Close Encounter of the Paddlewheeler Kind

August, 2004

 

After several laps of Sail Bay doing a lot of tacking and spin jibes with me at the helm and Mike crewing, we decide to take a long tour de bay around Vacation Isl and out to the channel passing in front of Dana Landing. Just before Dana Landing, Mike and I switched places so he could get some time helming his boat. The wind got a bit lighter and clocked around to the NW due to local effects of the bridge and headland supporting it allowing us to parallel the rip-rap shore in front of the park at Dana heading west toward the bridge.

The William D. Evans (one of the two big paddle boats at the Bahia) was in the same bay heading south in front of the bridge and started to turn east toward us and parallel the shore. As he made the turn, his wind shadow immediately stalled us and left us dead still. 5691 was heeling to stbd and we were attempting to keep it flat but it went over just as the WDE passed us to stbd about 30' away (we were also ~30' from shore to port). I hopped on the CB as we went over and Mike went into the water and aft away from the WDE. The current generated by the WDE then spun as to stbd and sucked 5691 (with main in the water and turtling) into the stbd side of the WDE amidships. We impacted at less than 1kt and the WDE was doing no more than 3 kts but the force shoved the mast into the bottom of the bay and almost immediately snapped it. We were fixed to the bottom of the bay by the stick and since pinned, our bow dragged along the side of the WDE for almost her entire aft 1/2. When clear, I (standing on the hull the whole time) had Mike come around to help me right 5691. Upon righting, the mast was broken below the shrouds allowing it to unstep and rip up the mast gate and hole the chute. The boom was also snapped cleanly in half.

Having righted the boat we started drifting into the rip-rap shore. We hailed a passing jet-ski and taking the main sheet they towed us backward into the middle of the bay. While doing this (and nearly swamping us), I rigged the jib sheet to the jib tack at the bow and the good Samaritan then could tow us forward to MBYC. The lifeguards came by to check on us but we were under control so continued. The WDE also continued and never stopped so we assume they never saw us before or after the accident despite how close she was as we passed each other.

Team Kitty Fever helped us pick up the pieces and get the boat ashore and we derigged and had a much needed beer. No one had been hurt, just shaken up a bit so despite a financial loss it was not too bad.

I was of the opinion that we likely were burdened with giving right of way due to his tonnage, but very unhappy that the WDE never stopped from what could have been an injury causing accident. Upon talking to a Capt friend of mine, he said that regardless of tonnage, he has to give us room unless he is constrained by a channel which he was not. If we are pinned between the shore and he is powered, he has the responsibility to get closer to the middle of the bay and give us breathing room and that we should file a report with the Life Guard and Coast Guard- especially since he did not stop after the collision. Mike and I gave reports to both the LG and SDPD and there is a form to turn into the CA dept of Boating and Waterways anytime there is an accident with more than $500 damage. SDPD does not normally get involved in non-injury accidents but because this really had the potential to be so and because it is with a commercial vessel, they are investigating and informing the Bahia of the incident.

Current thought is that it could go either way, as we technically hit him broadsides we could be seen at fault but his craft caused the collision as he had us pinned and without power so it could be his too. Either way, the boat is considered totaled as the replacement for the mast, boom, sails that got torn, etc are all more than it is value.

Geoff Nelson

 

Mike's Follow-up a few weeks later.

I tried calling and e-mailing the CG regarding the results of thier investigation and haven't recieved any word back. My bet is that they and the captain involved would like to sweep this under the table and forget about it since there more significant things at stake than a "row boat with a mast on it" - no injuries, so let's try to be more careful. I don't think I'm going to push them either - I'd rather not get on the CG's bad side. So what that means is - no replacement mast for me, and Road Kill becomes a long term investment, or more realistically, a loss! What the hell, its worth the fun.

One last thing - if anyone has an accident in Mission Bay, go to the CG first and don't forget your neck brace (just kidding). The PD has no clue as to what thier jurisdiction is. As an example, they thought they had jurisdiction over our accident. Over a week later and wasted time and effort revealed they they were clueless and they handed the investigation off to its rightful owner - the Coast Guard. I should have known after the police woman who started the investigation had no clue about sailing terminology, but thought she could tear Dennis Connor a new one if they raced. Typical know-it-all attitude. Not that they were rude or anything like that. They were professional, but obviously had no clue.

Mike Pollard