I've spent some time in and around Panama City. Wrote a book about the Sandy Creek/Sinkhole murders. It gets real strange out around Springfield.
To answer your question, the wreck happened in the Keys, 2003. That's the Carysfort Reef Light, off Angelfish Creek. Two friends from Kentucky were sailing from Annapolis to the Dry Tortugas. They had left Fort Lauderdale after a stop there with some continuing electrical problems aboard. Ammeter wasn't operating and the wind generator was not working. Boat--Pacific Seacraft 37--had a lot of its electronics turned off and the buddy of the owner had been instructed to steer a course that eventually took the boat far too close to the Carysfort Reef Light. They hit the reef about 1 a.m., June 30, 2003. Their EPIRB got submerged, and in the servicing of it the company that serviced it put it back together incorrectly, so the EPIRB leaked and the battery shorted out. The boat's VHF shorted out because of water incursion and the skipper hadn't charged up the hand-held VHF. So, they were stuck on the boat until the next morning, when they were rescued by a fisherman, who called the Coast Guard. The boat was a total loss. The reason it didn't sink it because it was stuck on the reef, which had the consistency of concrete. Basically, neither the skipper nor the crew had the skill sets to be out at night sailing along a reef, well within the warning boundry line on the chart. As I have a Master's license and have co-authored a couple of books on sailing in the Keys, I was called as an expert witness in a trial in Kentucky in April. In the middle of the trial and before I testified, the case was settled. The crew guy agreed to give the skipper a specified amount of money in damages. The boat was uninsured. Considering what the fines were for hitting the reef and the salvage fees and the boat loss, my guess is that we're looking at a half million.
Morgan
Hi Morgan, That had to be a very scary night. So many things went wrong and not many thing went right. At least there is a blessing in that both of the persons on board survived. As much as someone may love their boat or other possessions, those can be replaced, life on the other hand well..
Having a master's license is also a blessing. I am still "wet" behind the ears and green when it comes to Coastal sailing. I tend to be ultra conservative with how I sail. I've been out in bad seas, even forced myself to stay at the helm when exiting a pass I'd rather not have been exiting at the time. It was "training" my mentor called it. At least I know I can do it. Seems a silly thing to me to exit a bad pass on the wrong tide with foul winds just for training but I let myself get overturned when I felt it was the wrong thing to do by someone with more experience and training. At least now I do know that I can handle 6' confused seas and that my boat is sound. If given my duthers, I'll opt for blue skies and gentle seas any day.
I'm not familiar with the Sandy Creek Sinkhole murders. I have friends who live in that area which has now become the "upcoming and expensive" place to build along our beautiful bay. I'll have to look up your book and become familiar with the history of the area.
Thank you for your very nice reply and the story of the picture. I do hope that all involved will remain safe in all their water adventures.
I just like the way your mind works, not just the Bubba stories. I purchased and use regularly your Keys Cruising guide. I am glad you gave us big margins to write in. My book has so many notes, it's almost like volume 2.
The boat in the video, is that yours? She is a beauty one way or the other.
