Schooner Heron in collision

[willmarsh3]

Previous thread went poof...

The schooner Heron owned by Robert Pulsch collided with a tugboat and sank in the C&D Canal. Everyone was rescued with only minor injuries.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/p...NEWS/705160406

I'm really glad he made it out ok.

I talked to Robert in the past - I have the steel ketch that he built prior to purchasing and restoring Heron.

I can see how I'd end up in a similar situation - on my big cruise from Annapolis down the ICW to the Gulf coast and up the Tenn-Tom, I got caught out after dark on a number of occasions despite prior planning. In some cases this was because I was pressed for time, in others not liking the anchorage I had so I continued on. And in still others I was just trying to get to a particular spot before dropping anchor.

On a cruise I took in 1997 up to Mystic for the Woodenboat show, the skipper really took time to study the tide tables and time our arrival at the C&D canal at the proper time for the tide to help us. We even motored when that would give us only 1/2 knot over sailing in order to get there in time.

I'll just wait for the facts to come out with a great deal of interest.

[WillW]

WillMarsh, Figment deleted it because of the acrimonious discussion going on.

[willmarsh3]

Ok it was Figment's thread. With apologies to him I reposted because it was a good topic IMHO. Hopefully no acrimony this time.

[S.V. Airlie]

Figment can do what he wants with his thread.. Anyone can.. but even so, I did not see any name calling... no cut downs.
Heck, if two people or moredisagree on a thread.. well, I guess it just means it has to be cut off. We can't have diagreements
If there had been serious animosity shown.. I would have done the same thing..

I guess, although I have more recent pictures of Airlie and expect more, I am not gonna post them. At the same time, even with the differences, the threads I have put up were not turning into serious spitting sessions.

If ya post a thread anywhere, there is bound to be differences of opinion. If that is what you are NOT looking for, don't post.. very simple.

Heck, post about the weather.. fairly safe subject...

[Figment]

Ok it was Figment's thread. With apologies to him I reposted because it was a good topic IMHO. Hopefully no acrimony this time.

No need for apologies. I'm glad you restarted the good topic with good info.

I've no problem with disagreements, when conducted with a modicum of class.

[glenallen]

"I guess, although I have more recent pics of Airlie and expect more, I am not gonna post them." Airlie

What?
Please reconsider!
Don't make me come up there!

[rbgarr]

I don't blame him for not posting the pics. It seems to invite carping. Who needs that?

[glenallen]

I understand!
But if he has to suffer so I can see the pics, he should do it.
My selfish opinion, of course. LOL

[The Bigfella]

Mate - you can't be thin skinned around here. All I have to do is ask a question and some Turkey will come running out of the bush to call me an amateur, throw my real name into whatever rubbish he chooses to air and to generally behave like a goose. It won't get me down - never has, never will.

As for the discussion that I think led you to not want to post more photos, that is a serious issue that doesn't get enough airplay. I'm assuming we are talking about plywood. I'm currently dealing with a rot issue with marine plywood - proper stuff. It should not be underestimated how easily and quickly this can go wrong. I am talking about epoxy encapsulated marine ply covered with dynel and then teak. There was a screw in my deck that didn't go into an epoxy plug and water got to that. It can and does happen - which is why people will question the use of plywood.

I'll take the camera down to the boat and see if I can do a separate thread on that.

[S.V. Airlie]

Bigfella.. read the posts on "hull repair comments..."
I think you get the picture and why I really don't want to post...
I have no trouble with a discussion or assistance or what have you but when it comes down to a discussion on spelling etc. above the bilge.. I ask myself, should I or shouldn't I? Not a matter of being thick or thin skinned.
I just am seeing a lot of threads abovew the bilge sinking to the level of the bilge.

[Hollingsworth]

Bigfella.. read the posts on "hull repair comments..."
I think you get the picture and why I really don't want to post...
I have no trouble with a discussion or assistance or what have you but when it comes down to a discussion on spelling etc. above the bilge.. I ask myself, should I or shouldn't I? Not a matter of being thick or thin skinned.
I just am seeing a lot of threads abovew the bilge sinking to the level of the bilge.

A sociologist / professor I know is working on a study investigating the trend toward aggressive anti-social behavior within internet communities, on boards / chat rooms. It's growing, becoming more prevalent... and, I would add, more predictable.

[willmarsh3]

A few more tantalizing details of the collision here:

http://www.courierpostonline.com/app...49/1006/news01

[John B]

As terrifying as it can get really.
It'll be interesting to see whether the barge was lit.
There was a tragedy here a few years ago when a boat crossed behind a tug at night. Similar to this incident although in this case the barge was towing a barge with a long tow. The yacht watch had thought he was well in the clear. Boat passed behind the tug ,was rolled under the barge and IIRC one person was killed.

[py]

The weather here in Oz is waaay better than anything you guys get in the States. (looking for a cheeky troll icon)

[S/V Laura Ellen]

A few more tantalizing details of the collision here:

http://www.courierpostonline.com/app...49/1006/news01

That seems to imply that the barge was not lit. We will probably never know.

[StevenBauer]

Update on Heron.. Sam Crocker received an e-mail frpm the owner. Heron is off the bottom. Damage is not as bad as feared.
Airlie

[S/V Laura Ellen]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Trfkt13SFM4

[Figment]

Did they not block her up on the barge? they just laid her on her side?

[Lew Barrett]

I know I'm a whimp but even so I really dislike transiting in close quareters at night.

Edited to add:

Did they not block her up on the barge? they just laid her on her side?

I just saw the video and your comment struck with the force of as hammer. That didn't look good if the effort was to save the boat.

[S/V Laura Ellen]

I just saw the video and your comment struck with the force of as hammer. That didn't look good if the effort was to save the boat.

I imagine that the salvage was a matter of priorities, first priority would be to clear the canal, second priority is to safeguard the boat.

[Gary Bergman]

After a continent of travel, we are finding the commercial traffic the hardest to 'dodge' during our present transit up the St. Lawrence. In the tight channels as you get closer to Lake Ontario, the current is the strongest in the river, making the freighters almost impossible to deal with. We are finding ourselves having to tack hard out of the channel to avoid them....(I'm also seeing the commercial traffic far exceeding the speed limits posted on the charts...)

[willmarsh3]

Much of my "Big Cruise" involved transiting through the ICW, GICW and the Tenn-Tom. There were some definite tight spots. I tried very hard to avoid night time transit but nonetheless found myself caught out at night on a few occasions.
The worst was on 8/29/01

http://www.willmarsh3.net/bc/log082901.html

Luckily nothing bad happened.

[Ian McColgin]

A long tow won't be used in a restricted waterway, but certainly is an interesting hazard in open water. Most yachties don't know how to read the tug's lights to even know if there's a barge back there or not.

Further, tuggies make mistakes. I once dallied when a tug passed ahead in Long Island Sound. Waited placidly as two barges went by and the last had a stern light so along I went. A bit after I passed the last barge something lept out of the water just astern of me. It was the cable to the unlit third barge coming up under a bit of surge tension.

One precaution is to keep your VHF on 13 and listen for, maybe even give your own, security calls. Learn the protocols and you'll know that much more.

By the way, many waterways also have a designated channel for that waterway. Your coast pilot has that info. Monitor that, 16 and 09 as well. If your set only can scan three frequencies or if you just want to live without non-essential chatter, drop 09 from your scan. You must always monitor 16.

[Bill Thompson]

Ian, that's hair raising about your LI Sound story - gives me the creeps just thinking about it.
Many tows here on the Puget Sound and north - I give the freighters plenty of room but its the tugs and tows that really make me nervous. This may not be a rational fear but its mine.

In '98 or '99 a fairly large reactional boat (40 to 45 feet) tried to cut behind an ocean tug and barge in the Vancouver BC narrows. The quoted eye witness accounts said that the cable "flipped the boat out of the water". At least one fatality.

[mark s.]

Found this on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Trfkt13SFM4&NR=1

[Lew Barrett]

Ian, that's hair raising about your LI Sound story - gives me the creeps just thinking about it.
Many tows here on the Puget Sound and north - I give the freighters plenty of room but its the tugs and tows that really make me nervous. This may not be a rational fear but its mine.

In '98 or '99 a fairly large reactional boat (40 to 45 feet) tried to cut behind an ocean tug and barge in the Vancouver BC narrows. The quoted eye witness accounts said that the cable "flipped the boat out of the water". At least one fatality.

Never cross a tug and it's tow. Don't boat at night in Puget Sound. Stay out of the shipping lanes. Did I miss anything Bill?

[Noah]

She's up for auction and maybe a good starting point for a rebuild? Hard to know where you would start...

http://www.certifiedsales.com/listings/YS073088.html

[Lion]

Sad. Lion.