Biggles Wader
Well-Known Member
Yes of course. Saga insurance wouldnt take on their own ship as it is not yet over fifty.
Cruise Liner Hits Yachts in Dartmouth
- Thread starter Baddox
- Start date
[70521]
Well-Known Member
I know know why I go up to Dittisham when on the Dart, good pub as well.
Seven Spades
Well-Known Member
I think that the damage to the first two boats is more than superficial. They will need a really good rig check.
ghostlymoron
Well-Known Member
Dartmouth has some sizeable RN vessels at times as well.
longjohnsilver
Well-Known Member
Ok, I watched the Saga Pearl come into the river yesterday morning at about 07-20. I was on my boat on our trot mooring on the Kingswear side of the river, so couldn’t see what actually happened on the Dartmouth side. It is a large cruise liner, but by no means the biggest seen in the river.
Obviously something went wrong, but having gone over and looked at the boats that were hit I didn’t see any real damage apart from some blue paint scraped along the side of a hull of one of them. As for rigging damage, I didn’t see any, but I’m not an expert.
The relatively new HM here is extremely popular with just about everyone, he has introduced some excellent new initiatives such as halving water taxi fees, extra dinghy landing pontoons in 3 different locations, an extra walk ashore pontoon etc etc. He’s a friendly and approachable chap and I’m sure he’ll learn from this incident.
Champagne Murphy
Well-Known Member
Was the tug attached? The wide line he took and the speed would have had some bearing on the ‘whiplash’ effect seen there.
davidej
Well-Known Member
Its obvious from the first second of your video that the stern is going to sideswipe the moored yachts.
They should have had a tug at the stern as well as the bow.
They should have had a tug at the stern as well as the bow.
Kukri
Well-Known Member
The earnings to the port from port dues on a cruise ship are of a different order of magnitude to earnings from yachts, so we can expect this sort of thing to continue.
Kukri
Well-Known Member
£££!!! Tugs charge by the hour from the moment they leave their berth and presumably there are not two tugs in Dartmouth
longjohnsilver
Well-Known Member
The tug is from Fowey and is a regular here for the cruise ship visits.
cmjames
New Member
I've been on two cruises on the Saga Pearl II and have watched with admiration the maneovering skills displayed in small harbours and tight moorings. The deck officers are of high calibre and this will be a source of considerable professional dismay. The ship has a powerful bow thruster but conventional twin screws. They are able to use the paddlewheel effect of the screws to move the stern sideways remarkably well. It is unusual for them to need a tug. It does look as though they got their line wrong and were so far across the fairway that they were unable to swing the stern without fouling the yacht moorings. The ship is now considered too small (500 passengers) and will pay off next year. Her successor will be considerably larger but has been designed with access to smaller ports and harbours very much in mind. This year the Sage Pearl II was able to get into the centre of St Petersburg whilst the larger ships were confined to a distant and souless modern port.
johnalison
Well-Known Member
I take it that divine intervention occurred.
doug748
Well-Known Member
Yes, it will continue, it adds a lot of local interest and income. We could expect those moorings to be relocated perhaps.
Once, in Fowey, a ship came alongside me and I actually had to put fenders out. The pilot called down via his mate that he was "worried about the yacht"
I hailed back to tell the pilot that "I was here first". Which was a great laugh.
They tend to use tugs fore and aft in Fowey but of course they have them on hand. I could well see that they would not want the expense of two in Dartmouth. Good luck to the Harbourmaster, he seems to be doing good things
lw395
Well-Known Member
It will probably be an early end to the season for those yahcts.
Survey.
Rig survey. Possibly some new rigging as a precaution?
It does not look windy or as if there is any other external reason for this happening?
I expect there will be several less yacht moorings next year.
Is the increase in cruise ship trade to places like Fowey affecting their character? ISTM the feel of the place has changed over the last few years?
Could just be the relentless spread of samey chains of shops?
I haven't spent long enough in Dartmouth to comment on it in the last few years.
Survey.
Rig survey. Possibly some new rigging as a precaution?
It does not look windy or as if there is any other external reason for this happening?
I expect there will be several less yacht moorings next year.
Is the increase in cruise ship trade to places like Fowey affecting their character? ISTM the feel of the place has changed over the last few years?
Could just be the relentless spread of samey chains of shops?
I haven't spent long enough in Dartmouth to comment on it in the last few years.
Kukri
Well-Known Member
I recognise the ship because I once inspected her with a view to purchase: she was the ASTOR II when younger. Nice little ship. Very well built, by HDW.
Wonder why Saga have her under Mickey Mouse flag and class arrangements?
Wonder why Saga have her under Mickey Mouse flag and class arrangements?
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Pete7
Well-Known Member
Toilets are a disgrace and they have painted it a shocking fuschia colour. We carried on up river for a nicer ambience.
longjohnsilver
Well-Known Member
Have to say I agree!
peteK
Well-Known Member
What is the depth at that part of the river?I am guessing that the yachts are moored on the edge of the deep water channel and there wasnt enough depth further away from the yachts.
VicS
Well-Known Member
ghostlymoron
Well-Known Member
According to my pal who lives on his boat just past the naval college, the damage was minor and limited to mast, spreaders and poss rigging. There is an eddy on some tides causing a set to port which caught the pilot unawares.