Hit a buoy

[30boat]

I am really ashamed of myself.After a 500nm sail what do I do?I crash into a really big buoy and smash the pointy end of my boat.Guess I need night goggles or something as the thing was completely invisible and its lighting was pitiffully weak.
I was supposed to be there (Porto Santo,Madeira) for a week and spend the time going to the beach with SWMBO but had to work on the boat instead.
Maybe it was my subconscious working for me.I don't think I could take a whole week at the beach sunbathing.

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[duncan]

at least you admit the thing was lit at all - others on here have been heard to suggest that the one they hit wasn't lit at all............/forums/images/icons/smile.gif
obviously glad that no-one was hurt - did you have athe necessary supply of ice cold beer to hand when working on the repair?

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[aztec]

depends whether the charted position altered at all during the season, i heard once that the bouy at the end of the training bank is moved to reflect the position of the sand.. if you go on GPS you could get quite close, (especially if it wasn't lit!) unless the GPS waypoints are up to date.

anyway, you coming to to see us next sunday? could be quite a good night, just hope it's not wet.

be good to see you again, regards, steve.

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[duncan]

if that's the Studland bash Grahame's pushing on the adhoc forum then yes I will be there subject to either a force 1/2 from any direction or no East in the Wind up to a 6 - it's neapish tides after all.
or are you referring to something else perchance?

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[30boat]

No ice cold beer I'm afraid.Fridge out of order.Got a lot thinner though.And yes the buoy was lit and it was my fault.Won't happen again that's for sure.

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[Gunfleet]

Oh I have sooo nearly done this once or twice!

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[charles_reed]

About 6 years ago, my insurance premium escalated and my underwriter became very difficult about after-dark singlehanding.

It transpired that a single hander, whom he covered, and hit one of the Thames estuary buoys and sunk it - apparently he was in the habit of using markers as his waypoints and had been too accurate in his navigation on this occasion.

Apparently it wasn't the value of the wrecked boat, but rather the enormous bill (more than £500K) submitted by Trinity House at the end of the replacement.

I trust your experience won't be anything like that.

Mind you, when they remove the topmarks (as they did to Sarn-y-Bwch one winter) one can be forgiven for missing the buoy in a seastate 6.

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[MainlySteam]

Me too nearly did with a pile - was charted and with a bright flashy style starboard light on top. One very dark night was aiming for it to approach an entrance, seemed the light was a long way away, but it wasn't - missed it, but taught me a lesson.

John

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[seahorse]

Re: Hit a buoy..research question?

Where I sail buoys have frequently been hit, by yachts, in broad daylight!! Could I ask what were the buoy that were hit?

I will expand on your answers.

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[Cutter]

Re: Hit a buoy..research question?

Have to admit a yellow-paint-transfer-to-the-anchor job on an (unlit) racing bouy late one night on way back from Cowes to Haslar - and no, too much HSB was not the cause. It was pitch black with no stars/moon and we were reaching at 8kn. What was more galling was SWMBO sitting downstairs playing with the newly acquired radar said that she could see sometning.....

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[Cutter]

Re: Hit a buoy..research question?

Have to admit a yellow-paint-transfer-to-the-anchor job on an (unlit) racing bouy late one night on way back from Cowes to Haslar - and no, too much HSB was not the cause. It was pitch black with no stars/moon and we were reaching at 8kn. What was more galling was SWMBO sitting downstairs playing with the newly acquired radar said that she could see something.....

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[plombier]

Re: Hit a buoy..research question?

Nearly had the East Lepe bouy once on a night trip from Hamble to Yarmouth with new helm who had not been out at night before. Turned out he was transfixed by the light.

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[kingfisher]

Haringvliet

Basicaly we tell new students that bouys contain polyester magnets, while it is simply because people become transfixed by them and use them as an aiming point instead of a navigational aid.

My close encounter was on the Haringvliet at night, going from green light to green light. I forget that for everey buouy lit, there is an unlit one. So all of a sudden, a huge shape passes us at five knots. Had we hit it, it would have been painfull and costly.

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[Rob_Webb]

What the donald duck was your friend sailing that managed to sink a fully-grown channel marker buoy?! Was it some kind of ice-breaker?

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[aztec]

this weekend (sunday) give BarryH a ring. there's what's left over from carnival week (it rained!) battle of the bands etc on wareham quay. i'm in crawley later part of this week but i'm coming back for the night out. and yep the tides are as neapish as ever.... even struggles a bit with the microplus!!

what's the crap ref; BBQ over the weekend? as said, i may not be able to come but if i can i'll see you there.

regards, steve.

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[charles_reed]

Don't know - but both his boat and the marker went to the bottom and he was rescued by Broadstairs RNLI.

By the way, not my friend and, when he'd finished not my broker's friend. Apparently they didn't invite renewal from him the following year.

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[duncan]

see Grahame's Studland post on the adhoc events forum - will be in touch with BarryH through the weekend
regards

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[30boat]

Re: Hit a buoy..research question?

It was quite far away.Porto Santo ,Madeira.The buoy is properly charted but the lighting is very weak and the period very long.The main problem is it sits right in the middle of the marina entrance exactly where you'd never expect to find a huge lump of black steel floating.It's a NATO buoy by the way

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[aztec]

oh bother!!!

i'm not coming anyway. unfortunately i'm going to have to remain in crawley until the early part of next week.

tried sulking and saying "but i've agreed to meet people!" didn't work (again!)

sorry, hope to catch up in the near future, and have a terific time.

steve.

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