New Boat 4 Sled

[sleddog]

Bonus points for naming what other famous shipwrecks occurred in the McCULLOCH's vicinity at 9 pm, Sept. 8, 1923, and the cause. 1) Fog 2) Earthquake 3) navigational error of overestimating speed 4) Following orders 5) All of the above.

On the morning of 8 September 1923, Destroyer Squadron 11 cleared San Francisco on a high-speed training run to San Diego. That evening, as the column of fourteen destroyers closed the entrance to the Santa Barbara Channel in a heavy following sea and reduced visibility, flagship DELPHY led the close formation in a premature course change to port.

Minutes later, after entering a fog bank that concealed the coast, DELPHY crashed into the rocky shorline at 20 knots at Point Pedernales (Honda), two miles north of Point Arguello on the coast of today’s Vandenberg Air Force Base. In a space of five minutes, DELPHY was followed ashore in close order by S.P.LEE, YOUNG, WOODBURY NICHOLAS, FULLER, CHAUNCEY, FARRAGUT, SOMERS and KENNEDY. The latter three were able to back clear and survived the grievous navigational error of follow-the-leader.



23 sailors died in the foggy darkness, dangerous surf, and frigid waters in the "Tragedy at Honda." Most were rescued and boarded a special rescue train on the nearby tracks for San Diego. Over the next days, waves began breaking up the stranded ships. Today, only partial remains of the CHAUNCEY is still visible from shore. There is a memorial on the cliff above with two weathered plaques. DELPHY's mangled starboard propeller remains on public display outside the Veterans Memorial Building in Lompoc.



At a General Court Martial Squadron Commander Captain Edward H. Watson and DELPHY'sy’s CO LCdr. Donald T. Hunter were found guilty of culpable inefficiency and negligence. Twenty-three officers and men were recommended for citations for heroism.

Cause of the largest peacetime loss in Navy history was attributed in part or all of the following: 1) Fog 2) Earthquake 3) navigational error of overestimating speed 4) Following orders 5) Not slowing to take soundings.

#2 "Earthquake" is mentioned in several reports. The Tokyo-Yokohama earthquake of 1923, also called Great Kanto earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.9 that struck on September 1, 1923 and killed over 140,000 people in Japan, had severe and long lasting aftershocks. It is possible (no proof exists I could find) that tsunamis generated by this earthquake created nearshore currents that disrupted the destroyer's navigation.

Here is a graphic short (2 minute) historical film taken shortly after the groundings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z80OsCKPtUI

 

[AlanH]

I knew about this event, but not any of the specifics....thanks, Skip.

In other news...

As you all know, Alan has a bit of a Scotland fetish. Well, on the west coast of Scotland, on the northern shore of the Clyde river, there are two lochs that veer off the river, northwards. They are Loch Long and the Gare Loch. Branching off of Loch Long is the Holy Loch, the site of the many-decades old US Nuclear Submarine base in Scotland. On the Gare Loch is the British nuclear submarine base. Anyway, these two Lochs have grown their own One-Design boats, which I've written about before on this forum.

Here's a Gareloch Goddess...24 feet of poetry.

An an article about them... http://www.helensburgh-heritage.co....ide-of-the-gareloch&catid=38:sport&Itemid=496


The other design is the Loch Long One Design, rather smaller at 21 feet and 1800 pounds but also a lovely, lovely little boat. You can read about them here: http://www.lochlong.net/about/

Of the 141 Loch Long One Designs built, all that are known to still be afloat are either on Loch Long or at Aldeburgh, Sussex...except two. One is in Brazil, (not floating) as part of an art installation and the other in now in Upstate New York.

In fact, it's in a barn in Cherrytown, New York, on a trailer. It's been stripped of finish, but stored inside so with luck it's not totally destroyed. And the thing is....the current owner will GIVE it to me. Free.

A "free" wooden boat. In New York. Um... just slap me, now.

Right?

But how cool would it be....I would sell the skerry... um.

 

[Critter]

Alan - Go for it! You know the old saying: There's no better value than a free boat. (Not sure I'm remembering it exactly right.)

 

[BobJ]

Alan - Go for it! You know the old saying: There's no better value than a free boat. (Not sure I'm remembering it exactly right.)

The way I've heard it is "There's no such thing as a free boat." But you should go for it anyway. I sense an emotional attachment.

 

[pogen]

Or more like, "There's nothing as expensive as a free boat."

But hey, boat ownership is inherently irrational, so go for it.

 

[AlanH]

I think I need to offload the skerry before I can even consider this. I wonder what it would cost to get it to California.

Right. I NEED two boats.

 

[H Spruit]

It is a waste of time and energy, attempting to apply LOGIC to boat ownership.

"Going for it" is always entertaining to an observer!

 

[AlanH]

It is a waste of time and energy, attempting to apply LOGIC to boat ownership.

"Going for it" is always entertaining to an observer!

It's only money and time, right? ugh.

I've asked on the Wooden Boat Forum if there's anybody in upstate NY who's knowledgeable about carvel construction who would be willing to go look at it. If it's got a mess of busted frames and rot everywhere then it's a NO. If the frames are sound, most of the planking is sound and ther's minimal to no rot, then maybe it would be worth paying someone to drive it out here.

Maybe.

This is stupid.

 

[H Spruit]

It may, or may not be a mistake, but it is only STUPID if you have done it before.:}

 

[AlanH]

It may, or may not be a mistake, but it is only STUPID if you have done it before.:}

HA! Good point. Since I haven't, I can always say that I didn't know any better.

 

[sleddog]

Thanks, Alan H for posting the evocative photos of the Gareloch Goddess and Loch Long One Designs!

Sometimes I just have to shake my head in wonder. I had dutifully prepped and painted WILDFLOWER's two bottoms with blue ablative bottom paint. The previous Petit Vivid white turned to brown slime so fast the only way to keep looking good was swimming under once/week. No bueno.

I can report the new blue ablative, which theoretically sheds marine growth when sailing, is no better. And after 3 weeks in Santa Cruz Harbor, WF's bottom was again brown slime. I took my little ship out for a short speed run under power, 7 knots, wishing to see if the new ablative paint shed it's slime as per promo ...... nada. Apparently I'm not going fast enough. 30 knots might be better, Chuck? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfTgd6NZkRU

On the way back in Santa Cruz Harbor I passed a mother otter with a baby on her belly. They were mid-Channel abeam "Q" dock. I slowed and watched. The mother was rolling 180 every 10 seconds or so, exposing her baby first to the outside world, and then submerging her little kit. Not quite swimming lessons, but you could tell learning and fun were going on simultaneously.



The Harbor Main Channel was empty on this weekday. Except here comes a mid-sized Island Packet up Channel motoring a good 5 knots+. The wife was at the mast as lookout, and the gentleman was steering inside and under a full dodger. I motored ahead, and gave them a head's up as to the presence of the otters up ahead....The wife acknowledged, but her partner under the dodger couldn't hear a thing until she made her way aft to shout at her skipper.

"Otters ahead!" says she.
"Otters? Where?" says he, blindly charging forward at no slack in pace.
"Right there," says she, pointing at the bow.
"Where?" repeats the skipper.

And with that they motor right over the otters at full speed.

Fortunately the mother otter and kit submerged at the last minute and popped up safely astern of the clueless Island Packet. Like I said, sometimes I can only shake my head in wonder. A quarter million dollar yacht, and you can't see or hear what's ahead? Might as well be this:

 

[BobJ]

Makes me cringe.

I just helped a guy hoist the main on his enormous cruising boat. I was expecting an upper body workout but an electric winch did the heavy lifting. The thing was, the huge dodger prevented me from watching him feed the luff into the groove. I figured if I heard screaming I'd let go of the button.

It took a few years but I finally found a bottom paint: Micron 66. Great stuff.

 

[pogen]

Power winches and huge vision-obstructing dodgers seem to always go together.

 

[AlanH]

Grrrrrr..... makes me angry, actually.

 

[Wylieguy]

You can ask Gordie about power winches and over-hoisted main sails. That combo can be a money-maker if you're in the boat biz. About the sliced speedster photo. Anyone remember the boater who died on his way home from his yacht club to his house in Paradise Cay when he ran into one of the separation buoys along the east side of the Tiburon Peninsula? And yes, it's always a good idea to give plenty of room to a tricked out wanna-be cruzer all dodgered up, especially if he's towing a dink at 7 or 8 knots. Remember, he probably also has a powerful sound systems blaring away as well. Gotta keep entertained, just like at home!

 

[sleddog]

Good to hear our SSS "Enforcer" Ruben is grinding his guts out aboard the new Pac 52 INVISIBLE HAND and they have responded by taking over the overall lead in the Los Angeles to Honolulu Transpac from PYEWACKET by averaging 16 knots for the last 24 hours. The new Pac 52's are 3 knots faster than the Santa Cruz 70's downwind.... Ruben calls it being "lit up and on step.." which translates to the boat being half out of water, then underwater, as they never get off a plane, catching and passing the wave in front.

Boats are now encountering debris in the Garbage Patch and two contenders have lost rudders: the Mod 70 trimaran MASERATI lost her starboard ama rudder, and the Barn Door contender RIO 100 has lost her port rudder. Both have made seamanlike repairs and are continuing under compromised steering. Elsewhere in the fleet, several boats have reported multiple backdowns with swimmers in the water to clear nets and plastic from the blades.

The first boat to finish will likely cross the Diamond Head line early this evening in Hawaii, either the ORMA-60 tri MIGHTY MERLOE or the Mod 70 tri PHAEDO. They will have taken about 4 days for the 2125 mile crossing.
https://2017.transpacyc.com/

 

[sleddog]

Yesterday's Jack O'Neill Memorial Paddleout off Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz could only be described as "Epic." WILDFLOWER joined about 100 other boats, and several thousand wetsuit clad surfers on boards, SUP's, and kayaks in a circle about 1/2 mile in diameter. Orchids were carried by many, as well as many wearing the traditional Jack O'Neill eyepatch. On shore stood more thousands along the cliffs and roof tops to pay tribute to the legendary waterman, developer, and promoter of the surfing wet suit who recently passed at 94.



An unexpected tribute came from a pod of porpoise which came through the kelp and entered the paddleout circle as surfers splashed water, yelled, hooted, horns blared, and a color guard fired off a salute.

Here's Jack's pretty schooner MARIE CELINE with his extended family aboard on their way home after being anchored at the center of the Paddleout.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHTZNMSuts8

 

[sleddog]

Less than 48 hours after several thousand surfers were dangling wetsuit clad legs in the ocean at the local Jack O'Neill Memorial Paddleout, a Great White Shark decided to take a nibble of a Kevlar kayak. Fortunately the nervous paddler survived, but the kayak did not.

• FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact: Fire Chief Jim Frawley July 11, 2017
CONFIRMED SHARK ATTACK ON KAYAK NEAR WEST CLIFF, KAYAKER UNINJURED, SANTA CRUZ, CA
—The Santa Cruz Fire Department received a call at 11:01 a.m. about a potential shark attack near West Cliff and Pelton Avenue. Fire Department Marine Safety personnel have confirmed that a seasoned kayaker had his kayak attacked by a large shark about a quarter mile out from Steamer Lane. . The kayaker was uninjured in the attack, but the kayak sustained extensive damage. Per the Santa Cruz County Shark Incident Action Plan , the City will post Main Beach, Cowell Beach and other beach access points within a 1 - mile radius of the attack for four days. All water activities at the beach will be prohibited until sunrise Saturday
(July 15th) morning. Marine Safety staff and lifeguards will monitor the area in the meantime. All partner agencies in the area have been notified and Santa Cruz Junior Guard activities will be modified for the week.

Not the first time, nor the last, that floating objects like kayaks and fishing skiffs have been attacked locally. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_HxeL2nSsQ

Everybody's gotta eat, right?

 

[sleddog]

Congrats to Bill Lee and the crew of MERLIN in the currently running Transpac (LA-Hono). MERLIN is the 1st of 14 Bill Lee designs to finish. Interesting that 29% of this year's 49 Transpac monohulls entries were designed and built in Santa Cruz at the "Chicken Coop" up on the hilltop.

MERLIN will likely correct out to third in Division 2 (ULDB-70's) after PYEWACKET and CATAPULT, and ninth overall, an excellent result for the old girl.

Interesting also that in a fleet where the top finishers are all or part professional crews, Bill Lee chose to sail with an all-"Corinthian" crew of Carol Buchan, Mackenzie Cook, Jack Halterman, Keahi Ho, Mike Holt, Morgan Larson, Chris Watts and Rob Woelfel ...meaning everyone aboard are paying their own way including airfare, unusual in this day and age where a $100K crew payroll barely covers a week's race across the Pacific.

MERLIN, launched 40 years ago, set the Transpac course record that stood for 20 years. Though her exterior may look different these days with a blue and rainbow paint job, black sails, sprit, and streamlined cabin, she's still MERLIN, Queen of Santa Cruz.

 

[jamottep]

she's still MERLIN, Queen of Santa Cruz.

Beautiful boat!