A hypothetical situation

[snowleopard]

Following on from the Elizmor thread which I don't want to get involved in as I'd end up in a screaming match with the 'I never make mistakes' armchair brigade...

You are 10 miles to leeward of the nearest safe all-tide harbour. It is blowing F5 and the sea is choppy, waves up to 1m. You have sustained damage that is not immediately dangerous but could become so if conditions get worse. Let's say a cabin window has been smashed by a loose block. No serious water is coming in but you have to reduce speed to 2-3 knots to keep heavy water off the deck and it's going to take you 4 hours + to reach shelter under motor (which is functioning fine).

What if anything are you going to say on the radio?

Edit: The damage is something you can't repair at sea or patch up. You can make it back to port under your own steam unless the weather worsens when you might be in danger from water ingress.

 

[Victoria Sponge]

I'd just get on with it for now, as really there's nothing to report. I'd keep a close eye on the sea state though, and would cover the smashed window with something to prevent water coming in.

 

[Steersman]

And some gaffer tape over the smashed window would be a good idea too

 

[chanelyacht]

OK, as a sailor and a Coastie...

I'd put a call in to advise but emphasise I don't request assistance ATT. At the very least, if something goes disasterously wrong, it means they have a time and a position to work a search plan from. We've dealt with many similar calls that have gone from "we think we're ok" to "oh f**k" very, very quickly.

It may well be that a nearby vessel hears and is happy to do no more than keep an eye on you, and we'd probably ask for, say, a 30min comms check as you progress in.

 

[snowleopard]

This is actually a description of a situation I found myself in a few years ago. I have changed the description of the damage as it was multihull-specific and, incidentally not of a 'gaffer tape and carry on' nature. I'll let the thread run a bit before saying what I did and the consequences.

 

[Rigger Mortice]

In that situation I would just carry on. In an F5 very little water would get in on my boat; no more than a cupful.
If it was a forehatch the gaffer tape would come out. I wouldn't be reducing speed so the potential problem would be greatly reduced.

 

[Simondjuk]

In the situation described, I'd fit the appropriate stormboard (actually locker lids noted to be of a size to suit the hatch in question used in conjunction with a bolt and strongback) and carry on.

 

[jerrytug]

I don't care what anybody else does, but personally I would inform the CG via VHF of my position and intentions, why on earth wouldn't you?
Read the original question, it states, you CAN'T PUT A PATCH OVER THE HOLE by the way..

 

[Searush]

How far is a down wind refuge?

bbnnbnnnbnbnnbbnn hey, my 2 dodgy keys are back, bbut sometimes bbounnce? How daft is that?

 

[Simondjuk]

Read the original question, it states, you CAN'T PUT A PATCH OVER THE HOLE by the way..

Calm down. It didn't say that when I and posters before me read it. It was an edit.

 

[Tradewinds]

I'm guessing Snowie's incident was an escape hatch failing on the underside of the cat (could be wrong tho!).

This happened to a French cat who'd left Leixoes (Portugal) on the way to Madeira. We heard a VHF conversation but I can't recall the content - it was many years ago. Conditions were F5 and choppy.

Saw them later in Porto Santo up on the beach in the corner (probably changed now).

So they had carried on somehow and dealt with it themselves - they had young kids on board and it was by all accounts a rather nervy passage.

 

[Simondjuk]

In the new scenario, it's not a mayday or a panpan at the point in time mentioned but I'd probably contact the CG as should the weather happen to deteriorate it could become a matter of urgency.

 

[Victoria Sponge]

I don't care what anybody else does, but personally I would inform the CG via VHF of my position and intentions, why on earth wouldn't you?
Read the original question, it states, you CAN'T PUT A PATCH OVER THE HOLE by the way..

He changed the brief after some of us had posted, there's no need to shout, by the way

 

[Gitane]

I would tend not call the coast guard until so much water was coming that I need to rely on the bilge pumps. ( I assume that I am single handed, which the sailing I do quite often). At that stage, a routine traffic call to the CG would probably be a good precaution.

The thinking is that, although there is no emergency and no need for assistance at that stage, if the pump fails, then it could quickly turn into a mayday sinking situation.

However, never been in such a situation (yet) so not sure what I would really do.

Gitane

 

[prv]

I'm going to have to play the game according to SnowLeopard's edit, because I wouldn't regard a smashed window in F5 as a threat to safety, just a major inconvenience. I have the tools and materials on board to effectively patch it, so the problem is one of wet bedding and spoiled stores rather than potential sinking.

So if we instead say it's something unspecified which "is something you can't repair at sea or patch up. You can make it back to port under your own steam unless the weather worsens when you might be in danger from water ingress" then I think I would go for notifying the Coastguard just in case, but emphasising that I don't require immediate assistance. This is based on the "unless the weather worsens when you might be in danger" part of the scenario - should that happen, it would be helpful if they were already aware of the situation. If the problem wasn't likely to get worse then I'm not sure I'd report it at all - bloody-mindedness perhaps, but if I don't need help now and am not likely to, what's the point?

Presumably, if the harbour is to windward, conditions will improve as we get closer and reduce the fetch.

Pete

 

[KAL]

Probably an advisory call to CG so they are at least aware that all is not perfectly wonderful, but that we are managing fine and intend to carry on to such-and-such a port, ETA approx whatever. Call costs nothing to make and raises awareness in case things go awry.

 

[prv]

Read the original question, it states, you CAN'T PUT A PATCH OVER THE HOLE by the way..

The original question doesn't, muppet. Snowy even wrote "Edit: " next to the additional stipulation to make it clear.

Pete

 

[Lakesailor]

He changed the brief after some of us had posted

Just shows how quickly conditions can change.

I wouldn't make a call at that point.

 

[snowleopard]

I was trying to make this a discussion about what to say on the radio, not how clever people are with their DIY. If I'd intended that I'd have put it on PBO.

 

[dslittle]

I would send a Routine a Traffic call to let them know my intentions. As it goes, it would be an update to my Passage Plan that I had told them about on departure but I think that might have been another thread...