Anyone know this boat.

[john_morris_uk]

I digress a little, I have always been surprised that a seal viewing boat operates out of Harwich when there is a very good seal viewing boat operating within the Backwaters operating out of Titchmarsh Marina - no lengthy open sea passage.

All round a much safer activity.

Stop confusing the issue with facts..,!

 

[nortada]

Stop confusing the issue with facts..,!

Nothing like a bit of reality.

 

[LittleSister]

I digress a little, I have always been surprised that a seal viewing boat operates out of Harwich when there is a very good seal viewing boat operating within the Backwaters operating out of Titchmarsh Marina - no lengthy open sea passage.

All round a much safer activity.

Because some of the potential customers are in Harwich (and Shotley and Felixstowe) rather than Titchmarsh?

I don't see Harwich to Walton Backwaters a 'lengthy open sea passage', nor inherently unsafe, but having more variety, interest and excitement than a trip solely within the Backwaters, nice as those are.

 

[Daydream believer]

As a tripper, I would quite like the ferry trip to the backwaters & back.
More interesting than just looking at seals.
If the boat leaked a bit then perhaps the operator would let the kids do some pumping. They would love that.
You know the score " Quick kids. We are sinking. All hands on the pumps. Yeaahhh"
What kid would not like to think that they saved the day
Well its what we did when I was young

 

[jimi]

As a tripper, I would quite like the ferry trip to the backwaters & back.
More interesting than just looking at seals.
If the boat leaked a bit then perhaps the operator would let the kids do some pumping. They would love that.
You know the score " Quick kids. We are sinking. All hands on the pumps. Yeaahhh"
What kid would not like to think that they saved the day
Well its what we did when I was young

Maybe the kids could use their buckets and give their spades to someone so he can dig himself out a hole?

 

[fredrussell]

…Have you ever been into walton backwaters. The trip between there and Harwich can be pretty nasty if the wind kicks up. In fact I would say in the wrong weather nay impossible. I have seen large boats turn back on leaving Walton…

Agreed. That trip is the east coast equivalent of rounding Cape Horn. My mate did it in a force four gusting five and on his return he sold his boat. To this day he refuses to talk about it. Never been the same since.

 

[Poecheng]

Agreed. That trip is the east coast equivalent of rounding Cape Horn. My mate did it in a force four gusting five and on his return he sold his boat. To this day he refuses to talk about it. Never been the same since.

I have only ever done it with the assistance of the Harwich Pilots - wonerful brave fellers

 

[sailorman]

Just to be clear, the ferry / seal boat operator is hands on when it comes to maintenance, and is very proactive in preventative maintenance. It was 2/3 years ago that the ferry sustained damage whilst alongside Ha'penny Pier during very strong winds, this was not a lack of maintenance issue, just bad luck. That is why HHA have now provided buoys for use when the weather dictates that the boat cannot be along side.

I do agree that the use of unoccupied buoys is normal practice.predicted windshe failed in "duty of care" to move the ferry to a safe mooring

 

[nortada]

Agreed. That trip is the east coast equivalent of rounding Cape Horn. My mate did it in a force four gusting five and on his return he sold his boat. To this day he refuses to talk about it. Never been the same since.

Have you done the Cape, bit more water than in Harwich Bay, that can develop a nasty chop in certain circumstances.

 

[fredrussell]

Have you done the Cape, bit more water than in Harwich Bay, that can develop a nasty chop in certain circumstances.

Have rounded the Cape three times now in my Parker (Knoll) 31. Vastly preferable to the dreaded Walton Backwaters run. The biggest challenge is slaloming in and around all the masts of sunk boats that stick up from the inky depths like Satan’s toothpicks.

 

[Poecheng]

I very much doubt whether there is still very much wrong with this Harwich Seal boat, I dare say with all this chit chat going on it will have been fixed by now. But lets do the mathematics. Lets cut the estimated figure by more than half.
Lets say only 2 litres per 10 mins, thats 12 litres per hour x 24 =288 litres per day = 63 gallons per day. A gallon of water weighs 3.78kl x 63 = 238 kls. Now this one is for all the experts, the questions is would nearly a quarter of a ton of water sloshing from one side of the boat to the other de stabilise it.

There are a number of incorrect assumptions leading to your conclusion of danger:
1. The total amount of water in the hull
The total amount of water in the hull is not 238lts = say 250kg or double that on your initial figures. It would only be that if the leak continued for 24hrs and there was no pumping. You are the witness that the water was being pumped out at regular intervals: you said every 5 minutes @2-3 litres. Therefore the leak reaches, say 10lts max and then, after the pumps operate, reduces the water volume to zero and that cycle continues. Therefore the maximum amount of water in the hull at any one time seems to be either single figures of early teens.

2. Source
This has already been referred to and can include rainwater and not necessarily a leak.

3. Inaction by crew.
The conclusion of danger presumes not only the total amount of water in the hull (see 1 above) but also that on boarding and throughout, the crew will put to sea and not do anything about it. There is no basis for that. Even if the electric pump failed for whatever reason when unattended, why assume the crew would just carry on once on board.

 

[shanemax]

I'm really confused here - the floating boat has a demonstrably functional bilge pump that is keeping the floating boat afloat with no apparent bother at all - yet you insist it's some kind of death trap?

If that was the message you tried to convey to the owner, as you have here, then I'm not in the least surprised he wasn't very receptive.

Why don't you read the first post and stop making judgments with only half the facts. I tried to give the owner a gentle nod that his bilge pump was going off rather often. In return I received a blunt message about keeping off his mooring. As Rambo said he drew first blood. You know the dog story as well, don't you. "you pat my back I wag my tail, you kick me and I bite" read all the facts,

 

[KevinV]

I'm not in the least surprised he wasn't very receptive.

I think I'll stand by what I said