Clipper Ventures Yacht Ichor Coal: MAIB report now out

[dom]

The MAIB report into the tragic loss of two crew members from Clipper yacht Ichor Coal is out today. It makes sobering reading and finds the MAIB in atypically blunt form:

"Greater supervisioncould have prevented both of these accidents and could have been provided had asecond employee or contracted ‘seafarer’, with appropriate competence and a duty to takereasonable care of other persons on board, been carried."
​

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/58ee0b5040f0b606e7000166/MAIBInvReport07_2017.pdf​

Also, with the growing prevalence of soft shackles and high-mod lines the following comment may be relevant to many:

"A recommendation has been made to Marlow Ropes Ltd, the rope manufacturer, aimedat improving the information provided to users on the loss of strength caused by splices,hitches or knots when using high modulus polyethylene rope. A recommendation has alsobeen made to the Royal Yachting Association, World Sailing and British Marine, which isintended to encourage recreational and professional yachtsmen to consider carefully thetype of rope used for specific tasks on board their vessels."​

 

[Angele]

A recommendation has been made to Marlow Ropes Ltd, the rope manufacturer, aimedat improving the information provided to users on the loss of strength caused by splices,hitches or knots when using high modulus polyethylene rope.

Or Dyneema, Spectra and Vectran to the rest of us....

Hmm!

I thought spliced dyneema was supposed to be strong.

 

[Elemental]

Hmm!

I thought spliced dyneema was supposed to be strong.

I believe it is - just not as strong as unadulterated rope. Knots in particular can cause large percentage reduction in strength.

 

[KevinT1]

Sobering reading indeed, and it makes you think about the way that we conduct ourselves at sea

 

[Motor_Sailor]

It does make interesting reading. A lot of it is very transferable to everyday sailing, as cockpit mounted travellers and man overboard are two hazards that should be high up most recreational sailor's concerns.

As I inhabit both and boating and a climbing world, I'm always amazed at the lack of understanding about loads and forces when sailing. Climbing equipment manufacturer's and the BMC have spent a lot of time trying to educate people about the 'strength' of materials and how it applies in a dynamic environment. Anyone who has seen the DMM video's where a 2 ton dynema sling fails to hold a 100kg body dropping just a couple of feet quickly realises there's more to using these materials appropriately than just looking at their static SWL.

So many times on boats I've seen tiny blocks being put wholly inappropriate uses because ultimately they've been chosen largely on price. Well perhaps this will lead to a move in the sailing world to start thinking about the different types of loads and their quantification.

As to manning levels, that's a difficult one. Some of those 'beginners' in the Clipper crews have done more real hard core big boat sailing at the end of their training than a lot of Yachtmasters I know. I think the answer is to make sure those selected to be the watch leaders, do some more training before departure so they can actually sit some external assessments and get their tickets.

 

[lw395]

I think there is a more fundamental problem than 'how strong is the splice?'
"During previous Races, Clipper yachts had experienced numerous problems
with the preventer line arrangement causing severe distortion to cleats and deck
fittings"

Basically, Clipper are driving their boats in such a manner that excessive demands are made on preventers.
These are big powerful boats, the people sailing them are relatively inexperienced.

Think about who the people are, and why they are there.
Is this the right group of people to cross oceans with?
The whole thing has evolved into accidents waiting to happen.
I wouldn't cross the channel with them.

They have how many boats? Racing over how many days/nights? The 1000:1 events become more than inevitable.

 

[Jonesey]

I am baffled that Clipper have not provided (or at least made it mandatory for crew to provide their own) personal AIS beacon(s).

Clipper's provision of one AIS beacon per boat, attached to the danbuoy seems pretty insufficient, particularly when in this case it failed to operate or was not activated correctly by human error.

From the report "It is highly doubtful that Sarah would have been recovered if she had not been wearing a personal AIS beacon."

 

[SteveSarabande]

The skipper being in bed sounds odd. They should have a pro 1st mate so that someone experienced is on deck at all times. They persuaded the MCA that there coxswain course replaces the YM offshore normally required on a Cat zero boat

 

[bitbaltic]

I am baffled that Clipper have not provided (or at least made it mandatory for crew to provide their own) personal AIS beacon(s).

Agree with that. When they had a MOB in the Pacific in the 2013-14 race he had an AIS beacon with him- I remember that he had difficulty turning it on and the signal only appeared after some delay. I had assumed that a personal AIS would be standard issue for a race like Clipper.

A page on the clipper website says that they have not previously adopted auto-AIS beacons, which fire on LJ inflation, because they have a lot of accidental inflations working on a wet deck. I understand that (but would a Hammar inflator be a workaround?). But that's not a reason not to give everyone a manual beacon, and that page says they will now give them out for the 2017-18 race. After the 2013-14 MOB RKJ said:

It is always a concern when we have a major incident and we will want to analyse the circumstances in detail to see if there is anything we need to learn or review as a result.

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ot...-Taylor-falls-overboard-in-Pacific-Ocean.html)

Manual beacons for all in 2015-16 would seem to have been a likely learning. So when I read in the MAIB report:

Although not supplied by Clipper, most of the Clipper yacht crews carried personal AIS beacons fitted to their lifejackets. Circumnavigation crew often purchased their own, and the yacht fund, to which crew contributed, was often used to buy sufficient personal AIS beacons. Other crew could rent a beacon for the Race legs they were on board.

I can't help feeling that the search for a non-inflation activated auto AIS beacon may have held the organisation back from issuing manual beacons in a timely way. It was clear that the crews felt them a worthwhile piece of safety equipment, to the point that they were essentially having a whip round to buy them. It seems like a learning missed in 2013-14.

 

[flaming]

The skipper being in bed sounds odd. They should have a pro 1st mate so that someone experienced is on deck at all times. They persuaded the MCA that there coxswain course replaces the YM offshore normally required on a Cat zero boat

I suspect that this will be looked at quite seriously by the MCA. Given that clipper marketing all talks about "no experience necessary" and their training is listed on their website at 25 days, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they weren't either required to have a pro 1st mate, or to select some more experienced crew members and put them through YM as a minimum.

 

[lw395]

Having an AIS beacon didn't make the victim any less dead in this case.
The AIS on the MOB pole was a blatant bodge which did not work.
Had it ever been tested?

I'm not sure how anyone expects an auto ais to be triggered other than by inflation of the LJ?

If you are not going to clip on in 40+ knots at night, when are you?

Is there something wrong if you've got so much sail up that it takes 30 minutes to turn a fully crewed boat around?
It's not just about gadgets.

 

[sailorman]

It does make interesting reading. A lot of it is very transferable to everyday sailing, as cockpit mounted travellers and man overboard are two hazards that should be high up most recreational sailor's concerns.

As I inhabit both and boating and a climbing world, I'm always amazed at the lack of understanding about loads and forces when sailing. Climbing equipment manufacturer's and the BMC have spent a lot of time trying to educate people about the 'strength' of materials and how it applies in a dynamic environment. Anyone who has seen the DMM video's where a 2 ton dynema sling fails to hold a 100kg body dropping just a couple of feet quickly realises there's more to using these materials appropriately than just looking at their static SWL.

So many times on boats I've seen tiny blocks being put wholly inappropriate uses because ultimately they've been chosen largely on price. Well perhaps this will lead to a move in the sailing world to start thinking about the different types of loads and their quantification.

As to manning levels, that's a difficult one. Some of those 'beginners' in the Clipper crews have done more real hard core big boat sailing at the end of their training than a lot of Yachtmasters I know. I think the answer is to make sure those selected to be the watch leaders, do some more training before departure so they can actually sit some external assessments and get their tickets.

I prefer this to a coach roof mounted i cant control or reach at the helm

 

[Tintin]

Having an AIS beacon didn't make the victim any less dead in this case.
The AIS on the MOB pole was a blatant bodge which did not work.
Had it ever been tested?

I'm not sure how anyone expects an auto ais to be triggered other than by inflation of the LJ?

If you are not going to clip on in 40+ knots at night, when are you?

Is there something wrong if you've got so much sail up that it takes 30 minutes to turn a fully crewed boat around?
It's not just about gadgets.

You have a lot of opinion based on scant knowledge of Clipper my friend.

 

[lw395]

You have a lot of opinion based on scant knowledge of Clipper my friend.

I know several things about Clipper.
Let's start with the bald fact that punters are dead.

 

[Uricanejack]

So far I have only read the first half of the report. Not someone I knew. I find it troubling just the same. So unfortunate, So avoidable. A family devastated.
A Day Skipper, 49yr old, had been a keen sailor for many years. 5ft 7in 16 1/2 stone. A description which could be fit many an old bloke on any old boat at any yacht club. Probably not unlike a lot of posters here.
I cant help think he would be anything other than extremely excited to head out on what was probably life's biggest adventure.
Particularly pleased to have been selected as the watch leader.
Watch leader? The Officer Of The Watch. In Charge of the vessel and responsible for all on board. actualy its quite a responsibility.
Am I right in thinking he was a paying punter? It appears so from the report.

After signing up to take part. he did what appears to be quite a thourgh 4 part training co for all crew.
In addition he completed a internal coxswain co.

Is there a shortage of interested YM's?
I imagine the costs of running one of these boats is substantial. The revenue return important to make it feasible.
Using a paying punter as an OOW on a commercial vessel doesn't seam quite right. Is it very different from an volunteer? Not really.
Clipper used him because he met the requirements.
The Skipper Thought he was a good guy.

The MCA are the regulatory body who approved this.

He was a minimally qualified and experienced watch leader, On watch, On Deck Alone, In worsening conditions, With an inexperienced watch, About to try and reef a vessel which was on the verge, off loosing control.

For the first time.

Was he ready for this?
Was he well supported?
It would appear he made a couple of fundamental errors, Not surprising really, It was his first time.
His roll in the task. Ensure the task of reefing is carried out safely,
His roll, To watch over the crew doing the task, To make sure the crew follow the procedure, To tell the crew doing the task. Don't step over the traveller, Don't stand there,

If only, he had someone to watch over him.

Must be awful to have been the inexperienced helm.
Normal human behavior. It is very difficult to tell the person in charge, "your not supposed to do something"

I will read the next chapter later.

 

[bedouin]

Is there something wrong if you've got so much sail up that it takes 30 minutes to turn a fully crewed boat around?

That is the thing that struck me. Given the crew were already dressed and ready for reducing sail. Anyway surely if you can't get it down don't you just let if go and get back to the casualty?

The other thing I noticed was that they had trouble securing the casualty once they got close.

However the conditions must have been horrendous - gusting 90kts

 

[KellysEye]

What I liked about the report was one of the deaths was caused by being hit on the head by a hard part of the sail, we call it the boom.

 

[Motor_Sailor]

I prefer this to a coach roof mounted i cant control or reach at the helm

You can make any choices you like. This sort of incident simply highlights the issues you have to consider when making those choices.

 

[Biggles Wader]

Reports like this are useful but seem to contain a lot of detail which will change very little in future.They do draw a certain amount of comment from us wise after the event "experts" though.Trying to nail it down to essentials I get two big issues.The crew member wasn't clipped on when she should have been which is human error on her part.The preventer broke which is gear failure.
The rest is all a consequence of those issues.

 

[Sandyman]

I think there is a more fundamental problem than 'how strong is the splice?'
"During previous Races, Clipper yachts had experienced numerous problems
with the preventer line arrangement causing severe distortion to cleats and deck
fittings"

Basically, Clipper are driving their boats in such a manner that excessive demands are made on preventers.
These are big powerful boats, the people sailing them are relatively inexperienced.

Think about who the people are, and why they are there.
Is this the right group of people to cross oceans with?
The whole thing has evolved into accidents waiting to happen.
I wouldn't cross the channel with them.

They have how many boats? Racing over how many days/nights? The 1000:1 events become more than inevitable.

Couldn't agree more. Posted on this subject 6 or 7 years ago when others pointed out that it all sounded like an accident waiting to happen. It happened & I was not the slightest surprised having witnessed there safety training standards at close hand over a long period
of time.