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Old 09-04-2007, 04:03 PM   #52
The Worm
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Default Best not to speculate

Below is an article reporting a similar near sinking of a sailboat piloted by a US Merchant Marine licensed captain with 20 years experience. So many things can happen on the water, even to the most seasoned boaters. The best practice would be not to speculate.





Sinking sailboat bailout; Many hands rescue craft that lost propeller offshore

By Bruno Matarazzo Jr. , Staff writer
Salem News



BEVERLY - A hole just an inch in diameter gave an experienced sea captain his biggest fright yesterday when his 40-foot sailboat began taking on water and he feared his four passengers would have to abandon ship.

But, on the final day of the holiday weekend, the labor of a large contingent of North Shore marine public safety personnel helped to rescue the four passengers and bring the recently purchased boat, Tiki Maru II, back to the Jubilee Yacht Club off Beverly Harbor.

"I never had this happen in 50 years," said Jeff Cole, 60, of Beverly, moments after he stepped off his boat, a Block Island 40.

The propeller somehow separated from its drive shaft and sank while Cole was sailing a mile and a half off Salem Willows. The hole in the hull through which the propeller drive shaft connects to the engine allowed water to seep in unnoticed until the boat started handling erratically, said Salem police Sgt. Peter Gifford, Salem's harbormaster.

Without knowing why the galley was taking on water, Cole said he prepared to have his crew don life jackets and jump off the sinking sailboat.

Cole's distress call's simple message - "We're abandoning ship" - over the shipboard radio at 1 p.m. summoned rescuers from the Salem, Beverly and Marblehead harbormasters, the state Environmental Police marine unit, and the Coast Guard.

Patrol boats raced to the area and found the five people at the sailboat's stern.

Beverly Deputy Harbormaster Ed Hathon and Assistant Harbormaster Bret Marciano were the first on scene.

"The five (people on the boat) were all on the back deck, ready to abandon ship. We asked all the people to get off and asked the captain to stay on board," Hathon said.

The four passengers got on the Beverly harbormaster's boat.

Gifford pulled up alongside the Tiki Maru II and was soon joined by other North Shore rescuers.

Using two gasoline-powered pumps, Hathon, Marciano, Gifford and Environmental Police Officer Robert Ingemi were able to start emptying water from the galley, which had submerged the Tiki Maru II's engine. Then they found and plugged the leak.

"It took four of us to keep the boat afloat. It was pretty nasty out," Gifford said, referring to the wind. While temperatures were in the 80s with relatively few clouds, a persistent, 15- to 20-knot wind buffeted rescuers throughout, until they eventually guided the sailboat back to Jubilee Yacht Club. Once there, the boat was hauled out of the water for repair.




"I'm eternally grateful to these fine gentlemen. Without their assistance, I would have lost the boat," Cole said, indicating the harbormasters and the Environmental Police as they prepared to leave.

Cole said he had no idea how the drive unit had separated from the sailboat.

He bought the boat on Aug. 16 and hadn't yet painted the boat's name (Polynesian for "ocean man") on the rear of the hull.

While the craft could have been a total loss had it sunk, his main concern was for his passengers.

"As a captain, my first obligation is for the safety of the crew and passengers. The vessel is secondary. That's law," he said.

Cole has been a captain for 20 years and is licensed by the U.S. Merchant Marine. He's sailed since he was 5 years old and sailed every sea except the Indian Ocean.
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