[Lighthouse]

Interesting description of the sad loss of the Sean Seamore 2 in the Atlantic.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/c...8359d1b&p=1

[seanseamour]

Attached File(s)

•  Account_of_May_6th.rtf (11.7K)
  Number of downloads: 105

[Lighthouse]

@seanseamour

Thank you for posting your log - it is all so educating for us all. So good to get a first-hand report. Thank God you're all OK.

[camaraderie]

SeanSeamore....

Thanks so much for posting your summary. I am in North Carolina and heard some of the CoastGuard conversation on the VHF about your boat and the 3 others that were lost in the same vicinity on the 6-8th of this month. Thank God you are all safe and sound and lived to tell the tale.
In reviewing your post, I found your preparations and seamanship in the face of deteriorating conditions exemplary and it is clear that some conditions are simply too great for any small boat to endure.
One thing strikes me as I read your post...and that is the seeming lack of weather warning/forcasting you had. I know that storm warnings were being posted on FRIDAY and were well established by Saturday by Herb and the NWS. From your post, it seems as if the intensity of the weather was a surprise and that you were just relying on gribs for your planning.
Can you comment on whether this is true or simply an oversight in your account? If you had known of the approach of a TS force system, would you have continued on?

Not meaning any criticism...just trying to understand how you found yourself in this situation better and any lessons I might take away. Thanks and good wishes!

[MMNETSEA]

Hi, Camaraderie

Your questions are relevant for all cruisers, we noted the WX forecast models that were being used by Sean Seamour. These, when compared with hurricane force conditions encountered on the 6th May seemed contradictory. As I result we checked the archives for this Storm and found that the first warning by the NHC was given on the 9th May; see :-

http://www.nhc.noaa....007/index.shtml

In view of lack of data for the period 3rd May <<>> 8th May, we have contacted the National Hurricane Center asking for data re. the storm system before it was first named as Sub Tropical Storm Andrea on the 9th May.
Perhaps, then we will have a better fix on the conditions and the decisions taken.

Richard

[camaraderie]

Thanks Richard! Yes...the sub-tropical warnings were only issued after all the damage was done and the storm moved south. We were hearing storm warnings here in North Carolina on the previous Friday/Saturday. That is my recollection anyway...so it will be interesting to see the data you get. Too bad there is no easy way to access past forecasts. Best...Cam

[Lighthouse]

@seanseamour

A question has been asked which I pass on to you.

"What type of sea-anchor/drogue had you deployed and do you have any idea of exactly how it finally failed?"

This would be very interesting info for many of us.

Thank you.

[seanseamour]

I used a Sea Brake GP24L with swivel to 40 feet of chain re-swivel then rode, deployed about 400 feet to set deep in second wave. I deployed it around 16:00 hours then as seas built and in anticipation added 150 feet of rode. We were riding the storm very comfortably until around 23:00 hours when wave form shifted more to from the NNE, compensated with helm. The rogue wave (pretty much onfirmed now) which hit us around 0245 knocking us to starboard put an agle on the line which rubbed it against the engine air intake cowl on the starboard stern side, the added pressure of the rogue wave in combination with the mechanical pressure caused the line to snap clean just after the chaffing tape. Had it not been for the rogue wave I feel confident we would have pulled through the system which began to subside a few hours later. ADDITIONALLY: Flying Colors, a 54ft Little Harbour was some 10 to 40 nauticals off my starboard, it has dissapeared after pulling its EPIRB about 40minutes after me -- I am in contact with some of the familly desperately seeking any info, I have posted to this effect, if you hear anyting please pass on to me.
Thanks, JP

[seanseamour]

camaraderie, on May 29 2007, 03:10 PM, said:

SeanSeamore....

I was tracking the two depressions some of you have mentioned, the major one had moved well north of my navigational plan to a NNE track, neither was a threat at the time and there were no warnings for my area that were a threat, the higher winds were for coastal areas both through GRIB files and OCENS weatherfax data not seen to exceed a sustained 35kt by which time I was planning to tack an easterly course. There was no sat data available, to my knowledge the first sat data NOAA made available was at 1747 on the 7th when the storm had passed over us, it took them yet another day to aknowledge the phenomena as a tropical depression.

[Lighthouse]

@seanseamour

Thank you for the prompt reply - that certainly answers the question. I appreciate your time and effort to supply all the details.

Your experience is what we all fear and the more we learn about it the better.

Thank you.

[Auzzee]

Hi JP, That is plain frightening. I am so glad you all survived. I hope I possess the same presence of mind as you, if I ever find myself in a similar situation.
With great respect.
David.

[camaraderie]

Auzzee, on May 30 2007, 08:32 AM, said:

I hope I possess the same presence of mind as you, if I ever find myself in a similar situation.

Ditto that JP...and thanks for clarifying the weather reporting used. We often hear that the boat is stronger than the crew but in this case I do believe that the opposite was true...the ocean was stronger.

I don't know if you hae seen this but the 67' Illusion which was caught out in the same storm recently washed ashore. Here's a link to that captain's story.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/apps/pbcs.dl...00/1042/weather


All best...Cam