Wild Wind and Rain Lash West Coast in Sunday Storm
February has opened with a stormy weekend across the West Coast, causing boat owners to check lines, covers, and bilge pumps and clear the decks. Richardson Bay appears to have received the brunt of the damage, with reports of the usual suspects ending up on the rocks at Strawberry. Overall, so far we haven’t found a great many reports of damage, thankfully, but they may still be coming as sailors head to the docks for their after-storm checks. Or perhaps we all learned to be prepared after last year’s winter storms.
Julia Smith took this photo of a boat against the breakwater in Alameda.
We also learned of an incident at Long Beach, where a 40-ft sailboat lost its mast and became stranded on the breakwater. All 19 people aboard are safe, with only one report of minor injury.
According to Sailing Anarchy, the Santa Cruz 50 Flying Fiche was racing out of Long Beach Yacht Club. Winds had reportedly reached 32 knots when the boat got into trouble. As Sailing Anarchy reports, the boat was broken up; “… there is no boat left full stop.”
Video credit: Sailing Anarchy
How did your boat weather the storm?
The Press-Telegram story about the “40-ft sailboat” is in error; the boat is 50 feet long.
I wonder what that boat’s crew did wrong . . go out in the first place.
Even at 50 feet OAL, 19 POB seems kinda a lot, especially considering the wx. Hope to learn more…
A lot of boats that were entered didn’t go out, so Fiche may have collected some additional crew from them.