'Captain calamities'

TQA said:
There is a man called George McKay who has built a large 3 masted wooden 'galleon' called Rw Faith with a view to giving wheelchair bound children a sailing experience.

So far it has been to sea several times and has been towed in by the coastguard on most if not all of these times, loosing all 3 masts once and the rudder at least once.

The politest thing said about it is "death trap".

However they have 3 masts up a rudder of sorts and a crew and have been seen under full sail. There are several threads chronicling the minor calamities which can be found by a google.

The potential for a majot life loss calamity is there.
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It's ok. Raw faith is from the land of the Septics and is under the protection of their god so it is bound to be safe.
 
Years ago I jointly taught the Day Skipper shorebased course in Oxford. One chap started quite happily, but after a few weeks was looking awful unhappy. Not cross, you understand, but unhappy. Worried, as well.

So we asked him what was up. It turned out that he owned a motorboat on the Thames. Mostly he puttered around near Oxford, but for years he had been making an annual trip down the river, through London and out into the estuary for trips to Margate, Ramsgate and other places of seaside amusement.

"I never realised" he said "about all those tides. And currents. And sandbanks. And buoys. And rules of the road. And ..." The poor chap was scaring himself silly as he realised the risks he had been taking. Still he had signed up, and he did pass the course, so I think he managed to avoid full captaincalamitude.

I suspect that it's more common for motorboaters to be CCs - or perhaps more accurately for CCs to acquire motorboats. From the outside sailing boats looks awful complicated. All those ropes, and sails and things. A motorboat on the other hand? Well, that's just like a car, innit? Steering wheel, throttle ... get in. Cushti.
 
I had a steep learning curve on my first boat; I've been meaning to post something of it on the confession thread, but it's too hard to pick one incident. Boat handling skills were there from dinghy sailing (not that a bilge keeler with a 10 inch deep rudder handles like a dinghy), but a lot of knowledge was missing. No dramatic rescues, but a few near misses.

I look back on it very fondly though, it was much more exciting than when we got the hang of it, and those first passages, when the plan came together, were intensely rewarding.
 
Many years ago a man in Bradford wanted to get back to his native Pakistan so he bought an old 70' canal narrow boat and set off down the canal system eventually arriving at the Humber. His 'passage plan' was to follow the English coast to Dover, then cross to Calais and turn right and follow the coast until he reached Pakistan.

When he reached the Humber the RNLI, after unsuccessfully trying to make him see sense, stood by as he sailed out into the Humber estuary and took him off when the barge finally broke up.
 
15 years ago we stopped for a coffee break during a power boat instructors course on a mid channel pontoon off Thorney Island in Chichester Harbour. Whilst having a chat a brand new 25 foot yacht came slowly past under sail. The skipper, wife and 2 children all dressed in new matching and very fetching yellow sailing gear. The skipper asked us which way to the sea? :eek:

We looked at each other in horror and wondered what answer we should give.

Turning right at the bottom of the channel would take them to sea on the ebb tide, but only if they avoided the sand banks, or should we tell them to turn left which would take them up to Dell Quay. There they would be safe, have a nice day out and learn about their new boat is a safe harbour environment.

We finally said "Right" but I have wondered about that decision ever since.

Pete
 
parsifal said:
Many years ago a man in Bradford wanted to get back to his native Pakistan so he bought an old 70' canal narrow boat and set off down the canal system eventually arriving at the Humber. His 'passage plan' was to follow the English coast to Dover, then cross to Calais and turn right and follow the coast until he reached Pakistan.

When he reached the Humber the RNLI, after unsuccessfully trying to make him see sense, stood by as he sailed out into the Humber estuary and took him off when the barge finally broke up.
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There is however a seaworthy narrowboat floating about somewhwere. If I can find a link I will post it.

It was built by a boatbuilder specifically to be sea worthy, but within the dimensions to navigate the canal system. She has sailed all around the UK costal waters and through the Caledonain canal.

apparently on her first sea voyage she was temporarily impounded at the first port she called at, as being over 70 ft she needed to be registered (a slight omission by the builders) and needed a few safety systems upgrading before she was allowed on her way.
 
Mayday on 16

Listening to 16 and then changed to 67 .. One sided Mayday ..

Coastguard .. Yes Sir I understand that but as you are near the FRENCH COAST we will ask them to come to your assistance ..
......
Coastguard .. Yes Sir I do understand that but the RNLI cannot be expected to come across the CHANNEL and TOW you back ..
.......
Coastguard .. Are you wearing lifejackets ..
.......
Coastguard .. May I suggest you and your crew put them on ..
 
parsifal said:
Many years ago a man in Bradford wanted to get back to his native Pakistan so he bought an old 70' canal narrow boat and set off down the canal system eventually arriving at the Humber. His 'passage plan' was to follow the English coast to Dover, then cross to Calais and turn right and follow the coast until he reached Pakistan.

When he reached the Humber the RNLI, after unsuccessfully trying to make him see sense, stood by as he sailed out into the Humber estuary and took him off when the barge finally broke up.
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Seems to be something similar happening now: lifeboat-rescues-canal-boat-at-sea-in-f8-winds-and-huge-waves
 
Motoring on a flat calm sunny afternoon from St. Albans Head to Weymouth when a red flare goes up close inshore somewhere near Durdle Door. Asked to investigate by Coastgaurd and we found him first. 25ft yacht, no sails set, dead engine, anchor hanging vertically below him but obviously not touching the bottom. Pissed as a fart and swearing like a trooper about the bloke who sold him the boat. A local fishing boat attended with us and passed all the details to Weymouth lifeboat adding "he's pissed lads be careful if you're going aboard". As the lifeboat passed us the boarding party were putting their crash helmets on.
 
OH yeah I know CC...

There is a very nice fellow, well into his years in my marina. He once went out sailing on a friend's 50' highly specced Jeanneau...and decided that he had to have a sailboat. Walks into the local Bavaria broker, orders a 50'er, no upgrades to the base package except radar and maybe the bowthruster...

Now, this man has NEVER sailed a boat. Or taken a class in it. Or read a book on it. Ever.

In the first two years of ownership, I have lost count of the number of times he has been towed back in. Or run aground, sometimes just outside the marina entrance. It is a litany of navigational and often gear failures - he has had repeated engine failures, on what is a new engine. He DOES try to get more experienced sailors to come sail with him, which is probably why he is still alive.

I went out with him this summer for the first time, thinking the horror stories about his boat couldn't all be true - and yes, they are. His Bavaria is so poorly rigged that the running rigging is oversized for the stoppers, sheeves, and whatnots. The total friction in his rig is so incredible that frankly I could not get the main up without finally resorting to his one power winch - and I'm not weak. Worse, his reefing lines don't actually release, and they were all tight...it's a nightmare...

So finally we clear St. Catherine's point, and the wind picks up...we are well doing laundry, with the lee rail fully buried and the cabin ports becoming underwater viewports. The weather helm is very noticeable...and he is hooting and hollering for joy. I casually mentioned to him that maybe, perhaps, it might be a good idea to reef a bit, especially as I was not impressed with his rigging.

He had no idea what I meant. Whatsoever. To him the reefing lines were something he just tightened to get the lines out of the way when he dropped the main, but he had no idea what they might be for...in fact he said, he usually didn't USE the main, because it was too hard to get up - he was impressed I had. When I managed to (with great sweating and swearing) get a reef in, imagine his surprise when we actually didn't lose speed...

On the way back, he regaled me with his stories of pulling up off Bembridge (not anchoring!), putting on his swim trunks to lounge, and seeing how long it took him to drift into the large ship's anchorage, requiring him to start his engine before he actually hit any of them...or into the path of the ferries...

Lovely guy, great to have a drink with...but...I just get the feeling this can't end well one day. OTOH, he IS learning slowly but surely...
 
Race with one every week. He's hit several of the channel buoys, the barrage lock gates, a local lifting bridge that wasnt lifted, and de-masted one boat he was driving in a port/starboard incident. And all on other people's boats!

On his own boat he's the only person I know who did several full club cruises having to be towed into port / out of port much of the time.

Lovely guy but he's not getting near the wheel on my boat.

P.S. Met another one in Ilfracombe yacht club. He'd been abandoned there by his crew after 2 lifeboat rescues just on the trip down from Bristol. Been in Combe for 4 weeks and on a small boat with no facilities he stank like a badger. Started talking to us at one end of the bar and we gradually edged down to the other end as we shifted away from him and he followed. Endless tale of woe.
 
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electrosys said:
The famous Bill Tilman was a bit of CC, according to his biographer. Ok when well out at sea - except that he always seemed to sail by the seat of his pants - but apparently it was not unusual for him to hit half-a-dozen parked boats on the way to his mooring ....
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Well he did sink one of his own boats as well before being lost at sea on another...
 
A bloke at uni, who was a very good sailor, bought a mini transat. His only previous yacht experience was doing bow for me at the Student nationals....

He had grand plans for the mini, and planned a round Britain attempt. Sounds good, but he couldn't afford charts... He bought one folio for the Solent, then planned on going round the UK navigating off the catalogue on the back, reasoning "I don't plan on going near the land".
I went sailing with him, awesome boat, but having a stand up row with him when he's attempting to crash into the brambles, whilst insisting he was off Newtown, didn't inspire confidence. And his habit of sneaking out of harbours at 6am to avoid paying (even when I was offering to pay) meant I didn't accept any other invites to sail with him.

He did eventually set off on his round Britain attempt. He left Gosport heading west, and aborted the attempt in Weymouth. I'm told he was starting to get the hang of the navigating thing, but the boat met a sad end in the storms in Plymouth a couple of years back, falling off it's cradle. Sadly uninsured.
 
Tilman may have lost his edge in later years but should be absoved by the scale of the sailing he did. Bringing a pilot cutter home without engine (in effect) might defeat many, even the redoubtable commentators on this forum.
I do feel that losing a boat in the northern wastes is a different matter to bumping into lighthouses etc.
He was lost on another's boat, on a expedition he felt was doomed, but he said he would go so he went.
 
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I bought a boat with no lessons. Ever.
I have grounded on every major, and most minor banks on the East Coast.
I have hit 2 buoys, 1 in a river.
I have had a man overboard.
I have been lost, tired and disoriented.
I sailed without engine or electrics for a season, because I couldn't afford to fix them.
I am friends with the RNLI.:p
 
FullCircle said:
I bought a boat with no lessons. Ever.
I have grounded on every major, and most minor banks on the East Coast.
I have hit 2 buoys, 1 in a river.
I have had a man overboard.
I have been lost, tired and disoriented.
I sailed without engine or electrics for a season, because I couldn't afford to fix them.
I am friends with the RNLI.:p
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I too have done most of the above (exc MoB fortunately) and I can add running out of fuel, but not in a single trip :D

I can also say that, apart from the running aground which is a regular occurence (bilge keels, big tides & shallow water), none of the above mistakes have so far been repeated. Plenty of time yet, I trust! :o

I think that the CC syndrome is about not knowing, understanding or accepting that a risk exists & not being able to deal with it in any meaningfull way when it occurs. Most of us cock up every season in some way (hence the Confessional columns) most of us are ready for it & have an exit strategy, some need extra help, but few keep making the same or similar mistakes over and again.
 
The first CC I met was a work colleague at Havant. A lot of people had joined IBM and moved to the coast for the first time. Several bought dinghies and started teaching themselves to sail. One individual often voluntered as crew but ran out of takers because he had managed to capsize them on every trip. I let him come out with me thinking he'd have a job to capsize my 6 ton gaffer. My mistake was to let him take the helm coming up the Emsworth channel while i stowed the sails. Within 30 seconds he had executed a 90° turn an run us onto the mud at full speed.
 
snowleopard said:
The first CC I met was a work colleague at Havant. A lot of people had joined IBM and moved to the coast for the first time. Several bought dinghies and started teaching themselves to sail. One individual often voluntered as crew but ran out of takers because he had managed to capsize them on every trip. I let him come out with me thinking he'd have a job to capsize my 6 ton gaffer. My mistake was to let him take the helm coming up the Emsworth channel while i stowed the sails. Within 30 seconds he had executed a 90° turn an run us onto the mud at full speed.
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Ah but that one doesn't count as he was only Calamity Crew.
 
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