the Lake's first steam boat visitor,
Walk-in-the-Water, was destroyed a month later on October
31, after running aground off Buffalo Creek, Lake Erie.

Although Nicolet and the steamer Walk-in-the-Water met their
demise elsewhere did they carry a stinking water omen of
things to come. And come they did. Since those ominous
beginning for these Lake Michigan first-time visitors,
nearly 5,000 commercial ships have sunk on Lake Michigan
while carrying thousands of sailors to watery graves
according to Steve Harold, Director of Manistee County
Historical Museum and maritime historian. Those 5,000 wrecks
account for nearly half of all commercial shipwrecks
recorded across the Great Lakes. Although historians might
disagree on exact number of commercial shipwrecks, most
agree that Lake Michigan, by far, claimed the most victims
across the Inland Seas.

A great danger that mariners faced was transporting lumber
from land to boat. Few if any man-made pier systems and
river channels existed along Lake Michigan's 300-mile shore
line during the early 19th century. Vessel captain's faced
precarious and often took deadly gambles as their crews sat
off shore while row boats and barges transported lumber, and
fruit to seaward waiting craft. Often high seas driven by
gale force winds bore down on helpless mariners, who had few
if any harbors to seek shelter. And the long narrow expanse
of Lake Michigan provided limited open water refuge adding
to their woes, especially when northwesterly winds howled.

Even when local lake front communities developed harbor
systems, the lake continued to assault vessels especially
sail boats. By 1860 there were on all of the lakes 1,459
ships, of which 1,122 were sailing vessels. The winter of
1870-1871 proved especially harsh; more than 214 people died
in maritime related accidents across the Great Lakes; many
of these occurred on Lake Michigan.

With the introduction of steam, then iron ships, and later
gasoline and diesel engines, aided by electronic navigation,
commercial vessels became far less vulnerable to the Lake's
veracious appetite for mariners. In fact, today seldom do
commercial accidents occur. But Lake Michigan and its sister
lakes had long since changed their diet. They now had
recreational boaters and other water enthusiasts to feast
on. Coast Guard figures reveal that from 1995 to 2001 in
those cases in which the Coast Guard responded, 231 people
died, however, 854 lives were saved. In all, 1,084
recreational boaters died or nearly died on Lake Michigan
and connecting bays, river systems and lakes during that
time period. Those figures do not included lives save by
local rescue agencies nor private parties.

From a historical slant, I believe recreational boating is
as much in peril as were the commercial mariners in the 19th
century. The difference between the two, however, is that
yesteryear's mariners knew the risks and although they
possessed the skills to deal with those risks, they lacked,
much to their anguish, the tools. Today's recreational
boaters possess the tools but lack the skills and worse yet
in many cases fail to see a need for those skills.

And in all fairness to 19th century mariners most were
driven by economic necessity and the need to earn a living
so they did the best they could with what they had at hand.
In my heart they hold a special place; without these men of
iron and ships of wood the economic advancement of this
great nation especially the Midwest, and the many advantages
that I now enjoy simply would not exist.

I would be lying if I told you I felt the same respect for
many recreational boaters and water sport's enthusiasts. In
the years of performing search and rescue on Lake Michigan
at seven different search and rescue facilities, including
the Coast Guard rescue coordination center at Group Grand
Haven, I've been involved in only one commercial rescue.
All the other Lake Michigan rescues involved recreational
boating, private aircraft, and people involved in water
related activities. In nearly every rescue, the causes of
the rescue could be linked to a double-headed serpent-
ignorance and a Pollyannaish mind set regarding the Lake
Michigan environment.

Don't take me wrong, there are a lot of squared away boaters
and water wise folks out there who apparently have learned
from history that Lake Michigan's marine environment can be
deadly and thus they take appropriate steps to arm
themselves against the "Lake of the Stinking Waters". Those
who don't arm themselves might find themselves laying claim
to the name- "The Lake of the Sinking Waters". Boat Smart-
don't be one of them.

Note: On Memorial Day, Coast Guard Group Grand Haven's
search and rescue center reported a rash of boat breakdowns
on Lake Michigan. Boaters should check out their craft,
especially mechanical systems before venturing out into the
lake.

Links:
Boat Smart
http://www.boatsmart.net/