Many riding out Storm Evert in the Scillies ?

lustyd

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I don't think that choosing something demonstrably better and easier to operate is blaming tools, it's progress. The horse and cart could be made to work, yet for reasons I can't explain I bought a car.
 

oldmanofthehills

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I don't think that choosing something demonstrably better and easier to operate is blaming tools, it's progress. The horse and cart could be made to work, yet for reasons I can't explain I bought a car.
I would support that statement. The 45lb CQR on a gentlemans yacht last century was a great improvement. But it does not scale well to smaller sizes suited for smaller boats. Happily there are many anchors that work well at more moderate sizes and thats what the prudent should use
 

Rappey

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Vagabond 42 ketch using a CQR dragged at 50 kts. They had a manual windlass. Tried to retrieve chain to re-anchor but snatch loads on windlass broke the windlass and all chain and anchor was lost. They had no spare anchor or rode to deploy. They motored until engine over heated then ended up on rocks. Lifted off by helicopter.
Yacht is still on rock but being a heavy grp hull is not holed.
El Vagabond is a hardway sailing club boat. This is the version of events we have received.
They started dragging their anchor , deployed a second (these guys have been sailing the globe for over 10 years) but the 2nd anchor got fouled in kelp, the weed also blocked their water intake so the engine overheated until it failed.
The boat was then washed up on the rocks.
They got rescued by a rib rescue boat but that also failed and got washed onto the rocks.
The people then climbed over the rocks but the wife slipped and hit her head so the helicopter was then called out.
The last we heard was that the boat seems OK and could be salvaged.
 
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typhoonNige

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I’m currently in St Helens Pool and sadly Vagabond is now settling on her port side due to the force of wind on spars and rigging when she briefly floated around high water. I didn’t see anyone attending to her. Hopefully she will survive tonight’s winds and the next tidal cycle
 

steve350

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I anchored Stargazer, a 5t (laden) Hallberg Rassy 310, 9.5m LOA.
We have ‘bog standard’ coastal cruiser ground tackle: 16kg Delta, a three metre snubber and an 8mm rode. I was only able to deploy 24m, out of our 50m of chain, (high water depth 7.4m) due to the proximity of moored boats. At high water we were therefore on a basic three to one scope.

I just checked the Delta sizing chart and noticed that for a 9.5m boat Lewmar recommend a 10kg Delta.
I guess the 16kg heavier version you have paid dividends in the conditions you experienced during the storm.
The Delta, although an old school design is one I have faith in provided it's of a suitable size.
Thanks for the info John.
 

andy59

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Glad that she has been recovered ok and no major damage, must be a well built hull to survive getting bounced on to those rocks .
 

longjohnsilver

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I’m told that she took on a lot of water, enough to cover the engine. So unfortunately more damage than you can see from the outside. It’s now in the hands of the insurance company. Luckily it’s a strongly built boat, anything flimsier is likely to have broken up whilst on the rocks.
B3158F6C-F05E-40B8-93C2-CAD2A4C0BA01.jpeg
 

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

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I was there in the Cove between St Agnes and Gugh during the storm. which started at about 14:00 and lasted 15 hours, At the start of the storm, the wind was from the south and the waves were piling in and breaking. The wind shifted to southwest and then to west blowing 55 knots. I was on my anchor (Kobra 16kg with 30 m 8mm chain; approx 5m depth of water. I had another 40m of rope which I did not use. My spare anchor is a Fortress which I did not use) throughout the storm; the anchor held solid.
There was a lot of issues during the height of the storm when a boat lost the anchor and chain and was drifting towards the rocks during the night in pitch black. The boat had no lights at all, no VHF, no safety equipment and no life jackets; it caused chaos as it was motoring around during the storm in the Cove trying to catch a mooring which was available. The emergency services were busy throughout the night with boats in trouble, however, no loss of life which is good. We stayed up in the cockpit the whole night keeping an eye on things. Lovely place the Scillies but be ready for every eventuality.
 
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geem

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El Vagabond is a hardway sailing club boat. This is the version of events we have received.
They started dragging their anchor , deployed a second (these guys have been sailing the globe for over 10 years) but the 2nd anchor got fouled in kelp, the weed also blocked their water intake so the engine overheated until it failed.
The boat was then washed up on the rocks.
They got rescued by a rib rescue boat but that also failed and got washed onto the rocks.
The people then climbed over the rocks but the wife slipped and hit her head so the helicopter was then called out.
The last we heard was that the boat seems OK and could be salvaged.
Our friends were anchored next to them. Watch events unfold. Told it they saw it.
 

Judithsails

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oldmanofthehills

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I agree 100% with two statements in the clip the first being to hide well up a mainland river (I did) and the other is that the RNLI are amazing and deserve every praise and funds we can give them.
If you want to read about my ‘not in Scillies’ experience of Storm Evert then it can be found here Week 3 - Was the weather forecast good enough to go to the Isles of Scilly? - Phoenix Yacht Club and you’ll find that I am a wimp. Definitely no heroine this skipper.
Many many boats have ridden out storms in.Scilly over the years. We ran for the mainland to get behind the Lizard because we had a schedule and knew the storm might leave troubled sea on our intended departure but several friends safely but uncomfortably stayed in Helens Pool near where Vagabond dragged or dried out in Green Bay.

Vagabond reportedly had only a CQR not a modern piece of kit and no spare anchor either. Enough said
 
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