Boat Accidents - Ocean Navigator

06 Jan

New Slow Speed Zones in Miami

Eric ColbyBoat Accidents, Navigation, Power Voyaging, Seamanship & Navigation

The Captain of the Port for Coast Guard sector Miami announced the establishment of a new regulated navigation area for parts of the Port Miami. It creates a slow-speed zone for vessels shorter than 164 feet long transiting through Fisherman’s Channel and the Main Ship Channel, also known as Government Cut. The new rule was published in the Federal Register on Dec. 30, 2024, and will go into effect on Jan. 29. “Recreational boating safety in our busiest waterways is incredibly important for both the safety of life at sea and the continuity of commerce that flows through our marine…

27 Dec

Tragedy Strikes Sydney Hobart Race

Eric ColbyBoat Accidents, Offshore Sailing, Racing News, Sailboat Racing

Two sailors competing in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race were killed in separate incidents. The race started on December 26 in Sydney, Australia. Roy Quaden, 55, from Western Australia, was a crew member on Flying Fish Arctos. According to a new release from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, he was struck by the vessel’s boom when the boat was about 30 nautical miles east/southeast of Ulladulla, New South Wales, Australia. Crew members tried to revive Quaden with CPR, but were not successful. Additionally, Nick Smith, 65, from South Australia, was a crew member on Bowline, when he was…

09 Dec

Contenders Sustain Damage in Vendée Globe

Eric ColbyBoat Accidents, Ocean Voyaging, Offshore Sailing, Racing News, Sailboat Racing

On the 29th day of competition in the Vendée Globe around the world sailboat race, rough seas took their toll on a pair of competitors. At 5 p.m. local time on Dec. 7, while sailing in the southern Indian Ocean in second place, solo sailor Sébastien Simon told his shore team that the starboard foil had broken on his boat. The captain of Groupe Dubreuil was sailing between the Kerguelen Islands and the south of Australia at night, in 16-foot seas and 25-knot winds, Simon said, “the boat suddenly went to pieces,” while he was sleeping. Once awakened, he eased…

05 Dec

Sailor Lost at Sea During ARC Rally

Theresa NicholsonBoat Accidents, Cruising Rallies, Ocean Voyaging, Offshore Sailing, Racing News, Sailboat Racing, Seamanship & Navigation

Second vessel abandoned after taking on water. The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers community, along with the extended sailing community, is mourning the loss of Swedish sailor Dag Eresund, who was lost overboard from Volvo 70 racing yacht Ocean Breeze on Monday. A mayday call went out at 2:30 UTC on December 2 from Ocean Breeze, sailing approximately 1,300 nautical miles east of Bermuda in challenging conditions with winds gusting more than 30 knots. A search was initiated by the vessel. The U.S. Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) in Norfolk, Va., (MRCC) put out an emergency alert to all shipping for…