Grounding of a motoryacht

[Roberto]

A big motoryacht had reportedly an engine failure while going out of Brindisi port (halfway up the "heel" of Italy), one person the captain died of hypothermia at the hospital, two other crews were rescued. Not much is left of the boat


http://bari.repubblica.it/cronaca/2013/07/17/foto/naufragio-63144496/1/#1



the video of the grounding is impressive, a few meters distance of the water from the land can make an awful difference

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXN48g-c_NI

 

[hartcjhart]

it makes you wonder why the crew did not take a line form the othr boat visible

 

[ProDave]

That looks totally avoidable to me. A really sad end to an expensive boat.

I did not see any sign of anyone dropping the anchor as soon as the engine failed, which surely would have prevented the loss of the vessel ?

 

[prv]

I did not see any sign of anyone dropping the anchor as soon as the engine failed, which surely would have prevented the loss of the vessel ?

+1 - isn't there some old Naval saying that a ship should never be driven ashore with her anchors still in their hawsepipes? That is, the anchors may drag and that's bad luck, but if you never even tried to set them then it's your fault.

Always easy with hindsight, of course.

Presumably the only competent person on board was down below trying to get the engine running again, and didn't realise how close to the coast they'd drifted?

Pete

 

[elton]

That looks totally avoidable to me.

Easy to say if you weren't there. These things usually happen because of one little mistake, a slight error of judgement, or a mechanical failure. All of a sudden everything is out of control, and that's the end of it. I hope you're never in that position.

 

[emsworthy]

Surely a vessel of this size would have two engines? What could happen to result in both failing at once. Genuine question.

 

[Sharkx]

Surely a vessel of this size would have two engines? What could happen to result in both failing at once. Genuine question.

Complete electrical failure, ran out of fuel, sea water in fuel, control failure. I can't imagine how complex these large cruisers are. So many things to go wrong. I bet it's much like driving a computer.

 

[Tony Cross]

That looks totally avoidable to me. A really sad end to an expensive boat.

I did not see any sign of anyone dropping the anchor as soon as the engine failed, which surely would have prevented the loss of the vessel ?

Actually they look to have dropped two anchors. In the stills from the video here you can just make out two anchor warps or chains at the bow. I imagine that's what the three of them were doing on the bow, trying to set the anchors.

 

[ProDave]

Actually they look to have dropped two anchors. In the stills from the video here you can just make out two anchor warps or chains at the bow. I imagine that's what the three of them were doing on the bow, trying to set the anchors.

It's a bit late there to drop the anchors. Right at the start of the video, when it was some way off shore would have been a good place to drop them.

 

[Tony Cross]

It's a bit late there to drop the anchors. Right at the start of the video, when it was some way off shore would have been a good place to drop them.

Well I kind of imagine they did drop them offshore and dragged them to when they ended up?

 

[halcyon]

That looks totally avoidable to me. A really sad end to an expensive boat.

I did not see any sign of anyone dropping the anchor as soon as the engine failed, which surely would have prevented the loss of the vessel ?

A simple problem we got involved with a few years ago. Large motor cruiser, batteries located under engine room floor plates, pipe failure flooded engine room above floor plate level taking out the battery power, as this boat was fully electric, both engines stopped, lost all communication, dead in the water, can you manually drop a bow anchor on these boats. We looked at providing a reserve power supply to critical circuits from a high level bank, but the builder never proceeded.

Brian

 

[prv]

can you manually drop a bow anchor on these boats.

If not, that's an appalling failure of design. Even if they usually motor the chain out, every windlass should be able to unclutch the gypsy from the motor and let the chain out by gravity under control of a brake. The only exception I would make is on very small vessels where the chain could just as well be handled manually but a windlass is added for convenience. Even on ships where you have multiple redundant generators because you can't even steer without AC power, the windlass will have a manual release and brake, because dropping an anchor to hold yourself off a lee shore is one of the very oldest parts of seamanship.

I would be amazed if the boat in the video couldn't drop an anchor without power.

Pete

 

[halcyon]

I would be amazed if the boat in the video couldn't drop an anchor without power.

Pete

The difference between can, and actually do.

May be why they were on the fore deck at the start of the video.

Brian

 

[30boat]

I really don't understand why that other boat didn't throw them a line and towed them out of danger.The crew appeared to be fiddling with the tackle at the bow.

 

[Richard Shead]

Been discussed at length on the mobo forums.

Inc input from a few resident Italians.

 

[MapisM]

But then they are Italians so you may be right....

Interesting sentence indeed.
That's probably a unique case where it's hard to decide whether to vote the comment or the use of the emoticon as the less appropriate post of the year.
No, wait, possibly the less appropriate post ever, considering the circumstances.

 

[Roberto]

...

Apologies MapisM, I had not seen your earlier message about the same acci_dent

r

 

[MapisM]

No need to apologise R, I for one wouldn't even think to check every forum for similar subjects, before posting something...!

 

[Tony Cross]

Interesting sentence indeed.
That's probably a unique case where it's hard to decide whether to vote the comment or the use of the emoticon as the less appropriate post of the year.
No, wait, possibly the less appropriate post ever, considering the circumstances.

You're right, it was insensitive and I have removed it and I apologise. It was a "throw away" line which I didn't think through properly before posting.

 

[MapisM]

You're right, it was insensitive and I have removed it and I apologise. It was a "throw away" line which I didn't think through properly before posting.

'salright, no worries. Being man enough to apologise is the best proof that what you're now saying is true, and I can understand it.
After all, I guess that throwing a cruise ship like the Concordia on the rocks just for fun didn't make any favour to Italian captains' reputation...