Christina 1953 ChrisCraft 52' pilothouse motor-yacht

[PeteM234]

Sometimes I think the US government could screw up a one car parade and that includes the Coast Guard who handled this boat. You should have sued the pants off them and the people responsable should have been severly disciplined by the Service.I hope you did something about his tragedy.

[alsationwolfdogs]

wow, thats an unbelievable story, did you ever get any compensation? not that it would make it better.. but................

[680mudman]

What a pussy.better put on a fresh maxi pad......lol

[michaelpilot1000]

Well, I have rebuilt several clasic yachts. from 30ft Gloucester, 32ft Grand Banks, 54 ft Ed Monk sr and more.

I have tons of photos of restoration, running out on trips ect.

You only have one poor photo of a boat at a marina.

I find this odd.

I do not find stories of USCG sinking boats. I have seen quite a few mistakes over the last 40 years between river bars and ocean.

[deadmanzen]

Little River Band, cool change Ozzie band "360" Hand in hand at the will of the ocean, what place to be and just think, the sun, the wind... feel the salted waves apon u.

[cleareyedcleanheart]

Looks like you screwed with the wrong people. I bet they're still laughing their asses off.

Maybe you should stick to making videos about funny cats.

[pizamoto]

You're an asshole...no, I'm wrong, you're the whole ass.

Your pet Gerbil must've got stuck, 'cause you sure do need to see a Proctologist!

[cleareyedcleanheart]

@pizamoto LOL!

I always wondered what kind of moron would believe the Richard Gere rumor.

Now I know.

Nice diatribe. Care to refute me logically and, dare I say, with sanity? Loydster knows where I'm coming from. It was some big-brotherly advice. Do you think this video didn't make me sick?

[imafishgod]

Oh what a shame ..She was as beautiful as you are.. Why do such things happen to the kindest people.... Much respect, Paula

[nameofthepen]

Ahhh, Lloyd...

What a tragedy. I never saw a prettier boat. So very, very sorry. :-(

This surely proves once more why the following English words are the most dreaded in the world:

"Hi. We're from the U.S. government, and we're here to help."

[kingrowanthefirst]

that's a dam shame, great vid tho

[1loydster]

Thanks

[CoolWhiteboy2005]

i woulda sued the shit out of them for there negligence..if i even spelled that correctly <.<

[fretalian]

Wow simply a beautiful video mate if i could rate it 10 stars i would

[hubristime]

I Love it. Thank you Lloyd.

That's a keeper.

[hubristime]

Oh..wow! I didn't see all those comments. I figured you must have had a boat you lost, and were remebering her. I was doing stuff here, looking up, looking back at what I was doing, remembering a boat I use to be on alot myself. I was in the "zone" remembering good times.

Then I read all this! Wow.

[1loydster]

check the description under 'more info' top right of this page for the details on what happened...

[hubristime]

You either did too good a job with an intention of allowing us to become lost in the moment with you, or maybe this is one of those days for me I can get lost walking around the block.

The good news is that after imagining you working on replacing the flooring, installing a new jon, running new rigging, repairing the motors, fixing all the moulding, trim, painting, etc.... The next hull you build up is going to be even better.

You get to dot her two ii's.

[homerbear46]

...a beautiful ship...wonderful, sad-as-hell story.

did you have her in port at Long-Beach then?

ps) the story about losing her is a good example of why, even though I love the Idea of "sailing off into the sunset", in reality it is NOT for me....I'm scared to death of the open-ocean, especially(obviously) in rough-sea.

I've been to all sorts of "wild" places, deserts, jungles, mountains ect ...but nothing makes you feel quite as small and helpless as the "big-blue"

[homerbear46]

...AHAA!....so that's you then, eh, my old friend?....and I actually thought you was REALLY a kind of matrix-faced Jawa,.....LOL

you look like someone but I can't put my paw on it!

( I AM a super-intelligent, well-spoken dog...there is NO "human-face" to ME, bud)

[homerbear46]

also, did you have no claim in suing the CG for negligence, or were all your rights for that waived when you agreed to allow them to move her?

[1loydster]

The saga continued for another month... you couldn't imagine the shit that happened next... but they broke me completely. I also had a 32' Bayliner Avanti worth about $40,000 that I had to dump for $18,500 because I needed the money immediately to take care of this! When all was said and done I was way to broke to pay a lawyer. The USCG flew in some big cheese investigator to interview me and when he found out what had happened he felt bad as hell for me. Everyone he spoke to had confirmed

[1loydster]

my story, from the O.C. Sheriffs to the EPA Coordinator to the Harbor Patrol... everyone with a badge and a boat. He said he was taking the case directly to the Secretary of State and would see about getting me compensated for my losses. He promised I would be hearing from them... and that was three years ago. I'm still waiting.

[homerbear46]

...so...in that case...this CASE is NOT over....you still have the same strong case you did...I doubt time affects that.

I don't know your situation or circumstances...BUT...I would suggest you continue to push this.

mostly cos I'd like you to have a nice boat again.

[1loydster]

thanks brother homerbear, you're right (as usual) I do need to push this... I've been avoiding this whole issue due to the emotional and anger management side of it, it's been a very sore subject that I haven't wanted to face. But I really do need to re-open that wound to dig out the infection once and for all. It's been a real battle not to become bitter and twisted over this... but maybe now it's time for me to man the guns and engage !

[godbluffvdgg]

dude that was one sweet vessel, Much like a loved one passing, at least you were able to enjoy her somewhat. I can tell you spent a lot of time and money on her. Christ, a 53 I bet you had to fabricate almost every part. Did you salvage anything?

[1loydster]

Thanks bro

- a few pieces of memorabilia like the wheel and a polished brass portal... a few little things like that.

Not one of my happier times, but life goes on and what doesn't kill us can only make us grow stronger... right?

[xact1212]

Why in the hell was the USCG even attempting to move your  vessel, im real sorry for your lose man.

[1loydster]

I had anchored her offshore for the weekend because she was going into a new slip the following Monday morning, but I had to vacate my old slip that Friday. Late that Saturday night I got a call from the USCG saying that the location she was anchored in was on the edge of an undisclosed federal anchorage and they needed to keep that designated area clear, so my vessel needed to be moved a couple of hundred feet. I offered to go and move her immediately but the USCG operator said she would...

[1loydster]

prefer to dispatch a USCG team to go move it, the vessel only needed to be moved a couple of hundred feet and that they would take care of it. I figured they were the Coast Guard, so they should know what they're doing, no problem, right?

.... and thus my nightmare began.

[xact1212]

Damn so the went aboard in order to raise anchor, i don't know man seems like thats illegal somehow and totally messed up.

[1loydster]

Yeah, we were having pretty rough seas at the time, so when I anchored her I set her up for stormy conditions. I dropped anchor and run her backwards 'till she wouldn't move, so the anchor was set pretty deep. I then threw off a couple 5gal buckets on ropes tied to the swim-step to keep her bow to the seas and flooded the bilge to weigh her down and add ballast so she couldn't be capsized by any rouge waves. I was using perfect 11/4" anchor line and it was tight as hell, she was VERY stable.

[1loydster]

When the USCG called me, she said the boat was taking on water but was sitting perfectly level in the water I tried to explain that I had flooded the bilge for ballast, but I don't think she understood. Of course, one would need to turn on the bilge pumps and empty the hull before raising anchor... common sense right? And she would need to be either driven or towed forward to dislodge the anchor... common sense too right? When I found her, the anchor line had been CUT !!!

So....what that means

[1loydster]

is; they couldn't raise anchor, they didn't empty the bilge and some freaking genius got the idea to just cut the anchor rope!!! (with an axe by the look of it) Well, of course the line was tight as a guitar string, so you could imagine what happened. Who ever was on the forward deck when the line was cut would have been flung through the air as the bow sprung up and all the water in the bilge rushed aft-wards causing the yacht to up end vertically!!! I'm sure it would have been quite a sight!!!

[1loydster]

Then, during the panic of them tending to the M.O.B's the yacht just drifted away. I was awakened by a call at about 2am - the USCG:

"Sir, your vessel appears to have broken anchor and has drifted into Orange County waters which is not within our jurisdiction. You will need to contact the O.C. sheriffs dept immediately... here's the number....."

The O.C. sheriff told me that conditions were too dangerous for me to go locate my vessel, and to wait for first light before I head out there....

[1loydster]

He added that if he saw me out there before sunrise, he would arrest me for 'self endangerment' ! So I spent the next couple of hours climbing the freaking walls! As the sun shed first light I was already in my ski boat headed that way at full throttle.... only to find my yacht with her bow poking out above the surf on Bolsa Chica beach... the rest is history.

[Snowflake70]

Firmly within the autumn of my years and I've only had one "new" car in my life. You had a boat? I'm riding a bicycle and not because I want to, thank you Mr. Obama.

Bummer about your ship. Can't afford to cry in my own beer much less help you with yours.

[Ihavehadit2]

I'm sorry for your loss!! I know someone was screwed, blued, and tattooed for this. Being said, what was the name of the vessel and were they running full flank unaware of you?

[Kakarrato]

Can you at least make 1 video without graphics?

[catlady4justice]

Beatiful Loydster1,

To lose something u love in such a horrible way my Heart Hurts with yours. She will rise again in another Yact.

I wish you well & Thank-You for taking me with you on her voyage this is Lovely. Soon my friend you will be sailing again.

Hugs

xoxoxo

[animalliberation0961]

What a lovely tribute.

[Auriclama]

The sea is so lush there, it must be nice to escape from things.

[BlueEarthRising]

She will return.

Her tide will met yours again and together, reunited, new shores under a swift sunrise will find you both.

BlueEarthRising.

[CoolWhiteboy2005]

great vid man,and music :)

[BlessedONE333returnz]

nice view - so is this your wish list item or your get away vehicle!  lol

[1loydster]

She is now just a lifetime of memories and a wound in my heart... that even time cannot heal. She was my baby.

[BlessedONE333returnz]

oh sorry to hear that - my condolences on the loss of your first love. Very awesome and cool though hope insurance covered the loss.

[1loydster]

Unfortunately insurance didn't cover it and the USCG didn't reimburse me either, it was a total loss on my part and it almost broke me. I'm just lucky that I owned her outright so I wasn't stuck making payments on a yacht that no longer existed. One day, I hope to have another... but I will never be able to replace my Christina. :(

[WeCanAllGetAllong]

:-)