Girl, 15, dies in Southampton boat crash

[Mark-1]

Travelling aboard a Fast Rib is as about the very worst designed craft there is for safety of passengers, sitting up high with very little grab rails or handholds,

The grab rails on that boat are substantial in front of every seat. I can't help but suspect the grab rails caused many of the injuries. (Which isn't to say grab rails are a bad idea.)

 

[dom]

Travelling aboard a Fast Rib is as about the very worst designed craft there is for safety of passengers, sitting up high with very little grab rails or handholds, a hull thats at best Skittish and an Outboard thats oh so powerfull, with passengers that most probably are not used to Boating of any kind whatsoever = a probable accident just waiting to happen

Agree with much of what you say but this last bit isn't really true - hence rib's popularity with SAR operations, oil industry, Coastguards, etc.

What all of these, however, have in common is highly trained drivers working within strict operational guidelines. That second part is fundamental to safety - i.e. the maximum allowed wind strength, wave heights, forecast winds, lighting levels, visibility, speed constraints, etc.

 

[PilotWolf]

I’ve held numerous medicals over the years.

Sometimes took a bit of work as I have white coat syndrome - my BP goes up when I see a dr. So I usually keep at least a weeks worth of my own/partners reading.

Right now I only have a USCG one.

Its only as good as the moment it was signed off. I could walk out of the Dr and drop dead....

W.

 

[Capt Popeye]

Agree with much of what you say but this last bit isn't really true - hence rib's popularity with SAR operations, oil industry, Coastguards, etc.

What all of these, however, have is common is highly trained drivers working within strict operational guidelines. That second part is fundamental to safety - i.e. the maximum allowed wind strength, wave heights, forecast winds, lighting levels, visibility, speed constraints, etc.

Hi yes quite agree, what I was specifically refering to was Paying Passengers sold on the Thrill Wet Ride not Rescue Craft passsengers or Commercial Operators who guess they have seen enough thrills and wet rides to last them there lifetime already

Under certain constraints the RIBS can be very usefull a craft, but Joy Rides is I think another matter

I follow the East Coast postings, and on the East Coat is a Rib Ride that states Waldringfield to Ferry in ??? Minutes, what a bloody waste of that ??? minutes I think, if I guage it right it can take most of a Morning or Afternoon at least ?

 

[capnsensible]

I think you will find RIBS configured for tourist passengers in use all over the world.

 

[Kelpie]

Do we know if the casualty in this instance was wearing a lifejacket? If it is assumed to be safer to fall overboard in extremis than to stay aboard, surely it is basic essential anticipation to require LJs to be worn?

AFAIK it is a legal requirement to wear a lifejacket when on deck on a small commercial boat.
This does not apply on larger boats which are outside of the COP scheme.

 

[prv]

If it is assumed to be safer to fall overboard in extremis than to stay aboard, surely it is basic essential anticipation to require LJs to be worn?

Very much so. I‘m not a member of the “lifejackets whenever within a hundred yards of salt water” brigade, but I’d consider one absolutely essential on any RIB except perhaps a water taxi being driven a short distance at displacement speed.

The RIB-ride punters get issued waterproofs and lifejackets. At least those that operate from Shamrock near me, but I assume this outfit at Ocean Village is the same.

Pete

 

[Capt Popeye]

From recent personal experience of driving a fast small boat, fitted with a sort of Screen Spray deflector in front of the Helm possition, I found that its pretty impossible to get a good sight through the Screen of tge view ahead, seems that the Helm has to look above this Screen to obtain a good view ahead so above the water spatered Screen Shield; we will hopefully find if this had any bearing on this incident ?

Whilst at it, I hope that any Enquiry will look at the Markings on Buoys to see or recommend that they are made much more visiable especialy in bad weather; the present system is certainly not effective enough for safety ? Guess that the present system of Colour and Markings dates back to when a craft did 8 knots max under sail, not 35knots under powerfull Out Boards

 

[JumbleDuck]

Whilst at it, I hope that any Enquiry will look at the Markings on Buoys to see or recommend that they are made much more visiable especialy in bad weather; the present system is certainly not effective enough for safety ?

Do many people hit them?

 

[sarabande]

In the transition between dispalcement and planing, many mobos and RIBS are 'bow up' for several seconds till they lift out of the water. Normally no problem in open water but I wonder if this might have obscured the helmsperson's visibility forward at a critical time ?

 

[Capt Popeye]

Do many people hit them?

Who knows how many actually hit or collide with a Buoy, or how many near misses there have been over the years, but i hope that the Buoy colouring is adapted to make Buoys far more noticeable especially in bad weather or darkness

 

[Capt Popeye]

In the transition between dispalcement and planing, many mobos and RIBS are 'bow up' for several seconds till they lift out of the water. Normally no problem in open water but I wonder if this might have obscured the helmsperson's visibility forward at a critical time ?

Yes a very good point, Sir, that sittuation coupled with the probable fitted low Screen to deflect wind n rain would certainly obscure the Helm view ahead; any news on how the Helm /Driver got on in this Incident ? as with reports of Passengers being badly injured would like to know how the Helm faired ?

 

[Sharky34]

Who knows how many actually hit or collide with a Buoy, or how many near misses there have been over the years, but i hope that the Buoy colouring is adapted to make Buoys far more noticeable especially in bad weather or darkness

If its been there for any length of time, it will be dark green/black, whatever it started off as.

 

[CLB]

In the transition between dispalcement and planing, many mobos and RIBS are 'bow up' for several seconds till they lift out of the water. Normally no problem in open water but I wonder if this might have obscured the helmsperson's visibility forward at a critical time ?

I doubt it. During that phase, a boat like this would only be doing 10 knots or so, so unlikely to cause the damage seen.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Who knows how many actually hit or collide with a Buoy, or how many near misses there have been over the years, but i hope that the Buoy colouring is adapted to make Buoys far more noticeable especially in bad weather or darkness

Maybe put a light on top? And maybe don't go hooning about at high speed in the vicinity of large, solid objects if you are not absolutely sure where those large, solid objects are?

 

[sarabande]

I doubt it. During that phase, a boat like this would only be doing 10 knots or so, so unlikely to cause the damage seen.

I do not want to steer this towards joy-riding / commercial Rib bashing but to identify possible causes, so can we be more specific about transition speeds and angles ?

I haven't seen pictures of the damage, so are you saying the boat was past the transition phase and on the plane, to create serious damage ?

The pic gives some indication of the 'attack' angle that is achieved on the plane by a commercial RIB ( Brighton), and clearly chosen to emphasise the thrill aspects.

Other AofA pics here:
rib power boat - Google Search

 

[neale]

The pic gives some indication of the 'attack' angle that is achieved on the plane by a commercial RIB ( Brighton), and clearly chosen to emphasise the thrill aspects.

Other AofA pics here:
rib power boat - Google Search

No it doesn’t. That is a shot taken in the split second that the boat was at that angle for. To achieve this, it would need to accelerate over a wake or wave. In normal planing mode it would ride almost flat, with very little bow high attitude.

 

[neale]

This is more your normal AOA from a RIB going fast.

 

[Stork_III]

I do not want to steer this towards joy-riding / commercial Rib bashing but to identify possible causes, so can we be more specific about transition speeds and angles ?

I haven't seen pictures of the damage, so are you saying the boat was past the transition phase and on the plane, to create serious damage ?

The pic gives some indication of the 'attack' angle that is achieved on the plane by a commercial RIB ( Brighton), and clearly chosen to emphasise the thrill aspects.

Damage.

 

[neale]

Of course, anything is possible. The Rib could have been wake jumping, but the reality is that visibility forward is very good when going fast under normal operating conditions.