They say the definition of cruising is either:
a. Working on boats in exotic locations, or
b. Long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror
Well I guess it was inevitable. We finally had one of those terrifying
experiences that no one wants to have. We were attempting to enter the
channel to Puesta del Sol in Nicaragua. We had left Barillas marina in El
Salvador and traveled 11 hours to arrive 1 hour before sunset. Wed had a
good crossing, a bit more bouncy than most of the trip as the seas were
mostly on our bow, but not bad by any measurement. Id read the Rains guide
over and over about entering the channel and felt fully prepared for
arrival. I had the marina provided waypoints entered on both chart
plotters. The boat, having recently been prepared to cross the Tehuantepec,
was as sea shape as shed ever been.
I began to get concerned when I noticed on my RADAR that I was actually
seeing breaking waves along the entire shoreline, something Id previously
not been able to tune my RADAR to observe so crisply. I wondered if Id
gotten better at tuning or if these waves were showing up because they were
so large? At sea we werent feeling any significant rollers, really nothing
more than a few feet. However, as we closed on the sea buoy and began our
approach (about 2 miles out) I became increasingly aware and concerned about
a series of rollers that would pass under us every 4 or 5 minutes. They
were in sets of 3 or 4 and were SUBSTANTIALLY larger than the surrounding
seas. Id been hailing the marina for at least 30 minutes but only getting
sporadic response. They were sending a panga to meet us and I was trying to
keep an eye out for him. I made certain we were on the approach as
described in the guide, and by the marina manager. As I observed the large
rollers passing under the boat I started to become really concerned when it
appeared to me that they were breaking across the entire shoreline,
including in the channel entrance, which we believed we were approaching.
I asked my wife to join me on the bridge so she could spot the waves behind
us. We reached a point where if the channel didnt become obvious I was
going to turn back out to sea. Then a set of rollers arrived. As I looked
back and saw the wave standing up and beginning to steepen I realized it was
time to abort. Each second the wave was getting steeper and steeper and I
realized we were going have a problem. I didnt know if the boat would
accelerate and start surfing, but I knew this was going to be an experience
unlike anything we had ever had. I guess a 40,000 lbs trawler doesnt surf
well because as the wave arrived the nose buried and the stern started
moving to the port, it was then I knew we were going to broach. The boat
began to heel with the face of the wave and the stern swung parallel to the
wave. We ended up about 45 degrees to the horizon as the wave peaked and we
started down the backside. As the boat heeled the noise inside was dramatic
as the contents of every locker and container shifted. Fortunately only a
pair of binoculars and a compass were tossed loose as everything else in the
cabin was secure. The righting moment of the boat was fantastic, it snapped
right back into shape and I spun the wheel to continue the momentum of the
broach to head back out to sea. Thanks to the Edson speed knob the turn was
rapid as I added full power. We moved quickly ahead to face the oncoming
waves and climbed up and over them returning to safe water within seconds.
I knew were through the worst of it when we completed the turn but my wife
continued to whimper as we climbed up and over the remaining rollers until
we were back in water deep enough that the swells were gentle. After
calming down I got back on the radio and hailed the marina manager asking
about conditions. I had asked him several times if conditions were good and
he said Yes it is very calm. I asked him if he could see the channel
entrance and he said he wasnt in a place he could see it, but that he had
called a person in the beach facility and they advised the conditions were
fine. He then added that the panga was leaving the marina and would be
there in just a few minutes. We circled for 15 minutes and then we saw the
panga coming. I asked the marina manager if the panga driver spoke English
and he told me no, but that he would translate for us. Then he came back on
the radio and said the panga driver says to go NOW. I pulled in behind
him and we started into the entrance channel, but we were about = mile
further south then the location where I had attempted to enter. This
approach was much better as we observed breaking waves on each side of us,
but the channel remained clear. Then another set of the rollers arrived.
Ill never forget the look on the panga drivers face as we looked down on
him from about 25 above his head and less than 100 feet behind him. I
think because we were in the channel and the waves werent steepening up as
they did before we had a much more sedate ride in. Oh, I should also
mention that by this time several of the marina residents had heard the fear
in my voice and were providing additional advice. CC from the S/V Ten Ten
even got in her tender and was on the way out to help guide me in. I cant
say enough about how much I appreciated the assistance, hearing those voices
was amazingly comforting. We arrived at the marina and tied the boat up, I
didnt even care if we had the fenders out, I just wanted that boat tied to
the dock. In conversation with the marina manager and the panga driver I
was to learn that these conditions had only started a day or so ago and I
was the first boat to come in and experience this problem. The panga driver
even broke the VHF antenna off his boat in the rough conditions. They think
the recent swell must have shifted the entrance channel and moved it about =
mile south and made it much more narrow. They assured me this was not the
normal conditions.
Reflecting on what happened I think there are valuable lessons in this for
everyone. For me they were:
a. Trust my judgment and dont let questionable information cloud my
decision making.
a. I allowed the affirmations of good conditions from the marina
manager to influence my progress into what I believed was a channel. I kept
thinking it was going to improve and it didnt
b. Not seeing any cautions about a tricky entrance in the guide books
left me thinking this should be an easy entry.
c. My observations of the conditions was much better than I thought it
was. What was hard was finding the location where the waves WERENT
breaking. It turned out the entrance channel had narrowed to about 50
yards.
d. It was really hard to tell when and where the rollers were going to
steepen up, because as youre approaching the beach from the sea its hard
to tell where and how long the wave faces are steepening. In the period
between the rollers I advanced the boat far enough that I was exposed to the
next set of breakers.
e. If a pilot boat is available, WAIT for it. In retrospect I should
have been more patient waiting for the pilot boat. Language and radio
difficulties left me thinking I should use the remaining daylight to my
advantage and try to move the boat forward. In retrospect I would have been
better served simply circling and waiting for the panga.
b. Have a plan B and be ready for it.
a. We had departed Barillas with the goal of getting to Puesta del
Sol. Id called my insurance company and placed an additional rider on the
policy to cover being in Nicaragua. This fixation on getting in the marina
made turning away hard to face.
b. I wasnt mentally prepared to continue south and find an alternative
port, nor did I have good weather information to enable me to have the
confidence to enter into the Gulf of Papagallo.
In retrospect this was a great experience. Dont get me wrong, it scared
the crap out of me and worse yet my wife. She was terrified, WE were
terrified. For her it was the feeling of the boat heeling and the
realization Id allowed us to get in a dangerous situation. For me it was
the realization Id come very close to a terrible situation and had allowed
myself to expose us to the danger of broaching. Worse yet Id let my wife
down by exposing her to this. I dont know how close to rolling the boat
over we were? Certainly 50 or 100 yards further in would have been
catastrophic as the wave would have fully developed and been breaking. But
Im not sure I would have gone another 100 yards? Id like to think I was
about to turn around and head out anyway?
Experience, I guess this is how you build it? Being exposed to something,
learning and modifying your behavior in the future in the hope of not
repeating a mistake. Im a bit wiser today for this experience. I wish I
could tell all you skippers out there that it neednt happen to you, that
you can just read these words and avoid our circumstances, but I dont think
thats the way it works? I think we share these experiences in the hope of
helping others and saving them that last 100 yards? I learned a lot from
this experience and believe Im a better skipper today then I was two days
ago. Maybe Im just kidding myself? Who knows? I can tell you one thing,
facing an entrance covered in breaking waves, Ill have plan B entered in
the chartplotter and be on my way toot sweet!
Scott Bulger, Alanui, N40II, Seattle WA
Tied up at Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua
Scott, Thanks so much for a very well written lesson.
John Harris
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Scott, !4 years ago I tried to enter the West End of Grand Bahama Island at night during a thunderstorm from depths of 200plus to breakers and 10 ft of depth in 100 yards, big waves 20 plus ft.-lightning was the only help in seeing the surf line, anchored in the surf on200ft of line with a 35CQR, 31ft sloop-kid, dog, me, can't express the fear/knowledge that disaster was knocking on the door--Found my current boat a week later in Nassau-gave the guy a self addressed envelope-If your ever gonna sell, post this-a few years passed got the letter bought the boat-I was looking for a storm boat-a brick sh-thouse of a boat, haven't been disappointed yet--and have returned to the West End several times now to kill the fear.
Those who have not ventured out into the open sea and looked at the bright eyes of danger -know but half of life--Lewis Mumford
I bet life is a little sweeter now, Reguards Kevin
"Scott E. Bulger" scottebulger@gmail.com wrote:
They say the definition of cruising is either:
a. Working on boats in exotic locations, or
b. Long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror
Well I guess it was inevitable. We finally had one of those terrifying
experiences that no one wants to have. We were attempting to enter the
channel to Puesta del Sol in Nicaragua. We had left Barillas marina in El
Salvador and traveled 11 hours to arrive 1 hour before sunset. Wed had a
good crossing, a bit more bouncy than most of the trip as the seas were
mostly on our bow, but not bad by any measurement. Id read the Rains guide
over and over about entering the channel and felt fully prepared for
arrival. I had the marina provided waypoints entered on both chart
plotters. The boat, having recently been prepared to cross the Tehuantepec,
was as sea shape as shed ever been.
I began to get concerned when I noticed on my RADAR that I was actually
seeing breaking waves along the entire shoreline, something Id previously
not been able to tune my RADAR to observe so crisply. I wondered if Id
gotten better at tuning or if these waves were showing up because they were
so large? At sea we werent feeling any significant rollers, really nothing
more than a few feet. However, as we closed on the sea buoy and began our
approach (about 2 miles out) I became increasingly aware and concerned about
a series of rollers that would pass under us every 4 or 5 minutes. They
were in sets of 3 or 4 and were SUBSTANTIALLY larger than the surrounding
seas. Id been hailing the marina for at least 30 minutes but only getting
sporadic response. They were sending a panga to meet us and I was trying to
keep an eye out for him. I made certain we were on the approach as
described in the guide, and by the marina manager. As I observed the large
rollers passing under the boat I started to become really concerned when it
appeared to me that they were breaking across the entire shoreline,
including in the channel entrance, which we believed we were approaching.
I asked my wife to join me on the bridge so she could spot the waves behind
us. We reached a point where if the channel didnt become obvious I was
going to turn back out to sea. Then a set of rollers arrived. As I looked
back and saw the wave standing up and beginning to steepen I realized it was
time to abort. Each second the wave was getting steeper and steeper and I
realized we were going have a problem. I didnt know if the boat would
accelerate and start surfing, but I knew this was going to be an experience
unlike anything we had ever had. I guess a 40,000 lbs trawler doesnt surf
well because as the wave arrived the nose buried and the stern started
moving to the port, it was then I knew we were going to broach. The boat
began to heel with the face of the wave and the stern swung parallel to the
wave. We ended up about 45 degrees to the horizon as the wave peaked and we
started down the backside. As the boat heeled the noise inside was dramatic
as the contents of every locker and container shifted. Fortunately only a
pair of binoculars and a compass were tossed loose as everything else in the
cabin was secure. The righting moment of the boat was fantastic, it snapped
right back into shape and I spun the wheel to continue the momentum of the
broach to head back out to sea. Thanks to the Edson speed knob the turn was
rapid as I added full power. We moved quickly ahead to face the oncoming
waves and climbed up and over them returning to safe water within seconds.
I knew were through the worst of it when we completed the turn but my wife
continued to whimper as we climbed up and over the remaining rollers until
we were back in water deep enough that the swells were gentle. After
calming down I got back on the radio and hailed the marina manager asking
about conditions. I had asked him several times if conditions were good and
he said Yes it is very calm. I asked him if he could see the channel
entrance and he said he wasnt in a place he could see it, but that he had
called a person in the beach facility and they advised the conditions were
fine. He then added that the panga was leaving the marina and would be
there in just a few minutes. We circled for 15 minutes and then we saw the
panga coming. I asked the marina manager if the panga driver spoke English
and he told me no, but that he would translate for us. Then he came back on
the radio and said the panga driver says to go NOW. I pulled in behind
him and we started into the entrance channel, but we were about = mile
further south then the location where I had attempted to enter. This
approach was much better as we observed breaking waves on each side of us,
but the channel remained clear. Then another set of the rollers arrived.
Ill never forget the look on the panga drivers face as we looked down on
him from about 25 above his head and less than 100 feet behind him. I
think because we were in the channel and the waves werent steepening up as
they did before we had a much more sedate ride in. Oh, I should also
mention that by this time several of the marina residents had heard the fear
in my voice and were providing additional advice. CC from the S/V Ten Ten
even got in her tender and was on the way out to help guide me in. I cant
say enough about how much I appreciated the assistance, hearing those voices
was amazingly comforting. We arrived at the marina and tied the boat up, I
didnt even care if we had the fenders out, I just wanted that boat tied to
the dock. In conversation with the marina manager and the panga driver I
was to learn that these conditions had only started a day or so ago and I
was the first boat to come in and experience this problem. The panga driver
even broke the VHF antenna off his boat in the rough conditions. They think
the recent swell must have shifted the entrance channel and moved it about =
mile south and made it much more narrow. They assured me this was not the
normal conditions.
Reflecting on what happened I think there are valuable lessons in this for
everyone. For me they were:
a. Trust my judgment and dont let questionable information cloud my
decision making.
a. I allowed the affirmations of good conditions from the marina
manager to influence my progress into what I believed was a channel. I kept
thinking it was going to improve and it didnt
b. Not seeing any cautions about a tricky entrance in the guide books
left me thinking this should be an easy entry.
c. My observations of the conditions was much better than I thought it
was. What was hard was finding the location where the waves WERENT
breaking. It turned out the entrance channel had narrowed to about 50
yards.
d. It was really hard to tell when and where the rollers were going to
steepen up, because as youre approaching the beach from the sea its hard
to tell where and how long the wave faces are steepening. In the period
between the rollers I advanced the boat far enough that I was exposed to the
next set of breakers.
e. If a pilot boat is available, WAIT for it. In retrospect I should
have been more patient waiting for the pilot boat. Language and radio
difficulties left me thinking I should use the remaining daylight to my
advantage and try to move the boat forward. In retrospect I would have been
better served simply circling and waiting for the panga.
b. Have a plan B and be ready for it.
a. We had departed Barillas with the goal of getting to Puesta del
Sol. Id called my insurance company and placed an additional rider on the
policy to cover being in Nicaragua. This fixation on getting in the marina
made turning away hard to face.
b. I wasnt mentally prepared to continue south and find an alternative
port, nor did I have good weather information to enable me to have the
confidence to enter into the Gulf of Papagallo.
In retrospect this was a great experience. Dont get me wrong, it scared
the crap out of me and worse yet my wife. She was terrified, WE were
terrified. For her it was the feeling of the boat heeling and the
realization Id allowed us to get in a dangerous situation. For me it was
the realization Id come very close to a terrible situation and had allowed
myself to expose us to the danger of broaching. Worse yet Id let my wife
down by exposing her to this. I dont know how close to rolling the boat
over we were? Certainly 50 or 100 yards further in would have been
catastrophic as the wave would have fully developed and been breaking. But
Im not sure I would have gone another 100 yards? Id like to think I was
about to turn around and head out anyway?
Experience, I guess this is how you build it? Being exposed to something,
learning and modifying your behavior in the future in the hope of not
repeating a mistake. Im a bit wiser today for this experience. I wish I
could tell all you skippers out there that it neednt happen to you, that
you can just read these words and avoid our circumstances, but I dont think
thats the way it works? I think we share these experiences in the hope of
helping others and saving them that last 100 yards? I learned a lot from
this experience and believe Im a better skipper today then I was two days
ago. Maybe Im just kidding myself? Who knows? I can tell you one thing,
facing an entrance covered in breaking waves, Ill have plan B entered in
the chartplotter and be on my way toot sweet!
Scott Bulger, Alanui, N40II, Seattle WA
Tied up at Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua
http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/listinfo/passagemaking-under-power
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Passagemaking Under Power and PUP are trademarks of Water World Productions, formerly known as Trawler World Productions.
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Kevin - great post. The marrow of the bone.
Kevin Kearney lotusman1951@yahoo.com wrote: Scott, !4 years ago I tried to enter the West End of Grand Bahama Island at night during a thunderstorm from depths of 200plus to breakers and 10 ft of depth in 100 yards, big waves 20 plus ft.-lightning was the only help in seeing the surf line, anchored in the surf on200ft of line with a 35CQR, 31ft sloop-kid, dog, me, can't express the fear/knowledge that disaster was knocking on the door--Found my current boat a week later in Nassau-gave the guy a self addressed envelope-If your ever gonna sell, post this-a few years passed got the letter bought the boat-I was looking for a storm boat-a brick sh-thouse of a boat, haven't been disappointed yet--and have returned to the West End several times now to kill the fear.
Those who have not ventured out into the open sea and looked at the bright eyes of danger -know but half of life--Lewis Mumford
I bet life is a little sweeter now, Reguards Kevin
"Scott E. Bulger" wrote:
They say the definition of cruising is either:
a. Working on boats in exotic locations, or
b. Long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror
Well I guess it was inevitable. We finally had one of those terrifying
experiences that no one wants to have. We were attempting to enter the
channel to Puesta del Sol in Nicaragua. We had left Barillas marina in El
Salvador and traveled 11 hours to arrive 1 hour before sunset. Wed had a
good crossing, a bit more bouncy than most of the trip as the seas were
mostly on our bow, but not bad by any measurement. Id read the Rains guide
over and over about entering the channel and felt fully prepared for
arrival. I had the marina provided waypoints entered on both chart
plotters. The boat, having recently been prepared to cross the Tehuantepec,
was as sea shape as shed ever been.
I began to get concerned when I noticed on my RADAR that I was actually
seeing breaking waves along the entire shoreline, something Id previously
not been able to tune my RADAR to observe so crisply. I wondered if Id
gotten better at tuning or if these waves were showing up because they were
so large? At sea we werent feeling any significant rollers, really nothing
more than a few feet. However, as we closed on the sea buoy and began our
approach (about 2 miles out) I became increasingly aware and concerned about
a series of rollers that would pass under us every 4 or 5 minutes. They
were in sets of 3 or 4 and were SUBSTANTIALLY larger than the surrounding
seas. Id been hailing the marina for at least 30 minutes but only getting
sporadic response. They were sending a panga to meet us and I was trying to
keep an eye out for him. I made certain we were on the approach as
described in the guide, and by the marina manager. As I observed the large
rollers passing under the boat I started to become really concerned when it
appeared to me that they were breaking across the entire shoreline,
including in the channel entrance, which we believed we were approaching.
I asked my wife to join me on the bridge so she could spot the waves behind
us. We reached a point where if the channel didnt become obvious I was
going to turn back out to sea. Then a set of rollers arrived. As I looked
back and saw the wave standing up and beginning to steepen I realized it was
time to abort. Each second the wave was getting steeper and steeper and I
realized we were going have a problem. I didnt know if the boat would
accelerate and start surfing, but I knew this was going to be an experience
unlike anything we had ever had. I guess a 40,000 lbs trawler doesnt surf
well because as the wave arrived the nose buried and the stern started
moving to the port, it was then I knew we were going to broach. The boat
began to heel with the face of the wave and the stern swung parallel to the
wave. We ended up about 45 degrees to the horizon as the wave peaked and we
started down the backside. As the boat heeled the noise inside was dramatic
as the contents of every locker and container shifted. Fortunately only a
pair of binoculars and a compass were tossed loose as everything else in the
cabin was secure. The righting moment of the boat was fantastic, it snapped
right back into shape and I spun the wheel to continue the momentum of the
broach to head back out to sea. Thanks to the Edson speed knob the turn was
rapid as I added full power. We moved quickly ahead to face the oncoming
waves and climbed up and over them returning to safe water within seconds.
I knew were through the worst of it when we completed the turn but my wife
continued to whimper as we climbed up and over the remaining rollers until
we were back in water deep enough that the swells were gentle. After
calming down I got back on the radio and hailed the marina manager asking
about conditions. I had asked him several times if conditions were good and
he said Yes it is very calm. I asked him if he could see the channel
entrance and he said he wasnt in a place he could see it, but that he had
called a person in the beach facility and they advised the conditions were
fine. He then added that the panga was leaving the marina and would be
there in just a few minutes. We circled for 15 minutes and then we saw the
panga coming. I asked the marina manager if the panga driver spoke English
and he told me no, but that he would translate for us. Then he came back on
the radio and said the panga driver says to go NOW. I pulled in behind
him and we started into the entrance channel, but we were about = mile
further south then the location where I had attempted to enter. This
approach was much better as we observed breaking waves on each side of us,
but the channel remained clear. Then another set of the rollers arrived.
Ill never forget the look on the panga drivers face as we looked down on
him from about 25 above his head and less than 100 feet behind him. I
think because we were in the channel and the waves werent steepening up as
they did before we had a much more sedate ride in. Oh, I should also
mention that by this time several of the marina residents had heard the fear
in my voice and were providing additional advice. CC from the S/V Ten Ten
even got in her tender and was on the way out to help guide me in. I cant
say enough about how much I appreciated the assistance, hearing those voices
was amazingly comforting. We arrived at the marina and tied the boat up, I
didnt even care if we had the fenders out, I just wanted that boat tied to
the dock. In conversation with the marina manager and the panga driver I
was to learn that these conditions had only started a day or so ago and I
was the first boat to come in and experience this problem. The panga driver
even broke the VHF antenna off his boat in the rough conditions. They think
the recent swell must have shifted the entrance channel and moved it about =
mile south and made it much more narrow. They assured me this was not the
normal conditions.
Reflecting on what happened I think there are valuable lessons in this for
everyone. For me they were:
a. Trust my judgment and dont let questionable information cloud my
decision making.
a. I allowed the affirmations of good conditions from the marina
manager to influence my progress into what I believed was a channel. I kept
thinking it was going to improve and it didnt
b. Not seeing any cautions about a tricky entrance in the guide books
left me thinking this should be an easy entry.
c. My observations of the conditions was much better than I thought it
was. What was hard was finding the location where the waves WERENT
breaking. It turned out the entrance channel had narrowed to about 50
yards.
d. It was really hard to tell when and where the rollers were going to
steepen up, because as youre approaching the beach from the sea its hard
to tell where and how long the wave faces are steepening. In the period
between the rollers I advanced the boat far enough that I was exposed to the
next set of breakers.
e. If a pilot boat is available, WAIT for it. In retrospect I should
have been more patient waiting for the pilot boat. Language and radio
difficulties left me thinking I should use the remaining daylight to my
advantage and try to move the boat forward. In retrospect I would have been
better served simply circling and waiting for the panga.
b. Have a plan B and be ready for it.
a. We had departed Barillas with the goal of getting to Puesta del
Sol. Id called my insurance company and placed an additional rider on the
policy to cover being in Nicaragua. This fixation on getting in the marina
made turning away hard to face.
b. I wasnt mentally prepared to continue south and find an alternative
port, nor did I have good weather information to enable me to have the
confidence to enter into the Gulf of Papagallo.
In retrospect this was a great experience. Dont get me wrong, it scared
the crap out of me and worse yet my wife. She was terrified, WE were
terrified. For her it was the feeling of the boat heeling and the
realization Id allowed us to get in a dangerous situation. For me it was
the realization Id come very close to a terrible situation and had allowed
myself to expose us to the danger of broaching. Worse yet Id let my wife
down by exposing her to this. I dont know how close to rolling the boat
over we were? Certainly 50 or 100 yards further in would have been
catastrophic as the wave would have fully developed and been breaking. But
Im not sure I would have gone another 100 yards? Id like to think I was
about to turn around and head out anyway?
Experience, I guess this is how you build it? Being exposed to something,
learning and modifying your behavior in the future in the hope of not
repeating a mistake. Im a bit wiser today for this experience. I wish I
could tell all you skippers out there that it neednt happen to you, that
you can just read these words and avoid our circumstances, but I dont think
thats the way it works? I think we share these experiences in the hope of
helping others and saving them that last 100 yards? I learned a lot from
this experience and believe Im a better skipper today then I was two days
ago. Maybe Im just kidding myself? Who knows? I can tell you one thing,
facing an entrance covered in breaking waves, Ill have plan B entered in
the chartplotter and be on my way toot sweet!
Scott Bulger, Alanui, N40II, Seattle WA
Tied up at Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua
http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/listinfo/passagemaking-under-power
To unsubscribe send email to
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UNSUBSCRIBE and nothing else in the subject or body of the message.
Passagemaking Under Power and PUP are trademarks of Water World Productions, formerly known as Trawler World Productions.
Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.
http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/listinfo/passagemaking-under-power
To unsubscribe send email to
passagemaking-under-power-request@lists.samurai.com with the word
UNSUBSCRIBE and nothing else in the subject or body of the message.
Passagemaking Under Power and PUP are trademarks of Water World Productions, formerly known as Trawler World Productions.
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I ran the South Bight of Andros one December, trying to evade bad weather. Nothing worse. Survived it, but I still remember like it was yesterday.
Kevin Kearney lotusman1951@yahoo.com wrote: Scott, !4 years ago I tried to enter the West End of Grand Bahama Island at night during a thunderstorm from depths of 200plus to breakers and 10 ft of depth in 100 yards, big waves 20 plus ft.-lightning was the only help in seeing the surf line, anchored in the surf on200ft of line with a 35CQR, 31ft sloop-kid, dog, me, can't express the fear/knowledge that disaster was knocking on the door--Found my current boat a week later in Nassau-gave the guy a self addressed envelope-If your ever gonna sell, post this-a few years passed got the letter bought the boat-I was looking for a storm boat-a brick sh-thouse of a boat, haven't been disappointed yet--and have returned to the West End several times now to kill the fear.
Those who have not ventured out into the open sea and looked at the bright eyes of danger -know but half of life--Lewis Mumford
I bet life is a little sweeter now, Reguards Kevin
"Scott E. Bulger" wrote:
They say the definition of cruising is either:
a. Working on boats in exotic locations, or
b. Long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror
Well I guess it was inevitable. We finally had one of those terrifying
experiences that no one wants to have. We were attempting to enter the
channel to Puesta del Sol in Nicaragua. We had left Barillas marina in El
Salvador and traveled 11 hours to arrive 1 hour before sunset. Wed had a
good crossing, a bit more bouncy than most of the trip as the seas were
mostly on our bow, but not bad by any measurement. Id read the Rains guide
over and over about entering the channel and felt fully prepared for
arrival. I had the marina provided waypoints entered on both chart
plotters. The boat, having recently been prepared to cross the Tehuantepec,
was as sea shape as shed ever been.
I began to get concerned when I noticed on my RADAR that I was actually
seeing breaking waves along the entire shoreline, something Id previously
not been able to tune my RADAR to observe so crisply. I wondered if Id
gotten better at tuning or if these waves were showing up because they were
so large? At sea we werent feeling any significant rollers, really nothing
more than a few feet. However, as we closed on the sea buoy and began our
approach (about 2 miles out) I became increasingly aware and concerned about
a series of rollers that would pass under us every 4 or 5 minutes. They
were in sets of 3 or 4 and were SUBSTANTIALLY larger than the surrounding
seas. Id been hailing the marina for at least 30 minutes but only getting
sporadic response. They were sending a panga to meet us and I was trying to
keep an eye out for him. I made certain we were on the approach as
described in the guide, and by the marina manager. As I observed the large
rollers passing under the boat I started to become really concerned when it
appeared to me that they were breaking across the entire shoreline,
including in the channel entrance, which we believed we were approaching.
I asked my wife to join me on the bridge so she could spot the waves behind
us. We reached a point where if the channel didnt become obvious I was
going to turn back out to sea. Then a set of rollers arrived. As I looked
back and saw the wave standing up and beginning to steepen I realized it was
time to abort. Each second the wave was getting steeper and steeper and I
realized we were going have a problem. I didnt know if the boat would
accelerate and start surfing, but I knew this was going to be an experience
unlike anything we had ever had. I guess a 40,000 lbs trawler doesnt surf
well because as the wave arrived the nose buried and the stern started
moving to the port, it was then I knew we were going to broach. The boat
began to heel with the face of the wave and the stern swung parallel to the
wave. We ended up about 45 degrees to the horizon as the wave peaked and we
started down the backside. As the boat heeled the noise inside was dramatic
as the contents of every locker and container shifted. Fortunately only a
pair of binoculars and a compass were tossed loose as everything else in the
cabin was secure. The righting moment of the boat was fantastic, it snapped
right back into shape and I spun the wheel to continue the momentum of the
broach to head back out to sea. Thanks to the Edson speed knob the turn was
rapid as I added full power. We moved quickly ahead to face the oncoming
waves and climbed up and over them returning to safe water within seconds.
I knew were through the worst of it when we completed the turn but my wife
continued to whimper as we climbed up and over the remaining rollers until
we were back in water deep enough that the swells were gentle. After
calming down I got back on the radio and hailed the marina manager asking
about conditions. I had asked him several times if conditions were good and
he said Yes it is very calm. I asked him if he could see the channel
entrance and he said he wasnt in a place he could see it, but that he had
called a person in the beach facility and they advised the conditions were
fine. He then added that the panga was leaving the marina and would be
there in just a few minutes. We circled for 15 minutes and then we saw the
panga coming. I asked the marina manager if the panga driver spoke English
and he told me no, but that he would translate for us. Then he came back on
the radio and said the panga driver says to go NOW. I pulled in behind
him and we started into the entrance channel, but we were about = mile
further south then the location where I had attempted to enter. This
approach was much better as we observed breaking waves on each side of us,
but the channel remained clear. Then another set of the rollers arrived.
Ill never forget the look on the panga drivers face as we looked down on
him from about 25 above his head and less than 100 feet behind him. I
think because we were in the channel and the waves werent steepening up as
they did before we had a much more sedate ride in. Oh, I should also
mention that by this time several of the marina residents had heard the fear
in my voice and were providing additional advice. CC from the S/V Ten Ten
even got in her tender and was on the way out to help guide me in. I cant
say enough about how much I appreciated the assistance, hearing those voices
was amazingly comforting. We arrived at the marina and tied the boat up, I
didnt even care if we had the fenders out, I just wanted that boat tied to
the dock. In conversation with the marina manager and the panga driver I
was to learn that these conditions had only started a day or so ago and I
was the first boat to come in and experience this problem. The panga driver
even broke the VHF antenna off his boat in the rough conditions. They think
the recent swell must have shifted the entrance channel and moved it about =
mile south and made it much more narrow. They assured me this was not the
normal conditions.
Reflecting on what happened I think there are valuable lessons in this for
everyone. For me they were:
a. Trust my judgment and dont let questionable information cloud my
decision making.
a. I allowed the affirmations of good conditions from the marina
manager to influence my progress into what I believed was a channel. I kept
thinking it was going to improve and it didnt
b. Not seeing any cautions about a tricky entrance in the guide books
left me thinking this should be an easy entry.
c. My observations of the conditions was much better than I thought it
was. What was hard was finding the location where the waves WERENT
breaking. It turned out the entrance channel had narrowed to about 50
yards.
d. It was really hard to tell when and where the rollers were going to
steepen up, because as youre approaching the beach from the sea its hard
to tell where and how long the wave faces are steepening. In the period
between the rollers I advanced the boat far enough that I was exposed to the
next set of breakers.
e. If a pilot boat is available, WAIT for it. In retrospect I should
have been more patient waiting for the pilot boat. Language and radio
difficulties left me thinking I should use the remaining daylight to my
advantage and try to move the boat forward. In retrospect I would have been
better served simply circling and waiting for the panga.
b. Have a plan B and be ready for it.
a. We had departed Barillas with the goal of getting to Puesta del
Sol. Id called my insurance company and placed an additional rider on the
policy to cover being in Nicaragua. This fixation on getting in the marina
made turning away hard to face.
b. I wasnt mentally prepared to continue south and find an alternative
port, nor did I have good weather information to enable me to have the
confidence to enter into the Gulf of Papagallo.
In retrospect this was a great experience. Dont get me wrong, it scared
the crap out of me and worse yet my wife. She was terrified, WE were
terrified. For her it was the feeling of the boat heeling and the
realization Id allowed us to get in a dangerous situation. For me it was
the realization Id come very close to a terrible situation and had allowed
myself to expose us to the danger of broaching. Worse yet Id let my wife
down by exposing her to this. I dont know how close to rolling the boat
over we were? Certainly 50 or 100 yards further in would have been
catastrophic as the wave would have fully developed and been breaking. But
Im not sure I would have gone another 100 yards? Id like to think I was
about to turn around and head out anyway?
Experience, I guess this is how you build it? Being exposed to something,
learning and modifying your behavior in the future in the hope of not
repeating a mistake. Im a bit wiser today for this experience. I wish I
could tell all you skippers out there that it neednt happen to you, that
you can just read these words and avoid our circumstances, but I dont think
thats the way it works? I think we share these experiences in the hope of
helping others and saving them that last 100 yards? I learned a lot from
this experience and believe Im a better skipper today then I was two days
ago. Maybe Im just kidding myself? Who knows? I can tell you one thing,
facing an entrance covered in breaking waves, Ill have plan B entered in
the chartplotter and be on my way toot sweet!
Scott Bulger, Alanui, N40II, Seattle WA
Tied up at Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua
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----- Original Message -----
From: "m m" eventide50@yahoo.com
|I ran the South Bight of Andros one December, trying to evade bad weather.
Nothing worse. Survived it, but I still remember like it was yesterday.