Two Dead After GRADY-WHITE 22-Footer Capsizes Near Half Moon Bay

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  Two Dead After GRADY-WHITE 22-Footer Capsizes Near Half Moon Bay

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Author Topic:   Two Dead After GRADY-WHITE 22-Footer Capsizes Near Half Moon Bay

fishinchips posted 11-30-2008 02:02 PM ET (US)
[This article had no content except a URI to a story about a boat capsize near Half Moon Bay in California.]
ryanwhaler posted 11-30-2008 02:05 PM ET (US)
[This article had no content except the URI was made into a hyperlink.] Link
Chuck Tribolet posted 11-30-2008 02:59 PM ET (US)
It's kinda unclear what happened. It wasn't THAT big:, though
it was certainly big enough to keep the Montauk in the garage.
This is forecast for the next forecast region south of Half
Moon Bay.
.TODAY...NW WINDS 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. NW SWELL 8 TO
10 FT AT 14 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG.
Maybe they tried to short cut across Mavericks, with an 8-10
swell, that should have been an obvious bad move. Mavericks
took out a new (first day on the water) Grady a couple of
years ago.

Chuck
Chuck Tribolet posted 11-30-2008 03:00 PM ET (US)
That was yesterday's 9 am forecast.

Chuck
fishinchips posted 11-30-2008 03:04 PM ET (US)
Just a few months ago, near mavericks or right at mavericks a seaswirl 20'er footer capsized. Two drowned. Boat totaled.
Ken
Chuck Tribolet posted 11-30-2008 04:28 PM ET (US)
I dug up the Half Moon Bay buoy reports. Assuming the
accident happened at 9 a.m., winds were 6.4 knots gusting
to 11.6, swells were 12.1' at 14 seconds. Those swells are
pretty close to square (interval in seconds same has height
in feet), and I can see how a boat could get capsized.

Chuck
jimh posted 11-30-2008 05:37 PM ET (US)
This is a tragic story. There are marine casualties every day. Most go unreported in the mainstream media.
andygere posted 12-01-2008 11:36 AM ET (US)
I drove through Half Moon Bay on Friday morning on my way to Pt. Reyes, and the surf all the way along the north coast was BIG. The swell peaked on Saturday, with double overhead conditions on the east side of Santa Cruz, and clearly more than that on the exposed coast near HMB. We came through on our way home on Sunday, and the swell was still huge. Waves were all but over topping the outer breakwall at Pillar Point Harbor.

Here's the surf forecast for Santa Cruz, published by a friend of mine and e-mailed at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday (11/29).

quote:
Surf Alert!
The BIG swell is in the water and on it's way to the East side. 25 second swells slammed into the California Buoy (46059) at 11PM last night. Using the previously published calculation of dividing the distance from 59 to Pleasure Point (380 miles) by the average swell period plus half (in this case 37.5), the swell should arrive in about ten hours. In reality I would look for it a little sooner (about eight hours). My guess is that we should see swell fore runners, and then the main body of the swell between 7AM and Noon.
Observers have commented that this extra long period swell will be characterized by long lulls in between sets of big waves. This is dangerous because people get drawn inside, only to be caught inside during the set. We should be aware of this.
As of 4AM, the surf and the two local buoys are up, but nothing spectacular so far. The NWS has issued a Hazardous Weather statement.
Because of the recent rains, the boundary layer (the air between the surface and up about a mile) is full of moisture. This could result in heavy coastal fog, which should burn off quickly (mid-morning or noon) through Monday. Skies are forecast to be clear and sunny this afternoon.
High tide is 5.2 feet at 10 o'clock.
If you're going to surf today, EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION...this is a big dog!
Up at Pt. Reyes, it was pea soup fog on Saturday morning. If that was the case in HMB, it may have contributed to the accident. Perhaps the biggest danger is the long lulls between sets as noted above. I surfed yesterday afternoon, and observed these conditions. The big sets feathered way outside, and some of the pack got caught inside and got completely worked each time. The same thing could easily happen to a couple of fishermen trying for some nearshore rockfish on the last day of the season. As we drove the coast, I saw breaking surf much farther out than I recall seeing it outside of a big winter storm. This is a very sad story, but it was definitely not a day to venture out of that port in a small boat.
skred posted 12-01-2008 12:07 PM ET (US)
A sad incident in any vessel. Sure emphasizes "pick your day".
I was - however - bemused by the grammar in the article's statement: "Tien had birthed his boat at Pillar Point....".
sternorama posted 12-01-2008 02:14 PM ET (US)
Total speculation here, but since the victims of this terrible trajedy were found inside the cabin perhaps a sneeker set flipped them while they were taking a break. Good time for us all to remember to keep an eye out on deck for waves.
17 bodega posted 12-01-2008 08:46 PM ET (US)
I thought it peculiar about the guys being found in the cabin too. In any trouble, the cabin is probably the worst place to be. A similar situation happened in Tomales Bay a couple of years ago when a guy drowned as a result of seeking shelter in the cabin.
One good thing about a Whaler (open skiff styles) is the realative ease in which a skipper can jump ship. A nice thick wetsuit and maybe a surfboard or inflatable raft is a good addition to the boat.
It's good to have a mindset when boating on the ocean that your life can be called into question at any time and to always be prepared for such an event.
Whalerdog posted 12-01-2008 10:29 PM ET (US)
Sad God Bless.
Chuck Tribolet posted 12-01-2008 10:36 PM ET (US)
A little more background:
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_11109339 .
It sounds like Mavericks was involved, and may be they were
a bit misplaced in the fog.
Chuck
elaelap posted 12-03-2008 11:14 AM ET (US)
We're at the tail end of that big swell which rumbled through last week and apparently cost these experienced boaters their lives. I towed my 15 center console out to Bodega Bay the other day for a little inshore rockfishing, but ended up towing her right back home without wetting her cute little bottom. Here's why:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/elaelap/BodegaearlyDecember08134. jpg
Sorta gnarly stuff, even for a Whaler, eh?
Tony
fishinchips posted 12-03-2008 08:28 PM ET (US)
Gnarly yes.
Thats why I pulled my crab pots out of the water on thursday before the big swells came.
It was a last minute decission on my part and it was the right move for me.

ken (170 montauk / 22 hydrasports wa)

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Author	Topic: Two Dead After GRADY-WHITE 22-Footer Capsizes Near Half Moon Bay
fishinchips	posted 11-30-2008 02:02 PM ET (US) [This article had no content except a URI to a story about a boat capsize near Half Moon Bay in California.]
ryanwhaler	posted 11-30-2008 02:05 PM ET (US) [This article had no content except the URI was made into a hyperlink.] Link
Chuck Tribolet	posted 11-30-2008 02:59 PM ET (US) It's kinda unclear what happened. It wasn't THAT big:, though it was certainly big enough to keep the Montauk in the garage. This is forecast for the next forecast region south of Half Moon Bay. .TODAY...NW WINDS 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. NW SWELL 8 TO 10 FT AT 14 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG. Maybe they tried to short cut across Mavericks, with an 8-10 swell, that should have been an obvious bad move. Mavericks took out a new (first day on the water) Grady a couple of years ago. Chuck
Chuck Tribolet	posted 11-30-2008 03:00 PM ET (US) That was yesterday's 9 am forecast. Chuck
fishinchips	posted 11-30-2008 03:04 PM ET (US) Just a few months ago, near mavericks or right at mavericks a seaswirl 20'er footer capsized. Two drowned. Boat totaled. Ken
Chuck Tribolet	posted 11-30-2008 04:28 PM ET (US) I dug up the Half Moon Bay buoy reports. Assuming the accident happened at 9 a.m., winds were 6.4 knots gusting to 11.6, swells were 12.1' at 14 seconds. Those swells are pretty close to square (interval in seconds same has height in feet), and I can see how a boat could get capsized. Chuck
jimh	posted 11-30-2008 05:37 PM ET (US) This is a tragic story. There are marine casualties every day. Most go unreported in the mainstream media.
andygere	posted 12-01-2008 11:36 AM ET (US) I drove through Half Moon Bay on Friday morning on my way to Pt. Reyes, and the surf all the way along the north coast was BIG. The swell peaked on Saturday, with double overhead conditions on the east side of Santa Cruz, and clearly more than that on the exposed coast near HMB. We came through on our way home on Sunday, and the swell was still huge. Waves were all but over topping the outer breakwall at Pillar Point Harbor. Here's the surf forecast for Santa Cruz, published by a friend of mine and e-mailed at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday (11/29). quote: Surf Alert! The BIG swell is in the water and on it's way to the East side. 25 second swells slammed into the California Buoy (46059) at 11PM last night. Using the previously published calculation of dividing the distance from 59 to Pleasure Point (380 miles) by the average swell period plus half (in this case 37.5), the swell should arrive in about ten hours. In reality I would look for it a little sooner (about eight hours). My guess is that we should see swell fore runners, and then the main body of the swell between 7AM and Noon. Observers have commented that this extra long period swell will be characterized by long lulls in between sets of big waves. This is dangerous because people get drawn inside, only to be caught inside during the set. We should be aware of this. As of 4AM, the surf and the two local buoys are up, but nothing spectacular so far. The NWS has issued a Hazardous Weather statement. Because of the recent rains, the boundary layer (the air between the surface and up about a mile) is full of moisture. This could result in heavy coastal fog, which should burn off quickly (mid-morning or noon) through Monday. Skies are forecast to be clear and sunny this afternoon. High tide is 5.2 feet at 10 o'clock. If you're going to surf today, EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION...this is a big dog! Up at Pt. Reyes, it was pea soup fog on Saturday morning. If that was the case in HMB, it may have contributed to the accident. Perhaps the biggest danger is the long lulls between sets as noted above. I surfed yesterday afternoon, and observed these conditions. The big sets feathered way outside, and some of the pack got caught inside and got completely worked each time. The same thing could easily happen to a couple of fishermen trying for some nearshore rockfish on the last day of the season. As we drove the coast, I saw breaking surf much farther out than I recall seeing it outside of a big winter storm. This is a very sad story, but it was definitely not a day to venture out of that port in a small boat.
skred	posted 12-01-2008 12:07 PM ET (US) A sad incident in any vessel. Sure emphasizes "pick your day". I was - however - bemused by the grammar in the article's statement: "Tien had birthed his boat at Pillar Point....".
sternorama	posted 12-01-2008 02:14 PM ET (US) Total speculation here, but since the victims of this terrible trajedy were found inside the cabin perhaps a sneeker set flipped them while they were taking a break. Good time for us all to remember to keep an eye out on deck for waves.
17 bodega	posted 12-01-2008 08:46 PM ET (US) I thought it peculiar about the guys being found in the cabin too. In any trouble, the cabin is probably the worst place to be. A similar situation happened in Tomales Bay a couple of years ago when a guy drowned as a result of seeking shelter in the cabin. One good thing about a Whaler (open skiff styles) is the realative ease in which a skipper can jump ship. A nice thick wetsuit and maybe a surfboard or inflatable raft is a good addition to the boat. It's good to have a mindset when boating on the ocean that your life can be called into question at any time and to always be prepared for such an event.
Whalerdog	posted 12-01-2008 10:29 PM ET (US) Sad God Bless.
Chuck Tribolet	posted 12-01-2008 10:36 PM ET (US) A little more background: http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_11109339 . It sounds like Mavericks was involved, and may be they were a bit misplaced in the fog. Chuck
elaelap	posted 12-03-2008 11:14 AM ET (US) We're at the tail end of that big swell which rumbled through last week and apparently cost these experienced boaters their lives. I towed my 15 center console out to Bodega Bay the other day for a little inshore rockfishing, but ended up towing her right back home without wetting her cute little bottom. Here's why: http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/elaelap/BodegaearlyDecember08134. jpg Sorta gnarly stuff, even for a Whaler, eh? Tony
fishinchips	posted 12-03-2008 08:28 PM ET (US) Gnarly yes. Thats why I pulled my crab pots out of the water on thursday before the big swells came. It was a last minute decission on my part and it was the right move for me. ken (170 montauk / 22 hydrasports wa)