Man recounts collision with whale that sunk his boat
A Northern California whose 50-foot sailboat sank off the coast of western Mexico after colliding with a whale tells his story.
A Northern California whose 50-foot sailboat sank off the coast of western Mexico after colliding with a whale tells his story.
A聽Northern聽California聽man聽whose聽sailboat聽sank聽off聽of聽western聽Mexico聽after a聽collision聽with awhale聽said聽Sunday聽that the聽impact聽was so聽powerful聽that the聽stern聽of the聽22-ton聽vessel聽was聽lifted聽out of the聽water.
Max Young returned home to Sacramento on Friday, 10 days after the breaching聽whale聽slammed onto the bow of his 50-foot boat during a solo voyage.
Young, 67, was on the final leg of a journey from the East Coast to Emeryville, Calif., when the 55-foot-long聽whale聽hit the boat just after dark on June 12.
"The head of that聽whale聽would have had to have cleared at least 12 feet (from the聽water) before he came down on the boat," Young told The Associated Press on聽Sunday. "I could see its head. It must have been a young聽whale聽because he only had a few barnacles."
Young was not hurt in the聽collision, but the steep angle of the boat sent him sliding down the deck toward a pile of sea bags. He聽said聽he was only about 10 feet away from the聽whale聽at the time of聽impact.
Within a few seconds the聽whale聽slid back into the聽water, but not before causing severe damage to the聽sailboat聽and leaving behind evidence that it had been injured in the encounter.
"I saw a piece of rubbery type of material," he聽said. "It was skin from the聽whale."
But Young had other things to worry about.聽Water聽was gushing in through what he later discovered was a massive crack, the boat's steering was damaged and any possible help was hours away.
Young聽said聽he was about 40 miles聽off聽the聽western聽coast of聽Mexico, or about 400 miles southwest of San Diego. While the boat's bilge pumps struggled to pump out the ocean聽water, he went to work trying to get the boat back on course.
Young activated an emergency beacon, which alerted the U.S. Coast Guard. With that information, officials at the command center were able to direct a merchant ship, which was about 60 miles away, to the sinking craft.
Young had a life raft on board and a larger inflatable boat, but neither was inflating sufficiently to be seaworthy. And the freighter redirected by the Coast Guard, was still a few hours away.
"I started making my peace with God," Young聽said. "I thought I was going to die."
It's when his spirits were lowest, when Young first spotted the rescue ship聽off聽in the distance.
"About that time I could see the freighter coming," he聽said. "I knew I was going to be OK."
The Coast Guard also dispatched a HC-130 Hercules aircraft to help guide the rescue ship to the stricken boat. When the plane arrived and circled overhead, the air crew could see Young bailing out聽water.
When the ship arrived, crewmembers helped hoist him聽off聽his boat. Young, who has spent most of his life on the sea, was unharmed during the ordeal.
"This case is one of those success stories," Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Pamela Boehland聽said聽earlier this month, just after the rescue. "A聽man聽went out prepared, the worst happened to him and he was able to respond."
Young spent six days on board the freighter as it steamed to Panama. He arrived back in Sacramento Friday, just two days before he and his wife, Debra, were to celebrate their 23rd anniversary.