After 114 Years of Safe Passage Iolaire Lost on Ibiza.
Don Street – One hundred years and seven months later on July 26, 2019…my birthday… Iolaire was lost on the NE coast of Ibiza because of bad seamanship, running downwind in heavy weather, close to shore, no main boom preventer rigged, inadvertent jibe, she drove ashore sank, crew ashore in life raft. Thus ended Iolaire’s 114 years of taking care of crew thru thick and thin.
Coincidentally Don Street’s son happened to be in Ibiza skippering a motorsailer at the time; later confirming scattered debris and heart-broken…a member of the family now lost forever.
For historic vessel specifications: Classic Yacht Register of Heritage IOLAIRE: https://classicsailboats.org/harris-brothers-iolaire/
When Don Street purchased Iolaire in St. Thomas in March 1957 he realized that the big heavy main boom, left over from her gaff rigged days, could be a real widow maker in an inadvertent jibe. From the earliest days whenever sailing broad off, a main boom fore guy/peventer was rigged. This was often a difficult job.
Thru the years Street worked out various better methods of rigging the main boom foreguy By the early 80s, he developed the rig where by the main boom foreguy running from the end of the main boom to the bowsprit end and back to a midship winch or cleat, could be rigged with no one going FORWARD of the mast. It was ALWAYS rigged when sailing broad off or dead down wind.( See attachment for detailed description and drawing of rig which is on the back of all Imray Iolaire charts)
This was obviously not rigged on July 26. About 0200 Iolaire was sailing dead downwind along the NE coast of Ibiza, an inadvertent jibe, she headed in shore hit rocks and sank ending a 114 year career of carrying sailors safely thru thick and thin. Owner/skipper, and partner got ashore in a liferaft.
Iolaire for 52 years carried Don Street, his family, friends and various Grenadian crew safely throughout the entire Eastern Caribbean and seven times across the Atlantic, eight times up and down the Thames or St. Kathrine or Lime House basins, all with no engine. Don cruised, chartered, raced, explored, and wrote about the Eastern Caribbean and the Atlantic islands. The explorations resulted in the Imray Iolaire charts of the Eastern Caribbean and the Atlantic island. The writing resulted in hundreds of articles, three books and his all inclusive Guides to the Eastern Caribbean and the Cape Verdes.
Boom Preventer for Safer Downwind Sailing
Rigging Boom Preventers (204E) from SailFlix on Vimeo.
Veteran charter skipper, Don Street, shows three different methods of rigging a boom preventer for safer downwind sailing.
204E
I’m so sorry. She was beautiful. So many miles under that keel.
Terrible loss of such a lovely ship! Have jibed, with no loss, but it sure scares the hell out of you!
A jibe preventer is such a simple thing, and easily mounted!
Very sad news. Was Don or family aboard? I raced two Antigua Race Weeks aboard Iolarie. Hand sewed sails every morning. Certainly technique and seamanship were required from weighing to anchoring. RIP to a good ship.