Missing windsurfer located in Barnstable

WaterKook

Anyone know who this is?
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090622/NEWS11/90622026/0/NEWS

JRuffus · Joined: 17 Apr 2001 Posts: 293

I know he is a lucky dude Wink

good thing he had a drysuit. that is odd i got to chapin at 2 and didnt hear anything of this.

Big ol thanks to those who keep us safe if any rescue personel are reading this...your help is appreciated, and underappreciated all at once.

mwilly · Joined: 09 Jun 2000 Posts: 102

Just made it home (and glad to be), here's the story,
Hadn't sailed bay side in a couple years, got out at 10am or so and had a decent hour or so on 4.0 and 72L, alittle overpowered in the gusts but easy to stay upwind. Came in for some water and a little more downhaul and on the way back in from the 1st reach got caught in the pocket of a backside ride on a pretty chunky wave. The white water snagged and rolled the board and I hopped off - didn't get blown off, I'm normally pretty comfortable in these conditions (famous last words). I got tumbled a bit by the wave and when I came up the rig had shot away downwind like a MF'r. I simply could not get to it, it had a good head start and it just kept going. I had a Bare semi-dry on but it's not easy to swim fast or far in I now fully realize (upper part bags out with air). Anyway I bobbed and swam for an hour or so thankful I'd put the colder weather gear on, also had a hood and hat. I was pretty darn tired from trying to get in on my own but was really getting nowhere as the wind was NE and the tide was going out, the currents and waves at times seemed to switch around like crazy (effects from the harbor outgoing?) so it was concerning to say the least. Visibility was bad enough that I could not see land most of the time so didn't really know where the heck I was headed, was also getting cold at this point. Visibility got a little better for a while and I could see sailors upwind and finally one (Nils...thankyou) noticed me waving and yelling, stopped and gave me his inflatable vest. We agreed it was probably futile to try to tow me in so he went to make the call for the rescue. It took the Barnstable rescue squad probably about an hour from that point to find me. Wasn't that far offshore probably 1-1.5 mi but not getting any closer. The boat ride in was a hell of a rough trip, big thanks to the Barnstable squad, they did a great job and I'm grateful. They were taking pictures as I walked off, I actually look a lot better in those pictures than I felt, I was feeling seasickness effects and was totaly whipped at that point. They insisted I go to the hospital, I didn't argue. They kept me there about an hour or so, they also did a great job making sure I was ok. Boy its still pretty cold out there the 1st days of summer. The rig is a Goya 72L with a yellow Ezzy 4.0 and Chinook carbon wave boom. Will pay reward to get it back, have no idea where it may have gone. In hindsight I think I could have caught up to my stuff if I'd been in a more of a traditional form fitting wetsuit that I could swim more readily in (heck of a lot chillier though). Been doing this hard all over the world for 15 years, have a lot of ocean hi-wind time under my belt but man shit can go wrong in the blink of an eye. If anyone hears of the rig please give me a shout. Thanks.

-Mark Wilson
Roxbury, CT
860-350-2721

mwilly · Joined: 09 Jun 2000 Posts: 102

Thanks for posting the link to the story Evans, just read it closely and watched the vid. Its a major understatement for the reporter to say the conditions were "choppy" (no biggie we all know most don't have a clue what its like out there). I just want to say a big thanks again to the rescue guys, it is amazing they got out there and found me that quickly in tough conditions (tougher for a boat out there than a windsurfer for the most part). I'm bummed that I made them go out as it certainly was risky for them too. On the way back we had to go dead into what I guess were the harbor outgoing standing waves from the current which were quite big, closely spaced, and really pounding the boat. They had to go thru all these waves since it was too risky turning the boat in them possibly getting broadsided. Quite a day.

-Mark

mogunn · Joined: 03 Apr 2006 Posts: 1307 Location: SF Bay

Mark,
That you got back is a blessing! Stuff happens and any of us could be caught in similar circumstances.
Happy to hear you're safe.

Cheers from the left coast!

speedysailor · Joined: 11 Sep 2007 Posts: 841

Definitely, we are in a Nor'ester. I spent the whole of yesterday in the water or working around it (9-5). The winds on the south shore of the cape were extremely gusty. Luckily I bought the new Pro Motion suit recently and was wearing it. Even so I had to fight off hamstring and calf cramps in both legs. I also lost the rig a few times. Overpowered in the mighty gusts, sinking in the long lulls, there's no way I envy you going out in Massachusett's bay. I ventured no further than the shallow end of the bay. From my skiing experience, I've learned that it's usually the experts that wind up losing their lives in extreme situations and Nor'esters. You did quite well to survive, Mark. Once I returned (quite happily) to a dry situation, I definitely knew there was going to be a near fatality in our sport, given the long no wind period preceding this blow. We just aren't in the best of shape for the sport after a long layoff.

pueno · Joined: 03 Mar 2007 Posts: 2807

SteveFoy · Joined: 15 Jan 1995 Posts: 27

I'm amazed the strong NE wind and waves didn't immediately wash you downwind onto the shores of Barnstable harbor. Is the outgoing tide that strong? I can see in a light wind day the outgoing tide would counter-act the wind, but in yesterday's wind??? I never realized Chapin was that dangerous. You did a lot of things right- the right rig, the right wetsuit, wore a hood, stayed alert, tried self-rescue without getting yourself too tired. Every windsurfer would do themselves a favor by reading your story. Thanks.

amarie · Joined: 25 Aug 2003 Posts: 233 Location: Corpus Christi, TX

Crazy!! Was it really mast high like the paper seemed to indicate? So glad you made it back. sounds like you were really lucky that all the pieces came together for the rescue. Too bad about the gear Sad

.

tcwolf · Joined: 03 Jun 2000 Posts: 11

Mark glad to hear you are okay. Actually, everyone at Chapin was surprised that it took them so long to locate you. Luckily Nils had given you the life jacket and you were properly suited.

I think there is a good lesson for everyone from your experience. I don't really think of rigs getting away except in shore or reef break, but that obviously isn't an accurate perception. The largest waves were around head height, so not outrageous.

By the way, you weren't the only one to have trouble. One guy created a very nice coffee table by breaking his board in half on a jump. Luckily, he made it in without mishap...