Capt. Dan's Southern California Sailing Charters » safety at sea

Rescue 21: activated in San Diego, coming to LA soon

Capt. Dan — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:18:16 +0000

Coast Guard multi-mission helicopter

I was wondering when we’d be covered by Rescue 21 technology and wrote to the CG and asked. Here’s what they said:

Sir: Installed Rescue 21 equipment at Sector LA/LB is in a system testing phase. By November of this year, the Coast Guard will likely conditionally accept the system and commence the shutdown of the older National Distress Response System (NDRS). In 2011, upon final acceptance of the Rescue 21 system, all obsolete or redundant NDRS equipment will be powered down.

IT’S ALMOST HERE.

So, if you’ve got a VHF radio with a red DSC (Digital Selective Calling) button, you’re almost ready to be a full-on player.

If you haven’t already done done so, you need to hook your VHF radio to the GPS and register your boat with the Coast Guard by getting an MMSI number.

Digital Selective Calling

No new equipment is needed for you to benefit from Rescue 21. The new system will increase the Coast Guard’s ability to respond to distress calls in the coastal zone. However, you can help us improve response time by using a marine-band VHF-radio equipped with digital selective calling (DSC).

If properly registered with a Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number and interfaced with GPS, the DSC radio signal transmits vital vessel information, position, and the nature of distress (if entered) at the push of a button. In an emergency, with one push of a button, your DSC radio will send an automated digital distress alert containing your MMSI number and position to other DSC-equipped vessels and rescue facilities. DSC will provide a quicker and more accurate response by the Coast Guard. For more information on Digital Selective Calling check out the video, Can You Hear Me?
Get your MMSI Number

The Boat U.S. and Sea Tow MMSI Programs have been certified by both the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Coast Guard. To obtain and register your MMSI number, the Coast Guard recommends logging onto http://www.boatus.com/mmsi/ or http://www.seatow.com/boatingsafety/mmsiinfo.htm and following the instructions.

Sailboat burns, sinks at Anacapa Island

Capt. Dan — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:14:23 +0000

A Hunter sailboat catches fire, sinks at Frenchy’s 7/8/2010

The Coast Guard and Vessel Assist responded to a report of a burning vessel last week. The preliminary report said that the captain was sailing alone, had anchored in Frenchy’s Cove and had started cooking on his rail-mounted barbecue.

The captain reported that he fell asleep and awoke to find the boat in flames. He abandoned ship in a small skiff and was picked up by a Good Samaritan. He was subsequently transferred to a Coast Guard vessel and returned to the mainland. He suffered no substantial injuries.

The following day, Vessel Assist, Ventura refloated the vessel, policed up the debris and towed it back to Ventura Harbor.

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Comment

That had to be one scary experience for the captain. We’re hoping he was well insured and glad that he wasn’t hurt, at least not badly. We’re also very thankful that Capt. Rob of R Escape has mounted a fire extinguisher on our boat about 5′ from our barbecue.There are also two in our galley area below.

Cooking is the number one cause of fire on diesel powered boats and a stove without an adjacent fire extinguisher is a big oversight. In the case of a rail-mounted barbecue, it’s probably impossible to safely turn off the propane when the stove is engulfed in flames. But there are three ways to turn off your galley gas – the burner control, the solenoid and turning off the tank in the lazerette. Definitely a topic worthy of a crew briefing.

I’ve always been confident that I could survive cooking with a rail-mounted barbecue, afterall, it’s mounted on the rail outboard of the boat. With the top on it, it’s not likely to flame the bimini. Of course, I try not to fall asleep (or pass out) while I’m cooking as I’m partial to rare beef and unblemished gelcoat.

I’m fairly sure that there are more lessons to be learned from this incident.

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Sail Channel Islands

People drown rather quitetly. How distress really looks.

Capt. Dan — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:50:19 +0000

And we’re all acutely wrong.

Read gCaptain’s recent blog and you’ll know what to look for.

Signs of drowning.

thanks, Mack for sending this along to us.

//dan

Upside down in wild cold seas in Northern California

Capt. Dan — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 22:00:56 +0000

Just gotta wonder what they were thinking.

Everyone got rescued, but there was probably no good reason why they should have found themselves upside down under their catamaran in the first place. Read the report in Latitude 38.

Then comment, critique, write a diatribe or just speculate.

BTW – if you don’t subscribe to the ‘lectronic version of Latitude 38, you can start right here.

Rube Goldberg must have been a sailor – this rescue scoop is not suitable for ocean sailing

Capt. Dan — Fri, 14 May 2010 15:35:53 +0000

There's got to be a better way. Imagine using this if there was wind.

The Sea Scoopa looks like a lot of fun, but I have grave doubts that this works anywhere except the drawing board.

You’ve got to watch the flick, which is at the bottom of the page of the link. The Master RAIITER found this and passed it along with a note that wondered just how this might work in the Pacific.

For starters, I wonder how you rig it.

Picture it, Grandma goes over the side; you run forward, break out the gear, rig the pole, the line, the winch, drop it over the side. Meantime, oops, we’ve lost sight of the victim.

I haven’t seen the directions. Perhaps they tell you to rig it before you sail.

My answer to that is that a jackline is simpler to rig and a whole hell of a lot more reliable as a life saving device.

If it could be rigged successfully, it’s hard to imagine how the rig would survive in any – ANY – wind or seaway. Or any boat speed over dead slow.

However, as the Master RAIITER pointed out, it does establish a new dimension in trolling for chicks.

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capt. dan

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RESCUE 21 – the coastal waters 911 – is getting closer

Capt. Dan — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 13:25:01 +0000

The Coast Guard announced that the RESCUE 21 system installation will be complete for sector San Diego at the end of the month.

RESCUE 21 provides a greatly improved VHF communications system, but the most salient, to my mind, is the implementation of DSC – Digital Selective Calling.

You probably already have that on your boat. It’s the red button on your VHF. If the system is properly connected, when that button is pushed, you transmit your GPS position and an electronic MAYDAY.

LA sector is still blind to these calls and will be for some time, but it’s creeping our way and is scheduled for installation this December. So, if you haven’t installed a DSC capable radio, gotten you MMSI from Boat US or the FCC, it’s time to start getting your radio act together. Click on the chart above to see that we’re almost the last in the country to get the system. But we won’t be the very last. Alaska, which has a huge number of life-threatening boating incidents, isn’t scheduled until 2017.

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Sail Channel Islands info

Channel Islands boaters can learn lesson from Mexican experience

Capt. Dan — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 14:16:17 +0000

Capt. Rob Walton of S/V R Escape sent us a link to the Latitude 38 “Lectronic” edition. I used to read “Latitude” cover-to-cover when I was boat shopping the Bay Area. It’s got the best classified ads in the sailing business in California, and it’s got the best sailing stories of any of the magazines, particularly the glossies, which seem to be in cahoots with the manufacturers who buy advertising.

So, my first suggestion is click on the link above and subscribe.

: Roughly 800 nm south of Channel Islands Harbor, the entrance is subject to difficulties we in Oxnard will recognize.

Next, take a look at the video. I’ll be a spoiler: all ends fairly well, but it starts out like a horror movie. Unsuspecting actors sailing on azure waters head into San Blas, one of Baja’s premier anchorages. It is a lovely day, but things conspire to make it more exciting than they bargained for.

As you watch this, take a look at the size and particularly the shape of the waves. Ask yourself what makes these look different from the rollers that come into Channel Islands Harbor? It’s a subtle difference, and if you don’t pick it up in the beginning, you’ll figure it out in the end.

If you’d like to read the crew’s narrative, click Examiner. They learned some interesting lessons. But I think they got at least one wrong.

Add your comments below, your own experiences, your lessons learned.

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After action report – Tsunami in Ventura – a view from the docks

Capt. Dan — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:09:52 +0000

From: Rob Walton, Capt. S/V R Escape

I fully agree with the plan for “next time” but being one of those who was on a boat in the harbor I’d like to relate what a “goat roping” this event was.

We awoke aboard Saturday morning to predicted scattered showers and possible t-storms. Sailing was most likely not in the cards, but there were plenty of boat projects to keep us busy. We poured a cup of joe and turned on the t.v. to catch up on the news. The earthquake in Chile was the lead story.

In short order the VHF came alive with CG sector L.A. broadcasting the Tsunami warning…or was it a watch at that point? Either way there seemed to be no detectable concern and as is the norm the voice on the other end seemed quite bored with the announcement duty. As best I can recall the “wave” was predicted to arrive around 1230 hrs and the surge was estimated 1′ – 2′. That didn’t seem to be anything to be alarmed about, so we went about our normal Saturday morning.

It was close to 1200 hrs when I first heard the new revised broadcast. It had changed from “Tsunami Warning” to “Imminent Tsunami” and the 1′-2′ was now was 8′-10′. T

The CG also warned mariners to stay off of beaches & jetties, out of harbors and to seek “safe haven.”

The radio came alive; “So are you saying to get out of the harbor?” some anonymous Captain asked.

Sector L.A. replied “Please stand by” followed by a disturbingly long pause…they didn’t know what to tell us! The revised announcement was repeated, no further instructions were given and Sector LA went quiet.

Ventura Harbor Patrol finally broke the silence and instructed anyone in the Harbor to stay put and consult their marina managers.

Whaaaat? Being a student of Sail Channel Islands and working on my graduate degree in “Ole Sea Dogness” I instantly knew what a horrible piece of advice that was – our marina’s only concerns are slip fees, registration and insurance compliance. Tsunami’s, water spouts, disasters natural and man-made as well as rampaging mothers-in-law are outside of their field of view.

By this time, it was much too late for us to get underway and out to deep water, but the question remained: should we leave the boat and head for the safety of … the parking lot?

I’ll admit at this point I phoned Captain Dan and told him what was going on. We both agreed that most likely very little will happen but to be on the safe side, close up the boat and go for a walk – away from the beach! We did just that and as we now know not much happened.except for the fishing boat who sped out of the harbor at full speed but that’s another story.

So what’s the moral of this story? Follow the Captain’s advice: head to sea or meet him in Ojai. I believe you’ll find him in the first bar on the right.

R. Harvey

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We’ll react a whole lot differently on the next Tsunami alert in Ventura, California

Capt. Dan — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:39:41 +0000

The next time we get a Tsunami warning, we’re not going to dither. We’re going to do one of two things if we’re in Ventura:

1. Get underway and get to deep water
2. Get to high ground.

This video from the 1994 Thai Tsunami is very instructive. For one, it shows that the first wave is not necessarily the worst wave. Watch the video for at least a minute. The second wave shows up at 53 seconds.

Tsunamis are probably widely known as tidal waves because they look tidal in that a lot, a whole lot, a veritable s-load of water comes ashore. The wave may be only a couple of feet high, but it can be on the order of a half mile long. And initially, it’s moving at 500 mph. Compare that to towering surf, which around here gets to maybe 20 feet, but runs back maybe 100 feet. And it trucks in at -what? – 20 knots?

A lot of us now realize we have never seen anything like a Tsunami. Nothing remotely like a Tsunami. NOAA warned us to stay away from beaches and out of the harbor.

So those of us who ran to the harbor and waited on the boat for this monster to come crashing in the other day were lucky that this Tsunami was trivial. Had it been something on the order of the second wave in the video, folks sitting on their boats would have been in for a fight for their lives.

However, if they’d been in deep water, they might not even have noticed.

Next time I’m either getting underway or heading for Ojai.

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Bad weather and maybe a biggish wave at midday in Ventura

Capt. Dan — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:25:54 +0000

Not a Tsunami, but a nice picture all the same

The Coast Guard has warned that the weather is going to be lousy, proving that somewhere at CG headquarters there is a window and someone chose to look outside. They also issued a couple of common sense suggestions – make sure your boat is tied down adequately etc. etc. Read it all here.

But the risible part of their rather understated caution is that they failed to mention the minor Tsunami that is headed this way. The good news is that the Tsunami warning system seems to be working, activated this time in response to the 8.8 magnitude quake in Chile. Here’s the report.

HOWEVER…A MINOR TSUNAMI MAY BE RECORDED IN SOME AREAS OF THE COAST
WHICH COULD PRODUCE DANGEROUS CURRENTS AND SURGES IN HARBORS AND
BAYS. PEOPLE ARE ADVISED TO STAY AWAY FROM THE BEACHES AND MARINAS.
WAVE HEIGHTS AND CURRENTS ARE AMPLIFIED BY IRREGULAR SHORELINES AND
ARE DIFFICULT TO PREDICT. WAVE FLUCTUATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN
WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF THE ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIMES LISTED BELOW:

PORT SAN LUIS HARBOR…AT 1235 PM PST.
SANTA BARBARA HARBOR…AT 1231 PM PST.
SANTA MONICA HARBOR….AT 1225 PM PST.
SAN PEDRO HARBOR…….AT 1215 PM PST.

I don’t know of any way to monitor the Tsunami’s progress, but you can watch radar and satellite developments simultaneously at NOWCOAST.

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