Catamaran runs into problems off Llandudno

[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

I was sent this today. Some of you may know the owner who used to post to uk.rec.sailing usenet. The guy brought his boat back to life after she had been left on a farm I think. No one is more devoted to their vessel than this guy.

I am glad he and his crew are well and recovering and feel very sad at his loss, so far it appears the vessel is wrecked.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://icnorthwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/regionalnews/tm_objectid=14462496&method=full&siteid=50142&headline=lifeboat-battle-to-rescue-pair--name_page.html>News Item here</A>

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

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[beachbum]

Glad they were both ok - structural failure in both hulls is pretty drastic. So much for all the cracks about carrying a spare hull!

Do you know what exactly happened? - Those Hirondelles are supposed to be pretty tough, but some of them are getting very old now - that looks like pre-MkIII, I think I can just make out daggerboards.

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[[3889]]

I listened to the mayday on 16 and the the heli crew seemed convinced that there was only slight water ingress - their info led to the coast guard to downgrade the mayday. After hearing the messages I had assumed the boat would be OK - sorry to see such an unhappy outcome.
Andy

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[DavidofMersea]

Why do you say "so far it appears the vessel is wrecked" - it is a tiny photo, but she looks basically OK to me

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

The person who sent me the link to the story is good friends with the owner and had been speaking to him on the telephone the evening it happened.

I say appears because the owner is saying it is wrecked, yet no proper assessment has been made to my knowledge. Things often look different after the initial shock has died away.

Just received this >>>

The boat was beached on the rocks,you see in the picture at high tide .
There are now gapping holes in the hull and the transom and the front spar/crosspeice that holds the two hulls together are split.
several peices of equipement have already been pinched from it.

He has been told that,he has to recover the boat off the beach.
The only way he can do it,is at high-tide on 29th in the morning .....by dragging the boat over the rocks onto the promenard with crane-truck...which will further damage it .
He has not got a road-worthy trailer for this boat.
So it looks like he has quite a job on.
<<<

I will post any more info if I get it.

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

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<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Jools_of_Top_Cat on 29/07/2004 00:32 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Talbot]

from your info, it would appear that he has no insurance either!

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[misterg]

Ths may be too late, but I thought these catermeringue things were relatively light, and this is quite a small one - would it not be possible for a gang of (say) 8 people just to pick it up and carry it?? maybe emptied of gear? I'd lend a hand.

Jools - have PM'd you.

Andy

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[Talbot]

Light is a relative term compared to a half boat with a wacking great piece of metal stuck loosely on the bottom. You can certainly pick up 20 footers, but above that, the weights really start to get beyond manpower (e.g. old fashioned design 30 ft = 4 ton / new french for same length abt 2.5 ton).

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

He may be right though. A hirondel is what 23 feet. stripped out she would probably come in under a ton. They are somewhere between big dinghy and small cruiser no offence meant.

The biggest problem I would foresee though would be getting purchase even with 20 people it is going to be more than just bouncing a car out of a parking spot?

I cannot see a way unless he can get a small crane or even fork lift to get it up onto the promenade, bit of a bugger really. If he leaves her where she is she will be robbed blind and probably burnt out very soon.

What a horrible position to be in.

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

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[halcyon]

Many years ago a ferro yacht was saved in Cornwall when it ran aground, by collecting all the 1 gallon and 5 gallon containers that could be found, these were then stuffed into the hull, then 55 gallon drums tied to side. At hight tide it floated, and was towed round to Penzance and rebuilt.
The cat is a lot smaller and lighter, if the deck is still there, then stuff any container into void, and float to were it can be got at easier.

Just a thought.

Brian

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[Talbot]

My first action would have been to strip everything out myself and then leave the thing unlocked. at that weight you could probably use a technique used by the vikings, where they lashed what looked like overlength stabilising poles on each side, and then pulled forward. As they pulled forward, the boat lifted on the poles, and then came down a couple of feet forward, - repeated for whatever distance is required. These days with the winches that are available, if she is on sand, I would even consider burying a decent anchor and chain (or using a massive tow truck), and trying to winch her up the beach, after all the bottom is already going to have to be repaired.

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

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<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

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[misterg]

What utter bastards!

(For those of you who didn't follow the link, even the rigging and some windows were taken).

Andy

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[DavidofMersea]

I live on the beach and about three weeks ago a yacht broke loose and was washed up in front of my house. My neighbour and I anchored it so that it would not drift away.

The owner was traced in hospital, and his wife was reluctant to tell him in case he worried.

Two more days passed and I saw someone looking around, so I went to see him. He said that the police had told him that the owner no longer wanted the boat, and that he was taking the outboard off as someone would steal it.

He went on to say that if the owner wanted the outboard it, he would have to pay him salvage, as we had salvaged the boat. I asked him who "we" was - then he said "well you, you can claim salvage". I told him that I did not want salvage money.

I suggested that he got it in writing that the Police had told him that he could take things off the boat, and he then decided that perhaps he would just leave it, as I knew who he was.

The next day the owner came down, and kept thanking me for saving his boat, I said that I expected that he would have done the same for me.

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