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Bellagave tequila comes in two flavors, one for each of the girls on the foredeck.
Nothing against rum. That’s for sure. But if you’ve been sailing long enough—with its culture of sundowners and tiki bars—you may be feeling a bit rummed out. Especially if you’ve been doing your sailing down-island, where the rum can be cheaper than the Coke to mix with it.
After a few years of noodling around the marketplace,Loose Cannon has finally found a sponsor—a tequila brand named Bellagave. Sure, you can throw it back as a shot, but it is eminently sippable (ask me how I know) and therefore perfect for an evening of swapping lies in the cockpit.
My second choice was shoes, but I always favored a beer or liquor brand for sponsorship. I knew neither shoes nor booze would ever create a conflict-of-interest. My writing is about “boats, builders and waterways,” not cocktails. Also, with journalistic independence as a core principle, Loose Cannon was never going to become a venue for advertising, which is why Bellagave is a sole sponsorship.
As I modestly said to a partner in the company, a Renaissance man named Hale Hedley, “You are Pope. I am Michelangelo.”
Bellagave is relatively new to the market and comes in two varieties—one infused with the flavor of coconut; the other, mango-jalapeño. Hedley described the latter as “sweet, hot and alive with motion,” and compared sipping it to a northbound passage in the Gulf Stream: “Unexpected speed, a rush of heat and a finish that lingers long after you’ve dropped the hook.”
That description rings true, expecially the lingering-finish part. I find that tequilas have the most complex flavor of any liquor. Maybe, it’s because of tequila’s complicated manufacturing process, or maybe not. Not an expert, I just drink it.
Expect to read regular suggestions on how to fashion tropical cocktails a la Bellagave, and reminding you of its sponsorship of the news—always at the end of said news, never an interruption.
Meanwhile, please travel to the Bellagave sales website and order one bottle of each and see what you think. For free shipping, use the promo code LCFREESHIP (which saves you $19.95).
LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Every so often he tries to be funny. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.
A Message From Our Director: Lessons From Our Outer Banks National Parks
Every time I visit one of our Outer Banks national parks, I’m reminded just how much history, beauty, and resilience are woven into these landscapes. From the beaches of Cape Hatteras, to the monument at Wright Brothers, to the grounds of Fort Raleigh, these places tell the story of America in a way no textbook ever could.
At Cape Hatteras National Seashore, we are reminded of both the fragility and endurance of nature. No doubt, Hurricane Erin dealt a blow to the Outer Banks, specifically to Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. Despite the impacts of Hurricane Erin, wildlife on the Seashore push on as they have for millennia. And the approach of fall has ushered in a lesser-known phenomenon as a diversity of bird species pause here on their fall migration along the Atlantic Flyway. Within the world of birding, the Outer Banks is a true birding destination!
At Wright Brothers National Memorial, we are inspired by human imagination and determination. Standing at the base of the Wright Brothers Monument, you can almost feel the December wind that lifted the brothers’ “flyer” into the air for the first time. I recently visited the flight line at the park, which memorializes the path of the first heavier-than-air, powered flights. If you have not visited the historic flight line, I encourage you to do so. To me, the flight line memorializes one of the most impactful moments in human history. The Wright brothers’ story is a reminder that even the biggest dreams can take flight with persistence and courage.
And at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, we encounter the mysteries and struggles of our nation’s beginnings. The “Lost Colony” remains one of America’s intriguing stories, but Fort Raleigh is also a place of hope, where the Freedmen’s Colony became a beacon of resilienceand a community for those seeking freedom during and after the Civil War.
Together, these three parks represent the heart of the Outer Banks and are an essential part of America’s heritage. With your support, we work to ensure that these stories of nature, innovation, and perseverance are protected for generations to come.
As we look ahead, we are excited about the work your generosity makes possible: protecting sea turtle habitat along Cape Hatteras, engaging students and families in the story of first flight at Wright Brothers, and preserving the rich cultural legacies of Fort Raleigh.
Thank you for your support of our Outer Banks national parks. Every time you visit, share your story of why these places are special to you, or give to Outer Banks Forever, you are helping our parks thrive!
Did you know that when you shop in our park stores, you’re supporting Outer Banks Forever?
Our Meet Our Store Staff series introduces you to the incredible people who support our Outer Banks national parks through retail operations!
This month, we’re pleased to introduce you to Kelly Hartman, Assistant Store Manager at Wright Brothers National Memorial!
Kelly’s days are busy as she receives product into the store, organizes and manages inventory in the warehouse, and interacts with customers from all over the world.
In her free time, Kelly enjoys traveling to other National Park Service sites, walking, hiking, swimming, and meeting new people!
This content is brought to you by our National Park Service partners.
Born into slavery, Rev. London R. Ferebee (as depicted by the silhouette at right) came to the Roanoke Island Freedmen’s Colony as a self-emancipated, fourteen-year-old young man and sought an education.
His natural intelligence and strong spirit led him to become an educator, reverend, politician, and leader for his community in post-Civil War eastern North Carolina.
Rev. Ferebee’s story is featured as part of the Freedom Trail at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site on Roanoke Island. On your next visit to Fort Raleigh, we encourage you to stop and reflect at the First Light of Freedom Memorial, attend a ranger program about the Freedmen’s Colony, and explore the newly enhanced Freedom Trail to learn more about the freedom seekers who risked everything to find a safe haven and rebuild their lives on Roanoke Island during and after the Civil War, and how their stories and legacies continue to shape our community – and our nation – today.
While the summer season is winding down, our parks’ ranger programs are still going strong!
Climb the Bodie Island Lighthouse, learn more about the brothers who were determined to fly, and reflect on the resilience of the men, women, and children who bravely sought freedom on Roanoke Island –and much more.
Check out our parks’ calendars below to see all the ranger programs offered now through Oct. 13!
NCBBA’s next beach cleanup will take place at Ramp 23 (Salvo) on Cape Hatteras National Seashore on Saturday, Sept. 20.
The cleanup will last from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. For more information, contact Tom Brueckner, Adopt A Beach and Adopt A Highway Director for NCBBA, at Tom.Brueckner@ncbba.org or click here.
Pints for Parks – Public Lands Day
We invite you to join us and our friends at Swells’a Brewing for a Pints for Parks event to celebrate National Public Lands Day on Saturday, Sept. 27! The event will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Feel free to invite your friends, coworkers, family members, and neighbors to join you! We hope to see you there!
PS: Entry to Wright Brothers National Memorial is FREE on National Public Lands Day!
Parks Forever Fund
Our Outer Banks national parks continue to face challenges like adapting to a changing coastline, preserving the many historic structures they manage, and budget and staffing cuts at a time when they continue to see high levels of visitors.
When you make a gift to our Parks Forever Fund, you support important initiatives like:
Education and preservation through the creation of internships that engage the next generation in protecting our parks and the stories they tell, increasing our parks’ capacity to provide amazing experiences for you and your loved ones.
Restoration and conservation of our unique barrier islands through much-needed invasive plant species removal.
Enhancing the visitor experience by funding projects that address the needs of visitors of all ages and abilities, so everyone can learn about and enjoy the rich history and beauty of these places.
Helping us sustain our operations so we can support our parks for years to come!
We’d like to say a huge THANK YOU to these generous donors who have supported our Parks Forever Fund!
Zara Anderson Sally & Charles Ayers Susan & Jim Bacon Alexandra Bauer Betty Beamon Barbara Benwell Dr. Deborah Best Malcolm & Patty Brown Tony Bruno Thomas & Debra Cafferty Sarah Campbell Martha Caswell Jim & Sue Clark Brenda Cummins Harold Daub Carolyn Driggs Jeff Eggleston Robert Elkins Nicole & Levi Erickson Stacy Ferreira Richard Ghione Mary Helen Goodloe-Murphy Christie & Mike Graf Nick Graham John & Lynn Hasteadt Mary Hickling Carol & Nev Jackson David Johnson Dennis Jones Stephen Jones & Rebecca Burcher Jones Lisa Joyner Friends of Kitty Hawk Rotary Holly Kimbrell Ronald Knur
Marianne Krzywicki Cat & Charlie Lineberry Stephanie Madalena Paul & Robin Mann Jim & Betty Mast Eddie Masterka Donna McCaslin Greg & Sally McDaniel Jack & Paul Mertens Shelley & David Olsen Dr. Paul & Mrs. Amy Orser Helen Pierce Rodney Poole Michael Porter Sandra & Ed Potocki Aimee Purcell Michael Reddy-Miller William Pendleton Sandridge, Jr. Jean Scott Cathy & Thomas Shirley Leslie Skowronek Hope Smith Nikki Stevens Rebecca Stiles Marie Sullivan Sun Realty David Tannahill Joseph Temming Monica Thibodeau Peggy & Bruce Wackelin Anne & John Walker Shannon Winakur Kathy Wisiackas Elaine Wood
Intracoastal Yacht Sales, a long-time Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net Sponsor, has a beautiful 2006 Fleming Yachts 65 available for sale. I can personally attest to the Fleming brand, having owned the 55 version for over nine years. Flemings are beautiful classic yachts, well-made and designed for long-range ocean cruising. Fleming Yachts’ tagline is “The Ultimate Cruising Yacht“, and they live up to it from my experience. I can also attest to Intracoastal Yacht sales. They were my broker for my latest boat purchase, and they were great to work with.
There is always plenty to do around Charlotte Harbor. While berthed at Fishermen’s Village Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, you are certain to enjoy visiting Western Florida’s beautiful Charlotte Harbor/Peace River.
Fishermen’s Village October Calendars of Entertainment/Events
An Evening at McLeod – Sept 28 – Charleston County Parks
An Evening at McLeod
On September 28, McLeod Plantation Historic Site hosts an evening of music, art, and history in support of the Charleston County Parks Foundation’s Cultural History Fund. This event showcases musicians from the Charleston Symphony as they perform transformative works by Charlton Singleton, Florence Price, and Jessie Montgomery, honoring the site’s legacy and impactful history. The event also features displays celebrating African American artists and hors d’oeuvres from Carolima’s Lowcountry Cuisine. Get your tickets today.
Trick, Treat & Trail Family Fun Run and Festival on Oct. 25 Get in the Halloween spirit with a fun-filled event for the whole family!
From: Sarah Reynolds <Sarah.Reynolds@ccprc.com> Date: August 25, 2025 at 1:00:00 PM EDT To: Sarah Reynolds <Sarah.Reynolds@ccprc.com> Subject:Trick, Treat & Trail set for Oct. 25: Family Fun Run and Festival at Wannamaker County Park
Trick, Treat & Trail Family Fun Run and Festival on Oct. 25 Get in the Halloween spirit with a fun-filled event for the whole family!
{NORTH CHARLESTON} — Get ready for a spook-tacular time at the second annual Trick, Treat & Trail Family Fun Run and Festival! Hosted by Charleston County Parks, the event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 25, beginning at 10 a.m., at Wannamaker County Park.
Check-in for the event and trick-or-treat bag distribution will be held from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Tupelo Shelter at Wannamaker County Park. The fun run begins at 10 a.m. The course closes for runners at 10:45 a.m. The course will re-open for trick or treating from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. The Festival will be open for the entirety of the event 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. A costume contest will be held at 12:15 p.m. Registration includes a custom trick-or-treating bag, finisher medal, and candy.
Participants are invited to dress in costume. Prizes will be awarded for the best Halloween costume in the following age categories: Under 6, 6-8, 9-10, 11-15, 16-20, and 20 and up. Awards will also be presented for the best pet costume, best duo costume, and best group costumes of 3 or more. The costume contest will be held shortly after noon.
Admission to the race and event will be charged per vehicle of up to 15 people. Advance registration is $20 per vehicle and ends Wednesday, Oct. 23. If not sold out, registration will be available on-site for $25 per vehicle only until 12 p.m. Advance registration is recommended. Register for the event on the event webpage at https://www.ccprc.com/3715/Trick-Treat-Trail.
The fun run is open to runners and walkers of all levels, including beginners. Accessible parking and restrooms are available. The route includes a grass meadow and paved trails. This is a loop course with water stations and an optional shortcut route. Dogs are allowed at this event but must remain leashed and under control at all times.
This event is hosted by Charleston County Parks. For more information about this event and to register, please visit https://www.ccprc.com/3715/Trick-Treat-Trail or call (843)-795-4386.
Owned by the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission, Wannamaker County Park is located at 8888 University Boulevard in North Charleston, SC (Hwy 78). The mission of CCPRC is to improve the quality of life in Charleston County by offering a diverse system of park facilities, programs and services. The large park system features over 11,000 acres of property and includes four land parks, three beach parks, three dog parks, a skate park, two landmark fishing piers, three waterparks, 19 boat landings, a climbing wall, a challenge course, an interpretive center, a historic plantation site, an equestrian center, cottages, a campground, a marina, as well as wedding, meeting and event facilities.The park system also offers a wide variety of recreational services – festivals, camps, classes, programs, volunteer opportunities, and more. For more information, call 843-795-4386 or visit www.charlestoncountyparks.com.
Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission / 861 Riverland Dr. / Charleston, SC 29412 / (843) 795-4386
There is always plenty to do around Punta Gorda, Englewood Beach, and Charlotte Harbor, any time of the year. Whether you are moored in Punta Gorda’s mooring field or berthed at Fishermen’s Village Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, you will enjoy your visit to the beautiful area and activities, especially the Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach’s Waterfest.
Englewood Beach Waterfest Chosen as APBA World Championship Finale
PUNTA GORDA/ENGLEWOOD BEACH, Fla. – (August 19, 2025) The highly anticipated American Powerboat Association (APBA) World Championship will be the thrilling finale at Englewood Beach Waterfest October 10th through the 12th. This fall will mark the 11th year of speedboat racing on Englewood Beach. Waterfest draws people far and wide, averaging an impressive 32,000 guests throughout the weekend. Englewood Beach Waterfest, Inc. is a non-profit, 100% volunteer-run organization that highlights speedboat racing and water activities to promote and support conservation and recreation. The APBA Championship is a three-race event with Waterfest holding the final race, bringing both national and international recognition to the area.
Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach’s Waterfest was selected as one of the Top 20 Festivals by the Southeast Tourism Society in 2023, marking its third time being recognized with this award. It is made possible by a dedicated team of volunteers, eager to help from start to finish, producing a spectacular event.
The hidden gem Florida destination, Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach, makes for an incredible race setting due to its unique day-to-day water conditions, from calm waters to larger waves. In addition, the community support in Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach is unwavering with extraordinary safety measures, from helicopters overhead to protect race drivers and marine life, to the local fire department’s rescue boat on standby, to ensure safety for all participants.
“Englewood Beach Waterfest is excited and honored to be hosting the final race of the season where the APBA World Champions will be crowned,” says Englewood Beach Waterfest President, Jay Henderson. “The Englewood community loves offshore racing and enjoys showcasing our beautiful area. The 450 Volunteers that make Englewood Beach Waterfest possible welcome and assist our Guests and Racers to make sure all have a safe and enjoyable weekend.”
The teams for Waterfest will be arriving Thursday and Friday where they will start safety inspections, a driver’s meeting and a race position qualifier. On Friday October 10th, excitement will spark in the community with the Annual Block Party on historic Dearborn Street. Racing kicks off at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 11 and continues through Sunday, October 12. The top three winners will be celebrated at the awards ceremony.
ABOUT PUNTA GORDA/ ENGLEWOOD BEACH The charming Punta Gorda/ Englewood Beach is found on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The region is known for its long, pristine beaches and the lush environment, with over 70 parks and preserves. Located just south of Sarasota, the coastal town offers activities such as kayaking, paddleboarding, biking, shelling, and even hunting for fossilized shark teeth along the serene shore. There is something for everyone in Punta Gorda/ Englewood Beach, whether it is relaxing at the beach or going on a thrilling adventure through mangrove tunnels, it will prove to be an amazing experience.
To learn more about Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach, visit PureFlorida.com, call (941)743-1900 or on Instagram, X and Facebook @RealPureFlorida.
Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach VCB Media Contacts:
Lois Croft, Public Relations Director
Punta Gorda/ Englewood Beach Visitors & Conventions Bureau
There is always plenty to do around Charlotte Harbor. While berthed at Fishermen’s Village Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, you are certain to enjoy visiting Western Florida’s beautiful Charlotte Harbor/Peace River.
Fishermen’s Village September Calendars of Entertainment/Events
Cruisers Net publishes Loose Cannon articles with Captain Swanson’s permission in hopes that mariners with saltwater in their veins will subscribe. $7 per month or $56 for the year; you may cancel at any time.
And the missing, they too were dead. The Marques was knocked down and sank on June 3, 1984.
The author, a retired naval architect, is a frequent Loose Cannon contributor, having written about the loss of the Pride of Baltimore and Bayesian and the principles of vessel stability in general.
The news media was filled for days after June 3, 1984 with stories about the dramatic capsizing of a British sail training vessel on the first night of a race from Bermuda to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Nineteen people lost their lives when the Marques suddenly sank, including the Captain, his entire family, and two employees of Mystic Seaport Museum who were accompanying trainees in a museum sponsored program.
I followed the news with special interest because I was just wrapping up the largest survey and study of large sailing ship stability conducted up until that time. Thus began one of the most interesting episodes of my career as naval architect, even more memorable in my mind than my dive to the Titanic and subsequent analysis of her sinking.
I was vice-president of Woodin and Marean at the time, naval architects who were members of an industry/U.S. Coast Guard task force to develop new rules for U.S. sail training vessels. I was the principle investigator for the stability aspects of the project and had evaluated the stability of as many large sailing vessels as we could obtain information for. This effort has previously been described in the Loose Cannon piece Pride & Stability, Part 2: Author’s Career Trajectory Leads Directly to the Case.
Phillip Sefton of the U.K. was at the helm when the gust knocked down the shp. Here he tells a news conference that he had managed two turns of the wheel but the rudder came out of the water and the vessel was driven under. The incident, he said, lasted no longer than 45 seconds. He was certain most of the crew down below was dead “within a minute.”
One of the truly tragic losses in the accident was Susan Peterson Howell who was serving as the counselor for the group of sail training students from Mystic Seaport. She was the daughter of famed Maine yacht designer Murray Peterson and knew enough about boats and ships to find herself very concerned about the Marques when she boarded in Bermuda. She wrote her brother, Bill, shortly before sailing and indicated that she would have declined to participate in the voyage after seeing the ship if not for the responsibility she felt for the students.
Her brother, also a naval architect, was testifying in the ongoing inquiry in London and had heard of our work. He hired us to evaluate the Marques and place her stability in the data base of world sailing vessels that we had produced for the sailing school vessel rule-making process.
There were no plans for the vessel. We did have many basic dimensions from official registration sources, plans for large ferro cement fuel and water tanks that had been installed in the bilge, and many photographs. I was able to produce a set of lines from these and create the same kind of computer model as I had for the other vessels in the U.S. Coast Guard study. We had the results of a stability test performed on the Marques during her conversion for movie production.
Applying the numbers from the stability test yielded pretty horrifying results. All the vessels on the graphs we constructed for the study were clustered up in the right hand corner. Way down at the bottom left were three ships that had capsized. The Marques landed right next to them with inches of blank space between ships that were still sailing and those which had capsized.
The personal computer was very new at the time. The term “PC” was only three years old and I was still learning that a printer might change something that looked right on the screen. There was some deadline, and I sent out a preliminary report to the London investigators without looking at the print outs which had changed the symbol for the Marques into something like #*&^$. The British investigators sent back a reply pointing out that we had sent them gibberish and claiming that our number for the center of gravity of the vessel was too high.
This was not a happy time at Woodin and Marean. Due to financial miss management and some bad decisions by Parker Marean, the president, I had not been paid in months. We disagreed about just about everything, and I would have been gone long before if not for wanting to see the design of the sailing hip Corwith Cramer through to the end. Parker looked at the British letter and said, “This is a disaster. I’ve got to tell Bill and the British that you are off the project and I’m taking over.”
At the same moment, I’m looking at the letter and, with my greater familiarity with the numbers and computer model, I can see that I have the British cold with their own numbers even if they did make the ship look a bit better than my initial calculation. Parker called up Bill Peterson and his lawyer and told them I was off the case. They told him that, if I was, he was also, and they would find another naval architect. Plans then began to be made for me to travel to London to testify in the official wreck inquiry. Bill and his lawyer declined to pay for Parker to come. He offered to pay his own way, and they told him that it would just complicate our presentation and that he was basically not welcome.
After my corrected report was sent to London, the British Department of Transport hired me as their consultant and established that I would be testifying in a status roughly equivalent to “Friend of the Court” in U.S. parlance.
We were a three-person team that traveled to London. Joining us was Buzz Fitzgerald, a lawyer who later became president of Bath Iron Works. I can’t think of anyone I ever worked with who had more integrity and good sense. He was a truly great man who, if not for a brain tumor, probably would have become governor of Maine and perhaps risen even higher. I learned as we flew over that the owner of the vessel was a cousin of the Queen and the entire British establishment had resisted any inquiry into the causes of the sinking.
The mother of one of the victims, Shirley Cooklin, had campaigned tirelessly but was unable to find a lawyer willing to take the case except for one civil-rights solicitor who had none of the background for such an undertaking.
The author finally published her recollection of events in July. Harper Collins is the publisher and the book is available for e-reading at Google Books and Amazon.
I also learned that we would be staying at the Inns of Court, a unique British institution which is basically a large hotel complex for barristers and solicitors from all over the country to stay while courts are in session in London. Buzz told me that, as far as he knew, no one who was not a member of the British legal establishment, and certainly no foreigners, had ever stayed there.
Buzz told me that the British lawyer was letting us stay in his chambers as a poke in the eye of the establishment, which he felt was attempting to cover up the causes of the accident. The British are masters of expressing contempt and disapproval through icily correct politeness and the behavior of the staff at the Inns certainly supported that assessment.
Wreck Inquiry
The board for the wreck inquiry was composed of three men known as “assessors”. One was a naval architect and the other a master mariner. The chairman was a barrister. We learned shortly after arrival that the chairman and every lawyer for a party in what could be considered a defensive position—the owner, the insurance company, shipyards, etc.—all were in the same chambers, roughly the equivalent of a law firm in the US. Buzz said, “The fix is in.” He went on to say that, since everyone in the London legal system is a gentleman, they can be counted on to behave honorably and they therefore do not obsess about conflicts of interest as the U.S. legal system does. He then said, “Right.”
The British Department of Transport had its own reasons for being defensive. The vessel was operating under a Load Line Exemption Certificate. The department is empowered to issue these but the regulations and common sense say that you first evaluate the stability and other safety factors so that you know what you are exempting from and the level of risk. They didn’t do that and just issued the blank check. The only possible explanation is, “Oh, cousin of the Queen. You’re good to go. No bother with the expensive inspections and calculations.”
Mystic Seaport and the American Sail Training Association were unaware of the circumstances. They just knew that they were sending students on a ship that had an internationally recognized certificate of safety.
The body of a Marques crewman is carried off the Polish vessel that responded to the sinking and took survivors to Bermuda.
The stability test I referred to above was done by the naval architect who modified the vessel to be a film set. Either he or the former owner practically chained himself to the dock to prevent the vessel leaving on her first sail training mission, saying that she was dangerous and suitable only as a film prop. Interestingly, the Albatross, the other major sail training accident of the period was also a fore and aft rigged vessel decked out for movie production and then lost (after being disposed of and going into sail training).
In the Albatross case, the spars were oversize to look like a larger vessel in close ups. Plans for the rigging and spar dimensions of the Marques were not available but mention was made in earlier publicity that her rig could be made to look like that of vessels of different sizes and types for movie production.
We quickly learned after arrival that the British lawyer was way over his head and completely unprepared. He was a good and honorable man but simply operating with no budget in an area far from his special expertise. We were not suppose to have any contact or communication with him outside the wreck inquiry proceedings but Buzz and Bill were so incensed at the injustice that they perceived happening that we ended up having dinner with the lawyer every evening and spending the time after helping him prepare his case. There also a lot of dinner discussion between the two lawyers about the differences between the U.S. and British systems and listening to those discussions over the ten days was fascinating.
My testimony came early in the inquiry. Buzz had prepared me well and later said he had seldom seen anyone handle themselves better on the stand. I learned that, if the answer to a question was damaging to our position. to just quietly say, “yes” or “no” and let it go. If a question wasn’t clear, I should just make the points we wanted to make that were most closely related until the examiner said, “That’s not what I meant, let me rephrase.”
I floundered a lot the first day trying to get around that fact that the state of knowledge did not permit assigning a wind velocity to any particular wind-heel curve. (For a discussion of these curves, see Stability 9: Heeling Arm Curves.) The vessel owner’s lawyer kept implying that what I was really testifying to was that we didn’t know anything useful.
My one good moment that morning was when a lawyer presented nearly identical stability data for another vessel (the one used in the movie “White Squall”) and how far she had sailed without incident. He asked, “What would you say to the master of this ship?”
I said, “I would tell him, ‘This ship is going to kill you’.” Dramatic silence. No further questions.
Years later I related this to someone, and he said annoyed, “Yes, I flew all the way out to Australia to spend two weeks on that ship, and all I did was load iron and lead pigs into the bilge. We never left port. Thanks a lot.”
Just before a lunch break, I had a sudden epiphany that changed everything about the way I have approached stability since. It figured heavily in my discussions of the recent Bayesian capsize in this story: Bayesian Stability Calculus Suggests There Really Were Only Seconds To Save Lives. I drew a bunch of wind heel curves and the vessel’s righting arm on the blackboard while eating my sandwich and waited for the hearing to resume.
The Moment
The owner of the Marques returned from lunch, looked at the blackboard, and I could hear him groan contemptuously something like, “Oh God, what now?” My testimony began. I pointed at the wind heel curve that corresponded to a 10-degree heel angle and said (as best I remember):
“We all agree from other testimony that the vessel was heeling 10 degrees just before the sudden capsize. We don’t know what the wind velocity was. This curve could be full sail in a moderate wind or storm canvas in a strong wind, any combination of sail plan, wind, and course that produces a 10-degree heel. This righting arm curve is based on the center of gravity established by the British investigators and with which I agree. This other wind heel curve lies just above the entire righting arm curve and therefore represents a combination of forces that would capsize the vessel. This is also something on which we all agree.
We can not, at the current state of the art and the information available, assign a wind velocity to this curve. However, wind pressure varies as the square of the velocity. So, if we take the square roots of the upright values of these two curves, we can determine the difference in wind speed to take the vessel from the angle at which we know she was sailing at to the wind speed that would capsize her if immediate action was not taken to ease sheets or change course.”
I did the calculation and said, “So, the increase in wind speed necessary to capsize the vessel was only 22 percent. The speed increase of a strong gust on a blustery day is about 50 percent so this vessel was an accident waiting to happen and her eventual capsize was inevitable.”
The inquiry was being held in the impressive room where the House of Lords met during World War II. There were well over 100 people in the room. Buzz had instructed me that, if I got a chance to make a strong point like that, I should just freeze still until I heard a sound. I did. I have seldom heard such a silence. I stood with my chalk on the board for what seemed like a long, long time. When I finally heard stirring, I turned to see the owner of the vessel with his face in his hands. It was one of the most dramatic moments of my life.
The inquiry adjourned for the day and the naval architect on the board came up to me and said, “Marvelously clear. Wonderful.” He then invited us to a meeting of the Royal Society of Naval Architecture that evening. I was excited to go but Buzz said, “Oh, we can’t. It would be totally inappropriate. He knows it and knows that we know it. It was just a gesture.”
Buzz told me the next morning that I should not return to the remainder of the inquiry so as to appear uninterested. I was sorry to miss Bill’s and other’s testimony but got to spend a week enjoying London. During our flight back to the U.S., Buzz told me that I had to get loose from that loser Parker, and he would help me pro bono to extricate myself and get my own company started.
That was the beginning of Roger Long Marine Architecture, Inc. and my independent career. One of my first jobs was prompted by the discovery of the actual lines plan for the Marques. I was asked to redo all of my calculations using the now known actual shape of the hull and was pleased to discover that my reconstruction from all the bits and pieces of information at the beginning was so close that there was no significant change to my conclusions. I was the only person in the inquiry, other than Bill Peterson, who had testified that the vessel’s stability was in any way deficient.
The governor of Bermuda, Viscount Dunrossil, meets with survivors.
The results of the inquiry eventually were published. As Buzz said, the fix was in. He said that, in the U.S., my testimony would have put the owner of the vessel in jail. Britain was not going to imprison the Queen’s cousin so the way they let him off was to basically say that, yes, the stability of the vessel was abysmal and she never should have been allowed to do sail training but only Roger Long could have known that due to his research into sailing vessel stability.
That certainly made me look good, but it was a miscarriage of justice. We had anticipated this and been careful in our testimony to point out that all of the methods we were using were described in “White’s Manual of Naval Architecture” published in London in 1877. They just conveniently overlooked that.
Even if the British regulators did not know of my research, the slightest curiosity about exempting the vessel from regulations should have gone like this:
Old vessel for carrying fruit modified with a larger rig and big deckhouses.
I wonder how much ballast needed to be added to compensate?
Oh, there’s no ballast at all!
Those ferro cement tanks could be considered ballast I wonder how much they weight?
Oh, that’s only a 12 percent ballast ratio. I wonder what is typical for vessels of this configuration?
Typical ballast ratio for vessels of that type is at least twice that much and often more.
Yikes! We’ve got to take a closer look at all this.
The amazing thing to me is that she made it all the way around the world in that condition but big ships are sailed very conservatively because the cook and others complain when there is water on the deck or much heel. Eventually though, the invisible fine margin between the rail cap going under and capsize will doom the vessel.
A philosophical question that came up in the aftermath of the hearing: If a building is knocked down by a tornado and later analysis shows that a 50 mph wind could have flattened it due to structural deficiency, was the tornado the cause and were the architect or builder at fault? Part of the rational for the inquiry findings was that the conditions were so severe that she would have gone over anyway (although no other ships did).
Much was made of the fact that the captain (the official one; not the sailing master) told the press that the U.S. Coast Guard training ship Eagle was knocked down to 55 degrees. If that could happen to such a mighty ship, who could blame the poor little Marques for lying down. Red Shannon, the sailing master, invited me aboard the Eagle rather strangely at an ASTA conference and gave me a tour.
In the middle of it, we stopped at a ring bolt on deck, and he whispered, “The water came right to there. I was watching.” The ring bolt was on the vessel plans we had. I went back and determined that the heel angle was only 25 degrees. Red didn’t want to embarrass the captain, but he wanted to be sure I had accurate information for my ongoing research.
This whole affair led to considerable additional research in England and the establishment of one of the best set of stability regulations for sailing vessels in the world. The wind heel curve comparison, without assigning wind velocity, which occurred to me in a flash of insight that morning, became an essential feature of those regulations.
Roger Long
LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Every so often he tries to be funny. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid
Retired designer of boats and ships, former. Explorer and researcher of the Titanic. Private pilot. Internationally recognized authority on the stability of large sailing ships. Avid cruiser with over 40,000 miles in sail and power.
A question from one of our readers regarding parking a trailer:
Stephen asks: Are there any points on the loop where I would be able to park a trailer while on the loop? I had talked to Mackies Marina; however, they are closed now, and it looks like they are permanently closed.
Can anyone share their experiences and recommendations?
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