The Virginian-Pilot
©
The Gypsy Dane, the sailboat that crew members on the destroyer Gonzalez spent six hours repairing, was carted off a Hatteras Island beach Monday, doomed by a cracked hull.
The 56-foot boat went aground by Avon on Nov. 15, one week after the Navy sailors had rescued the owner off the coast of Virginia.
Yves Oger abandoned his vessel to Pantego, N.C., salvager Steve Steiner.
"He walked away from it because he couldn't find a way to get it into the ocean," said Steve Thompson, permitting officer for Cape Hatteras National Seashore. "The last time I saw it, it was listing on its side and it was mired."
About 50 onlookers watched Monday as it was taken off the sand and loaded onto a truck, Thompson said.
Oger, a Toronto resident, had been heading to Charleston, S.C., when a storm damaged the rudder. After the Gonzalez crew repaired it, the Coast Guard deemed the vessel fit, and Oger resumed his trip south.
But the Gyspsy Dane ended up drifting onto the beach a mile south of the Avon pier. Oger was reportedly down below making a sandwich.
Thompson said Oger, 64, had found it too costly to tow the vessel off the beach and he had hoped he could right it and float it out. Instead, the vessel's hull was pounded as it sat on the beach.
"Everyone felt badly for Yves," he said. "He wanted his boat back, and he wanted to go home."
Catherine Kozak, (252) 441-1711, cate.kozak@pilotonline.com
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A Little More Detail
is in this story
Read from the bottom up to get the chronology of events
http://www.islandfreepress.org/2008Archives/11.16.2008-50-footSailboatIsStrandedInTheAvonSurf.html
not meant for the high seas
Anyone having gone thru the CG event and was given a new start on his trip, THEN be so blatantly incompetent or absent-minded enough to allow his vessel to drift far enough in towards shore (especially in the dangerous Hatteras waters) to run aground, does not belong at sea. I do not believe someone would be down below so long making a sandwich to give his boat time to get close to shore much less run aground. Sounds like he was down below sleeping? IF he was close enough to run aground in a short period of tie, then that proves my incompetent statement. Sad part is a very nice boat that could've been very good to another worthy salty sailor for many, many years is wasted.
$$$$
This boat is still worth a lot of money. Did he just sign it away as implied or was he paid for it? Based on the article it looks like someone took advantage of an old man with a run of bad luck.
The Gypsy Dane
This guy's luck would have to get better to be "BAD." He should take up ping-pong or canasta.....sailing is for sailors, bold and strong who have sailed the seven seas (grin). Go home, enjoy retirement and write a book of your misadventures!!!