boston.com: Coast guard rescue 2 from homemade boat

[Delboy]

Coast Guard rescues 2 as waves batter homemade boat

September 26, 2007
SANDY HOOK, N.J. --Two people are safe after the Coast Guard rescued them from their homemade boat about one mile off Sandy Hook.
The Coast Guard received a distress call from The Inconvenient Truth Tuesday afternoon. Colin Cote, of Waterbury, Vermont, reported the vessel had lost power and was talking on water in one to two-foot seas.
Efforts to tow the boat failed and waves battered the plywood and resin craft into pieces.
No one was injured.
The Inconvenient Truth was trying to sail from Staten Island, New York, to Florida by the Intracoastal Waterway. http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/File-Based_Image_Resource/dingbat_story_end_icon.gif

Anyone know the boat?

[Bob Adams]

Was Al Gore aboard?

[Thorne]

It is this exact sort of thing that continues to give wooden boats, and in some cases boatbuilders, a bad name.

Not much we can do about it, of course, but to continue to try to encourage people to build responsibly with proper materials. Re-inventing the laws of physics or re-designing functional hulls always seems to fail just in the worst locations...

[Tom Hunter]

quote from another article:


"This is the second time that Cote has attempted a stunt like this. In 2006 he tried to make the trip from Vermont to Florida in another homemade boat, but it capsized six days after the launch when it was caught in the 5-foot wake of a speed boat."


And the vessel herself

http://blog.silive.com/latest_news/2007/09/0926Boat.jpg

[Kim Whitmyre]

Maybe the third time will be the charm. . .:p

[Old Sailor]

Might I suggest Amtrak?
Old Sailor

[Hwyl]

Give the guy a break. I've often thought of doing something similar.

I loved reading the book about the teacher who sailed across Europe in a Mirror dinghy. I wonder if a Mirror would be appropriate for the intercoastal?

[Thorne]

Gareth -

Nothing wrong with the idea or even the route -- but look at the boat! I load up my dory or canoe like that for short trips across calm lakes or lagoons -- not open water.

If he starts taking on water in 1-2 ft. seas, the boat doesn't belong on anything but a duckpond in my estimation.

A spectacular death in a home-made boat is likely to result in exactly what we've been trying to avoid -- mandatory floatation / material regulations that basically outlaw traditional open boats. When a wooden boat 'breaks up' in 1-2 ft. seas, how are safety inspectors and regulators going to look at other wooden boats, or laws pertaining to same?

As the CG rescue boat officer said, "The vessel was not seaworthy..."


--

Coast Guard (http://coastguardnews.com/homemade-boat-crew-rescued-by-coast-guard/2007/09/25/)

September 25th, 2007 — Coast Guard (http://coastguardnews.com/category/coast-guard/), Search and Rescue (http://coastguardnews.com/category/safety/sar/)
NEW YORK–The Coast Guard rescued two people from their home made boat after it lost power and began taking on water one mile east of Sandy Hook, N.J., at approximately 3:30 p.m. today.


In a distress call placed over marine band radio, Colin Cote, of Waterbury, VT., reported his vessel, The Inconvenient Truth, lost power and was taking on water in one to two foot seas. In an effort to stabilize the vessel, Cote dropped anchor approximately 200 yards from shore.


A 41-foot rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook arrived on scene shortly after to assess the situation.
“The vessel was not seaworthy,” said Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Clay Wilbanks, coxswain of the Coast Guard rescue boat. “It was held together with plywood and resin and was taking on water in the one to two foot chop.”


The vessel was first placed in a stern tow; however the D-ring attached to the vessel broke free. The crew placed the boat in a side tow in an effort to bring it toward the beach.
“After the ring broke free there were no more fixtures to tow the vessel,” said Wilbanks. “We placed the vessel in a side tow but it was getting battered pretty badly and breaking apart.”

The Inconvenient Truth broke into pieces 50 yards from the Sandy Hook Park beach around 6 p.m. The Sandy Hook park police are surveying the beach for the remains of the vessel. No pollution was reported.

The crew of The Inconvenient Truth were attempting to sail from Staten Island, N.Y., to Florida via the Intracoastal Waterway, a 3,000 mile waterway used by recreational and commercial vessels that spans the length of the Eastern Seaboard.
Both passengers were wearing life jackets, there are no reports of injuries.
The vessel has a previous Captain of the Port Order not to sail due to lack of navigational lights.


The Coast Guard would like to remind boaters to have their vessels inspected before any journey. Free safety inspections and equipment checks can be obtained from the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the U.S. Power Squadron.

[elf]

In a mirror dinghy? What's the book called?

[JimD]

“The vessel was not seaworthy,” said Coast Guard ... “It was held together with plywood and resin

It doesn't help when the CG says things like that.

[George Roberts]

One has to accept that cost is the primary motivation for many people to build boats. A rational belief based on that fact is that wooden/home built boats are less safe than non wooden/factory built boats.

---

I suspect many of the boats built by people who ask questions here will be of the quality of the boat that is the cause of this thread.

[Bruce Hooke]

It doesn't help when the CG says things like that.

Yup, that was a pretty stupid statement on the part of the Coast Guardsman (assuming the press quoted him correctly). Someone should write to him and point out that boats "held together with plywood and resin" have circled the globe.

What looks to me to be missing in that boat is any sort of lateral reinforcing between the gunwales. Without that, the flat sides of a barge shaped boat will flex in and out and destroy the chine joint.

[Bruce Hooke]

I suspect many of the boats built by people who ask questions here will be of the quality of the boat that is the cause of this thread.

But the good thing about this forum is that we have, I think, managed to guide people away from creating disasters like this one...

[JimD]

I suspect many of the boats built by people who ask questions here will be of the quality of the boat that is the cause of this thread.

I would have thought the opposite. Folks ask questions here in order to avoid building such death traps.

[seanz]

In a mirror dinghy? What's the book called?

Yeah ,not that we're obsessed with sailing books ...............
And while we're waiting to find out I'd like to mention
'Lee Hughes;The Biggest Boat I Could Afford',
not a bad read. He sails the intercoastal in a Wayfarer dinghy.
Not mad at all.
Just Kiwi.
:D

[seanz]

I suspect many of the boats built by people who ask questions here will be of the quality of the boat that is the cause of this thread.

Many?!?!

There's a lot we don't know about the boat in question. Most people here seem to be building using marine ply and a design from a NA.We don't know if either of these were involved in the construction of 'The Inconvenient Truth'.
What a name :rolleyes:

[Thorne]

The more I research his boats, the scarier it gets. Here are several posts about what I think is the boat that was swamped in a powerboat wake in 2006, probably the same one that just fell apart. Can't tell as it looks like the Jamestown forum doesn't post years, just dates?

I'll guess that the boat was a balsa-core FG 29' pirogue, with only 60# of thrust from two Minn Kota trolling motors, possibly carrying over 2000lbs of gear plus passengers.

Note the materials -- "end grain balsa/FG/and West System" !!!!

from - http://www.boatbuilding.net/article.pl?sid=06/04/03/1157200&mode=thread
pirogue29 (iwalktheline4u@yahoo.com) writes:

I designed the vessel last summer and fall and built it this winter in a 40' doghouse, ( a feat I would not reccommend anyone try to repeat), but it came out pretty well given the working conditions, and most of all it is a worthy and very functional vessel. I have yet to name it but I launched it on 3/11 and Rowed it from Albany/Rensallaer down the Hudson river approx. 140 miles to the Tappan Zee Bridge carrying about 1000 # of gear.

She is amazingly stable for a 29' Pirogue, and my first project. Constructed of end greain balsa/ FG/ and West System.

and same site -

pirogue29 (iwalktheline4u@yahoo.com) writes "Here is a photo of the electric powered pirogue I built in the winter of 2005-2006 , being towed north , on The Hudson river towards The Champlain Canal, May 7th 2006. The boat kind enough to give me a tow (The Mystic Whaler), belongs to Folk Singer/Musician Pete Segar. I needed to get some extra speed and range in order to make it from Coxsackie, N.Y. to lock # 7 at Hudson Falls , N.Y. that day. The boat is powered by two Minn-kota 30# thrust motors which combined consume 60A per hour at 12V, or 720w. They could easily be powered by solar panels but for now I recharge 6 group 31 deep cycle batteries each night. It makes 5 knots on electric power and 3 with 7 1/2 foot oars. It can run continuously for 12 hours per day or more. And this is while carrying a 2000 pound load of cargo and passengers. It was evidently quite a sight for the boaters oh the hudson that day th see a "giant canoe" towing an Old Town 17' canoe, waterskiing behind a 110' twin masted schooner, the "train" was photographed and videotaped by hundreds of onlookers that day. Since there is no place to attach the photo here I guess I'll have to submit it to the "projects" section of this site. Happy Building / Boating to all. From Colin Cote somewhere where there's water."

NOTE - looks like he was unable to post the photo, as I searched the projects section with no result. Thorne

[peter osberg]

Headline should read...... Coast guard states that faulty assembly of concepts and materials lead to two being recued from the 'inconvenient truth'! peter

[Russ Manheimer]

ELF,

Great little book; amazing adventure told by a natural storyteller. (Though not a natural sailor!)

The Unlikely Voyage of Jack Crow by A. J. McKinnon

Here's an Amazon link. (http://www.amazon.com/Unlikely-Voyage-Jack-Crow-Odyssey/dp/1574091522)

Enjoy,

Russ

[Hwyl]

ELF,

Great little book; amazing adventure told by a natural storyteller. (Though not a natural sailor!)

The Unlikely Voyage of Jack Crow by A. J. McKinnon

Here's an Amazon link. (http://www.amazon.com/Unlikely-Voyage-Jack-Crow-Odyssey/dp/1574091522)

Enjoy,

Russ

Thanks Russ. I did not see Emily's earlier post.

Thorne, building with end grain balsa and glass is a very accepted method, tens if not hundreds of thousands of boats are buit that way. I do note in the owners explanation that he "was towed by the Mystic Whaler" owned by Pete Seeger. The Mystic Whaler is in fact owned by John Edgington. I owe John a beer if I spelt his last name wrong, I probably owe him a beer anyway.