It has been a quiet day for SN Juan Garcia, watchstander at United States Coast Guard Station Milford Haven in Hudgins, Virginia.  Then a call comes in over VHF Channel 16.  “We need assistance, we are taking on water,” states the voice on the other end of the radio. 

Quickly he activates the SAR alarm, then briefs BM2 Patrick Howerton, Officer of the Day.  While the duty crew is getting Coast Guard 25779 launched and underway, SN Garcia continues to collect the details; position, type of boat, how many people on board, any medical problems, and advises the 3 persons onboard to don life jackets.  He also knows Coast Guard Auxiliary boat 27137 is on patrol in the Rappahannock River near the Norris Bridge and radios them to proceed to the location in the Chesapeake Bay.

Upon arrival at the sinking 37’ sailboat, two Coast Guard crewmen immediately boarded the sinking boat and started a de-watering pump. Then CG 25779 took the sailboat in stern tow and headed for Broad Creek off the Rappahannock River.  “It was getting very serious,” commented BM3 Matthew Preston.  “Although we got the pump working right away, it could not keep up with the water coming in around the shaft.”  Being below decks with water rushing in is not an ideal place to be.  However, good training and a cool head allowed MK2 Jamison Smith to come up with a solution to save the boat from sinking.  Using some loose line, he wrapped a piece around the shaft where it went through the hull, started the engine, and pulsed the motor into gear.  It worked!  The rope sealed the leak around the shaft enough to slow the rate of water coming in. But there was still limited time to get the boat out of the water. 

“Now we had the problem of getting a sailboat into a safe haven, through a very narrow channel with 2 to 3 foot waves and 15 to 20 knot winds,” said BM1 Richard Gonzalez, Coxswain of CG 25779 and Executive Officer of Station Milford Haven.  “Luckily, AUX 27137 had arrived on scene and was standing by to assist. Due to the height of the deck and the slope of the hull I decided AUX 27137 would be better to handle the large sailboat in a side tow.  Since we do a lot of training with this particular boat and crew, I knew they were up to Coast Guard rescue standards and would be able to handle the tow.”

AUX 27137 moved into position to take the sailing vessel into alongside tow with Jim Thomas, coxswain, at the helm. Crew members Don Gallagher, Brian McCardle, and Amy Thomas prepared lines and fenders, then secured the alongside tow. CG 25779 escorted the now side by side boats through the narrow entrance channel, into the harbor, to the marina and directly into the travel lift. “The wind and seas were a significant factor,” said Jim Thomas.  “It was a difficult passage, but being familiar with the entrance, training with the Coast Guard, experience with other rescues, and with the Coast Guard clearing the channel and harbor all helped us in bringing the sailboat safely into a marina where it was immediately put on a travel lift and out of the water for repairs.”

“The sailboat was 4 to 5 miles away from Broad Creek, just starting a week long trip around the bay,” commented MK3 Poplin, a member of the Coast Guard rescue team.  “Although it was unfortunate that the stuffing box failed, luckily they were not further out in the bay where it would have taken longer to reach them.”  From the time the alarm went off at Station Milford Haven, it was only about twenty minutes until the Coast Guard and Auxiliary boats were on scene.  Any longer and it may have been too late to save the boat.

“The Coast Guard and Auxiliary crews really worked well as a team,” said BMC Matthew Welsh, Officer in Charge at Station Milford Haven.  “It was very comforting to the people on the distressed boat to see professional, competent people working for Team Coast Guard.”