At Wayfarer there was that Farr 79 (or whatever) who's professional crew ripped the keel nearly off in the Muscleridge passage. They spent time all last winter putting it back together. When I was there, they were re-attaching the new keel ot the rebuilt and reinforced hull that they had all but rebuilt below.

Then, in the same harbor, there were a boat owned by two sailors (one in his late-70's and the other in his mid -60's) who have multiple passages to and from Maine, Europe, etc. Last year one of them hit a ledge and did well of $100K of damage to the semi-custom Tayana. That boat has EVERY possible safety piece or equipment and an experienced, thoughtful crew.

Yes, in both of the cases above, the crew SCREWED-UP.

In the case of Ode to Joy, we all can (re-) learn things from what happened.

But I've screwed-up too -- I've fortunately, not done serious damage to our boats and haven't had anyone seriously hurt.

Shit happens, even when you're paying attention. As others have pointed-out here, when you're tired, cold, scared, and thinking of discomfort of the crew, etc. -- then you're cruising for a bruising if you don't redouble the good things that you know to do to be safe.

The most startling and refreshing thing about the incident, was the candor of the skipper. I'd gladly have such a person aboard my boat. With a bit of experience, I'd sleep well with someone that LEARNED from his mistakes than a lot of others.