New Boat 4 Sled

[Jan Brewer]

Oh. Geez, Louise, Skip and crew, thank Goddess you are okay. Just sent you a PM cause I was so rattled I could not remember how to log in to this forum. Another thanks to Matt for sending my login info. Wish I were closer to help you. If you need a little R&R my door is always open here in AZ. Jan

[sleddog]

Thank you to all for your good wishes! It means a lot. Ken, great to hear from you.
It isn't often one gets to analyze a capsize. Here is what I saw.

Sunday, April 7
Wind 250 degrees, 15, gusting 21 kts
4-8' swell with 1-2' wind waves.

At 1430 hrs. WILDFLOWER left her slip at Santa Cruz Harbor for a short sail in the freshening afternoon breeze. Crew aboard was myself, and Renee from Santana 20 LIL VIXEN on Lake Tahoe. We tucked in one reef. We had sailed WILDFLOWER in these conditions before, more than a dozen times, both off Santa Cruz, and in the “Slot” off Berkeley and the City Front.

We made five tacks, working our way up towards Lighthouse Point. Initially Rene was steering. Abeam River Mouth, and ½ mile offshore, I took over steering. Rene took over hand holding the uncleated mainsheet. According to the Velocitek Speed Puck, we were making about 6.5 knots close hauled on port track. My instructions to Rene were to let the mainsheet run if the windward hull appeared to lift more than a few degrees.

At 1510, a larger than average, beam on, wave lifted the windward hull. (the swell was wrapping around Steamer Lane). This wave lifted the windward hull about 5', while the leeward hull went into the trough. Our heel angle instantly went to about 40 degrees. The combination of the breaking wave's angular rotation and the momentum of our rig and sails, about 100 pounds at 13' above the center of gravity, meant we were in No Man's Land.

We did not hang there long, maybe a count of “two.” Rene blew the mainsheet instantly. We both dropped onto the leeward side of the cockpit. With the mainsheet run, the boom and clew of the mainsail hit the water and did not go out further.

With the main released, the jib assumed control and created lee helm, pulling the bows down and off the wind. According to Skene's, the force on the 80 square foot jib in 20 knots of wind was about 170 pounds multiplied by center of effort distance above waterline (~ 10'). We had about 1700 pounds of force levering the bows down and over.

The wind gust found at the top of the wave got under the rising windward hull and bridge deck. With our combined crew weight on the leeward side, WILDFLOWER did not stand a chance. Over she went in less than five seconds.

We both were swimming. Rene had to swim through the lifelines to get out from under the boat. Thankfully I had not rigged the weather cloths to the lifelines. I tried to swim the big fender ball, tied to the stern pulpit, out to the masthead for flotation. But the mast and sails quickly sank to vertical inverted, and I never got the fender ball untied from the stern pulpit.

We both tried to climb aboard the overturned hulls from opposite sides. There was little to grab, and I'd just coated the bottom with “MacLube Speed Polish” as a product test for Practical Sailor. Slippery indeed. I boarded WILDFLOWER over the transom. Renee did a pull up onto the starboard hull using the daggerboard.

With assistance from the Santa Cruz Yacht Club 17' Whaler “Guardian” we got a righting line over the hulls and pulled WILDFLOWER right way up. She wanted to come up, mostly because we have foam floatation embedded in the cabin top, and the cabin and hulls were filled with air. Once upright, about 15 minutes after capsize, I lowered the main and rolled up the jib …...and we began to drift downwind, half awash.

To be continued.

[sleddog]

Yesterday saw gale warnings for NW winds along the Central Coast. Common enough in Spring. I call them "reinforced NW Trades." The usual afternoon 15-25 "Sheep's in the Meadow" whitecaps get replaced by something different. The blue/green ocean with white flecks turns brown and white, as sheets of spume get blown off wave tops.

I don't know about the rest of SF Bay. But there was enhanced rescue action off Berkeley Harbor yesterday as Cal Sailing became the focus of rescue swimmers, fire trucks, and a CG helo. Snow flurries in the Sierra. The day before, hail had pummeled the Skagit Valley tulip festival near Anacortes, with low level snow and avalanches in the Cascades.

Conditions look to be moderating.

[sleddog]

Good progress on starboard hull repairs to WILDFLOWER. Howard has completed the internal structural repairs, which included replacing a broken floor frame and vertical strut, gluing backing butt blocks and panels over the holes and cracks, sistering a foredeck beam, and repairing the hole in the foredeck where the bow cleat was ripped out.

Howard showed his experience gluing a panel over the crack behind the daggerboard trunk. The vertical space is only 2" wide. He not only managed to get the backing panel with its glue in place, but secured firmly with ingenious temporary wedges and a flexible batten.

The external repairs will mostly be glassing and fairing, then repainting.

As the entire electrical system was water damaged, that is being removed. I am stockpiling the repairs and replacements for that push. Salt water and electricity is a potent combination. The inside of the tiller pilot, which had power going to it, is barely recognizable for the rust encrustation.

As my good friend Skeeter once said regarding electrical wiring aboard small sail craft, "Cap'n, that wiring is to hold in the purple smoke.."

[Travieso]

Back from the Newport to Cabo Race aboard SC-70 "OEX," I trailered WILDFLOWER from the driveway and relaunched at Santa Cruz Harbor, where we have secured a slip for two months.

Our first sail back in the water since late November of last year found all well aboard. The wind was SW, 15-17 knots, out past Mile Buoy, and WILDFLOWER had her skirts up, while I had one hand on the mainsheet as we skipped along at 12-13 knots on a white sails reach.

Interesting contrasts in boats. WILDFLOWER draws 15" with her daggerboard up, and I can sail her alone. WIZARD (ex-BELLA MENTE), first-to-finish yacht in the recent Newport to Cabo Race is 74' long, draws an incredible 19', and needs no less than 12 pros aboard to get away from the dock.

As you surmise, I don't consider deep draft an advancement in yacht design.

Did you stay in Cabo long. Would have been good to catch up then. I was riding the Invisible Hand with solosailor.

[Travieso]

Just read the about the capsize of Wildflower. Glad to hear that everyone was safe. Here to speedy repairs. If you need any short term gratification you are always welcomed on the JetStream.

[sleddog]

5/2/13

Greetings from WILDFLOWER's nav station. For three weeks, since the capsize, and subsequent assault by Vessel Assist, Howard Spruit and I have been in full court press.

Howard has masterly repaired the holes and cracks in the foredeck, starboard hull and interior structure where Vessel Assist rammed multiple times in futile attempts to secure alongside. We found evidence (bottom paint) that, at one point, VA's bow went up over the cabin top. Ouch.

Before and after attached photos of finished repairs and master craftsman Howard Spruit.

As all the electronics, except the Velocitek puck, were toast, I unwired the boat before starting over: new battery, master switch, switch panel, 12 volt receptacles, inverter, depth sounder, VHF radio charger, solar panel, shore charger, Alpenglow cabin lights, boombox, stove, and tiller pilot.

The "pickled" 6 hp outboard motor started first pull.

Santa Cruz West Marine has been fantastic in their support, and I am deeply indebted to Amy and her hardworking crew.

The starboard hull has been faired, then repainted with 4 coats of primer and 2 finish coats of Brightside (foam roller). The foredeck has been re-nonskidded. WILDFLOWER looks good, and will be as good, or better, than before. Our plans are to return to the Pacific NW this summer.

Thank you everyone for your support during these trying times.. And THANK YOU Howard! Hope to see many of you at Made in Santa Cruz Race Week.

[sleddog]

Tides and currents are a fascinating subject. I never tire of their study, and what they can bring, or just as easily take away. I remember the time bringing WILDFLOWER up Baja. It had been a windy and wet 48 hours. Safely at anchor in San Quintin, I hung my flannel sleeping sheet to dry from the backstay. 6 clothes pins weren't enough in the 25 knot breeze, and the sheet took off towards Tahiti. I thought I last saw my sheet 100 yards downwind.

The next morning at 0400, the wind had stopped. With a flashlite clenched between my teeth, I pulled anchor. At the surface I saw something wrapped around the anchor. With the anchor on deck, I found the "something" was my sleeping sheet! How in the world did that happen?? The sheet must have sunk, then somehow hitched onto a subsurface counter current. I don't know.

Equally improbable was something that happened two days ago. My Moore 24 spinnaker, donated by Morgan Larson, had somehow escaped from WILDFLOWER's cabin after the capsize.

Then 24 days later I had an e-mail that a spinnaker had been found on the beach at Moss Landing, 12 miles, 120 degrees across Monterey Bay.

I do not yet know the circumstances or parties involved. But the spinnaker was returned to Santa Cruz Yacht Club, nicely dried and bagged, with no apparent damage. The number 127 identified it as Morgan's. Morgan said he "wasn't missing any spinnakers." But, "maybe it was the one he had given WILDFLOWER?"

Yup.

[AlanH]

I just stumbled across this....just goes to show, I oughtta check here more often. I'm glad you are OK, and that Wildlfower is back together again.

[sleddog]

5/22/13

WILDFLOWER is parked in the driveway, loading for departure June 7 for Anacortes and points north. We are on the "I-5 Yacht Club" program. Which involves an oil change and tire rotation as opposed to jib change and reefing.

Getting north along the coast this week would be problematical. I see 30 knots most afternoons out at Mile Buoy, off Santa Cruz Harbor. A local Sydney 38, ANIMAL, did complete a successful delivery to SF for this weekend's Spinnaker cup Race to Monterey.

ANIMAL's crew was greeted by a different type of MOB, a Golden Gate Bridge jumper, who landed nearby. They fished him out alive, but with possible broken legs, and delivered him to safety in Sausalito. Well done, Hillary, Scott, and John.

WILDFLOWER's new bunk cushion foam was delivered last week. You'd think a piece of 4" foam would be readily obtainable ....this order turned into an epic. Finally, it was handed off to Synthia, who performed her magic of getting the foam successfully fitted into the cover. As you can see from the attached photo, Syn really gets into her work.