Have a think?

[powerskipper]

I put a post up a while back asking for real life calls that people have made to the coastguard.
Link here

Many thanks to all who posted then.

So has anyone thought what they would do in certain situation, I have had to date, boats dump there fresh water coolant, luckily only one engine at a time /forums/images/icons/smile.gif
Loose props, touch bottom, loose instrumentation, ropes round props [luckily out drives] stick in gear, not turn off, are the ones I can remember at the mo. Each time I got the boat home, ok [may have been a lot of luck there]

What do you do if?
A/ a yacht
B/ a motorboat

1] You run aground.
2] Hit a submerged object.
3] Total engine failure
4] Someone is hurt,
.

All situations have a potential to be maydays, pan pans or just a request for help if that. Have a think about it.







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Julie

 

[Moose]

MoBo

1) Depends what you run aground on and how fast and what the Wx is like. Rocks at 25kts= Mayday, running aground in Chi harbour on the mud you sit there and wait, good idea to tell harbour patrol though (info only)
2) See above
3) Put out a call asking for a tow if conditions are good. If conditions are bad or you are on a lee shore put out a Pan Pan or Mayday.
4) How badly? Shark attack or cut finger from baked bean tin?



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[BrendanS]

1) wait for tide to lift me off. Assuming I haven't gone aground at top of a spring tide? am I like to capsize and take on water (eg on a bank)
2) Depends what the damage is? You'll have to make an assessment
3) Drop anchor if you are in an area likely to be shallow enough for it to catch. Assess situation. Call on radio for anyone you know is boating in area if not in imminent danger. If in any danger, put in a call to Coastguard, could be pan pan, could be Mayday, could be call on CH67 etc..Question is too wide ranging to give a definite answer.
4) How badly hurt?


the questions are too wide ranging to give answers to. The response depends on the situation

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[powerskipper]

4/ some one hurt.

broken arm, but on though the skin.


head injury lot of blood but person conscious,


head injury , person unconscious,





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Julie

 

[Moose]

4a- Nothing
4b-Mayday
4c-Mayday

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[truebrit]

I bought a Fonda 17ft powered by a Rover V8 some years ago, it was heat exchanger cooled (essential as the engine was alloy) but had been used only on freshwater so had no raw water strainer and a very small raw water pickup with a sort of streamlined stainless steel cover to sort of scoop up water near the keel . We went out for a blast at Looe ,she went great sounded like a dragster until I noticed steam coming out of the engine vents !! On investigation the header on the heat exchanger was blowing steam like Fred Dibnah s Steam roller. Luckilly I had on board a length of pipe I used to run the engine up whilst on its trailer, so I had to bite the bullet and fill the engine with sea water and connect the pipe to the raw water pump,and , by getting my son to dangle the other end in the sea we limped steadily back to Looe harbour ( the pipe was only garden hose) . A visit to the chandlery was next, and after a new large skin fitting ,sea cock and raw water strainer, + a very thorough flush through of the engine with fresh water , she ran with no trouble for many years until I sold her! swmbo pushing hard for more room for dogs and food.

<hr width=100% size=1>Mike....... V8s are sweet music

 

[BrendanS]

Pan pan - will require ambulance on arrival at nearest port. Just explain situation.

Depends on injury. If simple cut, and not hit hard, and If no other signs of trauma, just make treatment for bleeding and keep an eye out for other signs. Pan pan if someone has been hit hard and showing signs of concussion etc, and might need treatment, not life threatening at the moment, but head injuries require caution . Would in past have made an Pan Pan medico call if in doubt, and had a doctor diagnose, but this no longer available though a simple pan pan call now serves same purpose, as coastguard will make judgement, and upgrade if necessary

Unconcious = I'd make a judgement call between pan pan call where coastguard can differentiate between me making best speed to a port and ambulance or calling out help, and upgrade to mayday if required, or mayday if I thought it required. I have more medical experience than many, and for most a mayday call would be appropriate.

All judgement calls still, each incidence has to be judged in the light of the circumstances

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[truebrit]

Sorry Julie , Didnt read the post properly did I !!!! now I have , I agree pretty much with Brendan

<hr width=100% size=1>Mike....... V8s are sweet music

 

[Moose]

Sob Sob Sob, you don't agree with me/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif

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[boatless]

4B - had one of those while racing north of Cowes. Called CG and all agreed that best thing was for us to motor flat out to Hamble Point, where they had an ambulance waiting. Roughly same time involved for helicopters etc.. so 4C would probably be the same. Not sure, think I 'Maydayed' on the one.

For 4A it would be moblile 'phone for ambulance (assuming in Solent) if I'm reading it as on through skin. If it's not through skin, then taxi from nearest port. Victim pays their own fare unless it's my fault. (It's in my safety briefing).

Not really needed any 'emergency' comms with CG other than that. Once let them know that I had a steering failure off Owers on a mobo while single handed, but got it sorted and let them know. Also an imminent possibility of a 46' mobo sinking under me, found water half way up the engines, outlet from cooling pump had, ahem, come off - 375 hp bilge flooder! Both times I just called them on 67 and talked it through.

I seem to be more of a rescuer than rescuee.

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[BrendanS]

Pretty much in agreement with you. I don't call unless I think it's required, and usually take care of things myself. When it comes down to discussing these things on open forums, I take a conservative approach and suggest pan pan and talking to coastguard about the situation....they will upgrade or downgrade as necessary. Better safe than sorry...it depends on the medical experience of the people on board when injuries involved.

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[powerskipper]

any real life experiences can help us all . so thank you .

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Julie

 

[BrendanS]

We can't always post real life experiences, for the sake of others, but can pass on knowledge. If that makes sense.

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[kingfisher]

Yacht

1] You run aground.
Depending on the scenario: falling tide/bad weather coming/water ingress/will I fall dry (high keel , boat will heel well over when falling dry): panpan

2] Hit a submerged object.
Any water over the floorboards: Mayday and then look if there's a serious problem. I'm sorry, but by the time you found out if your pumps can stem the flood, the battery will be flooded

3] Total engine failure
hoist sails

4] Someone is hurt,
Depending on the severity. Lost consciousness (sp?) is an immidiate panpan medico

Actual story:
Strangely, both dealt with 3:
Fine day sailing around Capri. Wind falls to zero. We drop the sails and start the engine. Put the engine in fwd. Nothing. Reverse. nothing. My guess: morse cable loose. I open hatch, I see an engine, and a gearbox, and a nice two inch thick fountain where the prop shaft used to be.
The fact that I reversed over the painter of the dingy that morning, and that it got wrapped round the prop might have something to do with that [ahum]
The weather was nice, we were 2Nm from Grande Marina, the pumps could handle the flow after we stuck some rags in the hole.
We pushed the boat (Sun Fast 37) by putting the nose of the tender on the swimming platform. When approaching Grande Marina, with a lot of ferry traffic,; I issued a Securite. BTW, no-one responded.

Second case:
Afternoon anchored off on the Westerscheld, watching the tall ships come in to ANtwerp on the tide, bottle of white wine, little music on the background.
Time to go home. Start the engine....start the engine...sta..well, not with that battery. SO, we will sail home. Unfortunately, after an hour the wind dies. So here I am, the busiest shipping lane in Europe (trust me, the Thames is a stroll in the park compared to the W-scheld).
Made a securite call to traffic control, they guided me in. Took me 4 hours to do 6nM. Put the boat under sail in its berth at 0100hrs.

<hr width=100% size=1>Group of people on the pontoon: skipper is the one with the toolbox.
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[ribrunt]

1] You run aground.
2] Hit a submerged object.
3] Total engine failure
4] Someone is hurt,

In each marginal case, I would suggest that if the emergency services (coasties, l/b, ambo, etc) MAY be required, or be otherwise notified of the incident, let them know. E.g. - vessel aground at entrance to harbour, no danger, may be spotted by well-intentioned member of the public /other boaty who heads off and calls the cavalry. They know nothing more about the incident so therefore assume the worst...
If you get there first with the info then all are known to be safe & well, no further action required, rather than seeing 2 lifeboats, coastguard mobile & helo beating your direction...!

IMVHO.

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[Dave_Snelson]

Touched Bottom???

Who touched your bottom and why?

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[powerskipper]

That would be telling /forums/images/icons/blush.gif

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Julie