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Old 03-29-2011, 04:58 PM   #1
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This guy's story just doesn't add up.

http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/...q4hd7KDTA.cspx
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Old 03-30-2011, 02:42 AM   #2
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Where did they put 10 people on a 25-foot sailboat? Seems to me that they were sitting on the deck, cabin top, everywhere. There's no indication of the size/weight of the adults, and I don't like speculating, but I can't help it.

With the only sailor on the boat the helmsman, and the winds apparently light, I assume that people were sitting everywhere on the boat, probably most on the cabin top and foredeck. A little gust and an adult falls off the cabin top and rolls to the lee side, a friend grabs for him/her, throwing the boat even more over, rolling a few more people over, next thing one knows, the boat's on its side and everybody panics. Or, one of the kids is the first to start rolling off, and everybody is grabbing and falling and rolling to one side, and that little boat just can't handle so much weight bouncing on the rail.

I don't think that we will get a true description of what happened, a shame because without facts there's no way to prevent the same thing happening again.

How sad.
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Old 03-30-2011, 05:39 PM   #3
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It appears the keel might not have been deployed correctly.
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Old 03-30-2011, 09:03 PM   #4
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10 people represent a lot of weight topsides for a small boat like that. That they capsized isn't so surprising. Weight in the wrong place, gust of wind and oops there the boat goes.

That two people died is quite surprising, though.

In addition to US Coast Guard investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTS has the discretion to investigate transportation-related accidents and incidents. In the boating world, that can be anything from a oil tanker down to a tiny boat like this. When fatalities are involved, they all become quite interested. Unless it is very obvious what happened (e.g. this sort of flip has happened before with this design of boat), I'd expect an investigation.

It is a sad thing that happened and hopefully we will learn what went wrong.
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Old 03-31-2011, 06:50 AM   #5
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Complements from The Macgregor 26 Home page

MACGREGOR 26 WATER BALLAST SYSTEM



MacGregor developed this concept. It has been widely copied, and is now the standard throughout the trailerable sailboat industry. It makes it possible to have very light weight for powering and trailering, and the heavy stability necessary for safe sailing. After launching, the transom valve is opened and a tank in the bottom of the hull is gravity filled with 1150 lbs of sea water. It takes about 5 minutes. The valve is then closed, trapping the water. Under power or sail, the ballast makes the boat stable and self righting. When the boat is floated back onto its trailer, the valve is opened. The car and trailer start up the ramp and the water drains out of the boat, leaving a trailering package that is lighter than most small powerboats. You can also empty the tank while the boat is in the water. Under power, at about 6 mph, open the valve on the transom and the tank will drain in about 5 minutes.

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The above appears to say that it is possible for the boat to be without its water ballast (Which in the company's terms :-

"the ballast makes the boat stable and self righting." "the heavy stability necessary for safe sailing.)

The addition of +/- 10 people may have been a factor in giving an impression of stability - when in fact the opposite may have been the result.
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