Pat Green's boat capsized!

[Zieg]

Thank you Proteinrage, that's the type of reporting we needed. It does sound like the captain handled the emergency very well.

 

[JEC11718]

I'd say that was first person perspective!! Glad you are OK!!

 

[airstream]

Crazy, I am happy everyone is OK.....What were the specs on the boat? I have a CAT as well and just looking for some data....

 

[ohonu]

That's close to what i remember. The only thing i would change is; I believe the Mayday Call started between the 2 and 3 waves. As soon as the 2nd wave killed the engines, the Capt issued the mayday.

We were fortunate that some of our gear floated. I was able to grab my fins as they floated by. That allowed me to move around in the wave action better, so i was able to pull people closer together. We were able to get various pieces of gear before they went down or away.

All in all, i believe we were very lucky to get out of this with the minor injuries that we had. I WILL be diving with the captain and OP again!

 

[DA Aquamaster]

How was the boat oriented to the waves? Did they hit it on the bow, from the stern or abeam the vessel?

 

[mike_s]

How was the boat oriented to the waves? Did they hit it on the bow, from the stern or abeam the vessel?

the stern it seems.

from the above post.

At this point, Ohonu was near the rear the boat when the first wave splashed, putting about 4-5 inches of water into the stern area - Ohonu calling me to get my gear. He barely finished that sentence when the second wave crashed into stern essentially pushing the stern down, burying 3-4ft of water in the boat and the engines quit - seconds later the third wave swamped the rear

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I read it, however it is not clear whether the wave broke over the bow and then drained into the lower area near the stern, reducing the freeboard for successive waves, or whether it just got pooped by successive waves hitting the stern.

Also, I gathered from the references to moving/redistributing weight forward as divers came aboard that it may have been a bit low in the stern anyway.

I've had a number of divers aboard a smallish craft where weight distribution was an issue, and sea state was often very important, especially if a fresh breeze is swinging the boat downwind from the mooring buoy swinging your stern into oncoming swellsor current.

 

[ohonu]

The rogue waves came over the Port/Stern of the Red Menace.

 

[proteinrage]

Ohonu and I were discussing this at lunch and though my recollection is a bit foggy - it appeared to be a matter of timing. As the boat was "free" - untie'd from the Black Bart - it may have rotated so that the stern was exposed to the wave, thereby causing the events in my previous post. Again, I took a blow to the head, so take this as pure speculation on my part.

 

[pamawi]

I'm so glad everyone is okay. I have always thought alot of this diveop although I haven't been on that boat before. Do you know what the sea forecast was for the day and how high do you estimate the rogue waves were in relation to the others?