Crew panic

[snowleopard]

I was chatting to other skippers at the club and a lot of people had experience of a crew man who had retreated to his bunk in a funk when scared. I don't think everyone was talking about the same guy so it must be quite common. I have a vague recollection of hearing that the paid skipper of a boat in one of the pay-as-you-go RTW races doing that in the Solent at the start.

Have you met anyone like that?

What people think they would do and what they actually do in the real world are often different. Do you know how you react when under that sort of stress?

 

[Koeketiene]

I was chatting to other skippers at the club and a lot of people had experience of a crew man who had retreated to his bunk in a funk when scared.

IMO, best to leave them there.
You don't want him/her around bringing morale of the rest of the crew down.

 

[lustyd]

Do you know how you react when under that sort of stress?

I tend to go on deck and sail the boat in the hope that someone else deals with cooking me food Unfortunately I usually end up hungry and cold on deck alone...

 

[Swanrad2]

Been there once, he just shut down really on an overnight passage to the IOM. There wasn't much difference between this and sea sickness to be honest - deal with it accordingly, at least they can't dehydrate. I wouldn't use the word scared either, having thought about this a lot I think 'overwhelmed' might be better. In fact if I am getting philosophical (several glasses of Calvados in me, I can't help it) I would say unable to accept the lack of control - you can't just stop the ride and get off - I think most sailors shrug their shoulders and crack on, non-sailors reject the experience....

Ah well, he never came out with me again.

 

[simon barefoot]

Not experienced it from either side. Can imagine that it's blimmin awkward if that leaves just you.

 

[Giblets]

Some years ago we made a particularly "lively" trip from Chi Harbour to Cowes in a friend's Rival 36 prior to going X Channel. No sooner had we bounced out across the Bar than one of the novice crew went and locked himself in the heads and refused to come out. When we eventually tied up in Groves & Gutteridge (as it was then) he appeared on deck as right as rain as if nothing had happened. The skipper/owner stuck him on the next ferry back to the mainland.

On another Channel crossing we had one chap who would not leave the cockpit and hung on to the pushpit for the whole 10 hours.

Luckily both on both trips we had enough crew to cope but it could have been different.

 

[jerrytug]

Been there once, he just shut down really on an overnight passage to the IOM. There wasn't much difference between this and sea sickness to be honest - deal with it accordingly, at least they can't dehydrate. I wouldn't use the word scared either, having thought about this a lot I think 'overwhelmed' might be better. In fact if I am getting philosophical (several glasses of Calvados in me, I can't help it) I would say unable to accept the lack of control - you can't just stop the ride and get off - I think most sailors shrug their shoulders and crack on, non-sailors reject the experience....

Ah well, he never came out with me again.

That sounds right Swanrad, about the lack of control and not being able to get off, well put. It's easy to forget (inevitable really, unless you instruct comp crew or something) that a sailing yacht at sea is an extremely alien environment, all the inputs from all the senses are disorienting,and as you say perhaps overwhelming.
It's not just the physical side but the unbearable realisation that it's not about to stop, and the ride won't end any time soon. And that you are feeling unbearably trapped (or you MIGHT start feeling so) and you couldn't run away.
I've never seen it happen to someone touch wood..
Although I have on a ship, a guy started running around the engine room and madly opening and closing valves and switches in a total freak-out, we had to bundle him up the ladder, I spent the rest of the watch trying to work out what he'd altered! amusing in retospect..

 

[elton]

It's a manifestation of Terminal Burrowing syndrome. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothermia#Terminal_burrowing
- often seen in fatal fires.

I'll probably try that next time I think I'm going to die. I think it could be comforting.

 

[saltylegs]

Yip someone I looked up to and I was second in command to, we had a bad knock down lost all gps and engine (meaning no charging) and skipper went to bed.
but we made it back.

 

[Bru]

I have, suprisingly, seen much the same thing on the canals! Large group of volunteers running a pair of difficult to run boats in trying circumstances and eventually the Captain (don't shoot me, the boatman in charge of a narrowboard was traditionally referred to as "Captain") just gave up and went and sat under a hedge!

Fatigue, stress and/or being overwhelmed by the situation and not knowing what to do or not being able to do anything = head under the virtual blanket I guess

 

[Wansworth]

On a dredger I worked on the skipper hated the Channel Islands because of the strong tides so he left it to the mate and retired till the pilot boarded and I heard of another captanih of a very large indian ship who went to his Cabin when the nav got tricky in the Dover Strait...

 

[macd]

the Captain...just gave up and went and sat under a hedge!

Not trying to undermine a serious subject, but that brought a wry grin. Think I'll pop down to the garden centre for a nice, cuddly privet for the aft deck.

 

[[70521]]

Have you met anyone like that?

What people think they would do and what they actually do in the real world are often different. Do you know how you react when under that sort of stress?

Yes, just a matter of seeing they are OK below and getting on with the job. I never make a fuss, we all have different thresholds and there are some situations where I just try and reduce the "input stimuli".

 

[Daydream believer]

There was a story of a skipper being fined for superfluous mayday somewhere off Ramsgate
It was rough & they decided to heave too for a while until conditions improved to make progress easier.
the skipper was not overly concerned being quite capable
A frightened novice crew went below & put out a mayday
The first the remaining crew knew about it was when the life boat arrived & they had to ask it to stand down

 

[chrisbitz]

There was a story of a skipper being fined for superfluous mayday somewhere off Ramsgate

Is there such a thing? I would have thought it might discourage genuine maydays?

 

[Bru]

Not trying to undermine a serious subject, but that brought a wry grin. Think I'll pop down to the garden centre for a nice, cuddly privet for the aft deck.

Must admit that there was an occasion just this past Autumn when after several hours of bashing to windward down the Wallet and across the outer reaches of the Blackwater estuary I really rather missed the concept of getting off and going for a walk when I'd had enough of the boating!

 

[[3889]]

In "To the Baltic with Bob" one of Gryff Rhys Jones' crew (Rick?) threw a wobbly off the German coast. I can understand a first time sailor being overwhelmed on a small boat but there seem to be some who react like this then go back for more.

 

[Tony Cross]

I was chatting to other skippers at the club and a lot of people had experience of a crew man who had retreated to his bunk in a funk when scared. I don't think everyone was talking about the same guy so it must be quite common. I have a vague recollection of hearing that the paid skipper of a boat in one of the pay-as-you-go RTW races doing that in the Solent at the start.

Have you met anyone like that?

What people think they would do and what they actually do in the real world are often different. Do you know how you react when under that sort of stress?

Yes, I do. I've been scared a few times! Initially I have a mild panic, "oh God! why did this have to happen?" is probably my initial reaction. Once that first sense of panic and fear (and wanting to run away) has passed (in about a minute) I switch into problem solving mode and get on with sorting whatever has happened. I would think that's fairly common?

 

[charles_reed]

In my experience not uncommon in novice crew. I've had 11 recorded cases in 36 years of sailing. Though it's difficult to decide whether it's sea-sickness, the effect of Stugeron or plain terror.
At least it gets them out of the way, though I always try to ensure they collapse on the windward side.

 

[jerrytug]

Is there such a thing? I would have thought it might discourage genuine maydays?

Thread drift...Yes I know what you mean about there being no such thing, the CG would rather you spoke to them, and the RNLI etc are unlikely to criticize you for having to come out.
But a crew member covertly putting out a mayday, when there was really no danger? Imagine being the skipper, what a nightmare situation! I would guess that in some countries you might get a big bill or even prosecuted! Because it's always going to be seen as the skipper's responsibility what his crew does, and what goes out over the radio.