Depoe Bay (aka the Broken Boat Trip)

Location: Depoe Bay, Oregon

Date: September, 2005

Participants: Bob Foote, Karen Knight, Don Beale, Jason

	Bob Foote, Karen Knight, a friend of theirs named Jason, and I were out at Depoe Bay in early September 2005. We had ourselves a little adventure... This is before the wave. We had been at Fogarty Creek stopping for lunch, an were on our way south to see Otter Rock. Bob and I paddled though an area that had had breaking waves in it earlier, which I commented on. About that time one broke over me, and thanks to Bob's forewarning I braced out of it and paddled clear. I soon had the chance to return the favor. As a wave was ready to break over Bob, I called to him. He braced into it... And the wave picked him up and dropped him about five feet. I heard a distinct 'thunk' and it didn't sound good... Bob's boat had broken, and he needed help.
Here, Bob is on the back of my boat. I'm towing the wreck, and Karen is towing me. Jason took the picture, just before he got seasick. We then re-arranged, and Bob towed the wreck while Karen and I did a contact tow with Jason on our back decks. We went in to Fogarty Creek.
	After we landed, we took pictures of the damage. This was the boat's maiden voyage. Both deck seams split from the forward bulkhead clear to the stern - the forward compartment was the only thing that kept us from losing the boat. The hull is shattered in three places - the one just aft the forward bulkhead doesn't show in this picture. The foredeck had folded on Bob's feet. Luckily he was not hurt. I think you need a wooden boat, Bob.

All images and text are copyright by Don Beale unless otherwise noted and may not be used without the prior written approval of the copyright holder.