Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Still Searching on Mobile Bay

Search and rescue operations worked through the night with five boaters still missing. More storms expected today.

The coast guard just gave an update. One of the presumed missing is safe and sound. They are asking volunteers to stay off the water as conditions are deteriorating.

http://topics.al.com/tag/Dauphin%20Island%20Regatta%20disaster%20/posts.html#incart_big-photo

Been at Ed's and didnt see the news. I worked/lived on Dauphin Island for a year and know quite a few of the people.

Prayers said for the families of the deceased and lost.

I hadn't heard they found one of the missing. Happy to hear that. I still can't believe how bad it was here. I saw on the news last night were Mobile Bay Lighthouse registered 73mph winds. UNREAL.

Prayers go out to those still missing and their families. The storms coming in now will only make the situation worse. I have been hearing reports from people in LA that they are getting hit pretty hard now. Especially in Metairie. I hope it calms a little before it gets here.

Did that race twice in the late 80's, once on a J30 and once a on a J44. That shallow water can kick up quick and there's not much place to run.

Dang, I was just fishing off Dauphin Island this week. I must have seen like 4 different boats being towed in that day.

What was the weather forecast before the event?

If a severe storm is suddenly possible the NWS will usually interrupt the VHS marine radio and other radio and TV stations.

The forecast at the start of the day was only about 30-40% chance of scattered showers. There was no prediction on such severe weather, let alone 40-70mph winds.

Even with a 50% chance of storms, there is a good enough chance you will never get rained on just because of how the sea breeze pushes storms away from Dauphin Island and they usually hit just a couple of miles inshore. Nobody saw this coming until well after things were under way. And unfortunately, even under power, sailboats don't move fast. Besides the dozen or so that were capsized several had their sails shredded before they could stow them. They said the storm traveled through at about 50mph so if they were in the middle of the bay or sound when it hit they had no way to seek shelter quickly enough.

DumbAssDon,

An NWS interruption on radio frequencies does NOTHING to change the severity, or the suddenness, of a storm. It's not a magic wand that brings out the freakin' sun and lets everyone get home safely.

In the Gulf of Mexico, the Coast Guard typically issues these warnings over channel 16 and I'm betting they did so.

That doesn't mean a 35ft sailboat with a 25hp kicker is going to be able to cross 10 miles in time to reach safe harbor.

Just because an alert goes out an hour before the storm hits doesn't mean all vessels are suddenly whisked away to safety.

Well, according to DumbassDon, that should be exactly what happens.

Never meant to even imply that war eagle. This time of year with sporadic cool fronts, I've seen weather there go from near dead calm to 75 mph winds in 1/2 hr time frame giving little time to clear a drilling rig derrick and trying to secure a rig and the attendant work boats. Had not the Coasties given us warnings (several times) we'd have really been in some nine line binds.
One can only imagine having to deal with such in slugs like sailboats.

Well that's weather forecasting it seems. It's NOT always correct.

Also racers are quite macho and might ignore a warning. We have sailed with small craft advisories up. We were fortunate to have never been hit with storm such as what hit Mobile Bay!

I dont know who planned the race, but I do believe if they had known this type of weather was imminent, they would have called the event.

Nobody wants to see this happen.

How bad was it while you were fishing?

Two more bodies recovered yesterday, about 10 mi. from where they capsized. One still missing. The Coast Guard is handing over recovery operations to local agencies. Props to the USCG for their dedicated efforts.

Bad thing is we were out in the bay fishing that day. Wind too much, went back in to fish Billy Goat Hole off the island.