Drifting Dinghy Dismasted - bit irresponsible perhaps?

iangrant

iangrant

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 May 2001
Messages
3,272
Location
By the Sea
Visit site
Motroting into a F5/6 yesterday aft we came across a couple on a hobiecat about two miles south of Langstone entrance - waving - we altered course and came alongside and asked if they were OK - of course they wern't. The sea state was moderate and the wind gusting 25 kts from the East.
Anyway called up good old Solent on the VHF who tasked Portsmouth Rescue, they arrived within 20 minutes and towed them back into the Ferry Point in Langstone. We were released buy the CG to continue our passage.

Was it wise for them to be out in those conditions I wonder? What does the panel think?

Cheers

Ian
 
when we sailed one of these things, two tubs of lard we were and could only win anything in such conditions so, no!

Once the mast went, they're fooked although 2 miles south of langstone is an odd place to end up so they might have gone too far out on, what would have been, a cracking reach at 15+kn when it all turned to tears ... so, yes - not wise!
 
But how many dinghy sailors do you know who carry a VHF?

I'm sure most club dinghy sailors very rarely go much beyond sight of their club and can therefore usually rely on the security of being seen by the club rescue boat.

But for those who venture a bit further, especially in those sort of conditions, perhaps a VHF woulld be a good idea.
 
I also sail a Hurricane 5.9 cat and previously owned 2 Hobies (16 & 18)
I'd have to say that they shouldn't have been out without some way of getting help should something go wrong. A 16 pitchpoles very easily and you can get tired very quickly getting them up only to fall over again. A 16 is difficuly to depower, the downhaul is as much use as a chocolate tea pot and the jib is fully battened and very powerful.
An 18 is a much more forgiving boat, longer, more boyancy up front, better downhaul and a jib you can roll away to reduce sail area.
All of this is academic if the mast falls down (which they do).
We have sailed the Hurricane with winds gusting in the 50kts but then again the mast broke, prior to that it was still controlable....just.
 
In my cat dinghy days (ok it was the '70's) we always carried a couple of paddles in one hull. Two miles is a tidy step but not too serious. No more than an hour or two of paddling depending on tide & wind. The rule was always "be prepared to get yourself out of trouble before crying for help". I still try to follow it.

We once had a 1 mile sprint home across the main R Mersey shipping channel when all the freighters & tankers were trying to catch the last of the tide. On a beam reach with a nice dinghy cat - no problem - until the wind completely died! We paddled pretty hard then!!! And we had to carry the boat another mile after the tide had gone out. Oh the joys of dinghy cruising (just ask Frank & Margaret Dye!)

Please no more of this "don't let dinghies out of sight of land" nonsense. Uffa Fox took a troop of Scouts over to Paris in an open sailing & rowing whaler between the wars. off watch shelter under a tarp. permanent baler watches, open boat, no bouyancy and probably Kapok lifejackets! Frank Dye sailed to Iceland in a dinghy. All you need is seamanship & sensible planning.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top