A Scenario and a Question

claymore

claymore

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 Jun 2001
Messages
10,654
Location
In the far North
Visit site
You arrive at the boat with friends for a long promised weekend's sailing.
The exhaust system is devoid of water so you manage to get the impeller changed which makes everything ok. This has delayed your timing and you are now under pressure to make it through a tidal gate.
You haven't connected the laptop up to the power source or the GPS and you still need to route and connect the depth sounder's new transducer but you set off anyway as you will soon be out of time for the gate.
One of the friends insists on steering as soon as you are clear of the moorings and whilst the water is relatively clear of dangers there is a rock and a shallow headland to negotiate - or miss, depending on your perspective. You do have a paper chart.
How do you manage the situation?
 
the list of calumnies befalling the auld steam kettle sound verra familiar. normally, you retire for some rest to the rear stateroom?
 
Use the chart to give your friend course to steer and look over his shoulder until you're clear of danger - don't keep him in the dark - explain where and what the danger is and what happens to your boat if he screws up. In my experience, given the harsh realities, a number of guests will say - "tell you what...why don't you steer until we're in open water..."
 
delegate?
who is capable of what? can x plumb the gps etc?
can y steer to a given heading/visual route ok?
Will z be comfortable in assisting with the wiring?
Is the current depth sounder ok?
if so go
If in doubt, be prudent and insist on a delay, better sort this stuff out in the comfort of harbour, passage planning,get kit sorted etc. get prepared.
Would instill confidence in your crew with the more sensible seamanlike attitude, lessons they may well learn for life.
 
Clarification

This is a hypothetical scenario/question before we start getting into the realms of causing offence.

As a fairly experienced skipper who holds the odd qualification, I constantly run what if scenarios as I'm going along.
This is just such a scenario - so can we adjust on this and put yourselves into the situation?
 
Re: Clarification

In a flippant way (for which I apologise).... I was making the point that I would seriously consider whether I was doing the right thing by setting out.....

A plan for a weekend can be re-organised... and without the ability to properly operate the GPS and a non functioning depth sounder you are limited in the resources available to you.... I would question myself, that if I didn't know how the GPS worked, would I also have the competence to be safe?

Now, if we assume that this option is not available to you, or for some reason, not the chosen path, then the sensible thing to do would be to set a course, using good old fashioned navigation techniques that gives the dangers a very healthy wide berth...

Also, do you have a lead line on board?... a crew member might be usefully employed in learning how to work this magical device...?

Another sensible activity would be to quickly calculate some clearance bearings....

Finally, I would think through in my own mind, what are my priorities here? Which activity gives me the most information about the safety or otherwise of my boat... is it the depth sounder (depends on bottom conditions, steep too - probably not, shelving gradually- possibly)..... getting the laptop working... possible risk that this might be complicated and hence slow....

I personally would focus on the traditional navigation until in safe water, and then fix firstly the depth sounder, and then turn my attention to the laptop.... it would have the added advantage of allowing you make the tidal gate....
 
Re: Clarification

Good
The final paragraph was where I was thinking. To route the echo sounder would take quite a while and the laptop would give you a position on the chart so by sailing battleship courses you could manage without the depth gauge.

If someone was on board who couldn't read a chart then to spend time showing them prior to departure would delay that departure and so heighten the risk of missing the tide.

I was delayed this weekend in making a start so did set off without the echo sounder working. Less respectful members of the forum will testify to the fact that it has been on the blink for a year! The GPS and Laptop were fine but I did have a think about whether to let someone else steer whilst I fiddled with the depth sounder wiring.
In the end I waited until the evening before tackling the depth sounder and it now works fine.
Your comment regarding the GPS was intriguing - do you know how every function works on your GPS? - I don't - I use the position information and the SOG to look at what tidal effect there is. I wouldn't normally use it for alarm functions - I've never done this when anchoring for example - but then Scottish anchorages are well know for being perfectly sheltered and have excellent holding so there's no need! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Re: Clarification

[ QUOTE ]

Your comment regarding the GPS was intriguing - do you know how every function works on your GPS?


[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know as I would be so bold as to say every function..... but... it is a very simple GPS... a Garmin GP120....

And after a couple of weekends down on the boat on my own, not sailing, but working on repairs and modifications, I have had a few evening hours to while away, and so have got to know my GPS pretty well...... time well invested IMHO, as I have learnt one or two useful features that I didn't previously understand properly such as how to set a alarm zone.....
 
slow down a little for starters or at least minmise approach to danger area and appraise "insistent" helm of the situation reagrding lack of depth and exact gps info and need for care - he may have own gps, or local knowledge or summink. If none available, use the paper chart to establish easy as poss "clearing bearings" for the helm that you can check with handbearing compass, and don't underexaggerate the dangers.

Later, consider the purchase of handheld gps as banged on about for umpteen years by various forumites which COULD have been preprogrammed with all correct data. I imagine that a considerate visitor would arrive with the same and then realising that you were satelilite-detectionally challenged, leave it as a present.
 
There is an alternative - stay firmly tied up, switch the plotter to simulate/training mode and go on a virtual cruise /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
.provided I had at least one person who could maintain a lookout while I was at the chart table , the weather was reasonable and vis good no way would I miss a weekend just because the electronic junk wasnt working.

If times running out for the intended passage why not head somewhere closer?
 
Listen youse
I've always been kind to you so how's about a bit of reciprocation and a bit less of the YM Journalist "Good Grief" superior type of stance.
It is a scenario - it could happen because people like me like to give my friends an enjoyable time on the boat and people like me like to have everything working and people like me have boats that occasionally experience breakages and failures. I work, I drive 5 hours to my boat on a Friday evening, if friends are there and you want to give them a decent sail you do feel under some pressure to get moving - this quite often means getting underway with something not connected or the blasted ensign not hoisted.
That was what the scenario was about

I'm heartened by this months YM which seems to have taken a stab at reality for once and is seriously suggesting a range of boats in the £30K range for the first time in about 20 years. Reality to me is about snatching time on my 30 ft boat at weekends and the pressures that that creates
 
I presume that you have the appropriate compasses on board and that the log works...if so what is wrong with old fashioned pilotage. Mind you I can hardly remember when we did totally non GPS/Decca assisted tidal vectors, hmmm maybe a little exercise sometime!
 
Nothing at all - the boat knows its way around the particular waters we sail in and charts, compass and GPS are actually completely superflous when sailing from Loch Melfort to Crinan in good daylight conditions- as long as you have worked out the tide.
For the benefit of guests I think its nice for them to see the technology working and its interesting to be able to relate the depth to position and chart datum figures.
 
Ahhh! Stop! Your hurting. I withdraw; resign; give up; surrender. This journalist is a dead journalist. He has ceased to be.

Maybe I should use smiles but I do hate them so (I know, minority of one again).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top