Blue Sunray
Well-Known Member
You are either having a laugh, or don't read these fora much.
Exciting times off Cowes today
- Thread starter Lightwave395
- Start date
You are either having a laugh, or don't read these fora much.
newtothis
Well-Known Member
I'm a solo round the world racer: I look down on him.
I'm a round the world live aboard cruiser: I look up to him but down on him.
I'm a recreational owner: I look up to him, but down on him
I'm an occasional charterer: I look up to him and down on him.
I'm in a flotilla: I get a pain in the back of my neck...
(credits, of course, to the Frost Report)
Bobc
Well-Known Member
It'll be interesting to see what damage there is once it's lifted. I assume the hull must be holed somewhere.
dom
Well-Known Member
Wow, so to speculate; the boat departed P'mouth early in the ebb (HW P'mouth 10:45), then beat westwards with the tide into a blustery W/WNW.
Upon arrival off Cowes they would have experienced the full ebb (faster than the flood in the Solent), perhaps believing that they might leave something like the Cowes Fairway "No 1" buoy to sbd (windward) and therefore in full visibility of the deck crew.
They mightn't have been aware of the strong tide setting them hard onto the buoy. Tack or even go head to wind in such circumstances and you're safe; try to bear off and you're doomed. Yet this latter reaction is in many ways more intuitive. All complicated by wind over tide conditions which can make for a nasty short chop in that area.
Just speculation of course, but if this is anything like what happened they would have positively barreled into the buoy. In which case thank goodness nobody was hurt.
On the upside, Sunsail have previously had sunken boats back on the track in double quick time
flaming
Well-Known Member
A reasonable assumption when water comes in and the boat sinks.
My sources, who know these things, are telling me that it was a bareboat charter, and that there is a hole in the bow.
E39mad
Well-Known Member
That makes sense as one picture shows the boat bow down (no rudder) but seemingly still floating - I had wondered from that point why the charterers or rescue team had not managed to save her.
flaming
Well-Known Member
Not sure how much I should say, but I'm given to understand that the ingress defeated the harbour commission's salvage pump. I suspect it's quite a large hole.
lw395
Well-Known Member
I don't immediately see how you manage to make a big hole in the bow and lose the rudder in the same incident.
I'm also surprised to see it apparently floating nose-down like that, or was the keel on the bottom at that point?
I'm also surprised to see it apparently floating nose-down like that, or was the keel on the bottom at that point?
capnsensible
Well-Known Member
Indeed and something I've never quite got. It's so popular because of the huge number of positives and a great place to sail in. The reason I suppose, that Sunsail are there and do a great job of getting loadsa people out on the water.
The sneering class, of course don't seem to get that!
I doinged a PHM off Ryde Middle a lot of years ago...... and I was skippering a charter. :ambivalence: Was on the way to Cowes. It was a week charter by a building company in London, a bunch of characters who were inviting out clients and potential customers each day, a corporate jolly. Involved going to Cowes,my hey would sink a few whilst watching, I think, World Cup football. Was great for me!
Any ways, Spring flood, pretty fast so I asked a chap to sit out on the side of the cockpit and keep a lookout under the headsail. He gave me about a five second warning then dong. Glancing blow but really my fault too. Small gash well above waterline but a loooong red paint scrape all down the starboard side of the boat. Still, most damage, my ego!
Went on into Cowes where it seemed just about every yacht there had someone onboard who new me! Quite a barrage of jokes, good job I got broad shoulders! Phone home, arranged for repair to start when we got back to Haslar that evening. Charterers were great. Insisted it wasn't actually my fault (it was) and took me ashore for dinner and wine. Top guys.
Postscript to that..... Guy on watch felt massively guilty and the Charter group were awarded a multi million pound contract. I declined when they asked me if I could do that again.....
So, back to OP, it only takes a moment of Inattention, doesn't it? Have big sympathy for those involved.
dom
Well-Known Member
They came in uptide of the buoy with its chain lying upstream; smhashed into it, keel then bounces over, followed by rudder? Perhaps rudder was more collateral than cause?
Re grounding, look carefully at XDC's MarineTraffic chart; looks like it to me?
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prv
Well-Known Member
Hit the buoy on the starboard bow a little way back from the stem, roll it down the side of the boat, wipe the rudder off with the chain.
Or, of course, lose the rudder for an unrelated structural reason and then hit the buoy because of it. But that seems a particularly unlucky coincidence.
Pete
Old Harry
Well-Known Member
Looks like their deposit, will not be handed back
st599
Well-Known Member
I think a good many people have nearly hit a buoy on the spring tides, I remember once having to put the engine on and rev hard to avoid one near Hurst.
There but for the grace of God, go I.
There but for the grace of God, go I.
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
Modern boat with a minimal layup and a rudder without a skeg. Is it recipe for disaster?
Do you think a MAB would have survived?
Do you think a MAB would have survived?
Kukri
Well-Known Member
Sailing on the Solent is delightful and there is certainly a greater concentration of expertise there than anywhere else in Britain.
Alas, it is also fearsomely expensive!
Alas, it is also fearsomely expensive!
flaming
Well-Known Member
I strongly suspect this to be the case. And of course the helm is panicking and turning away from the buoy, which is both turning the stern into the buoy and heeling the boat as it bears away with the sails pinned in.
flaming
Well-Known Member
I think engineering a boat to be immune to all collisions will get you a very heavy and uninspiring boat. So where do you draw the line?
Kukri
Well-Known Member
Yes; I see it now. I couldn’t make it out before I read your post. You would have to roll the buoy down the topsides as you say.
Skylark
Well-Known Member
Q1. No
Q2. No idea. I wasn’t there to witness the event and the mechanism of sinking.
Supplementary. Only our esteemed colleague Brent would have survived this. He, of course, would now be in court for causing irreparable damage to a buoy
prv
Well-Known Member
Well, assuming they're being pressed onto it, it's either that or force the buoy under the boat. And that's not going to happen with one that's substantial enough to make a hole.
Pete