Asher Woods Rescue

[Ian McColgin]

You may recall from a couple of falls ago the tale of a young man rescued off Nantucket after his father fell off the family sailboat. Today's Boston Globe Magazine has the story. I don't know if you can get it electronically but if not, perhaps the author, Portland Me freelancer James V. Horrigan, can help. The Globe lists his email as jvhorrigan@yahoo.com.

Added musing: It might not have been totally wrong to take a green crew out, but it was not good to haul out on the bow sprit with no harness or PFD. Also, a cruising ketch with a clubbed jib can be made safer with a jib downhaul and safer yet with lazy jacks. This loss of life seems to me the result of too much experience in calm conditions without enough of the occasional scares to cause continuing education.

[adampet]

saw the story as well Ian. Had some of the same thoughts. Not wearing PFD's, not clipped in to lifelines. The son couldn't work the radio, apparently had very little experience as a sailor, no concept of how to handle an emergency. The father had not taught the basics of how to be a safe crew. A tradgedy waiting to happen.

Link to the story here.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2008/01/13/i_couldnt_get_him/

Adam

[CGrant]

Ian, write that book!;)

[Ken Hutchins]

I over heard I conversation between 2 people who knew him they both agreed that he was an accident waiting to happen.:rolleyes:

[Ian McColgin]

Author seeking more information. I don’t think it improper for him to ask on this forum. Hope any who can, provide information as a fuller understanding of any loss of life at sea is for the better in our community. I hope also that just as the sea humbles all of us, we’ll remember that while errors should be understood, the story does not involve only the dead and we should be humble enough in our remarks to remember the living as well. I’m especially thinking of how the art of second-guessing can present interesting problems – to wit: Sebastian Junger’s speculations that Andrea Gale’s modified tophamper contributed to the sinking. Maybe. Maybe not.

So, C&P from PM

Mr. McColgin,

I saw your chat about the story I wrote for the Boston Globe Magazine last week on the Asher Woods incident. I registered with the WoodenBoat Forum and received my ID number but I can't seem to post a reply.

Would you be willing to post this within a reply of your own?

I am now writing a book on the 2005 tragedy aboard the Niobe and I am interested in speaking to -or corresponding with- you and the other three gentlemen who posted replies.

In fact, I am interested in hearing from anyone on this board who either read the story or is familiar with the incident.

I wrote of another sailing adventure in the Globe Magazine in 2006, about a Massachusetts couple sailing around the world who encountered pirates in the Gulf of Aden. It was called "Pirate Alley."
Here's a link to it:
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/mag.../pirate_alley/

Thanks,

James V. Horrigan
jvhorrigan@yahoo.com

[katiedobe]

Here is a correct link to the Pirate Alley story.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2006/03/19/pirate_alley/

[james v. horrigan]

Thanks, Ian. I'm eager to hear from anyone who has an opinion on this matter, but I'm especially interested in hearing from people who may remember seeing reports on the TV news while the boat was still missing.

Not sure why the two links above no longer bring you to my story on Pirate Alley, but going to Google and writing "Horrigan pirate alley" should work.

Thanks,

James V. Horrigan

[Tom Hunter]

Jim,

You should read the book below, and pay special attention to the chapter titled Hamrah and the Ameses. Different boat, different time, but when I heard the news about Asher Woods I thought of Hamrah immediately.


After the Storm: True Stories of Disaster and Recovery at Sea By John Rousmaniere 2002

[james v. horrigan]

Thanks, Tom!

Somebody else steered me toward "A Scream on the Water" by Margaret Press. I'm going to see if I can find this one, too.

Best,
JVH

[Ed Harrow]

James, another possible book for you is Sea Sense by Richard Henderson. It deals with the topic on a multi-level basis, boat, boat handling, short-handed, storms, etc.

The book was a gift, and it was a shock to read about my mother's cousin, who, along with boat and crew, was lost off of Florida. The only thing ever found was the tender. They were caught in ugly weather in the gulf stream, never a good combination. The party who gave me the book had no idea of the connection.

It's pretty obvious that the father was basically single-handing, and was short in the 'sea sense' department.

As some one said, "There are old sailors, there are bold sailors, but there are no old, bold sailors."