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First Person Account: Hobie 18 Catamaran Shipwrecked on Lake Michigan
Here is a cautionary tale from a Lake Michigan catamaran sailor that explains the events leading to the demise of his Hobie 18 catamaran sailboat while sailing from Muskegon Harbor. Damon
Outside the calm of the harbor, waves were already 3 to 5 feet, building quickly.
I had been tracking the wind speed, from the office, at 12-16 knots steadily from the southwest all morning. Around noon, I was able to get a crew to head out to the lake at 2:00 PM - Friday July 25, 2003.
I should have known was not a good sign that on the way to the lake there was a major accident. An driver had crossed the center lane of the highway and hit another car, forcing us to detour and delay launching.
My Hobie 18 Magnum catamaran is kept mast up on a catamaran beach inside the Muskegon Harbor breakwater, so we quickly got it rigged and launched. The acceleration out of the harbor was GREAT! After clearing the lighthouse, that is where we ran into a slight problem.
I just realized that I did not bother to check the marine forecast or if there was a "small craft advisory". I got my information from a local NOAA web site that has a web cam monitoring the harbor, wind display & direction, and a great view of the "cat beach" http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/metdata/mkg/.
Did I mention that the water was only 58-59 degrees F? Very cold! We were outfitted in PFD's, and used to the conditions, this was supposed to be just a quick afternoon sail near the harbor.
From there I made the fatal "navigational error", we tacked and close hauled back toward shallow water in a southwest direction and starboard tack. Very close to the wind, and probably 75-100 yards from the pier.
The waves were breaking on the pier break wall from the south. It was one of those days when the waves would crash on the break wall and create vertical showers. We got caught in the current's monster waves and started to stall. My Hobie-Bob mast float started doing the continuous 360-degree spin and I was stuck. The waves continued to push us toward the break wall and then the screaming started.
"OH "#@%" push off on the rocks, OH ";@&$" stay on the boat! This is not good." Did I mention that it was the first time out for my crew sailing? Good experience for a first timer!
We hit the first series of rocks with a sickening thud. My thoughts for
pushing off of the rocks was not realistic when there were no places to get
a dry secure grip to push off.
Where we had landed was infamous for terrible undertows that take several lives a year from kids jumping off of the pier or falling off the rocks.
The catamaran was now smashing violently on the break wall and we had to grab and hold on to the wing seat frames and anything we could hold on to that would avoid us from being thrown off the boat. I tried to drop the main sail, however I had tied a "preventer knot" to avoid having the main come down if we had capsized & for the weather conditions. At one time, the combination of the waves and the Hobie bucking on the rocks attempted to toss me off the back & I grabbed the boom at the last minute stopping my demise. We both had great bruises from this! While we are going through this, a jet skier and a young teenager attempted to offer help, the jet skier had to pull away the waves had started their "tractor beam" pull on the jet ski. The teenager we told to stay back, I did not need another party possibly getting injured in my adventure. We finally were able to get off the boat on the third row of rocks, in between a wave smashing, and climb up the sea wall.
We had to walk off the pier to the bar to start making phone calls! A monohull stopped & asked if we were OK, on the safe side of the break wall, they had called the Coast Guard. Making it to the bar another omen, Jimmy Buffett was playing in the bar the Boats CD with "Treat Her Like a Lady" & other tracks as our background, as I dialed 911, my insurance co., and the harbormaster!
I got a great response. Muskegon Police Department, Muskegon Sheriff, Muskegon Fire Department, and finally the US Coast Guard! Great guys.
The police department now has jurisdiction of the pier & he decides to call for a tugboat to clear the boat off the rocks, he wants to avoid civilians from climbing on the boat & falling off into the lake. The tug gets there after 2-hours and almost gets pulled into the pier. Your should have seen the line-up on the pier snapping pictures of the PD officer and I trying to throw a line to the tug, it reminds me of "stupidest behavior caught on tape". This action now re-activates the Coast Guard and they come "screaming out" to call off the tug.
All finished it became an 8-hour ordeal from start to finish. I had to leave it for the weekend before it could get pulled off the pier.
The disgusting part was the theft, people stole fittings, the main halyard, righting line, and someone actually drilled out the mast float support on the mast. Keep in mind that it is probably a ¾ mile walk to the end of the pier.
Hindsight, I should have brought a paddle, I should have headed north on a broad reach and a run to calmer waters, and I should have listened to the marine report and stayed home! A week before, a 37' Hunter monohull sank in Lake Michigan from a broken rudder-post. The day after, and the rest of the weekend, winds increased to 18-20+ knots with 5-7' waves, a rough weekend.
My crew was OK and the bruises healed, we were LUCKY! The boat was in perfect condition, I kept upgrading lines, components, & hardware. I sailed twice a week all summer, Wednesday & Saturday - it was overall very sickening. Salvage fees are very expensive ($150.00 per hour and up) and are often treated as part of your insurance coverage or payoff - - they come right off the top! I got charged for Friday night and Monday.
Good news - - I will be picking up my new used 1995 Nacra 5.8NA next week, looking forward to sailing again and I will attempt my first race next weekend!
Ken
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