Bob Hodges was driving and went to the hospital, but reportedly ok. Phil Kinder's Flyer, not so much.

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nice shot of the inside of a Flyer

Ouch!! Good to hear that there was no serious injuries!

What happened, why did they collide? If I saw a fishing boat about to ram me, I sure would get out of the way. No room perhaps?

I'm dieing to hear a more complete story? Do you know it? I really hope the word is right and everyone is OK, we make jokes about how important our boats are, but from the looks of that someone could have serriously gotten hurt!

I dont have any details, sorry.

Bill

Before this thread gets any "spin" on it, the facts.

Phil Kinder had been extremely generous in allowing me to use his boat over the weekend to do some training with Ben Hall. We had just finished an excellent day of sailing and had returned to the Bristol YC ramp to end the day. The ramp was full of Optimists pulling out so we went back out for one more upwind/downwind run.

I had cleared the harbor mooring area and had been heading upwind on starboard tack for about 30 seconds in 10 knots of breeze fully out on the trapeze wire. To my knowledge there were no boats immediately around me (either sail or power). I heard an engine noise behind me and turned and looked towards the aft quarter of the boat. As I turned to look forward, an 18-20 foot commercial fishing boat hit me 12-24 inches in front of my sailing position. We estimate the fishing boat was doing over 20 knots. In addition to the damage to the starboard bow, the force of the collision and the pull of the starboard forestay as the bow broke off also broke the mast about 30" below the hounds. There was no way for me to get out of the way of the collision as there was only about 3 seconds from the time I heard the engine noise to the time of the collision.

There was one witness to the collision who called the Bristol Harbor Patrol who assisted me in recovering and towing the boat back to Bristol YC. I was then taken by ambulance to a hospital and released with a minor concussion, lower back sprain, and bruises.

The owner of the fishing boat claims he never saw me. This is hard to believe as he hit the A-cat at 90 degrees to the direction I was sailing. The Rhode Island marine police agreed with me on this point and the bottom line is the commercial fisherman is at fault and responsible. The really bads news is the fisherman is not insured so I hope Phil's insurance company can work with him on a speedy resolution to get him a new boat/platform.

I do not know at this time whether the fisherman has been issued a citation for this incident. The marine police did not feel he was under any influence of drugs or alcohol.

Those are the facts.

Bob Hodges

Sad story! Bob, I am glad you are in good shape, although I worry about the concussion and back sprain.

Looking at Phil's platform, I would think he needs a new starboard hull and main beam. Add to that a new mast and possibly rigging and there is a season ending event! If Phil is looking for a replacement mast, I bought a Hall spar that was on a Flyer down in Annapolis last fall that Ben said was the same flex as specified in the new A2. I have retained it in case I broke another mast but would make it available if Phil needs it. Have him send me an email through Catsailor.

I sure hope Phil gets his boat back together soon!

Very glad you are safe and sound Bob.

Chris.

This is how it goes on the water with respect to all sailors.You need eyes in the back of your head.you become sure of a certain ritual in getting the boat moving you become absorbed in the boat sliding along, you look around a couple of times to asure yourself that the area is clear, back to concentrating on sail shape and wham! somebody has hit you, you have hit someone or you have hit something that was not even moving! Traveling along in a power boat,the skipper had an eye on you 10seconds ago he looks down and away,bang there you are in his crosshairs he panics and cuts the victim in two.

Glad to hear that you are OK, and thanks for the full story.

Was this in confined waters?

The good thing about sailing two-up is that there are two to watch where you are going and what's happening around the boat. Not that it always helps..