safety

Seattle Sailor Shawn Dougherty saved in Chicago Mackinac MOB

Kurt Hoehne PNW sailors around the world, safety 3 Comments
Seattle Sailor Shawn Dougherty saved in Chicago Mackinac MOB

Well-known and highly experienced Seattle racer (and skipper of the J/125 Hamachi) got a literal taste of Lake Michigan during the recently concluded Chicago to Mackinac race. The fleet was blasted by severe storms, so much so that the elapsed record was shattered by the Andrews 80 Maverick. Here is a video of interviews with the skippers of the Callisto and Madcap, skippers of the boat Dougherty fell off and was rescued by respectively, and Dougherty himself. These are very interesting interviews as they show how today’s MOB equipment and procedures facilitated a quick and successful rescue at night.

Safety First at Race Week

Kurt Hoehne Racing, safety 1 Comment
Safety First at Race Week

It’s great to see Schelleen Rathkopf and the team at Race Week Anacortes responding directly to last year’s tragedy by emphasizing safety for this year’s Race Week – Anacortes.

Last year, in an otherwise stellar debut for Race Week – Anacortes, Greg Miller died after falling overboard during a race. While the lessons are still being parsed out, basic safety practices are being emphasized in Race Week’s most recent email. There are links to videos on man overboard procedures, and of course Sailish readers know to turn to The Sailing Foundation for more information. And while it is the skippers’ responsibility to brief his or her crew on safety protocols, don’t hesitate as crew to ask for (expect, demand) a safety review before the series that includes practicing man overboard maneuvers. We are blessed with a safe sport. Vigilance is how we keep it that way.

The email mentioned above includes information on the cruising class, reservations of Cap Sante’s entire C-dock and a campground reserved solely for Race Week participants. Sounds like a well organized good time, and if the conditions hold up as they did last year, there’s going to be good racing.

Photo by Jan Anderson

Tsunami Advisory

Kurt Hoehne safety, Weather Alert 0 Comment
Tsunami Advisory

There’s been a volcanic eruption near Tonga, and the Pacific coast is largely under a tsunami advisory for about the next 40 minutes. This includes the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Go here for more info: https://tsunami.gov/

The Fire is (Hopefully) Out

Kurt Hoehne safety 0 Comment
The Fire is (Hopefully) Out

The scary situation that developed Fri-Mon with the Zim Kingston losing approximately 40 containers overboard (reportedly two with hazardous waste), then on fire just outside Victoria, is apparently quiet for now with the fire having been extinguished.

Many questions remain; when and where will the containers be retrieved? Where will the ship dock? And, importantly, is the fire well and truly out altogether. Joseph Conrad’s Youth comes to mind. Regardless, congratulations for the personnel who were able to contain the fire and the Canadian Coast Guard.

Container Ship Burning off Victoria

Kurt Hoehne safety, Weather 0 Comment
Container Ship Burning off Victoria

The Zim Kingston, the same ship that lost approximately 40 containers off the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Friday, is now burning at anchor off Victoria, BC. Ten of the crew have been evacuated while the captain and a handful of other crew remained on board.

This is a serious situation as the ship may sink, and any floating or partially submerged containers pose a threat to navigation. Details are still emerging, and we’re piecing this together with incomplete information. It’s advised to stay away from the burning ship and be on the lookout for containers. Wind is now over 30 knots at Race Rocks according to the Canadian Weather Service.

Here’s a link to a realtime view of the ship off Victoria: https://windisgood.com/dallas-road-webcam-live.html

If any Sailish readers have any first-hand knowledge of the situation, please clue me in. Thanks.

Crew Overboard Fatality at Race Week

Kurt Hoehne Racing, safety 1 Comment
Crew Overboard Fatality at Race Week

Our condolences go out to family, friends and crew mates of Greg Mueller, who died yesterday while racing in Race Week Anacortes. Mueller was wearing a PFD aboard With Grace when he fell overboard. He could not be revived and was pronounced dead at a local emergency room.

Race Director Schelleen Rathkopf emailed this message out to competitors last night:

“Dear competitors, I am sorry to share the news that we lost a teammate today. Greg Mueller on the crew of With Grace fell overboard. His feet were tangled in some lines which exacerbated the situation. Despite the efforts of many, Greg didn’t recover. Please spend some extra time with your crews tomorrow refreshing your MOB protocols. My condolences to the With Grace skipper and crew, and to Greg’s family. – Schelleen Rathkopf”

We will follow up on this sad event to see if there are any lessons to be learned.

With Grace