There was primarily one reason I wanted to visit the Dillon area while we were in Colorado, aside from seeing a new area with friends. That reason is I had found out that one could rent a sailboat on Dillon Lake Reservoir. Those of you who’ve been following us for any length of time, know that sailing is one of Bill’s favorite things in the whole wide world. He has been working hard, and I wanted to surprise him, knowing he would never expect to find sailing at 9,000 feet above sea level, on a mountain lake. I do enjoy sailing, the quiet peacefulness you don’t experience with a powered boat, but I’ve got to admit it is not something I would just take up and do on my own. I might join others on a sunset sail or similar, with a professional at the helm, but I would not seek taking one out on my own. Bill, however, will go at every opportunity.
We quickly settled into our site at a National Forest campground, Prospector Campground, across the lake from David & Sharon, who had long ago reserved a site at Heaton Bay Campground. It was a large pull-through, with plenty of room for the truck and the car.
The following day, Jo & Ben joined us, parking their shuttle-craft in the site next to us. After they got set up, we decided to take a ride up to the top of Loveland Pass. Ben had spent a lot of time in the area and wanted to show us the views from the top.
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Jo & Ben had kept my secret surprise about the sailboat from Bill. During Happy Hour that evening, I found that I couldn’t keep it to myself another minute, and I found myself excitedly telling Bill about our plan for the following day. He was very happy to hear about it, and after finding the book with his credentials, immediately looked into what type of boat it was (a 22′ Catalina), and all other details. The fact that we were joking about it being a “three hour tour” should have been our first clue of what was to come.
We woke the following morning to a perfectly blue sky, not a cloud in sight. Our sail time was scheduled to start at 11:30am, so after a quick breakfast, we gathered all the items we wanted to bring with us, a cooler for our lunch, plenty of water, sunscreen, hats, jackets, binoculars, etc. Jo and I dropped the guys off at the marina around 10:50am, and headed to City Market to pick up sandwiches and snacks to fill our cooler.
We joined the guys on the dock at about 11:20am, and they helped us carry all our stuff to the boat. They had checked in, watched a short video and were ready to go.
The boat left the slip at exactly 11:30am! There was a lot of excitement in the air! Bill had his usual HUGE sailing smile on his face. After motoring out a few minutes, we hoisted the main sail, and unfurled the jib. It took a few minutes to “find the wind” but once he did, it didn’t take long to shut down the engine and enjoy the quiet.
Bill had been warned about the winds being variable, and we soon found out how true that was, as he struggled to keep the sails aloft.
Then, all of a sudden, there was wind, and the boat heeled a bit to port. Not too bad, but enough that Bill decided he wanted to drop the jib. He pointed the boat into the wind, and released the jib, and the line knot became caught in the block. At the same time, the jib filled with air, and swung us around, which caused the mail sail to catch wind again, severely heeling the boat to the starboard side. We all were on the high side at this point, but there wasn’t anything we could do, the boat went over and into the water we went.
I can’t speak to anyone else’s experience and feeling about going into the water, this is what happened from my perspective. I was instantly panicked, because, having hung on probably longer than I should have, I felt the boat almost on top of me, and I needed to push myself away. When I turned around to see where the others were, the boat was completely upside down, which shocked me. In all our years of sailing, I have never witnessed a sailboat completely capsized like that.
Bill and Ben were almost completely on the bottom of the boat and Jo was climbing up as best she could, with Ben helping pull her up. I swam as best I could and grabbed the exposed rudder. Bill wanted me to climb on top to get out of the water, but I put my foot on the bottom of the engine and just wanted to catch my breath for a minute before attempting to climb. Looking around, I noticed there were boats on their way to us. Within the next minute or two, the boat started to sink by the stern, which is where I was hanging on; back in the water we all went. Bill was yelling for us to move away from the boat, and I later learned that was to keep us from getting tangled in the lines or rigging.
A couple of pontoon boats were getting closer now. Ben and Bill were both screaming at them to get closer, but we learned later that they were afraid of running us over. They threw us life jackets and seat cushion floats, which did not reach Jo or I. The guys had started to swim for it, but I found it was all I could do to stay afloat. I didn’t notice it at the time, but apparently an actual rescue boat was very close at this point. I heard myself saying, probably not loud enough for anyone to hear, “I’m scared!” and I heard Jo screaming “I’m going down!” Oddly, it popped into my head that she was wearing jeans, and they must be so heavy, so maybe she should shimmy out of them. Bill had come upon a floating life jacket and threw it to her, and she was finally able to get a hold of it. I had a wave go up and over my face, which made my fear more palpable. I have never been so afraid in my life, for my life! Ben had almost made it to the other boat, and threw me a seat cushion float, which I was able to grab. While I was still very afraid and cold, having something to hold onto helped a lot!
Ben, after climbing up into the pontoon boat closest to me, took the controls and steered right up next to me, and he yelled at me “KELLY – SWIM HARD, AS HARD AS YOU CAN!” And I did. I have no idea where I found the strength. I reached the pontoon at the bow and Ben instructed me to “walk” along the pontoon with my hands, to the open gate, so they could help me get out of the water, so I did. When I got to the gate, Ben reached down and offered me his hand, which I didn’t want to grab. I didn’t want to give up my firm grip on the pontoon. Ben looked me in the eyes and said – very firmly “KELLY – GIVE ME YOUR HAND!” So I finally did. Another man, who’s name I later learned was Bob, reached down to grab my other hand. He wanted me to let go of the float (I had a death grip on the handle), and since there was no way I was going to do that, he pushed the handle down onto my arm, freeing my hand to reach up to him. I have no idea how, but they were able to pull me up onto the boat in one huge “heave ho”. Relief flooded over me initially, but then panic resumed as I asked “Where is Bill?! Where is Jo?!” Thankfully, they were both out of the water already. Ben helped me up and had me sit in the sun. A lady, Camille, gave me a shirt/jacket to put on. I was so cold and shaking. A young man (a boy, named Logan, who I learned was about to start 8th grade), sat next to me and asked me “How can I help you feel better?” and I replied “You can hold my hand” – and he did – all the way to the dock.
When we got back the dock, the marina employees wanted us to go up to the office, but we wanted to wait for Bill and Jo. Once they arrived, I began to cry, and I never held my husband so tight! The four of us, along with the people who rescued Ben and I, walked up the gangway, and we were directed to a spot by the garage area. Someone set up chairs and told us sitting in the sun was the best way to warm up. I don’t remember where I got it, but I had a blanket wrapped around me, as did everyone else. Someone brought us water. A sheriff employee asked us our names and birthdays.
A little while later, maybe 15 minutes, we were told the boat was being towed in. We were told the mast broke on the way in. Bill and Ben immediately headed back down to the dock area. Jo and I sat and went over the incident. We were both so happy we were all alive!
A short time later, Jo and I found out they were able to retrieve some of our stuff. We were very surprised and Jo hoped they found her jacket, which had her wallet zipped into a pocket. Amazingly, they found both Jo and Ben’s iPhones (mine was in Bill’s pocket – have no idea why), our cooler (although all the drinks were gone, and the food that was there was water logged), and Jo’s jacket (including her wallet!). Items that were not found were Bill’s iPhone and binoculars, a sweatshirt and Bill’s favorite hat. The most surprising thing was all three found iPhones worked! Mine was in the water the shortest, but still in Bill’s wet pocket for quite awhile, Jo and Ben’s were found in the cabin after they pumped the water out, so they were submerged for about 2 1/2 hours! We could have been an impromptu iPhone commercial!
The family that rescued Ben and I, Bob, Camille, Logan and an older woman (sorry, either didn’t learn or forgot her name) checked up on us a few times. We found out they were just renters like us, which explains their reluctance to get closer to us initially, as they didn’t want to run us over or hurt us with the engine propellers. They offered us a place to shower, food, and a ride to the campground if needed, as we didn’t know if we’d get the bag with the keys in it back. Camille, after discovering my feet were cold, took her sneakers and socks off, and offered me her socks.
Jo and I moved down to the food venue at the water’s edge, to watch them continue to search the boat for our missing items.
It’s fair to say we were all in varying degrees of shock. It is to be expected after a significant trauma like we experienced. As I start this post, 10 days have gone by. I can still feel my heart race as I recount this while typing.
After speaking to our friend, fellow RVer and former attorney, Howard Payne, we decided to reach out to Dillon Marina and the Town of Dillon Manager and seek to have improvements made to their rental procedures. Our main thought was that this was a preventable incident, had we had the proper information before taking the boat out. Howard, very generously, made the initial call on our behalf, and encouraged us to call and to set up a meeting to discuss the whole thing. We met with Tom, Town Manager, and Craig, the Marina Operations Manager, 6 days after the incident. After Bill explained, in great detail, exactly what happened and everything he did to try and stop the boat from capsizing, Craig, a more experienced sailor than Bill, confirmed Bill did everything right and confirmed that there wasn’t anything he could have done differently with the information he had. That was a huge relief to Bill, as even though none of us (myself, Ben or Jo) blamed him at all, he still had some doubts that maybe he could have done something different. Tom and Craig told us some changes had already been made, and others were under advisement. To their credit, they listened patiently as Bill told them things he felt could have prevented the boat from capsizing, including warning people of the lightness of the boat, telling people to have their life jackets out and within easy reach and/or having floating seat cushions issued to each passenger. Bill feels strongly people should be warned more emphatically about how variable the wind is and how it can become so unpredictable and strong so quickly, in spite of a clear blue cloudless sky. It is his belief, and Craig agreed, that information alone could have prevented us from going in the water. Bill’s experience is all along shorelines, in bays, ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, strong wind like we experienced doesn’t happen on clear blue sky days. Taking it further, future renters need to be told that as soon as wind begins to pick up, decrease sail area by dropping the jib right away. One of the ways that could happen would also be to add reffing points to the main sail. Bill also suggested removing the keeper knot from the jib line, or at the very least adding length to said lines, which would help the jib to not catch wind in that situation. It was also discussed that boats should be issued a radio.
Other points that were made: they should stop the automatic email asking for reviews when someone has had a traumatic experience like we did. This one in particular sent me over the edge a bit, feeling being “you really don’t want me to review you right now when I almost died renting one of your boats.” I also suggested, and they both agreed it was an excellent idea, that a personal phone call a day or two following a bad experience could go a long way to helping someone feel cared about.
Considering we feel strongly the incident was preventable (based on all the above information), we also asked they reimburse us for our financial loss. Craig immediately said he would refund our rental fee, and was surprised no one had done that so far. Bill totaled our other losses and asked they be paid for. While this was discussed in person, Tom asked we send him an email outlining said losses and he would “see what he could do.”
It has now been 13 days since the incident occurred and we have been refunded our rental fee. While that is appreciated, at the same time, we are disappointed to have not gotten a reply about the rest. Our current feeling is some committee needs to vote on it or something, although we really have no idea.
Those we have told about this personally have checked in with us, asking us how are we doing? I have definitely calmed down some, but still not easy to replay. Bill, as usual, seems to be handling it much better. Jo has had a nightmare, but thankfully only one. Ben, like Bill, seems better than Jo and I. They had joined us for a few days, leaving out this morning, and I hugged Ben especially tight and I choked up and I thanked him – one more time – for rescuing me. Not that I ever want anyone’s life in danger, but he is the man in an emergency. Bill stays very calm and focused in emergencies also, and would have pulled me out of that water by himself if he had gotten to me first, but in that moment, Ben was there and I will always be thankful for that.
I would also, one more time, thank Bob, Camille, Logan and Grandma (again, sorry I don’t have a name) for being there and literally saving Ben and I. I’d like to especially thank Logan, for sitting with me and holding my hand, being a calming influence when I needed it so badly. Thank you to Grandma for the huge hug! Thank you to Camille for the hugs, the repeated assurances that I was ok, and for your pair of socks to help warm my feet. Thanks to Bob for helping pull me out of the water. I cannot allow myself to consider what could have happened without you.
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OMG! So glad you are all safe! I can’t imagine how scary that was. Good idea on the meeting to go over safety concerns. #1 always wear your PFD. Although I almost never wear mine on the kayak. I’ve kayaked on that lake and yes, the winds can get crazy! Such nice people to help you out in an emergency too! I almost cried. I just want to hug you guys right now!
Thanks Debbie! I get what you are saying about the life jackets – I really do, but who thinks of going in the water off a sailboat? Since I am not an experienced kayaker – I’d wear it then for that reason – but we’ve sailed so many times and never gone in the water – even off Bills 18’ daysailer in large bays and other rented boats in all types of shoreline waters. You can bet IF I ever get on a boat again – I will wear a PFD at all times. My heart still pounds when I think about it, but not as bad. Hugs to you and Steve – and Hurley. ❤️
WOW! Just WOW! I am so sorry you had this experience. I know how frightening it can be especially when water is involved. I’m sorry that Ben & Jo had to experience this also but very thankful that they were there, especially Ben for rescuing you and for Jo’s moral support. I’m very thankful that all 4 of you are still here with us.
Thanks Sue! I did think of you guys as I typed this out, as I know you had a bad going in the water experience. Ben is my hero!
Wow , I just can’t quite imagine dropping into cold lake at that altitude. From what you wrote, it seems a lot of mistakes were made on both sides. NEVER EVER be on the water without a life vest. PLEASE wear them. Your boat rental company should provide them, insurance wise. Can’t make the customer wear them. You can get nice slim ones that inflate in the water, not putting a lot of bulk on you. Not too long ago a storm came up near Branson, Missouri . A whole family were on one of those duck boats, it capsized and went down. 19 members and crew, too. Life vests were on the boat but no one wore them, including a very young child. I have enjoyed your blog and look forward to it. Certainly don’t want to see you guys hurt or worse. The boat owner has a loss, and so do you. He refunded your rental fee which was nice of him. As for your items lost, I would take that up with my own insurance. I do not feel that the boat owner should have to cover that . Your husband showing that he had time on the water sailing , should indicated to the owner that he was capable. It is like the Perfect Storm, stuff happens. As kids we would row a wooden
row boat across this large mountain lake,4500 ft elevation, to the peninsula , and then using a sheet and a pole, would catch the afternoon wind to get back . West to East. We could have been hurt, too. Just too young and under educated about wind and waves. Just stay safe guys.
Thanks for reading, Carol. Clearly, had we been wearing our life jackets the situation would have been much less traumatic, but Bill is very experienced at sailing, and actually going in the water is something that just doesn’t happen off a boat like that. Never happened even sailing large bays, Gulf of Mexico, even the ocean 3 days after a hurricane. As I pointed out in the blog post, no one asked what type of water are you experienced on – as apparently it matters a lot and we believe it absolutely IS the marinas responsibility to inform us about that, especially when Bill asked the question “Is there anything I should know?” Bill is completely capable – and again as I stated – would have done things differently with more information about how wind behaves on that particular lake.
I don’t think anyone can really tell you how a lake and wind would behave. Those micro bursts, wind shears, and such …this June we had a time of it keeping our 35 ft motorhome on the road. We had put better shocks , a torsion bar, and the safeT for the steering. It really helped. We have taken this trip several times. The wind was a new factor that kept us on our toes. Several days of it, 20 plus mph with stronger gusts. No storms either, clear blue sky. A lot worse than 18 wheelers buffeting you. I took photos of a tornado in the mountains of Idaho this summer. Right past Craters of the Moon on highway 93. Sent it to our friend in Tennessee…and showed it to my cousin who swears they don’t have tornados in the mountains. ( she is near the BItteroot range) . That evening the weather station commented on how fast this came up that they had no warning. The pictures they showed on National TV, here in Nashville were the same that I had sent my friend. No real damage was done , no one was hurt. F-0 they call those. It was down for a length of time. Trees down , a screen door blown off. You can not cover all possible problems, but being properly prepared does help. By the way, my husband is retired USCG and I am a retired RN. We don’t full time but do take 6 week or longer trips each year, as well as week long trips in near by states. Your work at Amazon was just a few miles from us. They were recruiting at a few of the Good Sams and other rallys for workers. Take care. Stay safe.
Safe travels to you – perhaps someday we will share a campfire
How scary! Glad you’re all safe and I’m praying for calming of nerves for all.
Thanks Linda! Even now – weeks later – reading it gets my blood pumping, but less each time, thankfully.
Incredible, and so glad it wasn’t worse. On the upside, and speaking from experience, it is these kinds of experiences that change the way you see things and people. You will cherish every memory going forward like you never have before. Love you guys, can’t wait to hook up down the road and share memories around the campfire.
Thanks Brian – we really appreciate the support. Bill and I both look forward to meeting up with you and Cindi on the road!
I do not know what to write on this one, scary. Thanks to God and your rescuers you guys are well.
Mark
Thanks Mark – honestly – while I never considered not writing this post – I wasn’t sure exactly how much to say, that was difficult to decide – ultimately just sat and typed it – I guess that usually works best. For me anyway! Still looking forward to meeting you and Karen in October!
Wow, what a scary incident! So glad that everyone is okay, that could have turned out very differently.
It was terrifying and the thought of how much worse it could have been – well – can’t let myself think about that.
OMG! I can’t imagine a scarier scenario! Kelly I’m so happy that you’re all OK at least physically. Quite a trama for sure. I was alarmed that the line knot got snagged, re: “Bill also suggested removing the keeper knot from the jib line, or at the very least adding length to said lines, which would help the jib to not catch wind in that situation.” Wow! Crazy question, but is this something that has happened there ever before?
Actually – it has. Maybe I should have mentioned that in the post. That’s one reason we are so insistent that changes are made! It has happened before – and not just rarely. They had a regatta a few years ago and 18 boats overturned at once – sending all 72 sailors into the water! We should have been warned about how strong and unpredictable the winds are – going from nothing to knock-you-down wind in less than 2 minutes! Yes – perhaps we should have had lifejackets on – but really – who even considers the possibility of going in the water off a sailboat – ON A LAKE? Bill has sailed on LARGE bays, Raritan and Chesapeake, even Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic – never went in the water. We weren’t jet skiing, water skiing, or the like. If they had said “hey – we’ve had boats dump sailors in the water – wear your jackets and take down sails as soon as wind kicks up” – would have been helpful to have that info! It’s too late to help us now – but can help others in the future.
I’m glad you’re making a stand! It’s sure to be of help to others.
Glad you made a stand!
Your courage and strength are so awesome…thanks for sharing this very scary life experience with us, and I wish I could be there to give you a great big bear hug. Life is the most precious gift, and this experience brought it all home…Thank-you G-D for keeping everyone safe to live another day…
Thanks Ellen – it’s amazing what you can do when you HAVE to! Hugs to you and Mario!
Sorry, but you people need to take responsibility for your actions and not blame Dillon Marina for your inability to manage a sailboat in variable conditions.
Thanks for reading Charly – wishing you never find yourself in an unfamiliar situation – a situation you could have been prepared for – but weren’t. Have a great day!
Quite honestly, it sounds like they shouldn’t be renting sailboats on that lake, Kelly…especially after seeing your reply to Eric. So glad you are all safe. It’s very upsetting to think of what could’ve happened. We are guilty of having ridden on a sailboat without a life preserver. Never again, after reading this. Our kayaks? We never get in them without having our life vests on. Simply having them in the boat is not enough. It takes seconds for hypothermia to set in. And what a lesson Ben taught us in this: keep a clear head, get safe, then proceed to get control of saving the others. Great job, Ben!
Thanks Jim! We’ve always worn lifejackets – on kayaks, canoes, when jet skiing, etc – but as you said – never expected to go in the water off a sailboat. Will never be on the water again without one! (IF I go back out on the water that is!) Ben, with all his trauma nurse, ER nurse and ski patrol experience knows how be calm and do what needs to done – he’s my hero!
Kelly you did a great job describing the incident and your emotions. I felt I was right there with you! Needless to say I wish the whole thing didn’t happen, but since you had to go through the experience, I am so happy and relived that you had the best possible outcome for all. I know you are taking lessons learned and applying them to your daily life, which is the most positive thing you can do. Thanks for sharing this very personal experience.
Thanks Linda – ❤️
my c22 is a 1971, and its a hoss. most of the times ive been caught in squalls and high wind, the errors made were my fault. that being said, it can get very scary, very quickly , on a sail esp if the the crew is new to sailing and each other. even if 1 person is skilled, and trying to crawl over 3 crew member to release sheets and haul down the job. fortunately these c22s are made pretty tough and are usually forgiving if you head up. wear the life jackets next time, and dont shy from another sail trip
Thanks for reading. We headed into the wind to try and bring in the jib – but when the line wasn’t long enough it caught wind and swung us around – allowing the main sail to catch wind and that’s when we got knocked down –
Believe me IF I ever go out again – a PFD will be a must!
As a life long sailor on different bodies of water, (from rivers, canals, lakes, seas and oceans) the statement: “They should have warned us, and this might have been prevented”, surprises me.
Whether you are renting a car or a boat, one should include informing themselves about the specifics of the target area. A quick google search reveals several articles with references to the quickly changing weather conditions.
“Indeed, it’s common knowledge among sailors familiar with Lake Dillon that you’ll find some of the most challenging sailing conditions on the planet right here in the Rocky Mountains. You have to know what you’re doing; if you can sail here, Dillon old-timers say, you can sail anywhere. “
Blaming the rental company for not giving detailed information is not something I would do. I would look very hard at my self instead and ask: “How could I have prevented this”.
Having a stop knot tied in the end of a sheet prevents more injuries than it can possible cause, ask any sailboat racer.
I think this was an accumulation of worst case scenarios gone wrong. I am glad you all are ok, look through every procedure performed that they and find the weak link.
(Not the rental agency). Then fix it.
http://sailingmagazine.net/article-1474-on-a-sailing-high.html
Caren – thanks for reading. We are not professional sailors – we are, in RVer language, weekenders. We take out a boat to enjoy a few hours here and there – especially when we are away from our home area. While I agree that perhaps us doing more of our own research could have helped us – I also stand by my statement that the professionals in the area – most familiar with the specifics of that area – SHOULD HAVE GIVEN US MORE INFORMATION. Especially when my husband asked “is there any information we should know about the wind and area?” That question should have prompted them to reply “YES – winds are very unpredictable, can build quickly with no notice – even though it’s a clear blue sky” etc.
As far as reviewing every procedure – Bill has played it a million times – and went over it in great detail with the manager of the marina (a man with many years of Dillon Lake sailing experience) and he came to the same conclusion Bill did – they need to better prepare people for potential conditions and Bill, with the info he had, made the best decisions he could have. He was actually out on the water and saw it happen and said Bill did everything right – he tried to take down the jib and when it caught wind it spun us around, allowing the main sail to catch wind again and knock us down. Wind that came DOWN on us.
Thanks though for your thoughtful comment.
I’ve been sailing for 18 years, and have chartered boats from Tahiti to Australia. Although I think it was good of the charter company to reimburse you for your fees, I certainly would not press for more, as I believe the responsibility should fall on the person renting the boat to make sure everyone on board knows where the life jackets are and how to use them, and should know to drop the jib when wind builds. When I rent a car, I do not expect Enterprise to tell me about rain in the forecast, or where the brakes are…
I have to wonder if some of you actually read the whole post – the question was asked “is there anything we should know about wind or anything else (such as shallows, etc. on the lake?” – any responsible company should have provided pertinent information like the wind here at a high elevation lake is variable, unpredictable and will go from nothing to 40mph gusts in less than 2 mins. That is what happened – comments like yours are useless in helping to prevent this from happening to anyone else, which is the main point of my sharing it. Thanks for reading – have a great day!
Wow…what a terrifying experience for all of you! Reading about your experience I felt like I was on the boat then in the water with you all. I always wear my pfd and require anyone else in my boat wear one as well or they can stay on shore. The only time I remove it is when I’m still fishing and it’s hot out. I’m so glad everyone is physically okay. Safe travels!
It was terrible for sure – and PFD’s will always be mandatory – IF I ever go back out on the water. Safe travels to you too!
Kelly and Bill, I am so sorry you went through this. I can’t imagine how scared you must have been or still think about this on a daily or even hourly basis. Frank said to look out for the next blog but I thought it was going to be something fun and excited. I could not believe when I started to read what happened. So glad that everyone is ok. It was so thoughtful of you to do this for Bill. Take a deep breath and try to focus on happy thoughts and try to get that scary time in the back of your mind. I know it will take time. Take care, hugs to you both.
Chris
Thanks Chris, as always, for your support. I believe what I “said” to Frank was “tell Chris to hold on tight for todays post” – Ha! We are ok, for me, I find that by putting it out there when writing about it, helps me to let it go and it loses power over me. I focus (almost exclusively) on the positive, although, like anyone else, I have the difficult moments.
Hugs back at you both!
So glad you guys are all right! But I have a quick question, how long was the keel on that boat? I don’t see it in any of the pictures? Should have been at least 4-6 feet long for a 22 foot boat. It should have taken 55 mph gusts to tip that boat. It seems very odd in normal weather conditions? Again so glad you’re all safe! What a great life story! Glad we all have 9 lives!
Guess I should have mentioned this part also – part of the problem was the keel retracted – the jam bolt didn’t hold. The keel is 1’8” retracted and 5’ when down and weighs 550lbs. The marine manager told us during the meeting they have been considering replacing them with heavier fixed keel boats. I’m curious how you came up with 55mph gusts?
WOW I am sure glad that you guys are all OK it could have been really bad!
I sure it will take some time to get over it all.
Wishing you all the best.
Thanks Rick!
What a scary incident. If you have read my blog lately, you would know we are getting into sailing and love it. I would also love to know much more about what happened. It sounds like that boat was not stable. You guys can go sailing with us in a very safe boat anytime you wish.
Thanks so much Shawn! I am way behind on blog reading – but appreciate the offer! I’m sure some day I will get back out – prob will take awhile and will definitely wear a PFD.
As I was reading through this the kindness of strangers is all I kept thinking. Logan in particular…what a sweet boy. And excellent job writing this. I know how tough that must be for you reliving it, but you did an outstanding g job and I really felt like I was there with you. Love you guys and so glad you are ok
As I was reading through this the kindness of strangers is all I kept thinking. Logan in particular…what a sweet boy. And excellent job writing this. I know how tough that must be for you reliving it, but you did an outstanding g job and I really felt like I was there with you. Love you guys and so glad you are ok
Thanks Tracy! Logan was awesome! He had some type of developmental delay – but was the sweetest kid and exactly what I needed! Love you too!
So glad everyone is safe. What a traumatic experience! Thanks for sharing in such detail for the rest of us. I can see from your recounting that it was an emotional experience and will take some time to get over. Thankfully, others have been so kind as to help you both. Wishing you the best.
We are back from Alaska and look forward to catching up on your blog.
Thanks David – it was very emotional but is getting better. I’ve been loving seeing your AK posts!