Being towed by a Lifeboat

[MBII]

Hi
Although I have been around here for a while this is the first time I have started a topic. Yesterday I had my first RNLI Seacheck. It was a great couple of hours and two great guys from RNLI came along and gave me their time and advice for free. I got a number of very good and sensible tips and they confirmed some thoughts and improvements I had considered.

However the reason for the post is that in the course of it I learned that these modern Lifeboats find it hard to motor at less than about 7 Knots! This is my theoretical hull speed and as they weigh 40 tons and Melissa weighs 8 odd the stresses on deck fittings could be quite considerable. I know the advice is to run a bridle back to the sheet winches, but because we have a very small jib they are probably not man enough for the task of being towed. The mast is deck stepped and I don't fancy having to replace the coach roof if it pulls out.

I should say that Melissa is, in local parlance, a MAB hence the weight compared to a AWB.

My questions are:

Have many forumites used the RNLI Seacheck, do they realise the forces exerted in a tow by a modern Lifeboat and do they carry a ready made bridle in case of emergency? I certainly didn't and it has made me think. Am I alone in this? I will be making up a bridle and looking hard at my cleats etc.



Thanks for your thoughts


James

PS I hope never to be in a situation where I have to be towed.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

And equally importantly, a bridle to let you tow someone else!

 

[duncan]

having seen the small boat being towed into Weymouth on Seaside rescue last night it is evident that they can manage less than 7 knots - they had to because the combination of outboard well and cockpit drains were sinking this yacht at this speed!

As you rightly say the weight of your own boat is a key factor in the loadings - but it's also the same factor when anchored in difficult conditions. It follows that you really ought to have a solution that can be deployed in both situations.

 

[andy_wilson]

PS

You probably won't, or at least I hope not, require a tow by a lifeboat. Why waste a perfectly good warp made up as a permanent bridle, just make sure you have a suitable length available. The kedge warp is usually favourite.

Eye over each stern cleat (captive if possible), 2-3 turns around a cockpit winch, form a loop with a figure of 8 knot at the mid-point and drop it over the bow roller and put a pin in. If it's going to be a long tow insert some chaff prevention at stem head fitting.

 

[Rum_Pirate]

Re: PS

Given the number of inept individuals entering sailing plus the seemingly increase in the genuine break downs why don't the manuacturers construst boats with a good samson post?

 

[ColinHuggins]

Re: Lifeboat tow

Speaking from experience (dismasted in the Irish Sea) the typical lifeboat cox'n is more than capable of judging a speed commensurate with weather conditions and type of craft. Andy clearly describes what preparation is necessary BUT . . then I was on a 34ft sloop, nowadays there's not a winch in sight! Perhaps our anonymous rum-drinking friend has a point . . .

 

[l'escargot]

[ QUOTE ]
....learned that these modern Lifeboats find it hard to motor at less than about 7 Knots....

[/ QUOTE ]
Must make coming alongside interesting /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[hlb]

Yes. Doing less than 7 knots will be difficult. Not imposible. Just a bloody pain over a few miles. He probably has to steer on engines rather than rudders.

 

[derekgillard]

Some years ago about 20 miles off Cherbourg no wind and fog we took a large fishing net round the prop, after much discussion we put out a Pan Pan to see if anyone could give us a tow, Cherbourg life boat came to our assistance.

We were given a good line that went over our bow roller and onto both the port and starboard cleats, and off we went 3/4/5/6/7 knots went the speed and then the cockpit drains started to over flow water came into the engine and down to the bilges we were slowly sinking the floor boards were afloat, thing is the tow boat ignored all my calls and shouting for them to slow down for over 30 min I thought we were going to sink.

When we arrived Cherbourg it took two divers 20 min to get the fishing line off the prop, an experience indeed.

Hopefully never to be repeated

Derek

 

[nigelhudson]

Having been in the unfortunate (and slightly embarrassing) position of having to be towed by the RNLI quite recently I can affirm that you don't need to carry a bridle. In this case it was an inshore boat but the 140hp available had my 33 footer (27ft waterline) zipping along at 8 knots! Admittedly it was flat calm - it would not have been fun with any real sea running.
The lifeboatman took the tow rope and fashioned a bridle between my bow cleats in seconds. The cleats are substantial so it was not a problem but he did say that they would use the mast or the winches if the cleats weren't up to it.

 

[TheBoatman]

[ QUOTE ]
Must make coming alongside interesting

[/ QUOTE ]

When you have over a 1000+ Hp available just touching the levers astern will guarantee you stop in 'bout 1/4 boat length.

In some of todays modern yachts coming along side is far more hairy than in a L/B

Peter.

 

[wooslehunter]

Winches yes, mast, no chance if it's deck stepped. The forces involved will bring down the mast. Deck steps are not designed to take any kind of horizontal load.

 

[MBII]

Re: PS

Thanks Andy I was concerned at losing the use of a good warp for an occasion that might never happen

James

 

[MBII]

Actually they brought the same Lifeboat into Mylor a couple of weeks ago. The neatest piece of parallel parking I've seen. Fitted into a space with only a couple of feet spare either end, in between two very expensive looking boats. Very skillful!

 

[milltech]

Ah but was it a French lifeboat? All having a laugh and remembering Waterloo.

 

[milltech]

Yes they can do it. I suppose when you've got 30+ knots under your belt and the pub will open in 30 minutes, spending three hours wallowing about at 5 knots can seem very debilitating.

 

[andy_wilson]

Well my mast step can take a huge horizontal load.

We once gybed without intention whilst rolling in heavy weather. The yacht shook, stores were thrown about and the gooseneck broke, but the mast step didn't.

The mast step is designed to take it's share of the maximum drive available from the rig, in various directions. On a dead run, with the bulk of the mains'l area in the lower region, it follows that the bulk of the thrust is through the mast step rather than the back stay.

Most involve a notch and a pin for placement, and are in addition held together with the weight and tension of the rig.

What makes you say they can't take horizontal load?

 

[AndrewB]

Re: PS

[ QUOTE ]
Given the number of inept individuals entering sailing plus the seemingly increase in the genuine break downs why don't the manuacturers construst boats with a good samson post?

[/ QUOTE ]Good grief, Rum_Pirate, haven't you heard of planned obsolescence? How are manufacturers supposed to make a buck from after-sales-service if the original kit doesn't break down?

Believe it or not, once upon a time it was supposed that cleats should be built strong enough to take a load equivalent to half the yacht's weight. For example in rough conditions the anchor can exert a snatch load this great. As the pic above illustrates, why carry an anchor rode with a breaking strength of 3 or 4 tons, if the cleat will pop out (taking the forestay with it) at anything above marina duty?

All the cleats on my boat are designed to this standard. But we've ripped out the cleats of two production yachts when towing ("rescuing") them at just 4 knots. I learnt from the first one NEVER to offer a tow-in without a clear understanding it was at their risk.