benneteau first 42 dismasted Captain Greg Gladdin fights heavy seas

Dismasting of

Benneteau First 42  Diablesse

Skipper Greg Gladden Fights Heavy Seas!

As an old time Texas sailor, my friend Greg Gladden has lots of great sailing tales. The dismasting of Diablesse while he was single handing her on his way to Isla de Mujeres must be one of his best!

Greg is also an accomplished criminal defense attorney.  He champions many causes to keep our country free.  Law offices of Greg Gladden

I crewed for Greg on Diablesse in the Regatta de Amigos race to Veracruz. I had a blast with Greg and learned some great lessons about managing a boat, managing a crew and having a great time! It was one of those 'never forget' experiences!
 
We returned through Tuxpam, MX.  If you want to see real Mexico, Tuxpam is a great place to do it!  A must see are pyramids of Tajin nearby.
 
If you stop in Tuxpam be sure to check in quickly with the naval guard when you get there, as they are not used to a lot of tourists!
 
Greg enjoys spending time at the haunts on the Boardwalk in Kemah, Texas.  If you bump into him be sure to say hello for me and ask him about the Diablesse!  The boardwalk in Kemah, Texas, lots of great food!  

A note about the Benneteau First 42

The Benneteau First 42 is a fast boat with a functional layout.  Diablesse has some special features.  Her chart table is clear of the gangway and seas that might tumble in.  Greg's boat has pilot berths above the setees which made the trip much easier!

Here is the story of the dismasting of Diablesse that appeared on the net:
 

Attorney and sailboat captain Greg Gladden Dismasted

Emergency Beacon Aids in Rescue

 

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – FEBRUARY 11, 2008 – Captains and pilots commonly say bad outcomes result from a series of problems adding up. Sailboat owner Greg Gladden understands this all too well. He was sailing alone 95 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas in the Gulf of Mexico on his way to the Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico when a sequence of equipment failures immobilized his 42’ sailboat, Diablesse.

A little before 5 a.m. on November 18, Gladden, 56, suffered a dismasting in 25-knot winds and 12-foot rolling seas. Afterwards while trying to engage the motor, he found that his propeller was wrapped with lines that had fallen in the water during the dismasting. He could not send out a mayday call because his radio antenna was attached to the mast now underwater.

Gladden was basically adrift.

Story continued below...

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Here is a Benneteau First 42 you can charter!

 Try these guys at:  Yacht charter hollidays

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Sailboat dismasted

He used his handheld radio to summon help but no one was in range. At 5 a.m., Gladden activated his ACR Electronics’ GlobalFix™ 406 EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) that was in a bracket on the boat. Shortly thereafter, he also set off a second emergency beacon, an ACR Electronics’ ResQFix™ 406 GPS Personal Locator Beacon (PLB). He purchased the ResQFix™ because as a solo sailor he wanted a personal beacon to wear on his person in case he ended up in the water.

At sunrise, he shot off a flare. About 8 a.m., a passing commercial vessel came to his aid and stayed on scene. They were able to relay Gladden’s handheld radio messages to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), who confirmed that they were aware of his distress signal and were working the case. Since the beacon was registered, the Coast Guard Sector New Orleans was attempting to confirm with Gladden’s emergency contacts that he actually was on an offshore sailing voyage.

About 10 a.m., a small USCG jet flew over and made radio contact with Gladden. He could hear the jet but could not see it because of heavy overcast. Several hours later a USCG cutter arrived and towed Gladden and his boat to homeport in Galveston Bay.

Story continued below... 

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A typical First 42 Salon

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First 42 dismasted

Although his Thanksgiving holiday was written off and he was aggravated by the equipment failure, Gladden was thankful that he had his ACR Electronics’ emergency locator beacons. “The EPIRBs were the only radio or electronic devices I had available for any kind of emergency once I was out of radio range. I had a sideband radio but the antenna went down with the mast. The EPIRBs gave me reassurance that the SOS signal was going out,” said Gladden. “I wouldn’t set off in a boat offshore without one (EPIRB). Other than EPIRBs, I don’t know of any other help available if your are 100 miles out and are dismasted.”

A PLB is a satellite-signaling device of last resort, for use when all other means of self-rescue have been exhausted and where the situation is deemed to be grave and imminent, and the loss of life, limb, eyesight or valuable property will occur without assistance. All beacons must be registered following purchase.

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Why you should register your EPIRB!

If you buy a used EPIRB and you don't register it then how will then the Coast Guard might be looking for the wrong cat!  They need all the information they can get when communications fail!  Family and friends of a registered unit can at least tell them when and where you left and how long you have been gone!

 Federal site to register your epirb here.

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I have a lot of respect for Greg Gladden's abilities as a captain.  I am not sure I would have managed as well.  

I am going to reconsider the personal rescue device decision.  I remember thinking it was kind of nice but a little over kill and expensive when we went on the Amigos trip.

What would Greg have done if he had not had his personal unit?  The ship's EPIRB was supposedly disabled. 

In the Regatta de Amigos 2 years later there was a yachting disaster and a fatality.  Safety officer Roger Stone from Texas A & M University at Galveston was unable to escape the yacht he was racing, the Cynthia Woods, as she sank. 

Stone had been sailing a Cape Fear 38 with 5 others from the University when the keel apparantly fell off.  Another Texas A & M safety officer and four students had no time to grab the ship's EPIRB as they scrambled from the quickly sinking yacht.  In fact, the boat went down so fast they ended up in the water with four life vests between the five survivors.  

What do you want to bet safety officer Steve Conway and the four students wished they had a portable epirb device as they contemplated their situation?  Fortunately, the Cynthia Woods was reported missing when it the sailors failed to check in on time.  The five were rescued.  They were lucky.   fatality in Regatta de Amigos

ACR Electronics, Inc. made Greg's EPIRB. They are compact units and well worth a look when you are getting ready to go 'out there'.  ACR Electronics, your best 'last chance'   Some of the best money I spent has been for equipment I hope I will never use. After 'Hurricane Gale', I know having the right equipment on board can be a life saver!

While no sailor wants trouble during a passage it is all part of the adventure.  Sooner or later we hit rough weather, equipment fails, crew members go nuts and other problems fall upon us.  

Life is kind of that way too, I think.  The question is, how do we handle problems, what lessons did we learn?  What can we do better and what did we do right?  All of these elements are usually at play in sailing. 

Greg Gladden was fortunate in the dismasting of his Benneteau First 42 Diablesse on his sailing adventure to Isla de Mujeres.  Single handed sailing and heavy weather sailing have their risks!  Having a portable EPIRB can save your life.  While an epirb would not have saved Roger Stone on the Regatta de Amigos, including one from ACR Electronics, it sure helped in Greg's case.  It would have helped Conway and the Texas A & M students when their Cape Fear, the Cynthia B, went down.  

Watch for details about my trip to Veracruz with Greg and crew in an upcoming blog!

Cheers,

Uncle Tim

spring break south padre island

South Padre Island 

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Spring Break SPI

While I am in South Padre Island area trying to get my boat ready for cruising, I might as well tell you about the places and people and my adventures here. I plan to give you reports about the places I visit; this Texas paradise is no different. The idea of folding my business tent and setting off under the tent of the sails on La Vida Nueva is to see places and do things. Part of the lifestyle for me is to be an eternal tourist during my travels. Let’s explore!

One of the biggest events on South Padre Island is spring break! It never ceases to amaze me how the young generation and the old generation look at spring break pictures on South Padre and have such different reaction. The young bucks can’t wait to get here and the old cats can’t wait to leave! Sad to say, I am in the old cat category. I just hope it is not snowing in Colorado during spring break!

"The young bucks can't wait to get there and the old cat's can't wait to leave!"

South Padre spring break is one of the biggest places for breakers in the nation. Florida is too far away for many in the ‘middle states’ of Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Louisiana Arkansas and did I mention Texas? Airfare from Colorado, for example, is as little as $250 bucks Denver to nearby Brownsville Texas! That is cheap considering March in South Padre is likely to be 50 to 70 degrees. March in Colorado is likely to be 10 degrees below zero!

SPI, as South Padre is often referred to, is the ‘Two nation vacation’. If you happen to be Mexican, SPI is, well not Mexico. It is always fun to visit a foreign land during spring break and the same applies to our friends from Mexico who are avid ‘breakers’ just like the rest of us. As a result, no matter which country you are from, there is a good representation from the US and Mexico so you get a little feel for both countries this close to the border.

Most people don’t know SPI is further South than Florida. The weather is perfect most of the winter. It is not too muggy and it is a lot warmer than Colorado! Nothing in life is guaranteed, and certainly not the weather. If you have the same bad luck I do sometimes, and you find yourself ‘breaking it’ in South Padre during a cold snap, you can count on it being absolutely miserable. But then, that applies to the rest of the world. Try Skiing in Colorado during a mild winter and blazing son! Great weather is a matter of perspective.

So what do you do in SPI during spring break? Of course, there is a lot of sitting on the beach. Then there is the kegger while sitting on the beach. Then there is surfing and sitting on the beach. And of course, there are beach parties while…in the hotel, in restaurants, in parks and…sitting on the beach!

One of the biggest attractions in Padre, besides the beach, is the turtle lady.save a turtle, see the turtle lady, have a great time! They call it Sea Turtle Incorporated now. When I was a buckaroo we used to visit a little cottage not far from the ocean side of the island. There was a sweet gal who had turtles crawling around in her back yard. They were rescued by the fish and game folks and since no one wanted to take care of them, left for the turtle lady to bring back to good health. For a modest fee, you could go in and see the turtles and know you were in the house of a Good Samaritan.

The ‘turtle lady’ isn’t a small operation anymore. They moved it to the main drag on the Island with much bigger quarters. Nothing more than that has changed. These are people devoted to helping a creature that lives a lot longer than humans do, given the chance.

A pet project of the turtle people this year is the Atlantic Green. So far this has been a cold year for most Texans. They walk around in jeans and jackets while I bask in my Colorado shorts.

“Aren’t you cold?” They ask.
“No. I am from Iceland” I say with a smile.

"Unlike wacky tabacy, the sea turtle is well worth saving"

Unfortunately, for the Atlantic Green turtle, it has been a cold year indeed. This magnificent turtle is not used to sudden changes in water temperature and go into shock. They end up floating in the waves, and like so many bales of marijuana, get washed up in the surf. Unlike wacky tabacy, the sea turtle is well worth saving. There went that young versus old perspective again!

Here is what the sea turtle people say about the ‘Greens:
"When water temperatures drop quickly in the Gulf of Mexico sea turtles can become "cold stunned". This refers to their systems becoming so cold that they become hypothermic. The turtles will then float and wash ashore. With the help of volunteers these cold sea turtles are rescued and brought to our facility. Sea Turtle, Inc. staff gives the turtles steroids and slowly warm them back up. A photo section has been created for the recent stranding event.

As of 1/15/10 a total of 127 Atlantic greens have been affected by the cold waters. Of those 83 have survived and 44 are dead. We have released 70 of the surviving sea turtles."

The sea turtle people rely on donations to keep them going. In a sense, they have been taken advantage of in not receiving compensation from wildlife agencies, as protecting our world and the creatures within it is the responsibility of us all. On the other hand, I am sure they would say the burden has been well worth it! This is one place not to be missed.

O.K., the beach! And the parties! Nudity is frowned upon on most of Padre's beaches.  .Put some underwear on said the gal who can't take hers off  There are lots of little ones, even during spring break, and parents don't think their children should be exposed to naked bodies.  However, if you go up-island to the last beach entrance you may find the bare essentials.  I don't have any problem taking it off, but after gaining plenty of weight over the last two years, other peoople duck when I come by.  So you won't see me in my birthday suit, especially in Colorful Colorado!

One popular party spot on SPI is Louie’s Back Yard. Tie on a Louie, party at Louie's     The folks behind this popular watering hole are movers and shakers on South Padre. They know how to show you a good time! These guys have been at it a long time and have such a great reputation they are featured in tons of places, including MTV, 60 Minutes, the Travel Channel, VH1, ETV, and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. When I was a party boy they called it the Tonight show with Johnny Carson, but most of you won’t remember that!

A popular local spot you should not miss is Dirty Al’s. When I say ‘local’s spot’ this is really one of South Padre’s best kept secrets. It is located in the marina on the Island. While the building is not fancy, the food is divine! Here is one review:
“Atmosphere is not for the faint hearted. The place is a dive, bathrooms are disgraceful and open into the dining room. Tables and chairs are mis-matched. Come as you are gets pushed to the limit by some of the patrons.

The food is a different story. The New Orlean's Style Peel & Eat Shrimp are fantastic! The fried shrimp are crunchy and light and are delicious too! The food must overcome the atmosphere because the place is full during dinner, even in the off season.” trip advisor review from cup cake

I am not sure what cup cake is talking about when he makes a deal about mis-matched chairs. There are no real country clubs on Padre. The owners of this personality come from south of Mexico. The food is divine. Did I say that yet? I will let you in on one secret most people don’t know. If you eat shrimp on South Padre Island it probably came from Al’s, or Alphonso in Spanish, shrimp boat. This is the freshest caught sea food in the gulf. Most of it did not spend the night in the Gulf! They were caught this morning!

If you miss this place you have missed the flavor of SPI.  The service is good and the waitresses are ‘well chosen’, if you know what I mean. They also own Daddy’s and a few other places on Padre. Do the Dirty, Dirty Al's that is!

The schlitterbahn water park-This is a great place to get away from the fools and the sand on the beach and have some real fun in the water! When they first told me about this place I was a little confused. Why put a water park next to the nation’s 7th best seashore?  Ride the autobahn go to schlitterbahn

The answer is, there are two kinds of ‘bahns”. One is the autobahn, the other the Schlitterbahn. These guys know how to do a water park international style!

The Port Isabel Lighthouse in across the bridge is a romantic place.  Take your new boyfriend you met on SPI who you will never see again... 

And then of course, there are the girls. There will be lots of ‘em this year. SPI is going to look very attractive for students with a strapped budget. Depending upon where you are from, a few tanks of gas shared between your buds and you are in paradise!  A good site to check out for spring break 2010 is here: Party Padre spring break 2010

There is so much more I want to tell you about SPI and the places to visit and see. I have a little time here before I have to return to the Mile High City, Denver, Colorado.

George Bernard Shaw says, “Youth is wasted on the young.” I am not sure. After doing this write up being young and wasted wasn’t so bad. I am just glad I moved along.

Gulf coast sail to beliz and caribbean - stopped by hurricane dolly

La Vida Nueva

Sailing adventure to the caribbean

Join me in fulfillng my life time dream of sailing off into the horizon, of living the sailing lifestyle, of meeting new people, learning about new cultures, and of bringing what I can to those who may be in need, and in the process of growing.

La Vida Nueva, the new life, is the name of my boat.  She is a Tayana 37, a Perry design, I didn't know when I bought her, but she is perfect for one...or two. 

Pehaps that second person will be in my life...as it used be for 26 years before my other half passed to the other side.  It will be fun to find out!

There is something magic in sailing, something I cannot tell you, because it is something powers far greater than I control.  My Tayana 36 is a heavy boat, yet she brushes the ocean waves aside using nothing more than a sail and a jib, kept on line by keel and steered by rudder.  No motor, no gas, no fumes, just this magic thing that happens when one matches sail with wind and stands aside for those great powers to go to work.

Then there is the prospect for adventure.  I have had a lot of adventures in my life.  Unfortunately, most of them happened in the city, in a bank, fixing a house, driving a car.  Very few of them happened in nature, man with nature, and sometimes man against nature.  They will now.  Sailing is, at it's roots, man and nature, and one's wits, and one's foolish pride and lots of trouble at times and lots of fun.  When it is all over and it is time to sell my beloved boat, I am sure I will say, but it was well woth the sacrifices.

Come along, share the adventure, if you are out there then let's become the best of friends and if you are not, then live it from the arm chair until it is your time.  Please email me, tell me what yout think, be part of this wonderful adventure called life.

Life dream halted, sailboat damaged hurricane dolly, murphys law on south padre island

dramatic pics, la vida nueva and murphys law meet     dramatic photos my sailboat collides hurricane dolly