Several years ago, we were anchored in Hurricane Hole at the tip of Key
Biscayne on a quiet winter evening around 2300 hours.
We observed a large sailboat approaching the reef outside the entrance to the
harbor, charging forward at full speed with all sails set, heading for
disaster.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, they ran aground with tremendous force and
we feared they may have had injured crew aboard. We watched them in total
panic for about 30 minutes and concluded they may have been a green charter
crew. They were having problems and not coping very well. They finally started
firing off red flares.
So we called Coast Guard S & R to report their position and the fact that they
appeared in need of assistance. (This was before the day of Tow Boat US or
SeaTow.)
We had to answer a litany of really trivial questions before the Miami CG
station would send out a small launch to assist the people on the sailboat.
They first tried to get us to help out, but we told them that with our 4 foot
plus draft on a CSY 44 cutter, we couldn't get near enough to be of
assistance, as the vessel in distress was probably in less than 3 feet of
water.
We will never forget one of the important questions they wanted us to answer
about the distressed vessel: "Was the flare we saw 'Ascending' or
'Descending'?
Sir, we reported with straight faces to S & R, "First the flare was ascending,
then it was descending." We reported what we saw!
Martin Veiner
Smart Girls Secret Weapon
Read Unbiased Beauty Product Reviews, Get Helpful Tips, Tricks and Sam
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2131/fc/JKFkuJNzubsvWCyrRO8WKPv7EmxiJ9oj9
HyyfualHXa9dL0ilVe3yU/
Several years ago, we were anchored in Hurricane Hole at the tip of Key
Biscayne on a quiet winter evening around 2300 hours.
We observed a large sailboat approaching the reef outside the entrance to the
harbor, charging forward at full speed with all sails set, heading for
disaster.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, they ran aground with tremendous force and
we feared they may have had injured crew aboard. We watched them in total
panic for about 30 minutes and concluded they may have been a green charter
crew. They were having problems and not coping very well. They finally started
firing off red flares.
So we called Coast Guard S & R to report their position and the fact that they
appeared in need of assistance. (This was before the day of Tow Boat US or
SeaTow.)
We had to answer a litany of really trivial questions before the Miami CG
station would send out a small launch to assist the people on the sailboat.
They first tried to get us to help out, but we told them that with our 4 foot
plus draft on a CSY 44 cutter, we couldn't get near enough to be of
assistance, as the vessel in distress was probably in less than 3 feet of
water.
We will never forget one of the important questions they wanted us to answer
about the distressed vessel: "Was the flare we saw 'Ascending' or
'Descending'?
Sir, we reported with straight faces to S & R, "First the flare was ascending,
then it was descending." We reported what we saw!
Martin Veiner
____________________________________________________________
Smart Girls Secret Weapon
Read Unbiased Beauty Product Reviews, Get Helpful Tips, Tricks and Sam
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2131/fc/JKFkuJNzubsvWCyrRO8WKPv7EmxiJ9oj9
HyyfualHXa9dL0ilVe3yU/
