Memorial Day Weekend Sail 2015

We were attempting to head to St. Augustine for a week with Kristina as our second mate.  the sail to the port was great, we had a south east wind blowing at 20knots gusting to 30.  The decision to go on the outside for a ocean sail was made under the pretense that weather underground stated the seas were 4-6 foot and winds would be shifting out of the west and diminishing to 5-20knots.

We made it out of the jetties around 3pm and started to make our way out around the shoals.  The seas were very rough and choppy with the winds constantly shifting .  Several tacks were made just to make the turn to get out north of the shoals.  Around 5pm Kristina started complaining of a headache and then it was a full blown migraine with in 30-40 minutes.  She tried staying down below where she was out of the sun but cool.   It was 5:30 when Kevin went on deck and noticed we had a ripped main sail, more shredded then ripped.  The sail had shredded at the top and was wrapped around the steps going up the sides of the mast and the spreaders.  With the high rough seas and the sail tangled in everything there was no way to get her down.

6pm, Kristina came up on deck and I noticed she was very pale and shivering.   She stated that she felt like she was going into shock.  I had her go down into the back stateroom to lye down and we opened the hatch so she could get a good breeze blowing on her.  She then started getting sick and had to sit propped up.  In a matter of minutes she complained of losing feeling in her hands and legs and couldn't move her hands, then her arms.  We thought she was having a stroke or possibly a heart attack (since she has a history of cardiac problems)  At that point we call the coast guard and turned the boat for home.  The coast guard meet up with us about 30 minutes later and took Kristina off our boat and rushed her to the hospital.

10pm Kevin and I made it in the port and spend about 45 minutes getting the shredded head sail down, while the coast guard stayed with us, after dropping off Kristina with the ambulance.  We were able to get a slip at the Cocoa Beach Yacht Club and borrow a car to get to the hospital.

Kristina ended up having very low potassium levels causing the muscle contractions and loss of her extremity movement.  She was released around 1am, with her husband meeting her there, then taking her home.  Kevin and I went back to the boat and then headed home the next morning.

Watching your child being thrown from one boat to another in 10 foot seas, with no use of her extremities was enough to do any parent in.  Needless to say, Kristina will not be doing any off shore cruising with us for a long time.