Tour boat smashes sailboat at regatta

newbattleaxe (anonymous) says...

Tour boat operators are supposed to be taught about boating safety, aren't thay? This includes learning that sailboats have the right of way, doesn't it?

July 23, 2007 at 7:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

swchesson (anonymous) says...

Doug: so big boats only? that's brilliant. The captain of the tour boat will probably lose his license and deserves to. John- sue the heck out of fort sumter tours. I wonder if the the capt couldn't see cause of people on the bridge deck in front of him. Or like doug said- just hates small boats.

July 23, 2007 at 7:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

greener1 (anonymous) says...

hey idiot, they have just as much right to be there as you!

July 23, 2007 at 7:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Reader (anonymous) says...

What does that last comment mean? Does greener1 mean that large boats have the right to use water too? If so, no one has said that they DON'T have the right to use the harbor, just that BOTH large and small boats have the rights to use the harbor. Also, while ALL sized boats have the rights to use the harbor, the officials in charge of the waterways can certainly put some areas off limits for special reasons at special times. I think that the "[H]ey idiot" remark is a bit much.

July 23, 2007 at 8:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

n4dhs (anonymous) says...

Actually a sailboat doesnt automatically ALWAYS have the right of way - however in this instance the tour boat was clearly in the wrong - we have a sailboat and have sailed for years - and not only did the tour boat captain do the wrong thing in going where he wasnt supposed to but he did NOT respond to repeated hails! - Coast Guard should reprimand him for that one! - and quite frankly I find that its the power boaters who act like idiots NOT sail boaters - but this guy will probably and should lose his job - he was responsible for the safety of ALL the passengers on the boat - and also for NOT being in the wrong place and even if he was "in the right" - just sheer ethics should tell him to get the heck out of the way of the sailboat.......so whos the idiot now??????

July 23, 2007 at 8:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

majorjohnson (anonymous) says...

Sailboats do not always have right of way. If you think so you should visit the U.S. Coast Guard website,and obtain a copy of the booklet entitled "Navigation Rules, International Inland" and upgrade your knowledge of navigation rules on inland waters.

As far as Doug, do you really think that this is an attempt to remove small boats by running down a sailboat with a commercial vessel? Who is planning this great conspiracy to run down all small boats?

As far as this captain goes, I suspect there will be one less pilots license on the waters very soon.

July 23, 2007 at 8:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Jetstreamer (anonymous) says...

I used to teach sailing where this incident happened, and I would routinely have to hail the captain, notifying him of our position so he did not run over our students (as young as eight years old.) Never once did he respond, and we were on multiple occasions forced to position ourselves between the tour boat and our terrified kids in order to prevent an occurrence such as this one. I am very disappointed that someone who represents our city and nautical heritage to visitors could conduct themselves in such an unprofessional and hazardous manner.

July 23, 2007 at 8:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

swchesson (anonymous) says...

doug- be careful on your recumbant, watch for cars! And Thank you for moving out of here, please do not return.

Major- true, sailboats don't always have the ROW. If in a confined channel the deeper draft, usually the larger of the two, would have ROW. Or if the sailboat is under auxilary power. In the chas harbor that really isnt the case unless the boat is the "Ever Dyanamic" or the like.

July 23, 2007 at 8:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

blue118 (anonymous) says...

Some of these responses only show the need for a mandatory boating safety course.
The tour boat captain was negligent. He will loose his license. I hope the Coast Guard administered a drug test. (Which they are required to do).

USCG RULE # 6 "Every vessel shall at all times proceed at a safe speed so that she can take proper and effective action to avoid collision..." USCG RULE # 18 " A power-driven vessel underway shall keep out of the way of a sailing vessel."

The tour boats have plenty of open water to operate in charleston harbor - they are by no means deep draft container ships The worst part is not assisting someone in distress.

July 23, 2007 at 8:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

n4dhs (anonymous) says...

SW - in this case it seems to me that since the course outline for the regatta had been "posted" then the tour boat had the responsibility of checking on all "changes" and keeping out of the way - I have a 37 foot sailboat which is quite a bit bigger than the one in question and they scare the be jeepers out of me.......but as was stated before I doubt this guy is going to have a job let alone a license here before too long - if you are going to do this type of work - patience, and consideration go a long way - even if I know I have the right or way I will often just get out if the guy is bigger than me.....also vessels constrained to draft are the ones that really are pretty much the ones we ALL need to stay out of the way of - I seriously doubt that the tour boat has that big of a draft - heck my boat has a 6 foot draft and power boats usually have less of a draft than sail even if this guy is bigger....

July 23, 2007 at 8:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

yyt408 (anonymous) says...

I hold an upper level Coast Guard license. I make a living using this license. All I can imagine is that the captain was high on something.Ft. Sumter Tours sure better re-evaluate their hiring practices.Ft. Sumter Tours will find this a tough one to get out of in an Admiralty Court.

July 23, 2007 at 10:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

beefsaver (anonymous) says...

I have to concur with those familiar with the Coast Guard's "Rules of the Road." Sailboaters have been paranoid about power vessel incursion on their rights for as long as ship drivers have been annoyed at sailors' cavalier attitude on water sharing. I'm a submarine officer and understand closely the letter of the law; one must considering that the tiny-looking submarine is really a 7000-ton plus warship always confined to the channel... sailboats basically never have the right of way in that case. But only those boaters conscientious enough to learn the rules would know this, instead of just memorizing: "Sail over power, sail over power... Polly want a cracker!"

However this case is clear: This tour boat operator blew it navigationally, but what will send him down the river is his extreme negligence in not rendering assistance. The tour boat had an obligation to stay clear. The tour company can and should get nailed for this as well. I'm happy that the sailboater is okay, and I'm appalled that this "professional" operator could just ignore that he ran over someone!! I can't imagine the turistas weren't freaking out, so the crew must have just ignored them.

July 23, 2007 at 10:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

CaptainJ (anonymous) says...

This captain has committed several violations of Maritime Law for which he will surely be held account.
Failure to stop and render assistance, especially after running down and keel hauling another vessel...and then all the other mistakes that were made both leading up to and after the accident. I'd say that this ex-captain is most likely facing criminal neglegence charges that can mean jail. Notice that I said Ex-captain.

Also, why wasn't the tour boat stopped and boarded before it got back to the dock? Usually there's quite a few patrol boats from all the marine law enforcement agencies that should have been all over this tour boat. If for nothing else than to see if the person in the wheelhouse was competant to operate the vessel with passengers on board.
It's obvious that he lacked the knowledge, skills, and common sense needed to be placed in charge of this vessel, more heads than the captain's should roll.

Take into account the schedules that a tour operator places on a tour boat and then demands strick adherence of the schedule from the captain. As the captain of about ten large dinner cruise/tour boats in the past, I can say that some of these schedules are pretty tight and anything out of the ordinary to throw off the schedule is to be avoided (like changing a route to clear a temporary restricted area or stopping to assist in this case). Years ago I got stopped by the Califonia Marine Patrol for speeding in a sensitive area while trying to make up time with 500 passengers on board. One officer boarded the boat and came up to the wheelhouse to give me a verbal warning.

There's one more angle to this whole thing, was there someone other than the captain at the helm, possibly a person in training or a first mate. The captain may have left the wheelhouse for some reason. That doesn't relieve him of his responsiblity and will certainly have a negative effect on the outcome of the investigation.

Also, many large ports have a positive control system like at an airport. All vessel movements are controlled and you must be in radio contact at all times. You are required to obey the commands from the operator. Of course there are vessel exemptions as to size and propulsion but in this case I doubt that there would have been an accident because the contol operator would have had the regatta area restricted to vessels like the tour boat. The tour boat would have been instructed to steer clear and give a wide berth to the area.

Glad to hear that the sailboat captain was not seriously injured by this needless accident. I hope that he prevails in civil court and I usually wouldn't make a statement to that effect.

Damm the torpedos...Full speed ahead, stand by for ramming!!!

July 23, 2007 at 10:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

CaptainJ (anonymous) says...

Let's review the order of handicap for vessels:

Not Under Command,
Restricted in Ability to Maneuver,
Constrained By Draft,
Fishing,
Sail (not under power),
Power,
Seaplane.

Easy way to remember is "New Reels Catch Fish, So Purchase Some"

Note also that a sailboat running an engine is a Power vessel even if the sails are hoisted.

Ex-USCG Boarding Officer and long time Master.

July 23, 2007 at 10:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

MotoryachtSoCo (anonymous) says...

I think I'll withhold judgment until all the facts are in, but the comments seem to show a certain lack of understanding both of the rules and human nature.

One thing is for certain, there are a few people who no matter what are loud, rude and very vocal. Another is that when big boats hit small boats the small boats always lose. Thank God that Mr. Lambinus is OK.

A few questions; was Mr. Lambinus in the race area? Was the area really protected? Or simply a permitted area. Did the race committee notify Spirit Line of the regatta? The area south of Shutes Folly (the race course) is well outside of the route that Spirit Line uses. Normally they follow the waterfront running parallel to high battery and stay on that course until reaching the South channel where they then head towards Ft. Sumter.

A small sail boat could tack close enough to a tour boat that the captain would never see it. If Mr. Lambinus was in route to the race course rather than on the course, was he aware of the Spirit Line boat at anytime before the collision?

Often we forget that Charleston is a pretty busy port. Sailing is wonderful fun and should be safe but having the right of way doesn't keep you safe you have to work at being safe.

Not sure why the captain did not stop. I doubt that any of the crew felt the impact, and once you're past the point of collision there's not much of a way to see behind you from the pilot house of any of Charleston's tour boats.

As far as the radio goes. My experience is they (Spirit Line) don't answer, just like the other 99% of the traffic in the harbor.

Seems that the majority of readers have passed judgment and the captain has been given the hook.

But is it possible the Mr. Lambinus was preoccupied with getting ready for the race and "unfurled the sail on his 14-foot Laser ... and then happened to glance backward." Is it possible that he sailed into the path of the tour boat?

I doubt that the tour boat was making erratic course or speed changes, so there is some reasonable doubt as to who is really at fault though the law may find for the sailboat it's not an open and shut case.

I'll go all in that both parties saw each other and took the very wrong "he see's me" attitude.

Be safe out there!

Chris McIntire

BTW what is an "upper level Coast Guard license" ?

July 23, 2007 at 12:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Mariner (anonymous) says...

Mr. McIntire and a very few others have some great points about Rigts of Way. Clearly, a sailboat should be aware and stay clear of vessels limited by draft when operating in or near a channel. We all have obligations to be knowledgeable when we take the helm of any boat.

That said, I have been involved with sailing and boating in Charleston for a long time. I have been a part of some of the regattas, applied for regatta permits, run courses at regattas and been intimately involved with insuring good relations with the USCG and Charleston Harbor Pilots. The only organization that has repetedly run through the middle of these permitted courses, even when they had to leave the channel to do so, is the Ft. Sumter Tour Operators. There seems to be a lack of committment with sharing the harbor from the owners and operators of these tour boats and I hope this incident doesn't get brushed under the carpet like prior instances not involving a collision. At a minimum, the captain should lose his license because of not rendering aid or responding to hails after a collision. But if the company is not persuaded to change their receptivity to sharing the harbor through a STIFF fine, then it will happen again.

July 23, 2007 at 1:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

blue118 (anonymous) says...

Mr. McIntire,

to answer your BTW: and the statement from "YYT108".

An upper level coast guard license is, for example a USCG Masters license - Unlimited Tonnage. No restiction on tonnage of the vessel you are allowed to operate.

A lower level license would be a 6 pack license. This license is at an entry level with minimal required sea time,and limits the tonnage of the vessel and the number of passengers you are allowed to carry.

Please refer to the USCG web site or 46 CFR Subchapter D in the Code of Federal Regulations.

July 23, 2007 at 1:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

CaptainJ (anonymous) says...

Witnesses stated that the sailboat was chopped up by the tour boats propeller...I've NEVER been on a vessel that didn't make some kind of noise, sudden drop of engine rpm, or shake the whole boat when something goes through a prop.
It makes you jump to find out what happened.

The vessel must monitor VHF Channel 16 while underway.

Tour boat was the burden vessel and must remain clear of the priviledge vessel (sailboat). Staying clear means reducing speed or altering course to prevent a collision, doesn't sound like that happened. And the above is regardless of the location in the harbor, whether it's a marked race course or outside of a marked course.

We can also add something else that the crew of the tour boat did no do as required by maritime law: They failed to maintain a look-out. You have to watch where you are going and not just cruise along running over anything in your path.

As far as the sailboat manuevering into the path of the tour boat and the captain didn't see it, nice try but that won't hold up as the captain didn't maintain a situational awareness required to operate a vessel this size in close quarters with what is described as about 40 sailboats. Besides, a sailboat is the easiest to see and track with the amount of visual area of a sail. Plus they don't tend to move very fast compared to a powerboat.

"I'll go all in that both parties saw each other and took the very wrong "he see's me" attitude."
That's the kind of attitude that gets people killed, Joel Lambinus is listed as being a licensed captain himself and I see that HE is the ONLY person in this matter that did anything to try to avoid the collision. Unfortunately his actions didn't include his boat.
I don't personally know Joel Lambinus but I commend his actions and wish him a speedy recovery.

Bottom line is that the tour boat captain or someone that he entrusted to handle the boat, broke several laws that are designed to prevent this type of accident from happening. He will have to take full responsibilty in this matter. Maritime Law goes back centuries and is very unforgiving.

Continued in next message:

July 23, 2007 at 2:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

CaptainJ (anonymous) says...

Continued:

Coast Guard licenses start at the 6 passenger level and go up from there based on the gross tonnage of a vessel.
(Actually the word "Captain" doesn't appear on the certificate. It states "License to US Merchant Marine Officer" and "Master of" what your level of experience based on the Gross Tonnage of vessel, whether steam, motor, or sail auxilary vessels and the area of operation, Western Rivers, Great Lakes, Inland, Near Coastal, or Unlimited.

Notice in the article that the tour boat is 97GT (gross tons) The operator would be required to hold at least a Inland Master of vessels not more than 100gt. The experience to even take the written exams for this license is at least 720 DAYS UNDERWAY on board a vessel of a gross tonnage suitable for this level of license. The written exams are pretty tough. It's easier to obtain a license to fly an airplane.

An upper level Coast Guard license is Unlimited and high gross tonnage (500gt or more).

July 23, 2007 at 2:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Sparky23 (anonymous) says...

I think Chris above makes the most rationale case as opposed to a lot the other knee jerk comments. Obviously the writer doesn't portray the whole story. How do you unfurl a laser sail within 75 yards of being clobbered? He had to sail out there for one and 2 - do laser sails furl these days? I don't know about you, but I would certainly have my awareness heightened sailing in any harbour as such. If there wasn't any wind, and he could not make headway, it's tough to get out of the way.

July 23, 2007 at 3:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

CaptainJ (anonymous) says...

A lot of times the boats will be towed out by a small power boat. Either way it's pretty cut and dried what happened and the simple fact is that the Laser got keel hauled and the tour boat failed to take ANY action to prevent the accident. Period.

July 23, 2007 at 4:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

MotoryachtSoCo (anonymous) says...

Keelhauling (from Dutch kielhalen; "to drag along the keel") was a severe form of corporal punishment meted out to sailors at sea.

Keelhauling was legally permitted as a punishment in the Dutch Navy. The earliest official mention of keelhauling is a Dutch ordinance of 1560: the practice was not formally abolished until 1853. While not an official punishment, it was reportedly used by some British Royal Navy and merchant marine captains, and has become strongly associated with pirate lore.

Hummmm.....

July 23, 2007 at 4:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jibemark (anonymous) says...

Why was the Laser sailor, during a race have his sail not rigged? The story says he sail was "unfurled". If he was trying to reef the sail, then why would someone in the middle of the harbor try to do so without taking note to wear other boats could be?

Its simply called poor judgement and bad common sense.

But at the same time, it takes two people to make an accident. I am not placing blame on either of them. Just throwing out thoughts to think about.

Besides, a Laser is a very easy boat to manuever, even easier than a lawn mower

July 23, 2007 at 4:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

yyt408 (anonymous) says...

I support sailing, but I'm in power boats of all sizes much more. Too many rules were broken here.

It was his duty to stay clear of the sailboat plain and simple. The tour boat is not confined to navigate only within the channel - if he really was in the channel. He draws six feet or less, most of charleston harbor is deeper than that. The sail boat has no motor and cannot move freely. A sailboat can only sail as much as 30 degrees into the wind. the company has a history with close calls. They saw the sailboat - its sails are white and reflect the sun's light and the sail sticks up fifteen feet in the air! Come on! A laser sail might furl, but he's still under power from the wind. The sailor was probably sitting on the other side of the sail making ajustments. It makes no difference whether or not he was in the regatta. The particular tour boat has a forward house where the captain is, meaning he sits very close to the bow. No obstructions. The sailboat did not hit the tour boat from behind and get sucked in the prop. There were plenty of witnesses on other boats and I'm sure from many tourists onboard. One sreamed right? The worst thing is the sailboat wasn't moving. A person's line of sight is derived from the observer's height and the height of the object minus atmospheric conditions. The captain of the tour boat sits up high and forward and the sailboat's mast is high, he had ideal visibility. (this does not apply on large ships with an after house, most of the bow blocks their view - their vis. is greatly reduced and they must stay in the channel.) It was a beautiful day. Sunny, no rain, fog, or haze.
I don't work for any tour boat companies, I support tourism, but the company has a long history of near misses. The coast guard needs to come down hard on the captain and the company. Was there no danger signal to warn the the sailboat - a required signal of 5 or more short blasts from the tour boats whistle? No one heard one. These whistles are loud. Why did the captain not turn around? A guilty conscious? Why not answer the repeated calls on the VHF radio? For this type of passenger boat, it is a federal law to maintain a listening watch on ch. 16 The coast guard requires a drug test after a collision of this nature..... Always render assistance. It's the most known duty on the water. Every captain takes an oath when you receive a license.
Thank goodness everyone is OK.

July 23, 2007 at 5:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

MotoryachtSoCo (anonymous) says...

They have posted a photo of Joel Lambinus in the water with his boat being towed by Galloway's "safety" boat.

Not too funny except he seems to be looking down river to be sure the Spirit of Charleston is not coming back to finish the job.

Seems that most of the posters have a pretty sad opinion of the commercial captains running the Spirit line boats, anyone ever have a close call or near miss with one of the tour boats?

I know a few harbor pilots and many folks who run big boats and they all are pretty careful, though we tend to stand our ground and let the little guys buzz us left and right while holding course we really get keyed when a sailboat(under sail)comes anywhere near us.

July 23, 2007 at 5:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

wonderdog (anonymous) says...

If I read the paper correctly this morning, the tour boat was crossing the race course, which had been secured by a permit.

My nephew sails in the Opti class, which is made up of solo sailors age 12 and under. It scares me to even speculate what would have happened if the tour boat had plowed through a bunch of young kids in very small boats. Thank goodness Mr. Lambinus was a quick thinking adult and avoided getting killed.

If the tour boat operator is found to be at fault, there should be very serious consequences. By the way, it's too bad that a lot of visitors to Charleston are going to remember their trip as the time their tour boat ran over a sailboat.

July 23, 2007 at 6:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

CaptainJ (anonymous) says...

I'm not a betting person but I'd lay odds that the investigation will find the tour boat captain completely responsible and liable for this collision.

Also, I don't remember taking an oath when I received my first license about twenty five years ago but I do remember scoring a 98 on the Rules of the Road exam. The license was mailed but maybe they changed that since then. As long as I renew it every five years then it rolls over.

All of the tour companies that I've worked always ran on a shoe string budget and looking for captains that needed to break into the business. These captains will work for less money and some are barely up to the task on a good day. In 1990 I took my kids on the boat that docks behind the Yorktown. As we approached the Navy base there was a work barge just outside the channel. We were throwing a pretty sizable wake and rocked this barge a good bit. On the return the barge contacted the tour boat and asked to watch the wake. At the helm was a trainee and I doubt that he intended to slow down until the captain said something to him.

Let's get one thing straight, I'm not trying to send the captain here to the gallows, on the other hand I can't condone his actions and there is no way in hell that I'd fault the sailboat.

July 23, 2007 at 7:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

officerguinn (anonymous) says...

To all of you passing judgement on the captain of the vessel, you are totally wrong.CaptainJ have you worked on the vessel or any in the fleet? I have for 2 years I worked on this very vessel and I know both the captains who pilot her. And both captains have more time on the water than you do. One learned as a teen in MD and continued in the navy the other has been on the water for his entire life and his oldest son has his masters license as well.I do not know all the details but I can assure you that this is not a case of blatant disregard for safety. They both have there 100ton Masters license. Neither is just breaking into the business and the budget is not a "Shoe String Budget" you are running your mouth about people you dont even know. Im sure there is a very good reason for what happened and it will come out in the report.Even though I know for a fact that the Coast Guard has it out for this company.So I am sure someone will get in trouble but for the wrong reason.Blowboats should not be in the harbor where they are why not put them up river where there is less commercial traffic? I have witnessed very near misses due to stupid sailboats. they have the right of way yes but this path is used daily by fort sumter tours 3 times in the summer peak and 2 a day in the winter.some stupid reggata every once in a while should ot change a companys business i blame the blwboats.

July 23, 2007 at 8:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

charles (anonymous) says...

The tour boat ought to be able to avoid a collision, especially with a slow moving or stationary object in clear weather.

It doesn't matter that the object hit was a sailboat, nor does it matter that it was in a regatta. Suppose it was a motorboat that ran out of gas? Would the tour boat have run it over?

July 23, 2007 at 9:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

yyt408 (anonymous) says...

to officerguinn

blowboats? this captain has the wrong attitude for someone with the safety of so many passengers.
I truly hope this attitude is not prevalent. I have been on boats of all types right here in Charleston all my life. I've worked on fishing boats and tour boats. This is about law and safety on the water, not some ignorant battle between sailboats and tour boats.
If you are a captain, I would suggest a career change. What commercial traffic in the south channel? How many ships, dredges, or bunker barges do you see heading up the Ashley River? Not very many. It's the occasional tour boat and plenty of recreational boaters that transit middle ground and the south channel on their way from ft. sumter to the ashley river. Most commercial traffic uses the main shipping channel to transit between the ocean and the passenger terminal, union pier and the columbus street dock. The other commercial traffic heads up the very confined waters of the Cooper and Wando Rivers (especially the Cooper) This is a place where recreation boaters should take extreme caution - if not avoid. There is plenty of current, bends in the river and obstructions where commercial traffic has enough to worry about - especially not a small sailboat. A regatta would NEVER be held in this location.
This is a case of continued poor seamanship, complete lack of situational awareness, poor hiring practices and disregard for human safety from a certain tour boat company. I have seen this behavior for years, I know the tour boats well. I spend 7 to 8 months a year on the water
-Anyone- please continue to share similar stories.

July 23, 2007 at 9:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jtcooper99 (anonymous) says...

As usual...everybody is jumping to conclusions without knowing the facts, including the writer of this story. The only disregard for human safety here was on the part of the captain of the sailboat in regard to his own life. A large power vessel certainly has the duty to yield, but cannot avoid a sailboat turning back into its path at the last minute. Y'all BS and speculate all you want, but I can tell you this is one situation where you are WRONG about the captain and the events. Tell me this...does the sailboat in that picture look like it got chopped up by the prop to you? Next thing you know, his neck will hurt.....and maybe his back.....or maybe his neck and his back.

July 23, 2007 at 9:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

MotoryachtSoCo (anonymous) says...

Ya'll need to lighten up! You so got to ask yourself. What would "SpiderPig" do?

July 23, 2007 at 9:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

yyt408 (anonymous) says...

As reported the guy in the sailboat was not seriously injured. He was lucky. There was a collision which never should have happened. I was near the scene, that's why I'm writing this stuff. The Coast Guard will do a top notch job in this federal, not state investigation. They made some mistakes from the Morning Dew incident several years ago. I doubt they will make any more mistakes.

July 23, 2007 at 10:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

charles (anonymous) says...

The news article clearly says that the laser was unfurling its sail. Hence at the time of collision it was adrift.

Unfurling its sail means that the one sail was wrapped (vertically) around the mast. The sail boat was therefore not making way (and certainly not altering course) for some time prior to the collision.

Had the laser been under sail, the skipper would have sailed out of harm's way. There was plenty of wind.

July 23, 2007 at 10:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

CaptainJ (anonymous) says...

I stand by what I say... Even if the sailboat doubled back (tacked?) your beloved captain should have been operating at a speed or changed his course that would have allowed him to avoid the collision. I really don't know how much more simple that I can present this, I'm not making it up.
The only way that this is going to be rule as anything other a negligent act is if the captain suffered a medical emergency that rendered him unable to control his vessel. But then why was something like this not mentioned? Either way as a captain he's done.

We shall see, but he screwed up on sooo many levels, I don't care who he is. He's the type that gives the rest of us a bad name. Same way with the entire operation.

July 23, 2007 at 10:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

CaptainJ (anonymous) says...

Harpo,
Just as I've said from the beginning.
Thanks

July 23, 2007 at 11:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

MotoryachtSoCo (anonymous) says...

A little more facts have "surfaced" seems the Spirit of Charleston was making way on a course that placed her just west of the race area. Which was only permitted and not restricted. The Laser was towed and left with it's sail furled just to the right of the tour boat's course.

Wind and tide pushed the Laser into the path of the tour boat while the captain was avoiding the other boats in the group who were under sail he didn't see the lone boat without it's sail unfurled. He altered course to the right watching three small boats pass safely on the port side and never saw the fourth straggler.

All of the above is simply dockside info from two sources. And should not be taken as fact, perhapes fiction but in a legal sense it's hearsay.

It was also told to me that several people heard the conversation between race officals and Spirit of Charleston crew. With race officals stating that no assitance was needed.

Like I said in the beginning I'll withhold judgement until all the facts are known.

Ya'll have a great day.

Chris McIntire

July 24, 2007 at 6:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

yyt408 (anonymous) says...

Tour boat runs over sailboat in Charleston harbor. Man in sailboat sent to emergency room. Tour boat did respond to calls - well after the accident, when it was tied up at the dock. Those tour boats gotta' keep their schedule.... Ever hear about the rules in regard to safe speed and maintaining a proper lookout?

Look at the picture - I see a sail unfurled.

Pink slip and hopefully the company will adopt some sort of a safety management plan.

Have a great day and study those rules of the road.

July 24, 2007 at 9:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

mainelasersailor (anonymous) says...

If you look closely at the picture you can see that part of the sail is still wrapped around the mast. It wasn't fully unfurled and, from the looks of it, unusable as it wasn't connected to the outhaul. As it appears in the picture, he couldn't have trimmed the sail to move out of the way in time to avoid the collision. As it appears in that picture, the captain should have been able to see the part of the sail that was already unfurled and taken immediate evasive action. There is no way in hell that you could find the sailor at fault, he had no way of avoid the collision.

July 24, 2007 at 5:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

vacabin (anonymous) says...

What is this talk about the Laser sail being furled/unfurled? I am a Laser sailor and the sail cannot be furled once the mast is stepped due to the battens. If you furled the sail, on the course, you would have to capsize the boat, carrying the battens with you put them in the sail after you unfurl it from around the mast, then right the boat and attach the clue. This is almost impossible to do in the wind without being docked. Furling the sail once on the water just isn't done on a Laser.

Laser Sailor

July 24, 2007 at 7:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

mainelasersailor (anonymous) says...

I sail lasers also, you can't furl a sail all the way with battens in so I don't quite understand it either, but look at the picture, part of the sail is still wrapped around the mast and the clew doesn't appear to be attached to the outhaul.

Maybe it was just furled until it reached the battens and couldn't be furled further? If you want to know, ask Joel Lambinus.

July 24, 2007 at 10:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

stono56 (anonymous) says...

I've sailed Lasers for 30 years.

I've seen a laser sail furled a couple of times around the mast to reduce the sail area. This practice takes skill on the water. Somtimes a smaller sailor will do this in a strong breeze to try to stay competitive against the bigger guys. You do not need to remove any battens.

He was probably trying to furl his sail - or unfurl - before the race. It's tricky when your bouncing around on the water. You need 100% concentration. This is why he had, I presume, NO way to get out of the way of the tour boat.
He had to unhook his sail from the boom to do this - making his sail useless. He was adrift - unable to move. This process takes a couple of minutes. If the tour boat was 75 yards away - doing 12 knots - this would on be a few seconds. Tough call - swim like hell, or hope the boat takes most of the impact.

Bad timing for everyone involved, but he was a sailboat and probably adrift.

July 24, 2007 at 11:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )