A1Sailor
...
Haha. Perhaps the owners will have his balls - assuming, of course, he isn't a she!
Perhaps it was a publicity stunt? I bet they've had a lot of hits on their website over the past 24hrs!
Cruise liner aground in Oban Bay
- Thread starter webcraft
- Start date
Haha. Perhaps the owners will have his balls - assuming, of course, he isn't a she!
Perhaps it was a publicity stunt? I bet they've had a lot of hits on their website over the past 24hrs!
Seatrout
New member
ROLFL at Post 17! 
Last vessel I saw aground in Oban Bay was a medium sized fishing boat between the N and S Cardinals.
Last vessel I saw aground in Oban Bay was a medium sized fishing boat between the N and S Cardinals.
Krusty
New member
It is OK for a chuckle; But I wonder how many fairly experienced sailors (say more than 10KnM on their log?) have NOT run aground at some time, somewhere?
(I reckon I touched something or other roughly once per 10KnM)
I recall easing sheets and going between the piers of a small Norwegian yacht-haven to find an open expanse of water and a cluster of yachts berthed at the end; rounded up, dropped sail, headed slowly for a stone pier ahead and rumbled onto an area of weed-covered rock.
My excuse was that the rocks were unmarked; there were no marks anywhere in that harbour, but I did have a good echo-sounder.
So what are your excuses? Any confessions?
(I reckon I touched something or other roughly once per 10KnM)
I recall easing sheets and going between the piers of a small Norwegian yacht-haven to find an open expanse of water and a cluster of yachts berthed at the end; rounded up, dropped sail, headed slowly for a stone pier ahead and rumbled onto an area of weed-covered rock.
My excuse was that the rocks were unmarked; there were no marks anywhere in that harbour, but I did have a good echo-sounder.
So what are your excuses? Any confessions?
Last edited:
iain789
Active member
Yes, Oban should be fairly easy, but even CalMac, who are out and in all the time get it wrong sometimes. The "Isle of Arran" ferry ran aground on the reef in the middle of the harbour in 2009. http://www.maib.gov.uk/publications...eliminary_examinations_2009/isle_of_arran.cfm
I remember getting confused the first time I went through the North entrance about 40 years ago in a grey thing. From memory at that time (Pre IALA) the Corran Ledge buoy was a lateral mark (Black I think), and when you came round the north of Kerrera it appeared on your starboard bow. It seemed natural to leave it to starboard, and I had to concentrate hard on my navigator's notes to swing the ship sharply to starboard, and leave the buoy to port. I know the place just a little bit better now!
I remember getting confused the first time I went through the North entrance about 40 years ago in a grey thing. From memory at that time (Pre IALA) the Corran Ledge buoy was a lateral mark (Black I think), and when you came round the north of Kerrera it appeared on your starboard bow. It seemed natural to leave it to starboard, and I had to concentrate hard on my navigator's notes to swing the ship sharply to starboard, and leave the buoy to port. I know the place just a little bit better now!
D
Deleted member 36384
Guest
I have sailed into Oban many times from both directions, usually with years between visits. I always have found that it can be a confusing place if one is lackadaisical towards pilotage and assume that it's an easy deep water approach. It is easy but the turns required to enter the bay proper from the North or South are not intuitive.
Capt Popeye
Well-known member
I think that there are poss more 'events' concerning Cruise Ships than we know about!
Last year I was on a smaller Cruise Ship destined for Scotland West Coast from Liverpool, we made passing Isle of Man in evening and then the On Board lighting went out, and on again, then off again.
An announcement to the effect that all lighting, electrical systems and toilets were going to be 'switched off', untill further notice, emergency lighting only; untill repairs were finished.
Well we drifted down Irish Sea that night and by morning emergency power was used to get us into Holyhead Harbour.
Where we stayed for two days awaitng replacement parts and then fitting and then official inspection/ certification before being able to resume our cruise.
Intereseting, poss yes, but talking to other passenges, we appeared to sleep with our 'life jackets' next to us, bags packed, and trying not to remember Costa Concordia etc. Quite a number of passengers took the option to 'go home' from Holyhead!
Woodlouse
New member
Last time I touched the bottom it was because I blindly trusted the chart plotter about the depth of a rock. It was three metres out, fortunately it was still deep enough for me just to clip the top of it.
RivalRedwing
Well-known member
prv
Well-known member
I ran aground regularly in Kindred Spirit, almost always either deliberately or semi-deliberately (as in, "we'll probably touch the bottom somewhere along here, let's see how far we get"). When you have a boat that dries out dead upright, and is shaped to ride up and over obstacles instead of smacking into them, you get fairly blasé about thin water.
Need to train myself out of this comfort with proximity to land, now that I have a 1.7m fin
Pete
Need to train myself out of this comfort with proximity to land, now that I have a 1.7m fin
Pete
KREW2
Well-known member
I've been sailing since 1976, and never run aground........that is until this year. I've done it twice.
The first was aboard the Marco Polo in March. We were pulling out of Sortland, with a pilot on board, on our way home from a 2 week northern lights cruise.
We hit "an uncharted object" we were told, and holed beneath the waterline. Temporary repairs were made and we sailed for 2 days down to Stravanger to go into dry dock. When we got there they found out the boat was too big, so we set off for Antwerp. There we were off loaded, coached back to Tilbury, and told we would be getting a £2k refund.
The second was my shakedown sail in Portland harbour in April. Clipped a sand bank on a very low spring, a lee shore didn't help matters. Luckily I radioed our ferry driver who pulled us free.
I hope there won't be a third time.
The first was aboard the Marco Polo in March. We were pulling out of Sortland, with a pilot on board, on our way home from a 2 week northern lights cruise.
We hit "an uncharted object" we were told, and holed beneath the waterline. Temporary repairs were made and we sailed for 2 days down to Stravanger to go into dry dock. When we got there they found out the boat was too big, so we set off for Antwerp. There we were off loaded, coached back to Tilbury, and told we would be getting a £2k refund.
The second was my shakedown sail in Portland harbour in April. Clipped a sand bank on a very low spring, a lee shore didn't help matters. Luckily I radioed our ferry driver who pulled us free.
I hope there won't be a third time.
puddock
New member
starboard
Active member
There are two types of sailors in the west of Scotland......those that have run aground and lying *******s
claymore
Well-known member
Those who have hit a rock and those who haven't - yet.
Grumpybear
New member
Seems that the RN does not have a monopoly of navigational error in Scottish waters.....
KREW2
Well-known member
"Clipped" and had to be towed off?
Yes clipped, it's a saily boat see and we lost speed. Lee shore should explain the rest.
Funnily, or not, when we returned to our mooring I radioed the ferry for a pick-up. Sorry you will have to wait an hour I'm aground on the pontoon.
Last edited:
KREW2
Well-known member
A clever, observant and amusing reply.
Somewhat reminiscent of a poster who goes by the name of TCM
tugboat
New member
Probably lost concentration while talking to the harbour master on the VHF and having to spell out that stupid name. Jeez, who thinks up these terrible names, they're enough to trigger the barf reflex.
oldbilbo
...
"Aye, weel. Ye'll a' get tae enjoy yon fine sunset... an' at nae extra charge oan yer bills."
alan_d
Well-known member
As vessels less than 12 metres in length are exempt from the requirement to display lights or shapes when aground, I would expect lots of us not to have them. See Rule 30 (f).
Lakesailor
New member
Twice. Once on a friend's yacht (under his command) we ran aground at high water just under the Humber Bridge. The boat drew 3 ft.
I hit a rock once on Windermere (they stick up like underwater skyscrapers). It was just after I fitted a depth sounder. Bloody rubbish.
I hit a rock once on Windermere (they stick up like underwater skyscrapers). It was just after I fitted a depth sounder. Bloody rubbish.