Fishing Boat Run Over by a 30-40 Foot Wave!

Two days ago, the F/V Voyager, approximately 70 ft.,  was returning to Westport Harbor to sell its catch, when it was hit on its stern by a wave estimated to be "30-40 feet" by Rex, while rounding the north bar entrance to the harbor.

Rex

The window above the "G" was broken out by the force of the 3rd wave that washed thru. 

According to Rex, they were coming into Grays Harbor at 5am along the north bar after fishing all night.  He said the first wave hit them on the stern, swinging it around.  A second wave hit them and at that point the boom swung around and broke.  They were then hit by yet another wave which washed over the boat and went into the galley...the window on the galley door was also broken out.

Busted-out door window.

A crew member was also washed across the deck and into the galley that had chest-deep water.  Not only did they lose their nets (they got them back later), but they lost their skiff which ended up on a mudflat that is a bird sanctuary for the whooping crane, so they had to wait for high tide to float it off to bring back.

Entering the harbor from the North side is very dangerous, and all the charts tell you to enter it from the South.

Fortunately, no one was killed or hurt, just bumps and bruises.

 The broken boom with nets still attached.

A tangled mess.

A dogfish tangled in the net, along with lots of other sea life that I couldn't recognize.

A VERY scary situation, for sure, which is why we are waiting out the gale-force winds that are forecast to hit tomorrow and last for a day.

We will make doubly sure the boat is double-tied, and we may even sleep on-board to make sure all is well.

This wind forecast map is actually for 9/25 at 8am.  Maroon color indicates gale force winds.  If you count 4 arrows upwards along the coast in the orange/yellow area, Grays Harbor is arrow number 4.  Winds will die down late in the afternoon, then resume gale force Monday too.

Here's NOAA's forecast too:

 PZZ081-250530-
 CAPE FLATTERY TO CAPE LOOKOUT
 330 PM PDT SAT SEP 24 2011
 
 ...GALE WARNING...
 
 .TONIGHT...W PORTION...N TO NE WINDS 25 TO 35 KT SHIFTING TO N 
 TO NW 30 TO 40 KT. E PORTION...S TO SE WINDS 25 TO 35 KT 
 BECOMING S TO SW. SEAS 10 TO 13 FT BUILDING TO 11 TO 16 FT 
 THROUGHOUT LATE...HIGHEST S. SHOWERS THROUGHOUT.
 .SUN...WINDS BECOMING W TO NW AND DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT 
 THROUGHOUT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 8 TO 12 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS.
 .SUN NIGHT...WINDS BECOMING S TO SE AND INCREASING TO 35 TO 45 
 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 9 TO 16 FT...HIGHEST SW. RAIN.
 .MON...S TO SE WINDS 30 TO 40 KT...EXCEPT E PORTION TO 45 KT 
 EARLY. WINDS THEN BECOMING SW AND DIMINISHING TO 25 TO 35 KT. 
 SEAS BUILDING TO 14 TO 20 FT...EXCEPT NW PORTION TO 20 TO 26 FT 
 WITH W SWELL. RAIN BECOMING SCATTERED SHOWERS.
 .MON NIGHT...SW WINDS 25 TO 35 KT...EXCEPT SE PORTION 
 DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS BECOMING 18 TO 28 FT WITH W TO 
 NW SWELL...HIGHEST NW.
 .TUE...SW TO W WINDS 15 TO 25 KT...EXCEPT NW PORTION TO 30 KT 
 EARLY. WINDS THEN DIMINISHING TO NW TO N 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT W 
 PORTION BECOMING VARIABLE 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 13 TO 
 16 FT.
 .WED...WINDS BECOMING E TO SE 10 TO 20 KT...HIGHEST W. SEAS 
 SUBSIDING TO 7 TO 10 FT.
 .THU...WINDS BECOMING S TO SW 15 TO 25 KT...THEN DIMINISHING TO 
 W TO NW 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 7 TO 11 FT. 

Stay tuned, I'll let you know how tomorrow goes.