Oct 9

On Tuesday, Oct 9, we left Sandy Hook for Barnegat Inlet. The forecast was for 5 to 10 from the North West. This would be a light wind for us and because it would be blowing offshore, no waves as long as we stayed close to shore. It was forecast to move to the North East and to rise to about 15 knots in the mid-afternoon. The run to Barnegat was about 55 nautical miles, so, with any luck, we would almost be there by the time the wind finished clocking around.





The wind remained very calm until about 2 hours into our trip, it switched to the North East and started to blow hard. This was not the type of wind that builds over time. It was like a light switch being turned on.





We kept the main up, hoisted our small jib and our staysail. We hit 9.2 knots, then 9.5 knots, then 9.7!! Wow!!





Then disaster struck. Our dingy, the 'S ASS started to be draged through the waves sideways while still in the davits. The force must have been tremendous. The mounding bolts for the davits did not pull out, but the deck collapsed under on of them, failing in compression. A later examination showed that the metal at the root of the davits had also started to crack.





As soon as the dingy started hitting the waves, I dropped the main in order to slow us a little. I then ran spare halyards to the tail end of the davits in order to support the weight of the dingy.





This worked for a while then the 'S ASS decided that it had had enough and decided to make a run for it. The lines hoisting the dingy chafed through at the after end, and its tail dropped, taking on water in the process. I pulled the 'S ASS along side to bail it with a bucket, but its painter (tied around a life line stantion) chafed through. The 'S ASS must have thought it was free from this madness, but we would not let it go that easily.





We circled around and just as we were about to come along side, the either we or the 'S ASS lurched sideways, rusulting in it being rammed. This broke out all the seats and associated flotation. We could not see the 'S ASS in the ocean. Neither could we see it under the boat. I could only see a mass of tiny bubbles.





We put our motor in gear and the 'S ASS tried for its revenge. Using the rub rail flotation for buoyancy, it surfaced right under the engine, bending the propellor and wrapping a line around it. I raised the motor, unwrapped the line from the prop and shackled the 'S ASS on with its stainless steel painter.





We started the engine, put it into gear and, after about 2 minutes, it died.





So we towed the 'S ASS under sail. Its stern drain plug was out, it was taking water, but we were moving fast enough that it was staying at least reasonably dry. The 'S ASS was not finished with its escape, however, because about 30 minutes later, we noticed that although the cable was still shackled to the Stray Cat at one end and was still connected to the towing eye of the 'S ASS at the other, the towing eye was no longer connected to the 'S ASS and our dingy was no longer there!!



When we finally made it to Barnegat Inlet, we had to sail in, electing to do slowly under small jib alone as we did not know the inlet and the buoys were not included on our chart as they are moved frequently. Beverley did a great job. I was seldom so happy to be out of the wind and waves.

The images above show me early in the battle, a Manta 42 coming by at about 13.5 knots and the calm anchorage at Barnegat Inlet, when we finally made it there. We later met and became friends with the owners of the Manta. They said they measured 30 knots on the annemometer while our trials and tribulations were going on.