Lanier sailors capsize off Sapelo

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zzholt
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Lanier sailors capsize off Sapelo

Seen on FB. 38 ft sail boat capsizes after losing keel on grounding at inlet. Everyone is okay but boat is total loss. USCG airlifted them to safety. Fortunately, the boat carried all the proper safety equipment and a solid insurance policy. It can happen to even seasoned sailors. Whether 38 ft or 200cm, make sure you sail safely.

https://www.counton2.com/news/latest-news/video-two-pulled-from-water-after-boat-overturns-in-sapelo-sound/

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zzholt
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Re: Lanier sailors capsize off Sapelo

wow....

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rgenet
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Re: Lanier sailors capsize off Sapelo

It turned out OK, but I do wonder what happened. I read the interview with the captain and he said he was in the channel, following other large boats, etc.

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Re: Lanier sailors capsize off Sapelo

From FB post -

"But for the GRACE of GOD I’m happy to report ** and I survived a Grounding at the Entrance of Sapelo Island & Sound. We had several strikes against us, namely the Navionics app should NEVER be trusted. Gave reported shoals a wide berth and follow channel markers and another sailboat. Also, a large Shrimper had just came out, so we “thought” it’d be safe. I’m still in a state of shock."

" had +40 paper or old school charts onboard, 3 radios, 12 flares, extra GPS’s, 12 life jackets (down from 18) but when the markers are way out of place, strong tide, 5-6’ breakers, 20 knots wind that funnels you into a “V”, and you try to do and about face but can’t…. Also, shocked how easily rudder snapped off… a series of unfortunate events. Heck, even NASA has had epic failures. In 17th Century, 1-2% of all merchants didn’t make it…"

Windy and rough conditions. 5-6 ft breakers means you suddenly have 3 ft less under you than you might otherwise have. Ten ft water is now 7. Apparently, Sapelo Inlet is notorious for shifting shoals which can change depth very quickly.

"Overview: Used by fishermen and shrimpers, not to mention legendary pirate Edward Teach (Blackbeard). (You will pass just north of Blackbeard Island and Blackbeard Creek while transiting this inlet.) Southbound cruisers hoping to avoid the Georgia ICW rarely use the inlet, preferring to jump offshore through the big ship channels at Charleston, Port Royal or Savannah.

Navigation: Current and trustworthy local knowledge required. From the sea buoy, proceed first to red nun buoy 2 and then head slightly south of west to green can buoy 3. Depths will drop from more than 20 feet down to 12 feet MLW along the way. If you see 10-foot MLW depths, you are in trouble and need to reverse course. At green can buoy 5, you will see 20-plus-foot MLW depths return, and it is a simple matter of following the red buoys in until you meet up with the ICW past red nun buoy 10.

Cautions and hazards: Not the best inlet in rougher weather, due to extensive shoals to the north and south of the inlet. Sound is quite wide and the aids to navigation are unlighted, making it unfavorable for nighttime passage except by the well experienced. Depths between green can buoy 3 and green can buoy 5 drop to 12 feet MLW in places, and there are breaking shoals to the north of the channel; otherwise, depths typically run to over 20 feet MLW. Do not be tempted to cut corners here.

ICW connection: Junction of Sapelo Sound and ICW is at Mile 632.

Nearest recommended inlet: Northbound, you should bypass St. Catherines Sound (9.5 nm) and continue to Wassaw Sound (22 nm) if conditions are calm or, best yet, go on to Tybee Roads to the Savannah River (31 nm). Southbound, the ship channel at St. Simons Sound is 29.5 nm away."
- https://www.waterwayguide.com/nav-alert/4-5641/ga-inlet-caution-sapelo-sound-entrance

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rgenet
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Re: Lanier sailors capsize off Sapelo

... were they under sail during the grounding?

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Re: Lanier sailors capsize off Sapelo
rgenet wrote:

... were they under sail during the grounding?

No clue. It would have depended on the wind direction, if the channel would have allowed it to be done on the same tack, etc. May have even been done under sail and power. All the same, in that much wind, boats get pushed around and usually don't have terribly powerful motors so quickly getting out of a bad spot is difficult.

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rgenet