I shared this with my husband. As we discussed the terrifying moment when the lights were underwater and what that must have been like, my husband parried "Tom Cruise was 300 feet under the arctic ice cap without oxygen and decompressed!" We both laughed -- what a waste of movie money that was! The skipper of the Tomahawk was so brave; he didn't want to endanger his crew. How was anyone to know help would come before many hours passed? He must be quite a guy!!
I was there. I signed on to keep an eye on my dad, Dennis, as it was his first Mac Race. Helluva deal! Yeah, the water was warmer than the air - it was 39F at Alpena that night. I figure the water was at least 45. I'm surprised it's reported as high as 50. I had just come off the helm as we'd decided to do a 'full court press'. I figured I'd better get some dry clothes on. My dad was taking the 10:30 nav fix when I heard the 'CRACK' instead of a thump. We'd split pretty much gunwhale to gunwhale across the leading edge of the keel. John Garr came forward to get some safety gear and a life jacket for Bernie Tenowski (the helmsman at the time) in ankle deep water. He went back in knee-deep water. Things were reasonable hopeful, despite the flare failures, until Tommy shot the last flare - the parachute flare. It incandesced in the barrel and we'd JUST finished inflating the raft. A ball of burning magnesium was not something you'd want near the raft!
I shared this with my husband. As we discussed the terrifying moment when the lights were underwater and what that must have been like, my husband parried "Tom Cruise was 300 feet under the arctic ice cap without oxygen and decompressed!" We both laughed -- what a waste of movie money that was! The skipper of the Tomahawk was so brave; he didn't want to endanger his crew. How was anyone to know help would come before many hours passed? He must be quite a guy!!
Ms Howard:
Another great story about real people about a truly taxing , exciting, and life impacting experience.
Thanks
Gregg
PEACE
I was there. I signed on to keep an eye on my dad, Dennis, as it was his first Mac Race. Helluva deal! Yeah, the water was warmer than the air - it was 39F at Alpena that night. I figure the water was at least 45. I'm surprised it's reported as high as 50. I had just come off the helm as we'd decided to do a 'full court press'. I figured I'd better get some dry clothes on. My dad was taking the 10:30 nav fix when I heard the 'CRACK' instead of a thump. We'd split pretty much gunwhale to gunwhale across the leading edge of the keel. John Garr came forward to get some safety gear and a life jacket for Bernie Tenowski (the helmsman at the time) in ankle deep water. He went back in knee-deep water. Things were reasonable hopeful, despite the flare failures, until Tommy shot the last flare - the parachute flare. It incandesced in the barrel and we'd JUST finished inflating the raft. A ball of burning magnesium was not something you'd want near the raft!
This story is great reading, even for armchair sailors.
Wow, thanks for telling that dramatic story.
Gripping!