13:15 hrs yesterday on river Itchen

[moodycruiser]

Did anyone on here witness the harbour masters launch followed by an RNLI vessel (not sure if it was in service or not) pass Ocean Quay and Shamrock Quay marinas at the above time ? My other half was attempting to get ashore when the wash hit and was left hanging on for dear life to the sprayhood frame and anything else she could due to excessive rolling. Had she been below with a pan of boiling water , well I shudder to think. Pontoons were rolling all over the place and fender ripped off, complete with fixing off vessel on other side of pontoon.
This is the second time in a year where the RNLI has endangered life by high speed/wash on the river, and to be fair, they apologized for the last time, when a neighbour was thrown out of his bunk !
Not being picky, as live-aboards we are used to wash but this was over the top, especially since our friends contact with HMs office re speeding on the river was met with "Please inform us and we will attempt to stop it , but we do not receive any complaints about this, so we are unaware it is happening"
Have phoned the HMs office and told Asst HM was on phone, and would phone me back. ... and he has, as I type. He was not aware of any "incident" yesterday so may be the prototype rnli v/l, and crew of HM launch not on again until tomorrow so will get ananswer back to me by friday, but if anyone else saw it or was affected by it please let me know.

thanks

 

[Will_M]

Jumper off the bridge again?

 

[moodycruiser]

going up river at high water - - but as I say HM not aware of any "incidents" up that way - but even if that was the case, more injuries could occur under these conditions than the original shout - HM agreed with me on that point.

 

[jonjo]

[ QUOTE ]
but as I say HM not aware of any "incidents" up that way - but even if that was the case, more injuries could occur under these conditions than the original shout

[/ QUOTE ]
Agreed, the risks are real. A few years ago a woman who was mooring a boat lost a finger at Haslar marina when a pilot launch maneuvered in the creek at excessive speed.

The most disconcerting big boat encounter I have experienced was last year near the Poole fairway buoy. Two RNLI offshore jobbies were heading out line astern at semi planning speed and nearly ran me down, this was far worse than any Wightlink experience. The RNLI vessels were on some R&R experience jolly judging by the numbers onboard.

 

[Flossdog]

You have my sympathies. Many years ago I was "sailing" in an almost flat calm when out of Cowes came an RNLI boat at high speed. It passed extremely close to us and wrecked our lunch which finished up on the cabin sole. It took many years before I would support the RNLI because of this! Why do they do it?

 

[sailbadthesinner]

your up to your @rse in the brine in deep trouble and the cox gets on the radio to you
''How long before you're on the rocks?''
''20 mins max''

cox ''we could be there by then but we'll b*gger every picinc from here to Studland with our wake so try and hold on for half an hour''

your reaction is....

 

[Flossdog]

Then why did they turn around and head off in a different direction just past us, then change direction shortly afterwards until they had covered most of the Solent zig zagging. Perhaps they weren't on a life or death mission but just out for a jolly!

 

[l'escargot]

[ QUOTE ]
...your reaction is....

[/ QUOTE ]
...not to cause any other casualties by your response - they are reckless and in no way justifiable.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Lost their way?

More seriously though, I wonder if the RNLI is loosing its focus. It doesn't stint on new buildings on inshore life boats and others - I just wonder how necessary all that spend is. I also am not sure that they should be spreading themselves in to the life guard field either.

However I do want them there when I call! ( and yes I do pay an annual offshore sub....)

 

[Woodlouse]

All that spend is necessary because they have too much money and if they keep it they lose their charity status.

 

[mandlmaunder]

Isn't there a general 'no wake' speed limit up the river on that stretch anyway?

 

[gjbentley]

"All that spend is necessary because they have too much money and if they keep it they lose their charity status."

What a load of old toddle ! Sit in the corner with a pointed hat on immediately - and write 100 lines "I will never accuse the RNLI of having too much money to spend - even if it is after midnight.

You clearly do not understand how a charitable organisation works.

For a charity registered organisation the issue of profit is not based on income that has not been spent. Any excess income, after all expenditiure has been deducted is simply carried forward to the next financial year.

You lose your charitable status when you issue profit to those who own the organisation, ie "Directors", hence the need for "trustees" in a charity who take no profit out of the excess profit made.

You are thinking of public sector organisations who often face budget cuts if they do not spend all their income.God forbid the idea of the RNLI being run by civil servants ! "Sorry sir please fill in the application form first then we will submit your emergency call to our local committee for approval"

Just hope you pass your AAT Accounting exams in time for the next occasion you make a CH16 Mayday Call !

 

[BrendanS]

The Charity Commission do though keep an eye on reserves of charitable organisations

 

[Sneds]

I find it impossible to ctiticise the RNLI but a response from them would be interesting.

 

[chrishelen]

If your ever in trouble at sea you will be praying for help and a fast response from the rescue services,i find it unbelivable that some people are crying over a spilt lunch when maybe a life is in danger,the attitude of some of you is beyond belief.

 

[Flossdog]

A spilt lunch I can deal with but this incident was actually far more serious. As I said it did happen a long time ago but myself, my wife and our two small boys were sailing very slowly in our 24ft yacht when the RNLI boat was heading straight for us at high speed and only turned away at the last minute. We were all scared stiff and the boys, 5 & 7yrs, were terrified. I never complained to the RNLI about this but with hindsight, I should have at the time. However, being brought up to respect them I didn't make the complaint. If it had turned out badly and they did hit us, can you imagine the headlines! "Small yacht endangers Lifeboat on mercy dash"!!

 

[moodycruiser]

If you are replying to me then I wish to f@@k you'd read the post.
This happened on the river itchen above the toll bridge, going up river. Not a question of a spilt lunch, but my partner may well have been down below and had her hands full with a pan of boiling water at the time. She may well have been on the pontoon at the time, with nothing to hang on to, which was behaving wildly. My phone call with the Asst Harbour master had him in agreement with me as to the unknown injuries that may have been caused through this incident. One neighbour in the marina is very unwell and can hardly walk. Had he been trying to get ashore at the time (this takes him several minutes) he would certainly have fallen and he is prone to breaking bones easily, and possibly gone in the water where he would have drowned.
As a live-aboard we get to experience everybody and their dogs wash on this part of the river, but this was unacceptable
whatever the reason.

 

[chrishelen]

Hi i did read the post,and am still F@@@ing gobsmacked at the attitude of SOME people,if you choose to live on a river then you must expect your boat to wobble from time to time thats what boats do they float,As a professional seafarer for the past 30 odd years i have nothing but admiration for these brave people who put there lives at risk for you and me,ther can be no justification for criticising these people.i find your last comment almost unbelivable.

 

[duncanmack]

quote
" ther can be no justification for criticising these people " Sic

There is EVERY justification for criticising anyone being a total eejit - if it looks like an eejit, behaves like an eejit it most likely IS an eejit!

However as we don't yet know if the boat was going to a shout or not then we cannot comment on their behaviour. If they were just faffing about then they should get their arses kicked.
I have no problem with the emergency services driving like lunatics as long as 1. They ARE on their way to a shout. 2. Don't cause further problems on the way which then need other services to attend.

If they are just going to the chippy, chinese, indian, pub or back to the station for a cuppa then they need to get the error of their ways pointed out to them. From on high and forcibly.
I too have every admiration for the work the RNLI crews do. However they are not beyond reproach. If they cock-up big style - like the report here the other day, knocking the yacht skipper overboard when he was trying to put another anchor out ( he neither wanted nor needed any help), then having to rescue him and by their actions having his boat up on the rocks - then my admiration palls a bit. "Help" like that is not needed. Ever.

BTW, are you a troll?

 

[chrishelen]

I say F@@@ you,i notice you are another landlubber amateur criticising the professionals, dont you realise these boys need to train,Sir you are trying to justify the comments made in previous posts on this subject,such as.
1.and i quote,my lunch was nearly spilt when the life boat went past,
2.i dont care what the reason was my drink was nearly spilt,
Attitudes like this make me puke,BTW,are you a P@@@@?