Luck, Not Preparation, Kept This Fisherman From a Potential Disaster

Roy Pearson, a commercial fisherman, didn’t suspect the scene was set for disaster as he hauled in shrimp aboard his 22-foot boat, Market Girl, a mile off Newport Beach a couple of weeks ago.

According to the National Safe Boating Council, more than half of all boating accidents happen on weekends. Pearson, 64, was shrimping on a Saturday.

About 75% of boating accidents occur in calm-to-moderate conditions. The sea was flat, with the wind at only four knots.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, in 87% of the boating fatalities in 1990, the victims were not wearing life jackets. Pearson was not wearing a life jacket.

Fortunately for Pearson, Richard Satchell of Orange, a member of the Navy Yacht Club in Long Beach, was sailing nearby. Satchell agreed that the conditions did not seem “life-threatening.”

“I happened to be on a parallel course,” Satchell said. “He was ahead of me and I started watching him because I was single-handing and trying to figure out what he was going to do. I saw what I thought was an exhaust plume, then it started getting bigger and bigger, and then I saw flames in the cabin.

“I (radioed) in a Mayday, (then) I proceeded up alongside . . . and said, ‘OK, as soon as I bump you, I want you jumping on board. Just step over and don’t worry about anything else. Just leave it.’ ”

Pearson did so, and a few minutes later flames had engulfed his boat. Official rescue boats arrived shortly after that.

This weekend concludes “National Safe Boating Week”--a good time to review Pearson’s predicament. He was no more negligent than most small-boaters. He had a life jacket, as well as an extinguisher and a radio--but they were all inside the cabin, which was on fire.

In 20 years in the Navy, Satchell said, he learned to be a prudent sailor.

“I’ve seen what the sea can do to big ships,” he said. “When I’m out there on that little 27-footer by myself, I wear a harness and a life jacket.

“I’ve also got four extinguishers--and every one of them is in the cabin. If my engine ever went, I’d have to go into the cabin to get one. To get the (other) life jackets I’d have to go amidships.

“Most of us do that. One of the little footnotes to learn from this is that when we’re out at sea, we should keep a couple of those things in the stern.”

What surprised Satchell most about the incident was that although there were a few other boats in the area watching the drama unfold: “I was the only one that made a move toward him. (The others) just stopped, shut down, watched.”

Boating magazine cites figures showing that 15% of reported boating fatalities are alcohol-related. The Coast Guard estimates it is closer to 50%. Boating while intoxicated is a federal offense.

Pearson had not been drinking, but Boating says its own studies show that “alcohol hits much harder and faster on water than on land.”

Some other common-sense hints offered by Boating:

--Get one of the Coast Guard Auxiliary’s free and voluntary safety checks at a marina or launching ramp, and take a Coast Guard boating safety class.

--Watch marine weather forecasts.

--Don’t smoke while fueling your boat, and check the bilges for fumes before starting the engine.

Sailing Notes

EVENTS--Long Beach Yacht Club’s 12th annual Race Week starts today with three days of racing for 65 entries in eight classes, from IOR ocean racers to Olson 30s. The first race is scheduled at 4 p.m. today, with two each Saturday and Sunday, starting at noon. Defending champions participating: IOR-A--Quintessence, Don Hughes-Dave Ullman, Santa Barbara Yacht Club; IMS-A--Foxfire, Dennis Howarth, Pacific Corinthian YC; Schock 35--Buttercup, John Cazier, Balboa YC. Other classes: IOR-B, IMS-B, Swan, J-35 and Olson 30.

Bruce Golison’s seventh annual Audi-North Sails Race Week June 21-23 at Long Beach will have more than 100 entries with Performance Handicap Racing Fleet ratings from 24 to 174. North Sails President Tom Whidden and Huntington Beach loft manager Robbie Haines will conduct a race clinic June 21 at 9:30 a.m. at the Clarion Edgewater Hotel.

AMERICA’S CUP--America-3: Apparently realizing that he won’t be the primary helmsman, John Kostecki has left to pursue a Star campaign for the ’92 Olympics. Kostecki, an ’88 Soling silver medalist, was on A3’s primary boat, Jayhawk, in only two of the five races in last month’s World Championships. A syndicate spokesperson said Kostecki will continue as a “consultant.” . . . A3 will sail a series of races with Ville de Paris in July--an unusually cooperative activity between defense and challenge syndicates.

Il Moro di Venezia: The Italians’ fourth boat was delivered by air this week and will become the trial horse to ITA-15 that won the World competition. Look for a fifth, final boat by the end of the year. . . . Skipper Paul Cayard sailed Abracadabra to its second victory in three events on the International 50-Foot World Tour at Travemunde, Germany. Cayard, a longtime Star sailor, also won the San Diego Bay Star Fleet championships last week, with Il Moro coach and ’84 Olympic gold medalist Steve Erickson as crewman. Mark Reynolds, the ’88 Olympic silver medalist, was second, followed by Vince Brun, the new mainsheet trimmer for Dennis Conner.

Stars & Stripes: The boat started sailing again this week, with Conner aboard, when he wasn’t raising money. Conner placed second among nine Etchell 22s in the Volvo Regatta on San Francisco Bay over Memorial Day weekend. Scott Mason of Newport Harbor YC won with three victories in five races. Both plan to race in the Etchells World Championships on the bay in August. Conner, with crewmen Bill Munster and Norm Reynolds, said, “There’s no America’s Cup connection, but it’s not just a casual thing. I plan to sail Etchells in the future, for fun. That’s what I like to do--race sailboats.”

New Zealand: Whitbread Round-the-World winner Peter Blake’s first achievement as campaign manager was to obtain permission for wind-tunnel testing in England, because New Zealand has no such facilities.

Yugoslavia: With considerable civil turmoil, the Yacoma Challenge’s official representation has been changed to Croatia, the home republic of the Galeb Yacht Club. The wooden boat is nearing completion.

Sweden: The boat is scheduled to be launched Aug. 28 and will be based at the Hyatt Islandia on Mission Bay.

MISCELLANY: The San Diego Yacht Club has presented a model of the Stars & Stripes catamaran from ’88 to the New York YC’s collection of Cup defenders and challengers. The NYYC opposed use of the 60-foot catamaran against New Zealand’s 132-foot monohull.