10/15/2012 - Deer Creek Island Beach - 7ish

[Josh Shirley]

Well I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it.
Apparently lightning does strike the same spot twice.

So after 25 years of not sailing at Deer Creek, because he was hit by a boat, Ken O decided to return to the spot of the foul.
Ken rigged up his new Sailwork 7.5 and walks down to the water to chase down John Freed.
On his first reach out from the beach while passing the "island" he gets smacked by fishing boat.
Most importantly he wasn't hurt, or at least he felt that way.
But his gear was damaged. Sail torn in half. Boom bent. Mast broken.
His board is in one piece but the nose is crunched.
He must have done some sort of parkour manoeuvre over the boat to spare his body.
Gear is a lot easier to replace than body parts.

Ken, in my opinion you could look at this in a couple of ways:
1 - you're snake bite (at least sailing @ DC)
2 - at least it wasn't a great white.
3 - you have used up all your "hit by a boat" cards in the stack.
4 - NEW GEAR!

So after making sure Ken was ok, Mike and I hit the water again.
There were a few 6ish gusts and some 20m lulls. But fairly good wind for DC.
Mike and I tested out some Isonic 101's with 7.5m sails. Very fast reaches.
Need to order some smaller fins to make them faster.
At about 4 the wind backed off some so we switched to formula boards and 10m sails.
Sailed formula for about an hour. Had to pump the sail to keep it going.
We made it to Rainbow Bay and headed back down.
Definitely a work out, but I need it.

Everyday of sailing is a great day of sailing.

[JimSouthwick]

Ken, I feel your pain! Glad you came out of it better than I did last year - busted gear rather than busted leg. Still, having that much equipment damage does suck!

[John Freed]

Scary deal... Lucky it was just the gear...
I was blasting around, enjoying the fact that I was the fastest windsurfer on the water (duh... the only one of the water)... knowing full well that as soon as Ken, Josh, and Mike hit the water, I would soon be the 4th fastest windsurfer on the water. Ken hit the water, and was making a reach back to the beach just west of the island. I had my eye on him, when I watched a fishing boat come around the island from the east (BWB area) and boom, down goes Ken... I was a little ways away, and I started to go down wind to check on him, as I saw the boat turn around and head back to Ken. By the time, I got there, the boat was trying to get a rope out to Ken. After we figured out that Ken was ok, we tied the gear up, and the boat towed Ken back to shore. The "old guys" in the fishing boat were shell-shocked, said they didn't see Ken. Dang... DC is notorious for these issues...i.e. Jim and Ken (twice)... As I think about it, that island may be an issue - not sure about Jim's incident... but probably a good idea for us to "be on the lookout" as we sail near that island, just in case a way ward boat comes blazing around the corner. P.S. I think Ken is ok... as he's trying to figure out where to sail today. However, I'm pretty sure he's not going to DC.

[JimSouthwick]

My crash occurred at the North (Midway) end of the reservoir, nowhere near the island. In retrospect, it's clear that the collision could have been avoided if: (1.) the boat driver had been paying attention and/or (2.) I'd been watching to leeward (through my sail) occasionally instead of just looking forward and to windward. The take-home message for me was that, right-of-way rules notwithstanding: (1.) we're going to bear the brunt of any collision. (2.) we can't rely on boaters to be paying attention. (3.) we need to be constantly scanning ahead and to both sides.

Sure hope Ken really is OK! (It was 2 weeks before I figured out that I had a fractured fibula and not just a bad ankle sprain).

[kenonstott]

I am apparently ok. I don't even have any sore spots. I'm fluctuating between shell shock and being extremely grateful to be alive. I am looking at it as divine intervention as the point of the bow went through my sail 1.5' behind my butt; way too close for comfort. It looks like my 7.0 is now the 3.0 I always wanted.

I asked the boat driver how he could miss a 16' tall red sail. But then the previous time I got hit I was on a Hobie Cat; how could they miss a 26' tall sail. But then there was alcohol involved the previous time (hey the guy yelled for me to get out of his way right before he hit me). After spending some time with the boat driver this time I am sure alcohol was not a factor.

I can't say it any better than Jim and everyone should use his post as a sailing bible. You can be dead right and still be dead. Josh was pointing out the right of way rules but in this case the boat driver didn't see me until the last second. I wish I had been watching closer myself. I would have never been this laid back and not watching surrounding traffic in the Gorge.

[duanekarren]

Ken,

That is one scary close call. Happy you are all right. A good wakeup to all that we really have to be on lookout all of the time. I know I don't look through the sail on a continuous basis.

Duane Karren