Compass 190degrees out!

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Sailfree

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Seeing the earlier thread and irrespective of whether the max error is 170deg is it irresponsible for a person to set sail in these times without even a cheap GPS.

Also for how long will we continue to have the right to set sail with whatever equipment the boat has if this sort of incident occurs.

I suspect if the Lifeboats were a government service rather than a charity there would be legislation.
 
You may want to see my post in the main thread about the Marie Louise’s earlier adventures on the Whitaker Spit. The one thing he kept repeating was ‘I’ve got a chart plotter’, but that was not much help because the Lat/Long reading he gave made no sense, and he seemed unable to pan it out to work out where he was.

Literally, when stuck on the Whitaker, he could only say his position was somewhere between Cromer and Ramsgate
/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Trainee Rpyal Flying Corps pilot ...

Instructor to pupil in old biplane .... "OK lad .... turn 3 degrees to starboard onto xxx ...."

Pupil answers ... "This old crate cant' fly that exact ....."

Instructor then says ... "OK 20 degrees to starboard, 17 degrees to port .... smart-arse !!
 
Your request that everyone carry a GPS does not work.
The Marie Louise was carrying a GPS but they still went aground, and still could not help themselves. I was listening too.
The previous Saturday was spent listening to a similar VHF conversation all day with some berk who had bought a Hardy 20 in Medway called Violet and then tarted it up and set out for Inverness. 2 hours later he is aground on the Foulness ranges side with no main engine, and an outboard 'practically useless'. He hadnt a clue of his position and treated the Coastguard like the Samaritans Suicide helpline. He arrived in Burnham very late the same evening, and was sorted by our Simon with a fuel tank full of crap changed for a jerry rigged 5 gallon affair. He was on his way next morning. Still a berk.

I have sailed the Estuary with no electrics or engine at all after a major failure, and a line with a fishing weight, ships/hand bearing compass, chart, notepad and pencil were all that was required.

I also towed a Squib with 2 crew halfway up the Crouch outbound for Blackwater on Saturday in light airs, and I definitely did not fear for their safety. They had a sounder, compass and a chart. Locals, very experienced.

I have been aground deliberately or not dozens of times out there, and most times it just requires a decent assessment and a 45 degree cup of tea for 3 or 4 hours, without rousing the Coastguard, except to acknowledge when someone else has spotted you potentially in deistress.

Also, we were reported late arriving from Burnham to Ramsgate at 1AM. North Foreland could not spot us on radar at 26ft length sideways on with an octohedral reflector at 2.5 miles distance, so that dont work either.

A kid is run over every 30 minutes on Britains roads. Our stuff is a bit more public I think.
 
We had a good listen to 'Violet' aswel, whilst we were enroute from Chatam to Burnham. I thought it was quite entertaining - beats a Radio 4 comedy play any day of the week!
 
Quite.

I was a bit puzzled by a chap who contacted Thames CG just to say that he was aground, when the position he gave was well sheltered and the weather was fine.

My first two boats didn't have electrics or an engine, I got into everywhere between Aldeburgh and Ramsgate in them and nobody thought anything of it.

The most important thing to do, on going aground, is to pump the bilge as dry as you can, lean her the better way, and get the kettle on.

Those who need to ask "why pump the bilge first" have not (yet) been there!
 
I remember hearing on Ch 16 on a very blustery day just entering Newhaven (South Coast) a conversation between boat X (who was requesting help) and CG:

CG: "Can you tell me your position, please?"

X: "Somewhere near (such and such) buoy, near Eastbourne."

CG: "Can you give me your exact position?"

X: (reads position from GPS)

CG: "Thank you."

Pause.

CG: "Can you repeat your position, please?"

X: (repeats position)

CG: "Can you check your GPS please, Sir? Your position puts you somewhere in the North Sea."

Oops...
 
Had she got a bit further, the Marie Louise would have been on the artillery range. It would have been even more entertaining then ‘This is the Marie Louise 2 on a sandbank, and some b***r is shooting at us”
 
Come on, the first time I crossed the Channel was in a 39ft Westerly we had chartered and it didn't even have Decca! Curiously we didn't cause havoc in the shipping lanes, we found our destination on the nose and arrived on schedule. The trouble with all these gadgets, lovely and clever that they are is that the foster this notion that you can pay for the boat, turn on the gadgets and then thats all you have to think about.
 
I really have no time for people who rely on electronics then at the first sign of a problem shout for help to the CG instead of applying a bit of thought, common sense and self help.

As for boats putting to sea without this that or the other, it depends on what sort of sailing is being done. You don't need much in the way of equipment if you just toodle up and down the coast in nothing greater than a F4 with the sun out. Going X channel, a little more kit is nice to have for peace of mind, but not essential if you are capable of picking the weather that suits and can navigate.

Most of all, whatever kit you have got should be in good working order and you should know how to use it and maintain it.

That's got that off my chest! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
 
Your right. The first time we crossed I put the lines on a chart. Although we spent most of the crossing trying to keep up with the other boats we were in company with, we arrived half an hour before them as they had to stem the tide to get back up to the eastern entrance (Cherbourg). I wonder why that was then! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
Quite - on my first N Sea crossing, on a charter boat 23 years ago, all the electrics failed half way across but we found Oostende without too much trouble. My own boat at the time had no electrics or engine so it wasn't too traumatic!

On the other hand I am reminded of a bilge keeler that surfed up Aldeburgh beach in bad weather some years back thinking it was entering Southwold - took a very high tide to refloat it - mistakes happen...
 
Re: A step in the wrong direction.

Rather than make eectronic aids compulsory it would probably be a better idea to make it compulsory for say 1 passage in 5 to be undertaken with all electronics turned off.

Actually its quite good fun once in a while
 
Re: Quite.

Hee hee. That little drop in the bilges is going to soak your bedding if you don't get rid of it first. Bit like a wine glass.
 
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