[C320-list] 320 race to mackinac

[Bruce Stumpp]

Pat, 

Good to hear your boat and everyone on board are okay after the storm.  A
couple of years ago we experienced something similar.  We saw a storm coming
quickly and were just able to get under the Bay bridge, into a large cove
and get the anchor down.  There was bad lightening and we were told the
winds hit 70 or more - all the zippers opened on our canvas, larger boats
around us were blown to shore and a friend's 25 Catalina that was anchored
near us ended up on shore.  We thought several times we were going to shore
and were surprised the anchor held.  I'm glad we were not in open water like
you were.  Although your emergency prep could have been better it sounds
like you did te right things to weather the storm.   

Bruce Stumpp
#647, Adventure
Frog Mortar Creek, MD

Message: 3
Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2011 09:43:52 -0700 (PDT)
From: pat reynolds <lorasalum at yahoo.com>
To: "C320-List at Catalina320.com" <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
Subject: [C320-list] 320 race to mackinac
Message-ID:
	<1312217032.54872.YahooMailNeo at web36506.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

On July 17th after a great day surfing at 8 to 10.5 knots with the symerical
spinnaker and winds from 10 to 25 knots on the quarter, a very intense storm
hit the 350 boat race fleet at approximately 11 pm.? Due to lightning which
proceeded the storm we first reefed both sails and then after looking at a
internet picture of the storm decided to drop the main and back wind the 80%
genoa we had reduced to and heave to.? We had just done so when the fast
moving storm hit.? Winds in our area were 45 to 55 knots out of the west.?
Due to the speed of the storm, waves did not have a chance to build over 6
feet but on Lake Michigan they tend to be much closer together.? Winds in
other cells further north hit 70 knots and one boat recored 100 knots.?
Another boat from our marina, a C&C 33 had the main up and was knocked down
and spun around "like water going down a drain" they bent the boom and
snapped the boom vang.? I am very pleased to report that our 15  year old
320 and a Catalina 36 behind us survived with little or no damage, a tribute
to the Catalina staff. Our boom vang did separate at the top where for some
reason there is a pin holding the sections together.? Unbelievably we found
the pin on deck later and simply reinstalled it and duct taped it.? During
the storm the lightning show was indescribable.? Bolts hitting the water,
between clouds, zig zagging everywhere and lighting up the area like day.?
Somehow with 300 some masts in the area I don't believe any one was hit.? ?I
did end up with lines all over the cockpit including lines which came out of
their camcleats on the mast and a pole topping lift up at the block on the
mast. ? Lessons learned: ? 1. Although I have not had much success heaving
to with the main up in the past, with the main down and the 155 genoa
partially reefed and the wheel held hard over our boat acted exceptionally
well particularly since we were only 6 miles off a lee shore.? Probably most
boats that were damaged still had too much sail up. Our boat crabbed one
mile during the 20 to 30 minutes of heavy wind and waves.? 2.? Our boat by
rule carried a lift raft, gpirb, storm jib, jacklines and personal crew
harnesses with strobe lights and tethers.? However when the storm hit, the
lift raft was somewhat buried in the lazerette, the rented gperb was still
in the box in the v berth with the storm sail ( which I had just gotten and
never tried to put up) and one of my off watch crew came on deck without his
harness.? Obviously we were unprepared for the storm which we never expected
to be so sudden.?? Valuable lessons in being better prepared were learned.?
We should have brought the raft up, had the gpirb ready at hand, and had the
storm jib ready and made sure all lines were secure? You can do none of that
when you are hanging on to the boat.? Unfortunately one boat did lose two
crew.? >From initial reports they were tethered to the boat when found and
may have been hit by the boom or the boat and may have been unconscious.?
see
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/20/deadly-storm-during-macki_n_904498.
html