off topic -- Sailing Solo from RI to GA

Allatoona

Member
I know this is off topic, please delete the post if it doesn't belong here.

I thought many of you might enjoy reading the adventure of one of my club members that currently is sailing from RI to GA. Erik John's just finished school in RI learning boat repair, maintenance, engine work, etc. He is in his early 20's and just purchased a 30' Cal, and is currently sailing it home to Georgia. His mother is providing daily updates of his adventure.

Eriks sail from RI to GA

edit: Tuesday evening update -- on anchor at Cape May, NJ, in a rough storm, several sailboat have been smashed and others dragged out to sea. He's deciding whether to stay with the boat or call coast guard to pull him off the boat.

-Robert Forrester
1984 Catalina 22'
1989 Catalina Capri 14.2
 
No one else has said anything here so I will...thanks for this intriguing story. I can't imagine doing that myself...a 30ft is a good size but on the ocean by yourself, yikes. I hope he makes it ok, keep up with the updates. Thanks
 
Coast Guard Rescues

I think it's one of those trips that sounds really fun, but I'm not sure that I would ever attempt it. Day 19, the Mandalay owner looses a finger in his windlass, they are probably going to find another way to home to Florida.

I didn't put in the blog, because I didn't want to scare Eriks mother too much.... I found a couple more rescues from the Coast Guard site, from the same storm:
http://coastguardnews.com/multiple-...-to-sinking-sailboat-off-nj-coast/2008/10/29/
http://coastguardnews.com/coast-guard-aircrew-rescues-2-near-cape-may-nj/2008/10/19/

http://coastguardnews.com/coast-gua...50-miles-southeast-of-cape-may-nj/2008/10/31/
http://coastguardnews.com/coast-guard-rescues-4-near-cape-may-nj/2008/10/28/

Video of an offshore rescue from the same storm -- this 44' sailboat looks real small. About 1/2 way through the video it changes to color and you can see that the mast is sheared off... they bailed water for several hours before their rescue. One of the crew died and a USCG swimmer was injured:
http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=411587

Another link about the incident:
https://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/651/236966/

-Robert
 

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