Collision in Solent this afternoon - Incoming Tanker / Yacht

[Icarus39]

Hang on, there may be a positive side to all this ... maybe this kamikaze 'skipper' has just given his good lady wife the excuse she's been looking for ... SWMBO ... 'that's it, I've been telling you for years you don't know what you're doing ... I'm never going on that boat again, I hate that boat ! It's time for me, we're getting a caravan' [/B]
If he does, look out for him reversing it on the site

'And I told you it wasn't a good idea not to pay the racing insurance premium ! You can't blag this one with the insurers, you're all over the front page of the tabloids !'

 

[mcframe]

Couple of people have mentioned the tug at the stern of the ship.

My own experience was that we'd often make one fast astern in ships this size when entering or leaving port (and sometimes drag them stern-first for miles). The tug's function was to improve our manoeuvring and stopping ability.

A large, single-screw vessel isn't too handy!

Tsk!

Under-crewed and relying on a tug to make it into harbour - (x-thread) don't you even have a bow-thruster or use a midships spring ;->

 

[Bosun Higgs]

As ever, it's pleasing to see how many forum posters never ever make a mistake or misjudgement. Who needs a pope when we have this level of infallibility?

 

[oldharry]

I crossed ahead of the same tanker earlier that afternoon, but I was around 1 mile east of the forts, while he was just clearing Dean Elbow several miles further east. Its a question of scale. These things have to travel 12 -15 knots I believe to retain steerage control, but because of the size it LOOKS as though they are coming uo much more slowly. Ever watched a Jumbo Jet or the new A800 taking off/landing/ They LOOK much slower than other aircraft because of its size. same applies here.

Could be the yacht skipper is not used to close encounters with VLCCs if he is not a Solent 'regular', and completely misjudged the speed at which it was coming up. But having said that he was VERY slow off the mark realising that he was about to hit the thing. 10 seonds earlier and he would have scraped past - just. No excuse,, but just pondering how it was that he didnt seem to react until it was far too late. But even so the guardboat had tried to warn him off, so maybe not. It doesnt really add up, but I doubt we will ever know except from the MAIB report when it appears.

And by the way L'Escargot - I think in yards too, but the exclusion zones are 1000 meters, not yards. Not that it makes any real difference: if a dirty great 200+m orange thing is in the way, and a guardboat warning me off I wouldnt argue, personally!

 

[Boathook]

I was in the Solent to the north of the bramble bank so did not see anything except for the red tanker dragging a blue tug from at least Portsmouth. We did see some X? open racing boats and one seemed oblivious to any thing else around them as we passed their stern having altered course. To avoid all the racing fleet today we motored sailed westwards down the island side against the wind and tide and left the racers to the mainland side. Thought that this was the safer option. This weekend in the solent reminds me to avoid the place during Cowes week!

 

[marina95]

Could be the yacht skipper is not used to close encounters with VLCCs if he is not a Solent 'regular',

At the risk of getting my knuckles rapped by Snooks for using publicly available information, I googled up the skipper and the boat and see that he has extensive Solent (racing) experience!

 

[oldharry]

At the risk of getting my knuckles rapped by Snooks for using publicly available information, I googled up the skipper and the boat and see that he has extensive Solent (racing) experience!

Makes it worse: means he was a daredevil skipper who reckoned he could scrape through when he really shouldnt have tried. IMHO anyway. He won't be getting any more experience this season in THAT boat.

 

[flaming]

As ever, it's pleasing to see how many forum posters never ever make a mistake or misjudgement. Who needs a pope when we have this level of infallibility?

Quite. As it happens this boat is one of my regular opponents. And they're pretty decent sailors, who were just starting to get to grips with the boat. Dealing with shipping is a part of Solent racing, and a badly timed ship has cost me more than one race win.

Anyone who thinks there is anything more to this than a very public, and very spectacular, error of judgement is very much mistaken. You've all made similar mistakes, but without such serious consequences, or a camera rolling.

Here's hoping it doesn't put them off sailing altogether, they get the boat fixed and get back on the water as soon as possible.

 

[l'escargot]

...And by the way L'Escargot - I think in yards too, but the exclusion zones are 1000 meters, not yards. Not that it makes any real difference: if a dirty great 200+m orange thing is in the way, and a guardboat warning me off I wouldnt argue, personally!

You're right. Wish they'd all get together and standardise things - VTS use metres, QHM still uses yards because they work in Nautical Miles, Cowes use speed over the ground, Hamble use speed through the water, no wonder everyone gets confused....

 

[sandeel]

I was in the Solent to the north of the bramble bank so did not see anything except for the red tanker dragging a blue tug from at least Portsmouth. We did see some X? open racing boats and one seemed oblivious to any thing else around them as we passed their stern having altered course. To avoid all the racing fleet today we motored sailed westwards down the island side against the wind and tide and left the racers to the mainland side. Thought that this was the safer option. This weekend in the solent reminds me to avoid the place during Cowes week!

+1

 

[robertj]

As someone who watched the whole incident I will happily put my mortgage on the fact that none of the above were a factor.

The skipper was a idiot - plain and simple - he ignored the escort vessel - and then at the last minute realised he had made a huge mistake and tried to slow down. There were no vessels to leeward of him - we had all seen the very large ship and taken the decision to gybe out of the way!

All of us racing in Cowes are now tarred by his actions.

Typical racers!!

I can hear the bow guys saying to the helm right now 'yes skipper close but we'll cross ok' but in the end it will be the skipper who'll take the flak.
The fine will be insignificant to the years of p.ss taking he'll have to endure,
'wasn't sure you saw me old man being under 200m' but one of many.

 

[epervier]

Anyone who thinks there is anything more to this than a very public, and very spectacular, error of judgement is very much mistaken. You've all made similar mistakes, but without such serious consequences, or a camera rolling.

You've all made similar mistakes,

Let me see,

Harbour Master approaches me and tells me to keep clear of a 30foot high wall of steel coming through at about 10 knots, but I ignore these instructions,why?
because I'm racing.

I don't think so,

only an idiot would put lives at risk, and those that know me will tell you I may be a little crazy, but not insane.

 

[DJE]

All of us racing in Cowes are now tarred by his actions.

Nearly all the Cowes Week fleets seemed to be in the Western Solent yesterday. Was this a reaction to the collision I wonder.

 

[flaming]

You've all made similar mistakes,

Let me see,

Harbour Master approaches me and tells me to keep clear of a 30foot high wall of steel coming through at about 10 knots, but I ignore these instructions,why?
because I'm racing.
.

You really think he just ignores the instuctions? I don't.

I think he's slap in front of the ship on a pretty tight reach, and is expecting it to turn to starboard any time soon. So he decides to try and climb above it and pass down its port side. But the wind, and the tanker's speed, caught him out and he doesn't manage to climb to windward in time.

An error of judgement, we all make them, but not all of ours end up on YouTube.

 

[Twister_Ken]

You really think he just ignores the instuctions? I don't.

I think he's slap in front of the ship on a pretty tight reach, and is expecting it to turn to starboard any time soon. So he decides to try and climb above it and pass down its port side. But the wind, and the tanker's speed, caught him out and he doesn't manage to climb to windward in time.

An error of judgement, we all make them, but not all of ours end up on YouTube.

Fact - he is required not to be within 1000 metres of the bow, or 100 meters of the sides of big orange.

Being there is not 'an error of judgement', it's a complete screw up of his spatial awareness, a failure of observation, putting himself on absolutely the wrong place on the race track and an inability to accept his situation and bale out in time.

 

[Pete R]

You've all made similar mistakes, Here's hoping it doesn't put them off sailing altogether, they get the boat fixed and get back on the water as soon as possible.

Mistakes yes. SIMILAR mistakes no. Well I can't remember being hit by a fast moving bright Orange tanker anyway. Nor anything else.

I hope the crew get back on the water but as for the skipper...No.

 

[islandsailor]

You really think he just ignores the instuctions? I don't.

Sorry Flaming as someone pretty close to the collision he did ignore the instructions - he could have gyped at any point.

 

[Pete R]

I think he's slap in front of the ship on a pretty tight reach, and is expecting it to turn to starboard any time soon. So he decides to try and climb above it and pass down its port side. But the wind, and the tanker's speed, caught him out and he doesn't manage to climb to windward in time.

So you are seriously trying to get me to believe that this incident only started when the film did. The poor skipper was just transported there "slap in front of the ship". I love si-fi but that's going just too far.

Even when the film starts he still has time to go downwind and go starboard side of the tanker but with the tug tied to the back then he would have probably missed the finished line.

I think I can see what his priorities are and they certainly aren't for his crew, others on the water or the boat.

 

[Whitelighter]

Listen to the video, first thing the spectators says:

'because they are racing, they have right of way over that...'

Another arse hole racer. Can someone tell me where this little nugget is in the col regs? Because, unlike most of the racing clubs in the Solent, I don't recall anything that gives a boat racing deference from the regulations

 

[fireball]

You really think he just ignores the instuctions? I don't.

I think he's slap in front of the ship on a pretty tight reach, and is expecting it to turn to starboard any time soon. So he decides to try and climb above it and pass down its port side. But the wind, and the tanker's speed, caught him out and he doesn't manage to climb to windward in time.

An error of judgement, we all make them, but not all of ours end up on YouTube.

I can see what your sailing - but as TK says - he's not supposed to be there - not within 1000m of the bow - or 100m down either side.
Error of judgement, yes - the judgement was to ignore the rules - that was his error.
If he'd just clipped the 1000m line then I could understand it ... even forgive it - but not clipping his bow!
**** timing on his position relative to where he wants to go - but sorry - he should've seen the big ship from miles back and (where possible) planned his course not to be there.