Girl, 15, dies in Southampton boat crash

[nicho]

Some years ago, when we were berthed in Hythe Marina, a 20’ mobo hit “something” in Southampton Water and began to take on water. The collision was so hard, someone on the boat was badly injured. Skipper put out Mayday, saying he had hit a submerged obstacle. VTS immediately stopped the high speed ferries, and imposed a virtual lockdown on the stretch of water concerned whilst the area was searched. Nothing was found. The boat was dragged back to Hythe and lifted. Inspectors came a few days later and spotted some red paint on the underside of the planing hull. This paint matched one of Southampton Water‘s red buoys. The guy was lying through his teeth, not wanting to say he had hit a buoy. He had the book thrown at home, and the fine was mammoth.

 

[duncan99210]

Might one expect that if the Tubes hit first the Tubes would have softened the Blow or afforded a glancing blow, but if the Hard GRP hull had hit first guess that there would be very little glancing or deflecting motion ?

Anyone had any experience of thos sort of collision ?

Collisions are all somewhat different but we were anchored in Vliho Bay, Lefkada, a few years back. At about 2am we were awakened by a terrific bang from the stern and the sound of a hard pressed outboard making off away from our bows.
The following morning we were able to reconstruct what had happened. A rigid power boat had struck our dinghy which was tied off to the stern of the boat. It was hit just off centre, port side. That had damaged the engine cowling and left blue antifoul on the tubes. The port pushpit was very bent out of shape and the Guardian anchor also damaged.
It would seem that the power boat had hit the dinghy, been deflected to port and launched off the water before impacting with our pushpit. There was no damage to our hull, nor were there any antifoul traces on the hull.
If our dinghy hadn’t been there, the power boat would likely have hit our stern full on: our boat would have suffered significant damage from the impact and I suspect that the driver of the power boat would have suffered significant injuries.
And before anyone asks, yes, we did have the proper lights on.
From the pictures of the incident, I’ve no doubt that the first impact was taken on the rigid part of the hull: even if it didn’t the inflated part of the hull wouldn‘t absorb much energy before it deflated. It was a very energetic event and that is what will have been the root cause of the injuries and fatality.

 

[Jungle Jim]

I believe the company involved was mentioned early on, if so their Facebook page is still up and shows customers wearing lifejackets.

Having dinghy sailed on the lower Itchen for 5 years I have often seen this company and another regular outfit from further upstream coming and going and they have behaved totally professionally every time I have seen them. You can generally tell by how everyone interacts on a busy bank holiday weekend around Ocean village while 15 dinghys of various skill levels tack, gybe and capsize in front of them. I've no idea if it was an act of God, operator error or malfunction but my heart goes out to all on board.

If I recall correctly they generally circle back over their own wake for the thrills bit as there isn't usually much around that generates big enough waves in Southampton water.

Someone earlier wondered if the green markers are discoloured from weathering, that's not something I've seen, they have all been bright green every time I've been out.

 

[Resolution]

I'm sorry, I'll try to step back. I'm unable to go over about eight knots so I'm asking, not stating.

Good man.

 

[[178529]]

This is one of those tragic accidents that's incredibly hard to understand. Like many on here I dabbled with powerboats for many years including trying offshore circuit racing. It does seem inconceivable that someone who knew the area could drive into a navigation buoy the size of a small car with passengers on board, unless there was some external intervention. I've read a few MAIB reports and I'm sure that a full explanation will ensue. Thoughts remain with the friends and family. Heartbreaking.

 

[Elessar]

Alright, I really am only asking. You could broaden minds (and shut me up ) by giving the other ways it could have happened; I can't see them because I don't know. Spreading that knowledge might even help prevent recurrence, as well as showing how blameless any party involved may be.

Or you can just leave us in the dark.

I’m not going to speculate.
I know nothing first hand about this incident other than I saw police inspecting damage on the buoy.
Not the marine police. Hamble lifeboat took them there.
I did however have a lot of knowledge about a previous fatality a few years ago.
The ignorant and speculative comments on here then caused a lot of hurt and frustration to people who couldn’t reply.
Which is why I say wait for some facts!

 

[38mess]

Do they not also need a Commercial Endorsement and completed Medical Fitness Form?

Yes. As posted earlier, sea survival course, radio, ppr, and a medical from the local doctor. I started with a pb2 it's the only way to get more qualified as you need the sea miles under your belt to progress. The next course up is pb intermediate, and then pb advanced which includes a night passage with the examiner. Most of the rib guys I know are advanced pb which allows longer distance from shore. Some are lifeboat Cox's and ships pilots, these jobs being part time and seasonal, they do it on their weeks off for pin money.

 

[dom]

I had been about to infer (still purely guessing) that if the child had certainly been wearing a lifejacket, her death would seem more likely due to some ghastly [deleted]. Stork's photo seems to make that look much more probable.

Dan, I’m sure you mean no harm but [deleted]?

Worse, the kind of [deleted] could be devastating to the poor parents who simply cannot have foreseen this monstrously tragic accident which robbed them of their treasured child right in front of their eyes.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I had been about to infer (still purely guessing) that if the child had certainly been wearing a lifejacket, her death would seem more likely due to some ghastly blunt-force trauma resulting from the vessel's impact.

Dan, I’m sure you mean no harm but idle speculation like this ...

... seems to be right.

I have just been refreshing my memory of the Vector 40R crash in Southampton Water. In that case the driver saw two small pot markers at close range, turned sharply to avoid them, hooked, took off and hit a navigation buoy.

 

[Greenheart]

Thanks Dom, you're right, I meant no harm.

Any reader of the preceding posts will see that by the lapbelt/lifejacket question, I had been asking if either could have prevented the death. Jumbleduck's post seems to show that what I only later concluded, was already established, so I don't see any posts here creating stunning revelations.

If nevertheless it offends, I would edit what you highlighted in my post, but the forum seems not to permit editing after a few hours.

My question here, effectively, what may cause a high-speed professionally-skippered boat to go from being apparently safe to catastrophically uncontrolled? is definitely founded on not knowing, that's why I asked. It still doesn't seem an unreasonable one, nor too much to seek views from people well acquainted with such vessels.

 

[Davy_S]

Anyone had any experience of thos sort of collision ?

Many years ago we were leaving Plymouth and heading to Guernsey on a fishing trip, 10 of us plus Skipper and one crew, it was night time around midnight, we had all come from the pub at the angling centre and loaded up with ice, the cockpit of the boat had a tarpaulin rigged and hammocks were strung beneath so we could get some sleep, the boat was a single engined Lochin 33, boat speed at the time was around 9 knots, before we left the sound, we hit a buoy head on, the starter motor bendix was thrown into the engine and it would not start, the hull was damaged and we were taking on water, no one was hurt, but we had to be towed back in, the trip was lost, this was a relatively heavy well built hull, but even at low speed the noise and deceleration of the impact was quite frightening in the dark, probably a good job we were still slightly pissed!

 

[NealB]

probably a good job we were still slightly pissed!

Did that include the Skipper?

 

[rotrax]

Did that include the Skipper?

Sounds like it.......................

 

[[178529]]

Sounds like it.......................

You are hitting something the size and weight of a small car surrounded by water.

 

[davidmh]

I understand that the incident was filmed by a passenger on the IOW ferry. What seems to have happened is that that RIB was deliberately "Yumping" across the ferry wake flat out to give the passengers a taste of White Water, they may not have seen the buoy but the rib came down hard on the top of the buoy. Locals say this is happening all the time with this RIB joy riding. Why does the Southampton HM permit this excessive speed.

David MH

 

[Time Out]

I understand that the incident was filmed by a passenger on the IOW ferry. What seems to have happened is that that RIB was deliberately "Yumping" across the ferry wake flat out to give the passengers a taste of White Water, they may not have seen the buoy but the rib came down hard on the top of the buoy. Locals say this is happening all the time with this RIB joy riding. Why does the Southampton HM permit this excessive speed.

David MH

Having seen the video I would not say it landed on top of the buoy.

As I have said and all I will say as I don’t know the facts ( that’s for the report) it just appeared to drive straight into it.

 

[dom]

Thanks Dom, you're right, I meant no harm.

Any reader of the preceding posts will see that by the lapbelt/lifejacket question, I had been asking if either could have prevented the death. Jumbleduck's post seems to show that what I only later concluded, was already established, so I don't see any posts here creating stunning revelations.

If nevertheless it offends, I would edit what you highlighted in my post, but the forum seems not to permit editing after a few hours.

My question here, effectively, what may cause a high-speed professionally-skippered boat to go from being apparently safe to catastrophically uncontrolled? is definitely founded on not knowing, that's why I asked. It still doesn't seem an unreasonable one, nor too much to seek views from people well acquainted with such vessels.

I knew you wouldn't have meant any harm but speculative graphic imagery can be very detrimental. I'm sure the mods will be happy to oblige in making any alterations you may ask for - I'll edit my post now.

To answer your question, how can a high-speed rib get into trouble? Without reference to this tragic case I would say in dozens of ways. The middle of the road rib I use (not really high speed) weighs a tad under 1.5tons and is powered by a 300hp o/b. Handling characteristics depend on many variables including wind, wave height, wavelength, steepness, weight-up, etc. Load on too much power and the driver can have the tendency to just hang on as opposed to getting the throttle off, come out of a turn wrong and the thing can corkscrew, especially if it hits a wave at the wrong time. Sometimes one can blast through say the Needles in a F5 and the vessel feels rock solid, then the wind can slacken and the seas calm but it starts to wallow and wobble horribly.

To anyone thinking about one, I'd personally recommend instruction from a decent rib instructor (perhaps Elessar?) in preference to a generic RYA course.

 

[Greenheart]

Thanks for a full answer.

 

[Elessar]

I knew you wouldn't have meant any harm but speculative graphic imagery can be very detrimental. I'm sure the mods will be happy to oblige in making any alterations you may ask for - I'll edit my post now.

To answer your question, how can a high-speed rib get into trouble? Without reference to this tragic case I would say in dozens of ways. The middle of the road rib I use (not really high speed) weighs a tad under 1.5tons and is powered by a 300hp o/b. Handling characteristics depend on many variables including wind, wave height, wavelength, steepness, weight-up, etc. Load on too much power and the driver can have the tendency to just hang on as opposed to getting the throttle off, come out of a turn wrong and the thing can corkscrew, especially if it hits a wave at the wrong time. Sometimes one can blast through say the Needles in a F5 and the vessel feels rock solid, then the wind can slacken and the seas calm but it starts to wallow and wobble horribly.

To anyone thinking about one, I'd personally recommend instruction from a decent rib instructor (perhaps Elessar?) in preference to a generic RYA course.

I’m not and have never been a RIB instructor.
I was an instructor in motor cruisers but my ticket has expired as I no longer have an affiliation with an RYA school.
I still have been out with some forumites recently who have new boats to just help informally.

 

[cstewart37]

Hope the coding gets changed!
That’s fookin mental! Accident waiting to happen!!! 45kn RIB.
Skipper on his phone :-(