Aground solo sailing off Cape Cod at night

[@billwilliams9527]

Holy Christmas, sailing at night, in the fog and shallow areas, scary stuff. Carry on, you have spine.

[@MrBernie101]

Hi Sam, it would appear you were a victim of some set & drift. As a sailor, who cut my teeth on the south coast of the UK, I soon learned to allow a healthy margin to round any obstacles. I would be very interested if you ever got hold of a navy chart of that area, and could do a comparison, it might be very interesting. Although very handy, Navionics plotters do have grey areas. But HEY, poling off the shallows, great technique !!!!! I have also found that when coastal sailing, a radar is so useful. A good chart / plotter, good radar, good echo sounder should get you through any fog. Kind Regards, Barnacle Bern SY Cadbri UK

[@RealInRealEstateCC]

Actually, that area of the Cape is a deposit area meaning the land is growing every year. Areas along the backside of the cape like peaked hill bars down to Monomoy are cut areas meaning losing as much as 3 feet of land a year. It has nothing to do with charts. It’s just the way this area is. That’s why there is over 3000 shipwrecks in that area.

[@MrBernie101]

@@RealInRealEstateCC thanks for your reply. Surely if this is a known occurrence, the hydrographic office would have a buoyage system in place to guide shipping from danger. Here in the UK the UKHO publish a Notice to Mariners, showing current chart updates, my point is if a chart is out of date, you can update it, as well as your plotter memory. I would hope you have a similar system in the States. Good to chat, Bernie.

[@RealInRealEstateCC]

@@MrBernie101 there are several marks in that area. I’m certain the chart would have said there was plenty of water, but I’d stick to the marks. It probably would add 2 miles to the trip.

[@RealInRealEstateCC]

Bernie, in the next video Sam posted on his trip to Nantucket, you will see a green mark he points out. Often people will cut inside it. The water can be very deep within mere feet of the beach due to the currents, but this is also why we have such shifting sands. If you haven’t run aground around here, you don’t do a bunch of sailing. I was hard aground in a designated channel last summer. Swung the boom out and had a buddy sit out on the end then wait for a powerboat wake.

[@sargintrock8663]

@@RealInRealEstateCC Good intell!

[@gpk7683]

It is a good day when I hear from Sam Holmes. Good to see you feeling good. Great video Sam!

[@timothyburns4914]

Hey Sam, Ptown Native here. You ran aground at long point, trust me I've seen it before. The area around long point drops off about 60 degrees, so from that beach, you can probably throw a rock into 80 feet of water. Additionally, the cape is always subject to sand movement. The area you were at was definitely building, but expect there must have been some chart error. Glad you got off the beach just fine. Hope you enjoyed town and can return in a non-covid season! Fair Winds

[@50mustard]

Another great one Sam. Thanks. You're an inspiration. I can't wait 'til April and my boats back in the water. Sail on....

[@sailingalabanda8516]

Amazing how you kept your cool when you ran aground! Great episode. Good luck with your house work;) Cheers

[@spymaine89]

his situation was a known and easy one. ............. listen to an airline pilot , talking into his radio, when he knows he is going down , so calm , working on possibilities of somehow landing . but of course there is no way......but there was the '' miracle on the Hudson'' ...........

[@ronharbin6678]

Sam - thanks so much for your efforts filming some the near disasters that we've all experienced. I know filming is hard when things are going "right". Your videos really stand out at capturing those moments we all dread. Ron

[@cjg6364]

Welcome to Cape Cod, Sam. As you found out the hard way, storms whip up sand around here on a regular basis so it's always good to stay a mile off shore at night and only venture closer or into harbors in daylight if you've never been. Also, as you found out, Ptown is not a very sheltered anchorage - actually sucks for that. Wellfleet is a little better but both suck with high winds out of the south. Woods Hole and Cuttyhunk are great places to explore by sailboat. Still can't believe you've navigated for years without radar and a proper gps chart plotter. Get a radar, Sam - it's time. Glad to see you're looking good and doing well after the surgery. Hope you have a SAFE, Happy, and Healthy New Year!

[@samholmessailing]

I try to time it so I can come in during the daytime but light winds delayed my arrival. If there’s sketchy rock or coral I might wait outside. But with 50 knots of wind on the horizon I figured I’d take my chances with the sandbars.

[@spelunkerd]

Navionics only works well with good battery power, you lose satellite contact when power fails. I had an alarming experience with Navionics, where the Ipad thought I was 500 feet east of where I actually was. It was telling me to sail right up onto land. At the time I wondered if the fact I had tracking left on might have caused the error to propagate. I plugged it in, then rebooted, and the map jogged over to where it should have been.

[@samholmessailing]

Ive heard its not as accurate on the ipad. Its always been very accurate about my position on the iphone. This was a chart issue due to shifting shoreline

[@bernardchalecki4163]

Battery power settings will shut down certain functions to preserve power. You can change those settings. I imagine the GPS function is one that gets turned off.

[@lisaswallow80]

Hi Sam, that’s a pretty tricky harbor to come into even during the day never mind at night good for you 👍 . Ptown is the town and is so much fun to walk around. Sailing during the day thru “Stellwagen Bank” which is always a treat and usually you get to see many pods of whales feeding and leaping in the air...next time be sure to sail thru with that in mind. 🐳 “ It is a National Marine Sanctuary and it is an 842-square-mile federally protected marine sanctuary located at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay, between Cape Cod and Cape Ann. It is known as an excellent whale watching site, and is home to many other species of marine life.” I so enjoy all your videos, even the DIY ones, I learn so much from you and as a sailor its good to be aware of these things even though I might not be able to fix them. Happy your safe and keep sailing ⛵️ Lisa

[@sutoo2]

Holy moly, glad you able to unground boat before the wind hit. Is it my imagination or did you take that green to starboard? maybe you needed to keep it to port going into Provincetown. you were pretty exposed out there. Glad you got anchored before wind hit and that anchor held. happy sails!

[@Kathleensailorgirl]

Great video and love to see your sailing skills. Those seals were just happy that you were not a great white and that they would get to live another day 🥰⛵️⛵️⛵️

[@barb-9352]

Amazing. Using the spinnaker pole worked so well. Didn't want to see you go into water.

[@samholmessailing]

It sure did. I think that will be my new go to

[@vickiburkart1504]

Always positive, never rattled!!! Your doing a terrific job. Keep up the great videos! ❤️

[@justjessi5679]

At the end of ur video u say " I dont really know what Im doing..." So I wanted to take a minute to tell you I liked your video so much I actually watched the whole thing! So I would suggest u just keep being you because youre adorable and brave!

[@kencarter3616]

You should video your DIY boat projects. That way everyone can tell you what you're doing wrong. The favorite sport of KZbin watchers. 😂

[@earthangel8730]

Ikr?

[@samholmessailing]

Ha ha yeah I love reading the comments of the critical arm chair boat mechanics out there. I will start posting some project videos soon.

[@kencarter3616]

Great! I'll be watching.

[@johnnydeutschemark3620]

Hey Sam, For the self-steerer wind vane use 1/4" baltic. It's like the luan you are using but made with harder wood or find marine ply, then wet it all out w/ epoxy then varnish it at least 3 times.. maybe it won't break as easily.. I am sure there are better ways, but this way is better than bare luan... just sayin'

[@ericmongeau1110]

Done this sail many times, but NEVER at night. The lobster pots are scary enough during the day. Cape Cod Bay is often skunked even when the models say it's blowing 15kts in the open ocean. P-Town is one of our favorite anchorages, and our kids love seeing the coyotes that hang out on the beaches! Keep up the great videos!

[@davidryan4127]

Sailing the ocean or deep space, exploration by men like Sam face dangers and problems that must be solved by a cool head and a survivalist instinct. Never give up and keep a positive attitude. These videos help me immensely being cooped up at home. Thanks for sharing these experiences good and bad .

[@Gardureth]

A good custom windvane tip: Use primer, sand, then primer again, lightly sand, use paint + primer 70%/30%, sand superlightly, use paint, sand with scotchbright + lots of flowing water, then the last layer of paint. (or you can repeat the last 2 steps and add some extra protection) This assures the wood stays in prime condition, and paint is rockhard so will add extra support. (Supertip, have the name of your boat on the windvane, then finish with clear paint)

[@bernardchalecki4163]

I don't know if I would be jumping off the boat, at night, in those waters. Cape Cod has become a Great White Shark sanctuary, big ones. They came when the seals moved in. Between the sharks, the seals and the whales, and occasional swimmer, it's a non-stop feeding frenzy. You can take a guided boat tour and watch something get eaten. The sharks come right up to the beach to grab a seal or two. I used dive near where you went aground, there was a cable that went to a sunken fishing vessel and it was 75 feet deep, now you can't go in the water most of the time.

[@brianevans8472]

How dare you dislike this man’s videos. We will defend him to the death against the trolls. LOL. JK. Any clicks are good clicks for the algorithms. Much respect Sam. Hope you are recovering ok from your surgery.

[@StevenMallett]

I mean. I could see why someone would dislike this video. He essentially claims that 2 feet of water is supposed to be 60 feet of water. Lol A man who takes chances like this has no business being on the ocean solo.

[@brianevans8472]

He's going by charts dildo. Trolls never win. Sam's army will prevail. Any comments are great for the algorithm, just like the dislikes...bring it!

[@StevenMallett]

@@brianevans8472 I hope he sees this, bro.

[@brianevans8472]

Me too. But seriously, what I should have said, to be politically and socially correct, is that he was going by charts that were made by someone else. And the correct term is, Brah. The only thing that I love more than being triggered by trolls is watching Sam Holmes. Please go watch his solo pacific crossing and then judge, unless you are just trolling.

[@brianevans8472]

Oh, and one more thing. Sam, if you ARE reading these, know that I am pretty sure you are made of titanium with nerves of steel, a heart of gold and balls formed from adamantium or whatever wolverine's claws were made from. You make a lot of peoples day with every video that you put out. Keep em coming.

[@billgorman5040]

Sailing into strange harbor at night in the fog..And a gale..you rock Sam..

[@greencoastdesigns9492]

Rad Sam !! Your DIY videos are great

[@spymaine89]

glorious adventure. love the company of seals and sea. ..it would appear you and seals are safe and happy sea creatures. but not for most humans, in that blow at night i wanted my house in the woods . which thank God i have.

[@christie2227]

Thanks for the 4k upload Sam! Looks great

[@_noname617]

Isle of Shoals wasn't labeled on your charts? It happened to me too, except I beached my 33ft sailboat in Nantucket channel during a moon tide @4am. Good thing you didn't take the scenic route through CC Canal.. I'm guessing next wk's episode you encountered flat winds and a couple of swirling rip tide pools... dangerous! Count your blessing you made it safely.. you really need to caravan with other boats! btw sucks you made it Nantucket during a pandemic, as the fear factor is +1,000%

[@mammaholmes]

Nice video, Sam. I loved the sea lions! Another request for you to put the month and year at the start of the adventure please.

[@jsmith3964]

GREAT VIDEO SAM LOOKING FOWARD TO THE NANTUCKET .I DID A ESSAY IN 8TH GRADE ON THE NANTUCKET LIGHTSHIP HAPPY NEW YEAR I LOVED THIS ADVENTURE, JUST GOT HOME FROM 3 12 HR AMAZON SHIFTS,AND THIS WAS A GREAT VIDEO.

[@mhannibal60]

You have such a nice spirit. I really enjoy watching your adventures. I hear running aground happens to all who sail, eventually. Still sounds pretty nerve racking. I was even nervous just watching you do it. Then that blow while on anchor! That was pretty serious. I expect to launch our boat in the spring and moor in Portlands East End by where you anchored when here. Last summer I went there during a good blow and wondered what it would be like to be out there in my boat, even on a mooring, how scary it might be. I need to get more experience with bad weather days. Anyway, cheers.

[@samholmessailing]

Thanks. Ive gone aground enough times now that its no big deal. I try to avoid sailing in bad weather when i can.

[@doninhawaii4433]

I would always be frightened of running aground. But that pizza made it all worthwhile. Lol 👍🤙🍕

[@spymaine89]

in soft silt it is not bad. depending on the depth of keel. . the charts know the rocks well but not the shifting sand.

[@earthangel8730]

Those seal bones would make for some beautiful sculptures. Treasure!

[@samholmessailing]

They were some of the coolest bones I’ve come across. Would’ve liked to do something with that whale scull.

[@erikpeterson836]

Would be great if you would show the date in your video. Not sure of the time difference when you were sailing and when the video was uploaded.

[@MrMichaelcurran]

What a beautiful nite sail, right up to when the doldrums hit. Nite, Nite.

[@willieb.1700]

Nothing says you are there more than hitting bottom! Good job!

[@SailingIntoOblivion]

Great video Sam, reminds me why I stay way offshore!

[@rcdogmanduh4440]

Ahhh memory's same sail but from Newbury Port, wind died at 11:00 ! Me two younger brothers and the whales! On back in 1979 they still talk about it! 22' O'Day! Met a very nice young lady and her brother, to be a kid again.

[@Beefstew128]

Born and raised on the cape. Have been sailing most of my life, also watching your vids for a bit. Really is no place like it! Glad you made it out there. Also that was my friends house boat when you were in ptown !

[@Beefstew128]

Tides are a bit extreme in the bay! Some of the best oysters in the world in wellfleet

[@thedocisin3204]

Kept a Bristol 26 at Fairhaven for many years. Sailed over to P-Town many times. It always amazed me how disagreeable the weather could get so fast. Don't rely on the NWS forecast.

[@davidc6510]

Cheese Burger in Paradise ... not paradise in cold fog gale with 50 kt winds:( Nice little adventure on the shore afterwards with a tasty looking pizza! Was laughing so much at the end when you described your new adventures at the shop "Holy Mackerel" with such a positive attitude. I am looking forward to those videos as well. Take care Sam!

[@ryanboeding1318]

The shores around the Cape are very shallow!! At low tide you can walk out almost 1 mile in spots on the bay side. Did you walk around Ptown when you were there? It's about the only place deep enough for a boat, but moorings are $3,000 per season.

[@TiklMyT8]

atta boy.,...jump in...protect the boat

[@Alexs1234]

Love your videos man. Very inspiring

[@SailingTaranto]

One of the big advantages of a man hand able boat! Those occasions when you wash up ashore in the dark :-)

[@kman-mi7su]

I would love to help set up your workshop, I live in Fairfax Virginia about a 5-hour ride. I've enjoyed your videos since the episodes where you sailed from LA to Hawaii.

[@susm6987]

Hey Sam, I am from Woods Hole ma, we grow sand bars here on cape cod, new ones every couple of storms. You are brave going that far at night. Good luck

[@samholmessailing]

I usually try to plan it to arrive in the day but the beginning of the trip had light winds. Ill take sailing in at night over riding out 50kts most days.

[@crdiii6931]

Great job Sam! Always great to see your adventures. Maybe see you in Ponce Inlet some day.

[@ChristianSailing]

you've become our fave. we enjoyed whale watching out of p-town and fell in love with wellfleet back in 2018.

[@cjg6364]

Your sailing adventures are by far the most insightful and entertaining of those on the web. Like others, I'm sure, I have lived vicariously through your videos. While Sam is equally entertaining in a lot of ways, I find myself tuning in to his videos mostly just to make sure he's still alive and well - a different kind of entertainment I guess....like someone else aptly said - Sam could just float off a sandbar with his huge balls... : )

[@SailingWylde]

Scary! You sounded a lot calmer than I think I would have been!

[@davidvaughan3771]

Watch out for the great whites next trip to the cape

[@SteamingBurito]

out here on the cape we call those guys coywolves

[@jimr513666]

Nice video! Cape Cod is a beautiful area.

[@sailingnowherequick188]

I have discovered a while ago that navionics is not the most accurate on water depth. I plan to get a depth finder when I can.

[@lokidoc]

Oh! Scary to go aground at high tide. Good work getting off with the spinnaker pole.

[@thomasstorrs6345]

Charts are notoriously bad around cape cod. Sand bars constantly shifting. After each storm the channels can be different.

[@alfredstaggs9137]

Great. Thx.

[@jhackett9482]

You sir have nerves of steel!

[@gobinagache9560]

Really enjoy your content and style. Sailing or DIY I will watch!

[@tommygunz8692]

I thought you resided in Florida (St.Petersburge)..For some reason...I guess I can’t volunteer Iam in st.Pete Beach...You shoul definitely do some boat project videos...We love them ....Happy new year to you and your family

[@samholmessailing]

Technically my “residence” is in Ft myers but my new workshop is in NC. Im going to go back down to FL for a while to get a break from the cold this winter. Those boat project videos are coming!

[@timburnett6729]

Well done sam

[@GarySmith-up1un]

Welcome to the modern weather forecasting manipulation. They, are still trying to prove global warming. Love your videos Sam. Love your smile and your determination. Keep up the good work and God bless you.

[@mr.boston3927]

I wouldn't be scrubbing my boat bottom in that area. With all the seals, that is a known great white shark feeding ground.

[@bobv8219]

Good stuff Sam, put us a predictwind app !! When you sail is fun to follow the course. Thanks for sharing your sailing adventures I find them entertaining and educational. Peace from lockdown Cali.

[@johnbrooks1188]

Singlehanding in at night and in fog is a real challenge! Even two of the three is a stiff challenge for most.

[@progressiveboy916]

Very Cool!

[@mbhull27]

Happy New Year Sam!! Great video:-)

[@russellboronow1598]

Great vid!

[@davewestner]

I live close to this area. This was the windiest late summer/fall I can recall. Seemed the weather was always either still or blowing 30+kts. Sam, do you remember the date you arrived at P-town? I'm a bit of a weather nerd and wanna dig in and see exactly what was going on that day

[@JeremyWilliamsTx]

I'm ready for the DIY vids!

[@samholmessailing]

They’re coming...

[@cleggsadventures]

Quick question.... Do you have any type of water distiller on the boat? In case you have to make drinking water from sea water in an emergency? Can’t wait for the transatlantic sail Sam.

[@samholmessailing]

No this boat had more water tank storage than i would ever need. I alway bring enough water to drink in jugs too.

[@littlebustersoysters9229]

Nice work Sam!

[@vxnova1]

Happy new year

[@emmvee1678]

There's great white sharks around cape cod also. I know at Chatham there are warning signs.

[@kevinskwirz9120]

Hopefully you were aware of the major shark issues on the cape. worth a google. The other comment was right. seals=shark buffet.

[@SOLDOZER]

I saw someone string a hammock between the companionway and the bulkhead to get sleep in a rolly seas or anchorage. Seemed like the perfect solution to me.

[@samholmessailing]

Im my experience a hammock amplifies the rolling.

[@SOLDOZER]

@@samholmessailing Strange. Wonder if you put anchor swivels on both ends it would eliminate it? It would be like a hammock gimbal?

[@stefflus08]

Was this a vector chart mishap, where detail was inaccurate zoomed out? Or shifting sands?

[@halibut1249]

Are the floating houses off Cape Cod just sitting on islands or rock outcroppings?? Are they safe from tides, waves, storms?? One at 9:49, another at 10:35. Pizza looks great. Glad you've got a good place to work on your boat this winter.

[@hansjensen7823]

Those are attached to moorings

[@samholmessailing]

That pizza was so good after the sale over. Those houses are anchored out there on mooring. They cape kind of wraps around so they have some protection from the waves but not much from the wind.

[@jimslittleboat4388]

You are much braver (younger) than I. I would never approach an familiar anchorage in the dark.

[@user-lm8fx6kc1b]

Looks like you got a better ship than the one you sailed to Hawaii in

[@csingstad]

Sam, hdg to Ptown on the way to Maine next month. Where can you tie up the dinghy in Ptown? What did you do? Love your site.

[@mrobso10]

You're having the time of your life

[@choochoodebut3059]

Nitecore nu25's are so handy. They just need to make one that floats!

[@samholmessailing]

I agree its my favorite headlamp. I keep three onboard. Ive never dropped one in the water though.

[@RobHaren]

Sam, I’m very familiar with the Provincetown area, had a time share there for years. The area that you ran aground never has 60 feet of water, 20 feet at best at high tide. The place where you brought the dingy ashore is the beach that I would walk in the morning with my coffee. Nice to see it. On another note I have lots of contracting experience as well as electrical and plumbing. If you have any questions about repair stuff I may be able to answer them. Hope the osteomy issue is resolving keep in touch. Rob

[@bassomatic1871]

11::00, Great White buffet.

[@brianmcguire5189]

You the man Sam✌️✌️✌️

[@MarkSperry]

We need a Marie Kondo / Sam Holmes crossover for that Cape Dory. Do those big orange balls spark joy????

[@samholmessailing]

I neeeeed my big orange balls 🍊

[@thibs2442]

That floating house is insane. Were there people on it during the storm? I can only imagine that would be terrifying.

[@Spar19row]

Where does Navionics get their position from? I don't know, but I think some APPs give you location based on triangulation from cell towers. If you are only receiving a signal from one cell tower the triangulation does not work well. I believe if you were to use a hand held Garmin you would get an accurate location because your GPS position is based on satellites. Anyone agree???

[@samholmessailing]

Navionics uses GPS satellites. I used it when I sailed to Hawaii. No cell towers out there. Its location has always been very accurate in my experience. This was an inaccuracy in the chart due to shifting sand on the sea floor.

[@samholmessailing]

I have heard however that the iPad version has less accurate positioning with the built-in GPS

[@Spar19row]

@@samholmessailing I've got a lot to learn in this area. I've really enjoyed using my little hand held Garmin; but, I know there are better things out there.

[@rivernet62]

Good fun this! Well done with the pole. Are you supposed to toot your howdy horn every minute if it's foggy, in your neck of the woods? Seems like the other guys would help by tooting back, assuming they're home (& on watch).

[@trippontwowheels]

Hi Sam! Hope all is well.

[@invention-city]

Over the years I've sailed our O'Day 25 centerboard 2'6" draft out of Pleasant Bay (Orleans) and through shallow spots all around Cape Cod and the Islands: P-Town, Monomoy Point, Wasque Point, Stage Harbor, Hyannis, Falmouth, Nantucket (Head of Harbor... Madaket), MVY (Cape Pogue Bay... Lake Tashmoo... Menemsha Pond), Block Island, Cuttyhunk, Westport (AWESOME!!!) and more and... have run aground pretty much everywhere. 3 miles off the northwest end of Nantucket there are spots with less than 3' of water. The one thing I've learned is that sand shifts A LOT from year to year and no chart can be trusted. You need to use your eyes and depth finder to guess whether or not the water is deep enough. Of course, trusting your eyes doesn't work at night.

[@samholmessailing]

I remember sailing through the shoaling off Nantucket. I was definitely a little on edge for that.

[@invention-city]

@@samholmessailing Similar to your story about relying on a chart. Here's my experience running aground at Nantucket with my Dad. Go to 1:40... kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJuxooVvnpl9Y6M As a result of that grounding and a few other similar abuses (I push my luck in shallow water) and a design flaw (the rudder extended deeper than the keel), the rudder snapped off two years ago in 20 kts of wind and 3' seas. That's another story... But now I have a new rudder that matches the depth of the keel!

[@samholmessailing]

Yikes. Sounds like you got a good story out of it.

[@invention-city]

@@samholmessailing Long reply, but you opened the door! The story starts by being stupid. The O'Day 25 has a gudgeon/pintle rudder that cantilevers under the stern (forward of the vertical pivot line) to offset weather helm (it's very nicely balanced). The rudder itself WAS made of fiberglass over foam. There's tremendous force on the lower pintle. I'd seen some cracking in the area two years earlier and fiberglassed over the cracked area. That was fine for that year. The following year, at the beginning of the season, I saw a hairline crack where the previous crack had been and talked myself into thinking it was no big deal because I didn't want the hassle. Bad decision! The rudder broke as we were headed from Lake Tashmoo (MVY) to Stage Harbor (Chatham) approx 4 miles off Osterville and 6 miles from Hyannis with a SW wind blowing 15-20 and 2-3' seas. My 20 year old daughter was with me, seasick below (Bonine wasn't working). Fortunately, we were well offshore with the wind blowing us in the right direction; it was 2pm and we had plenty of daylight; AND the top end of the rudder all the way down to the lower pintle was still attached. I lowered sails, put on motor (Yanmar 1GM10 inboard) roughly lashed a dinghy paddle to the upper rudder and managed to continue our course for another 2 miles.. I was feeling pretty good about myself ("you are the MAN!") when the jury-rigged rudder broke. Now... if I'd been with one of my guy friends, or if you had been with me Sam, we would have continued to work the problem and it would have been fun. There's no question that we would have found a way to steer the boat to its destination. We would have felt victorious!!! However, by the time the paddle rudder broke my daughter was on the phone with my sensible wife. She handed the phone to me. Wife: "What are you doing? She's not having fun. Get a tow." A TOW? With a sailboat? What would Joshua Slocum do? Admit failure??? But there was no fun in working the problem with someone who was miserable. So... we got a tow to Hyannis. Instead of feeling victorious, I felt foolish. But I learned a good lesson from the tow guy. IF you lose a rudder, tow warps to stabilize the stern to reduce the forces on the jury rigged solution. And, of course, the biggest lesson... when you see hints of a problem in a critical part, take a closer look and FIX IT IMMEDIATELY! I've since made a new rudder out of fiberglass over marine plywood with a 1X1 of maple extending well past the critical area. There was some cracking in the glass in that area last year because of flexing (no break in the wood). I used maple because it was left over from our hardwood floors. Shoulda used white oak. So the project for this coming spring is replacing the maple with white oak. The best part of the ordeal is that now I have the top half of my broken rudder as a trophy. It's mounted on my office wall inscribed with the words "Torn asunder while returning from Tashmoo." Very Melville and a reminder of the price of ignoring a problem.

[@ninline2000]

Sandbars come and go. Some charts don't keep up with it apparently.

[@samholmessailing]

Exactly. Usually they’re pretty good with the rocks though. I know some other areas will not be so well charted though and I will have to be more careful.

[@thomastuorto9929]

Navionics didn’t show the correct water depth?

[@TiklMyT8]

let it rock!

[@baccussailing1]

A HOUSE!!! I’m shaking my head.

[@mickey1299]

Know where your coming from , i had to back the clip up . lmao

[@TiklMyT8]

hell yah man!

[@williieloman1549]

Gee whiz, with 4 ft draft you can get out and push😀

[@samholmessailing]

Totally. I’ve learned I the boat goes aground in water shallower than my nipples. So sometimes I just walk around the boat until it gets deeper than my nipples and then I push the boat that direction haha

[@GLuft3]

60’!! That’s a pretty big error/discrepancy.

[@Spar19row]

I've sailed through there a number of times. It drops off very steeply. You can be sailing in 60 feet and at the same time see the sand to one side. You really need to honor the mark as you go around the corner.

[@spymaine89]

one good storm can move a lot of sand.

[@StevenMallett]

@@Spar19row Exactly. The Shank Painter & Wood End bars are no joke. What amazes me the most is how many people on here want to praise Sam and his "enormous balls" for doing this. Lol. Anyone who's been here knows this wasn't handled correctly, and is shown as more of a way NOT to round Wood End.

[@geoaerorider4589]

@@StevenMallett jealous much?

[@StevenMallett]

@@geoaerorider4589 LOL. Yeah, sure. I'm jealous that a guy can make such irresponsible decisions, and still be lauded by other human beings who have (on average) little or no experience on the matter. You nailed it.

[@GulfCoastTim]

I imagine you have a good spotlight for at night? Also surprised your anchor held enough in that gale force. Boat projects...mine are long over due.

[@Kumachanchan]

The Pilgrim grounded too on the Mayflower! So many sandbars that shift every year out there! Glad you were ok!!