Perils of the Sea, a good friend lost.

[glend (Glen)]

I just found out that a mate of mine (retired in his 60s) is apparently lost at sea in the Bass Straight, while trying to single handedly sail his old recently purchased sloop back from Tasmania to Lake Macquarie. I spoke to his wife this morning, who had just had a visit from the NSW Police, who confirmed his boat had been found by the Vic Water Police, but he was not on board.
This fellow (also named Glenn) lives a few streets away and was very active in the Lake Macquarie Sail Club, but all of his experience was in small one design type dinghy boats, and even though he was club champion in his small boat class, he had no real blue water passage experience. He had a dream of buying an old wooden sailboat and found one in Tasmania during the Lockdown, and bought it online, he did get a Shipwright to inspect it prior to purchase. His idea was he would fly down, with a friend, and sail it back. We had a few intense discussions about what he was facing in crossing Bass Straight in an old timber 27 foot displacement sloop, but he was undaunted by my safety suggestions and the trip. I had suggested putting it on a freighter as deck cargo to Newcastle, but his dream was to sail it back to Swansea entrance at Lake Mac and no doubt a big Club welcome.
In talking to his wife I found out he had gone alone, without any crew. The boat was apparently dis-masted according to the Water Police. Likely he did not know the boats limits and may have been over driving it in poor sea conditions, which led to the mast failure. If he was on deck when the mast came down he probably would have been knocked overboard and potentially unconscious when he hit the Water. Of course, a survival suit, safety harness, and safety line securing him to the boat would be standard short handed practice, knowing him I would not be surprised if he had neither. His wife did not think he had a personal EPIRB.
So the moral of this story is over confidence can kill you, and experience in one aspect of a sport does not ensure your safety in extreme conditions with marginal equipment. So sad because it was easily preventable if he accepted his and the boats limitations.

[Nikolas (Nik)]

Sorry for your loss mate Your final sentence speaks volumes.

[Camelopardalis (Dunk)]

Sorry to hear that Glen.

At least he was following what he loved...

[xelasnave]

I am so sorry to hear about this.

I purchased a wooden cutter in Sydney and dreamed of sailing it up the coast to have it moored at Balina only 300 nautical miles and yet looking into the matter one realises it is something not to be taken as being easy.

There is no way I would take on the coastal trip without at least six months of sea trials and for the trip from Tassie make that 18 months...although probably never.

I sailed a mates boat just from Brisbane to Balina having only worked on it for a week which was very foolish in retrospect...he had never sailed and was a handful having bouts of totally losing it...and the wind started blowing a gale by the time (9pm) we were off Byron Bay and he put in a reef that left the boat almost uncontrollable and was so scared he would not go back and fix it..saw the red zone from the light house many times..that does not leave you feeling good I tell you..by the time we reached Balina the bar was un navigatable so I had to sail the thing around all night with lighting all around the horizon..I was awake 27 hours straight...and that is a simple trip from Brisbane to Balina and a steel boat...I find it difficult to comprehend anyone taking on the horrors of Bass Straight in a timber boat ...maybe after a couple of years of coastal trips under your belt and a life raft and two crew...but thinking about it..just no way in a timber boat having owned one...if his mast went that was almost certainly due to rigging and could be something as simple as a turnbuckle unwinding or giving way and when under stress the lot goes...no way I would make such a trip unless with new rigging. People don't sell timber boats in perfect condition and even in perfect condition a plank can go..

Glen it is a very sad thing but I suppose at least he went having realised his dream and mid way thru it... thinking about it from his point of view he is a winner.

Again very sorry to hear this sad news.

Alex

[JA]

Sad to hear of the loss of your friend.

JA

[PCH (Paul)]

So sad for the loss of your friend Glen.

However, it seems that, despite his significant credentials in his class, he was spectacularly unprepared for this trip. At risk of causing upset, he was SO unwell prepared for the trip that could he perhaps have had an ‘ulterior’ motive? Again, sorry if that suggestion causes hurt or offence.

[GrahamL]

Very sad news Glenn, dont blame youself he didn't want to hear good advice .


The ocean is is an unforgiving place , a friend decided to dismantle his fuel system on a 90 footer in an absoulute clear weather sheltered bay in the pacific , a volcanic eruption mainly steam and gas on the other side of the island brought up cyclonic onshore winds overnight and he couldnt get sail up.

[glend (Glen)]

Originally Posted by PCH

So sad for the loss of your friend Glen.

However, it seems that, despite his significant credentials in his class, he was spectacularly unprepared for this trip. At risk of causing upset, he was SO unwell prepared for the trip that could he perhaps have had an ‘ulterior’ motive? Again, sorry if that suggestion causes hurt or offence.

Paul, no offence taken. His demeanour leading up to the trip, and excitement at getting the boat he desired, is not indicative of an ulterior motive to me. Rather that said excitement may have caused a less disciplined approach to what is a very challenging venture for one person. His significant credentials in day racing OK Dinghys were totally irrelevant in the vessel he was buying, and the environment that it was put into. Night sailing in poor weather, with minimal instruments for long passages, and no relief crew to stand watch, are likely contributing factors. Misadventure is how I would describe it.