West Wight Potter Owners Home Port _______________________________________________________________________________________________ |
The winds were out of the northwest at 12 knots gusting to 20 knots, occasionally 25 knots.
These are typical spring winds here in Maine, but not the typical direction in my area. The
prevailing direction is a southerly sea breeze on Spring afternoons. We reefed on the mooring
and started out with the jib down. I didn’t even hook the tank up to the motor as I expected to
sail on and off the mooring as I have any time there is a breeze and I’m not on a time limit.
(mistake #1)
My 1st mate was more experienced than I so I was asking for tips as we rigged and started out
(mistake #2).
We were sailing on a broad reach out of the cove and approaching the point that marks the
start of the bay and we set the jib. My mate was tuning the mainsail shape and I was watching
the effects and how he was making the changes (mistake #3).
We were hit with a 30-35 knot gust that was more off the stern than all the previous gusts.
Instead of releasing the main which was not in my hand, I turned to spill the wind, but as I did,
with the direction change, I was keeping the sail area directly abeam into the teeth of the gust.
Over we went.
From the water I could see her on her side and remember I hadn’t pinned the keel (mistake
#4). However, the keel has not moved so I immediately swam to it and tried to right the boat. I
heard my mate inflate his PFD. To my surprise, I succeeded and the boat righted with my mate
in the cockpit. Again to my surprise, it was instantly moving and I missed getting to the ladder
and it sailed off (mistake #5). Somewhere around this time I inflated my PFD. I looked around
and saw a seat cushion & gas tank floating off being pushed by the wind. I figured we’d get
them when my mate came around to get me.
I swam toward the boat, but even with the sails released and flailing, it moved off too fast. The
water temp is around 50 degrees F and I remember to get into a heat saving ball and move
little. I saw my mate lower the motor, and it started with the remaining gas in the carburetor.
The prop fouls a line he tried to throw for me. The boat continued to drift away from me. I
watch as my mate attempted to gain control and I see him trying to put the rudder back in it’s
gudgeon's (mistake #6). I also notice the jib sheet has become detached (mistake #7).
At this time I made the decision to swim. I picked what I thought was the nearest shore and I
started to breaststroke towards it. I learned afterward it was about 0.3 to 0.4 mile. I had no
signs of hypothermia yet, but I knew it was inevitable so I chose to make the critical decisions
before I was impaired and hold to them. I reviewed what would happen as my body cooled
and check for those things as I swam. The wind was quartering into my face and I occasionally
got an unwanted drink of saltwater.
I periodically checked my mates progress. He was sailing towards the far shore with the jib
flailing. I figured he’d get the gas tank and then motor over to me, but I stuck to swimming.
About halfway to shore I thought about the English Channel swimmers and believed I’d make it
OK. In a surreal moment, as I got within a hundred yards of shore, I saw a lady tending her
garden. I didn’t think she could help so I simply swam on.
As I touched firm ground, I knew how far along my hypothermia was as I barely felt my feet. I
shed my wet clothes to my shorts and lay on a rock to get its warmth and catch my breath. I
walked up to the garden lady’s lawn, asked her for a towel and to use her phone and almost
immediately a county sheriff was there wrapping me in blankets and putting me in a squad car
with heat on full blast. After an ambulance ride and ER visit with excellent treatment from all, I
headed out to find out how my mate and boat fared.
Without the jib, and with a compromised rudder, my mate was unable to do much but sail a
straight line to the far shore and call for help, hence the sheriff’s quick appearance. He softly
grounded the boat and the retractable keel did its job. No harm to either mate or boat. I went
back at high tide and motored it back to mooring with a fresh tank of gas that night.
If any of about half of these mistakes didn’t happen all together, it’s a serious but non-life
threatening situation. Put them all together, and I was swimming for my life.
It’s been a week now and others have asked questions to help me look at all that happened.
My biggest mistake was not keeping in charge of my boat and having immediate control of
sheets with gusty winds as we neared a point of land. That’s what caused the capsize.
The decisions leading up to leaving the mooring that contributed to the seriousness are: 1. Not
connecting gas line. 2. Not having best possible jib connection. 3. Not pinning the keel.
My stock rudder is set up so the bottom pintle can come out while the top pintle is still in. I
thought this design was good, but after a chat with another P-19 owner, I don’t think so
anymore. When I went back to get my boat, I found the upper gudgeon so bent that it was
impossible to reattach the rudder. I had to bend the gudgeon with channel locks to install the
rudder. There is no way my mate could have gotten it back in on the pitching boat alone. My
stock rudder also has only a groove and pressure locking system instead of a pin. I will fix
that. The rudder problem is what made this a dangerous accident. If he could have steered
the boat, it’s a man overboard pickup.
We did plenty right too. We were both wearing PFDs. We both made prudent decisions with
the changing situation. And most important, neither of us panicked. Also, it’s good to know
you can right a P-19.
I have sailed in the same conditions many times and will again with a lot more knowledge and
humility. Aside from holding the main and keeping command of my boat, I will strongly
consider trailing a line from now on. The inflatable PFD and making decisions before my
thinking was impaired saved my life. And I can say without a doubt, I would not have had a
PFD to use if I hadn’t been wearing it.
Carl Stecher
Ellsworth, ME
stechercw3@yahoo.com
| Potter 19 Capsize in Maine by Carl Stecher P-19 #693 Freedom |
