Capsize of the Candi 1

[troy2000]

The owner of Candi 1, a 34 foot sailboat, took her out off New York's Long Island the evening of July 4th to watch fireworks -- with 26 other people aboard, many of whom were children. Not surprisingly, Candi 1 capsized. Three children were trapped in the cabin and died.

I truly feel sorry for the guy; I'm sure he meant well. He was trying to provide a memorable evening for friends and family, and the tragic results will probably haunt him for the rest of his life.

But he's an effing numbskull anyway for loading up his boat with that many people, and casually taking them out onto the water like they were just walking down the street to the park. The sea must be respected, even during holidays and close to shore.

I tried to google some particulars about the boat herself, because the news articles just describe her as a sailboat or yacht. But if there's any info online about her, it's buried deep under all the news stories.

[Angélique]

This article says she's a 34' Silverton Powerboat, wich is of course more likely to capsize by high deck load than a sailboat.

Silverton doesn't have a 34' in their range now, but here at Previous Models, under the button ‘‘Choose Your Silverton Yacht of Interest’’ you can select these previous 34' models . . .

34 Convertible 1978 - 1988
34 Convertible 1989 - 1990
34 Convertible 1991 - 1994
34 Convertible 2004 - 2007
34 Express 1987 - 1989
34 Motor Yacht 1993 - 1996
34 Sedan Cruiser 1977 - 1981

Don't know wich one it was, but the 27 people aboard wasn't Silverton's fault anyway . . . Here some Silverton 34' for sale (138 on that site now).

Sad but stupid accident . . .

From the above linked article . . .

‘‘A Silverton boat of the same style and size as the one that sank in Oyster Bay’’



Well, no ‘‘Cheers’’ now . .

Angel

[Angélique]

A few bits from the in post #2 linked article . . . .

The stunned (helmsman) uncle of one of the victims insisted a rogue wave knocked the 34-foot Silverton vessel on its side.

But police say 27 people — mostly kids and young teens — were celebrating on a boat that specs say was built to carry a maximum of 15. And they suspect the tragedy may have been caused by a deadly combination of overcrowding and a forceful wake from another watercraft.

If there was a wave, it was likely manmade. The 911 call reporting the sinking ship came in at 10:10 p.m. Wednesday, but the squall that blew through the area with wind gusts of 40 mph didn’t arrive until 10:30 p.m., said meteorologist D... S... of the National Weather Service.

“Sometimes you can get big waves ahead of storms,” said S... “But I don’t have any reports of storm waves.”

P... C... a Boston-based boat safety expert, said loading that many people on a 1984 Silverton “is just nuts.”

“These are tippy boats to begin with,” he said.

[Angélique]

‘‘1984’’ makes it look like one of this series ‘‘34 Convertible 1978 - 1988’’ as all the other Silverton 34' series are either newer or older as 1984.

Silverton 34 Convertible 1978 - 1988

-

SPECIFICATIONS

Length 34' 0"
Beam 12' 6"
Draft 3' 1"
Weight 12,500 lbs
Clearance 13'3"
Water 40 gals.
Fuel 250 gals.
Cockpit 70 sq. ft.
Hull Type Modified-V
Deadrise Aft 15 Degrees
Designer J. Fielding
Production 1978 - 88

Cheers,
Angel

[WestVanHan]

Unbelievable.

I'm 48' and 53' OA..and passenger-wise rated for 15 passengers+ luggage to max 2000 kg. plus all the other (fuel,water,etc) stuff...but that doesn't mean I'd take 30 people out with no luggage.

And I'd bet there were not enough PFDs.

I only have 6 PFDs for a good reason...

[gonzo]

A moving load is much more dangerous. With fireworks it is usual for all the people to shift to one side to see better.

[PAR]

Yep, twice the passenger load (3,000 pounds+ over), likely all on one side watching the show, what's the worst that could happen. I'll bet 20 of them were up on the highest point they could climb to. Lots of leverage . . .

[Ad Hoc]

Originally Posted by troy2000

But he's an effing numbskull anyway for loading up his boat with that many people, ....

There is only so much one can do to prevent this occurring. But no legislation in the world will prevent people like this not understanding nor respecting their boat and the lives of others.

Sadly, it shall happen again

[mydauphin]

Something as simple as a little water in bilge, or a bad tank can cause a little shift in weight to become a big shift. I have seen a person walking to one side move a fairly large boat move.more than you ever figure ..

[PAR]

You can regulate against stupid . . .

[Angélique]

Some people are willing to learn from their mistakes, but not this guy. He blames nature and insist a rogue wave knocked the boat over. By not willing to learn from this event he remains dangerous in the future. Let's hope some others will learn from his mistake.

But how should authorities deal with this guy if he sticks to his denial of his part in the event and therefore remains dangerous . . ? ?

If society is lucky this kind of people gets themselves a Darwin Award, but this guy hands them out to teens and even younger for going with him . . .

In the spirit of Charles Darwin, the Darwin Awards commemorate individuals who protect our gene pool by making the ultimate sacrifice of their own lives.

Darwin Award winners eliminate themselves in an extraordinarily idiotic manner, thereby improving our species' chances of long-term survival.

Cheers,
Angel

[Angélique]

Originally Posted by WestVanHan

And I'd bet there were not enough PFDs.

Yep, see video . . . .

Cheers,
Angel