Small brain warnings
OK. Somebody please tell me why the good folks who operate the Solomons Island Sailing Club down in Calvert County had a dozen young sailors - inexperienced boaters in their teens - out on the Chesapeake yesterday afternoon in "daysailors."
In case you hadn't heard, five of the six boats capsized in strong winds at around 4:30 p.m., pitching the kids into the frigid water. All were saved, thanks to life vests, wet suits and quick action by rescuers. But everybody was danged lucky.
In The Sun's story today, the youth sailing organizer for the Southern Maryland Sailing Association described the boats as "small dinghies ... they capsize all the time."
That's fine in the summer. With life jackets on, a little dunking when the boat goes over is fine. Fun, even. A learning experience.
But the water temperatures in the bay are still in the 40s.
And more to the point, the National Weather Service had posted small craft advisories for the Chesapeake at 11:10 a.m. There was a strong cold front surging across the region during the afternoon, forecast to shift the winds from south to north, and increase their speeds to 15 to 20 knots or higher. (That's 17 to 23 mph.)
At the Patuxent Naval Air Station, just across the river from Solomons, weather data show that the winds shifted from south to north between 4 and 5 p.m., and jumped from 9 mph to 25 mph, with gusts to 35 mph. Just about the time the boats keeled over.
So why would any (presumably) adult send student sailors onto the bay - in "dinghies" - under small craft advisories? Sure, it was balmy through the noon hour yesterday. But wasn't anyone watching the forecast? Checking the watches and warnings? Someone needs to go back to sailing school.
Comments
and am I the only one who thought yesterday was a day very similar to the weather on the day the harbor taxi capsized? beautiful weather one minute and strong winds/storms the next. On both days the forecast called for rapidly changing weather.
Posted by: Rebecca | March 16, 2007 12:38 PM
The weather pattern was a bit different on March 6, 2004 when the Seaport Taxi capsized, killing five passengers. The winds were harder to forecast, and the NWS warning to boaters came too late (although those watching the darkening skies and radar images closely had just enough warning to get their boats docked.) Yesterday's frontal passage was no surprise. It was well-predicted, with advisories to boaters hours before the winds picked up.
Posted by: frank roylance | March 16, 2007 12:53 PM
Hello people sail on the bay and elsewhere 12 months a year in Drysuits. They had a coach in a crashboat. The surprise to me is calling out USCG, Navy, and DNR when a sailboat capsizes, when the answer is right the boat and sail home. The guy who called was drinking in a bar and clearly oversold the situation to the dispatcher. I'm glad to know some kids can tear themselves away from electronica long enough to get out and have an actual experience instead of a 'virtual' experience.
Posted by: mike | March 17, 2007 10:37 AM
Clearly, someone got their facts wrong. You say inexperienced, however it appears they were the Patuxent HS Varsity Sailing Team. You say 'daysailors' they were in intercollegiate racing dinghies. But don't let the facts stand in the way of your Haarrumph.
Posted by: jon | March 17, 2007 10:57 AM
Sorry. I don't buy it. I agree the Sun's story was short on facts. But as far as it went, it was accurate. These were teenagers - students as young as 14 - out on the bay in small sailboats, in winter with a cold front coming and under small craft advisories. As a parent, I'd be furious. If they were adults - well equipped and watched from a chase boat - I'd say fine. It's their choice. Let them pay for the cost of the rescue. As a father and a taxpayer, I say get those kids to shore ahead of the front and teach them a lesson about sound, adult judgment and the need to heed weather warnings. That's my harrumph. What would people be posting here had no one called the CG, and one of those kids had been lost, or seriously hurt ?
Posted by: frank roylance | March 17, 2007 3:38 PM