half moon bay reef claims another grady

[alantani]

the harbor at half moon bay, california, has a pair of reefs just outside of the jaws. they are clearly marked with buoys, lining up from bottom end of the southeast reef to the top end of the northwest reef. between the two reefs is a gap of about 100 yards providing safe passage. when the swells pick up, you will have breakers on either side of you as you shoot the gap. if you cut the corner, over the top of the northwest reef, you are risking your life. there are signs up at the launch ramp that state just this. several years ago, the owner of a gulfstream 23 rolled his boat while FISHING for rockcod on top of this reef. they pulled him off of the hull 5 hours later. this last saturday, the owner of a 2007 grady 226 apparently tried to cut the corner or inadvertently strayed over the northwest reef in 12 foot seas. he was not so fortunate.

here is what i have been able to glean from the local websites and news agencies. a boat was found capsized, just inside the reef, by passing grady and the search was on. there was a coast guard chopper trying to peer through the thick fog, the harbor master's vessel on the surface, and a dozen local boats all searching for an unknown number of crewmen. a diver from the harbor masters office got the CF numbers off the capsized hull and called the family. the search now continued for the owner of this 2007 grady 226 and his cousin. the harbor master towed the capsized vessel slowly into the harbor, where a lift righted the vessel. as the water drained, the harbor master saw the shock of his life. inside the cockpit, completely enclosed on four sides by the clear plastic curtains, were the skipper, his cousin, and the epirb. that's right, the rear drop curtain was securely zipppered.

this accident should have been survivable. one of the victims had even been wearing a pfd. another grady came across the floating hull early in the morning, probably soon after accident. if the crew had been able to escape the cockpit and crawl on top of the hull, they would have been easily spotted. several had asked why the crew had been unable escape the zippered rear curtain. well, they were upside down, submerged in freezing water, in the dark, and getting tossed around like a cork looking for a zipper tab. very tragic, and a reminder that we can never be too safe. alan

 

[alantani]

Coast Guard finds two bodies on fishing boat off Half Moon Bay
By Howard Mintz


Mercury News

Posted: 11/29/2008 06:31:56 PM PST


Mercury News

Two Milpitas cousins died Saturday morning, trapped inside their fishing boat as it capsized in the choppy and roiling swells off Half Moon Bay, Coast Guard officials said.

David Tien, 47, and Jim Hsu, 45, were found inside the cabin of the 22-foot boat after searchers spent hours combing the area, responding to a report that the vessel overturned about a quarter mile from Pillar Point Harbor, said Lauren Kolumbic, a Coast Guard spokeswoman.

San Mateo County sheriff's Lt. Ray Lunny said Tien was an experienced fisherman who'd been berthing his 2007 Grand Light fishing boat at Pillar Point for the past three months, although he'd only fished three times in the area. Helicopters and lifeboats searched the ocean waters until the two men were found around 3 p.m. Saturday.

Pillar Point Harbor officials declined to comment on the matter until today. But Coast Guard officials said harbor officials found the boat in the rough seas and fog, and discovered Tien and Hsu dead inside after towing the vessel back to Pillar Point. Rescuers were not immediately aware the two men had been trapped inside until they searched the boat.

"It was not the outcome we were hoping for,'' Kolumbic said.

Contact Howard Mintz at hmintz@mercurynews.com or (408)-286-0236.

 

[GT]

this last saturday, the owner of a 2007 grady 226 apparently tried to cut the corner or inadvertently strayed over the northwest reef in 12 foot seas. he was not so fortunate.

San Mateo County sheriff's Lt. Ray Lunny said Tien was an experienced fisherman who'd been berthing his 2007 Grand Light fishing boat at Pillar Point for the past three months, although he'd only fished three times in the area. Helicopters and lifeboats searched the ocean waters until the two men were found around 3 p.m. Saturday.

What am I missing? Is this a Grady or something called a Grand Light fishing boat?

 

[alantani]

yeah, junior reporter that didn't get the name straight. he heard "grady white" and wrote down "grand light." the boat was well known to those on "F" dock at the harbor.

http://cbs5.com/local/capsized.boat.coast.2.876367.html

 

[LI Grady]

I hate reading stories like this as we all do I'm sure. We just lost another fisherman here on Long Island out at Montauk this week . It only takes a second. My sympathies to the families and friends of these men.

I'm guessing of course, but I wonder if the rear curtain was zipped for comfort (i.e. keep the wind, cold, etc out).

I have to redo my canvas and it does make me wonder about using velcro on the rear "door"

 

[alantani]

yeah, it was cold and foggy. if their rear curtain had not been zipped down tight, i'd bet they would still be alive.

 

[jfmagana]

Alan,

I just came back from the harbor and talked with the harbormaster. He added a few details:

1. Both of the passengers were wearing PFD's
2. Both of the passengers bodies were found in the cuddy cabin. He speculated that when the boat capsized, the bodies floated into the cabin.
3. There was extremely dense fog at the time. The boat was equipped with radar, but it's not yet know if it was on.
4. While the boat was found near the reef, it is not known whether or not they tried to cut a corner. There were no eyewitnesses to the accident. I saw the boat being trailered from the harbor this afternoon....it was turned-over from the San Mateo County Sheriff to the harbormaster. The harbormaster sent the boat to Drakes Marine in South San Francisco. Drake will be analyzing the information on the Yamaha engine to determine what the engine was doing at the time of the accident. Additionally, the electronics are being removed and sent to Furuno in Washington State for analysis (hopefully the plotter will tell more about what happened).
5. It is known that they departed their slip at 0730 and that the boat was spotted capsized ~1030. Nothing, absolutely nothing is know about their activities in between (i.e., we do not know if they were coming or going).
6. The harbormaster confirmed that the canvas was completely zipped-up (N.B., he was one of the first people at the scene of the accident) and speculated that this could possibly have been a factor in why they did not get out. However, he did add that the capsizing was likely extremely fast and that it is highly probable that they were thrown violently...in his opinion, it's quite possible that they were knocked unconscious by the crash.
7. There is no suspicion of foul play...this is being treated as an accident.

Thanks,

John

 

[HMBJack]

Interesting. If it is known that they left the slip at 7:30am, then it would suggest they were coming in when they capsized (some 2.5 to 3 hours later).
No crab hoist (or broken mount) was found on the boat. Maybe they tried for rockfish (last weekend for this) as they planned to catch some for a church fish feed I read about. And maybe they decided it was too rough and came in a bit early. Rods in rod holders would have certainly fell to the bottom while the boat was upside down for 5 hours (until ~3pm). Not sure if a tackle box was on board (would further support the fishing Vs. crabbing idea). I'm sure the wives knew what their plans were...

Regardless, if a BIG waves breaks and hits you broadside, you're going swimming - or at least you HOPE to. From this, I have relocated my EPIRB and ditch bag to that little anchor door which is a point where I can reach it if my boat is upside down. Maybe it won't matter but at least I think I can light up the EPIRB and shoot a flare if I'm swimming. Rear curtains on my boat have been removed long ago so that's not a factor. This is my positive take away from this very sad event.

 

[Grog]

No matter how cold, the middle rear canvas is open. With the rear totally sealed, you aren't going to open it with the weight of the the water behind it. A knife is the best way to open it up but not everybody has a knife at their side (after hearing about the anchor line around the leg and this I will). When trapped inside the PFD is probably more of a hindrance than a benefit, probably the only time when a manual inflatable come in first. I can see one or two of them being knocked out from the impact but all 3 is doubtful, don't pannic or your're screwed.

It's a sad way to learn things.

 

[magicalbill]

I agree..
I have my middle rear canvas zipped in inclement weather dockside. I have never had it totally enclosed underway, but did not figure on the scenario of gettin' trapped in there if the boat rolls.
Now I know never to do that..I feel bad that I had to learn this at the expense of those two guys lives..
I must point out, as it's been stated before..why were they fishing in 12-footers? Even if it's an oceanic swell as opposed to a steep, wind-driven sea, that's risky business if you ask me.

 

[HMBJack]

Why fishing in 12 foot seas? >> Last week-end for rock fishing in California. My weather head said NFW.

 

[jfmagana]

As Alan pointed-out earlier, this is not the first time a boat has capsized in our area (we've had two capsizing and 4 dead in the last two months). Like a lot harbors, the approach/exit path can be treacherous. I'm going to pursue getting follow-up information from the sheriff (specifically, the GPS plotter route/time stamp and the Yamaha engine operating conditions) because I want to learn from this tragedy and share the findings in hopes that it saves some lives.

IMHO, the key factors were as follows:

-Weather/seas were bad. Dense fog can serve to disorient even the most experienced boat pilot. Indeed, a captain with decades of experience crashed a 901 foot container ship last year and one of the key reasons cited was the heavy fog (see article below). Additionally, very large swells were present and breaking heavily near the area where the boat was found.

-Inexperience. It is known that the gentlemen who died had only been out of Pillar Point Harbor (in fair weather) three time prior to the accident. One of my best fishing buddies has been a life-long friend of the boat's owner and he confirmed that his friend was not really familiar with this harbor.

-Zippering-up the canvas. As was pointed out above, once the boat capsized, tremendous water pressure would have made opening the canvas very difficult. While the waters in our area are very cold (typically ~50F around now), a reasonably fit person can tread water for a few hours before the onset of hypothermia.

So my message is simple:

1. Be safe. Don't go out in bad weather.
2. File a float plan. Even just something really simple to somebody know your plans.
3. Study your charts well and get very familiar with how to safely navigate through hazardous areas. Talk to and learn from people who are very knowledgeable about how to most safely navigate your area...there is no shame in asking for advice...most old salts would love to share their advice.
4. Be prepared. Make sure you have the right gear on board and that it's current and in good operating condition. Get a free Coast Guard Auxiliary boat inspection. Carry-out practice drills so that if you get into an accident, your response/actions will be automatic.

10-23) 13:49 PDT SAN FRANCISCO - -- The ship accident that caused a huge oil spill in San Francisco Bay a year ago was the result of a series of mistakes by Capt. John Cota, according to a report released Thursday by the state pilot commission. "There was unequivocally pilot error," said Gary Gleason, an attorney for the state Board of Pilot Commissioners, which is appointed by the governor to regulate ship pilots in San Francisco, Suisun and San Pablo bays.

Cota was in control of the 901- foot-long container ship Cosco Busan when it smashed into one of the towers of the Bay Bridge on Nov. 7. The crash caused a 220-foot long gash in the side of the ship and punctured the ship's fuel tanks. More than 50,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil spilled out, fouling 26 miles of shoreline and killing more than 2,000 birds.

Gleason presented the report to the seven members of the commission and closed with a recording of Cota's voice, made on the Cosco Busan just after the accident.

"Oh, yeah, it's so foggy. I shouldn't have gone," the pilot said. "I'm not going to do well on this one." As Cota spoke, the mournful sound of the ship's fog signal was heard in the background.

The findings of the pilot commission are moot because the commission has authority only over a pilot's license, and Cota has surrendered his license; he formally retired Oct. 1.

However, Cota faces a federal criminal indictment on seven counts of violating the law by spilling oil and killing federally protected birds. If convicted, Cota, who is 70, could face prison time. His trial is expected to begin in November in federal court in San Francisco.

The Cosco Busan was bound for Busan, South Korea, but only San Francisco bar pilots are licensed to control the navigation of commercial ships in the bay. Cota was assigned to navigate the ship through the bay from the Oakland estuary to beyond the Golden Gate.

The 18-page report found that Cota had made seven serious errors in piloting the ship from its berth on the Oakland estuary to its encounter with the bridge, including failing to correctly read an electronic chart on the ship, sailing in fog so thick that he could see 200 only feet ahead of the ship's bow and sailing at an unsafe speed.

Cota also navigated the ship by giving directions on course and speed even though he had poor communication with the ship's Chinese officers and crew.

Although by law a knowledge of English is required of deck officers and certain other seafarers, the Cosco Busan's crew apparently had limited understanding of English, which contributed to the accident.

The report said Cota should have used extra care to ensure that the crew understood his plan for sailing in a heavy fog.

Although he could see that the fog was thick when he decided to sail, Cota made no effort to determine the visibility on the bay, relying instead on the ship's radar to see that his course was clear. But he had problems with the radar and, the report said, he failed to exercise sound judgment when he thought the radar was unreliable.

Cota's fatal error was to rely on an electronic chart on the Cosco Busan and on the advice of Capt. M.C. Sun, the ship's skipper. When the radar became unreliable, Cota asked Sun three times to point to a symbol on the electronic chart showing the center of the channel between the two bridge towers closest to Yerba Buena Island.

Sun instead pointed to a symbol that represented one of the towers. So instead of setting a course between the towers, Cota had the ship steered into the Delta tower, the second tower from Yerba Buena Island.

The commission report then implied that Cota, a pilot with long experience, should have known better. The report said "prudence would have dictated that he abort the attempted transit and turn south to a safe anchorage."

Instead, Cota ordered the ship to proceed at half speed, then at full speed. The 65,000-ton ship was moving at 11 knots (12.66 miles an hour) when it hit the bridge tower. The report said the speed was unsafe.

Cota's lawyer, John Meadows, said Cota shouldn't bear all the responsibility for the accident. "Had the crew participated in the operation of the ship, this would never have happened."

The case in federal court also involves several other lawsuits. Defendants include the vessel, its owners, operators and Cota himself. The costs of the accident, including cleanup and damage to fishing operators, could exceed $80 million.
New regulations

 

[CaptKennyW]

thats why i always have my knife in my pocket.

 

[Fishtales]

A 22' boat in 12' seas in tough to navigate waters in the fog and cold. Compound the situation with needing to shoot the gap with breakers and reefs on both sides.

Not playing Monday morn QB, but I sure don't understand. Maybe I'm too conservative or too much of a whimp, but I wouldn't be out in those conditions in any boat. Given the history of death and destuction, the conditions seem normative. I'd be finding a new harbor.

 

[jfmagana]

A 22' boat in 12' seas in tough to navigate waters in the fog and cold. Compound the situation with needing to shoot the gap with breakers and reefs on both sides.

Not playing Monday morn QB, but I sure don't understand. Maybe I'm too conservative or too much of a whimp, but I wouldn't be out in those conditions in any boat. Given the history of death and destuction, the conditions seem normative. I'd be finding a new harbor.

Re boating in these types of conditions, I could not agree with you more. It's just plain dangerous. It's important to note that a NOAA small craft advisory was in effect when the accident happened (i.e., it was not a freak, sudden weather system or a rouge wave...the weather reports were spot-on). Several of us on this board have navigated these waters for years without incident...if you know your limits and respect Mother Nature, it can be reasonable safe. So what the hell attracts us to this harbor you might ask? Fishing. We have some of the best rockfishing, tuna, salmon, crab, etc. on the California coast. It's just an unfortunate pairing of excellent fishing and dangerous conditions.