Csfisher
Member
Main purpose of this thread is to share the video I just watched - but highlights a key point to me.
When sailing or watch keeping you always need to be playing the 'what if' game.
What if someone fell overboard right now?
What if my engine were to fail right now?
What if I hit a container or whale right now?
Etc.
And come up with a plan. Especially when near land or in a marina.
As demonstrated here, things can always go wrong. Sailing ship Cisne Blanco collides with bridge after engine failure.
For example, when near land I like to make sure my anchor is not lashed and it's available to be lowered at immediate notice. If I lost my engine and wasn't able to sail, I could use my anchor to prevent drifting on a Lee shore.
When in our near the marina I keep a loose fender as a roving fender so if all goes wrong I can at least make sure attempt to fend off better. Same reason I favour putting fenders out on both sides despite seeing some people do only one side when when they know what side they're berthing to.
Rescue equipment such as steps, binoculars, hand-held radios, first aid kits, sharp knives, flares, bungs etc are no use of they're at three back of a locker and not easy to reach in a hurry and in the dark. Every crew member should also know where they are and how to use them in case you're incapacitated.
In the case of Cisne Blanco, without commenting on anything subject to investigation - questions you should be asking is if their anchor was available for immediate use, and was the tug under powered for the size of the vessel and rate of tidal stream?
It's a terrible shame and I hope the damage isn't too severe. A friend of mine was the navigator on that ship a few years back, and when I went onboard in France it is a beautiful beautiful ship and very majestic under sail.
When sailing or watch keeping you always need to be playing the 'what if' game.
What if someone fell overboard right now?
What if my engine were to fail right now?
What if I hit a container or whale right now?
Etc.
And come up with a plan. Especially when near land or in a marina.
As demonstrated here, things can always go wrong. Sailing ship Cisne Blanco collides with bridge after engine failure.
For example, when near land I like to make sure my anchor is not lashed and it's available to be lowered at immediate notice. If I lost my engine and wasn't able to sail, I could use my anchor to prevent drifting on a Lee shore.
When in our near the marina I keep a loose fender as a roving fender so if all goes wrong I can at least make sure attempt to fend off better. Same reason I favour putting fenders out on both sides despite seeing some people do only one side when when they know what side they're berthing to.
Rescue equipment such as steps, binoculars, hand-held radios, first aid kits, sharp knives, flares, bungs etc are no use of they're at three back of a locker and not easy to reach in a hurry and in the dark. Every crew member should also know where they are and how to use them in case you're incapacitated.
In the case of Cisne Blanco, without commenting on anything subject to investigation - questions you should be asking is if their anchor was available for immediate use, and was the tug under powered for the size of the vessel and rate of tidal stream?
It's a terrible shame and I hope the damage isn't too severe. A friend of mine was the navigator on that ship a few years back, and when I went onboard in France it is a beautiful beautiful ship and very majestic under sail.