I failed

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nathanlee

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Full description here http://onkudu.wordpress.com/2009/05/16/bailout/

But essentially, I bottled it. It was fecking horrid out there. Wind over tide in 25knots, close hauled (that's not counting gusts either).

Currently sat listing on the mud in Brightlingsea creek.

I'm pissed off, but I think I made the right choice, as the post says, I don't have enough experience to tell me if it was safe and just unpleasant, or pretty dodgy. It felt dodgy, so I came in.
 
Successfully reaching a port of refuge faced with very unpleasant conditions sounds like good seamanship and sound judgement to me.

Bottle it you did not. We all have to test ourselves in big uncomfortable seas from time to time, but I certainly don't though choice. I waited 3 days in Ostende last year because there was a F7 in the forecast - that doesn't mean I bottled it when a F8 came from nowhere in the middle of the North Sea on passage Deben to Vlissingen. You deal with it when you have to, if there isn't a better alternative. Your boat (though very seaworthy) is a lot smaller than our 33ft 7.5 tonner.

Good decision, and hopefully you'll be on your way again very soon.

Enjoy Brightlingsea!
 
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Enjoy Brightlingsea!

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I would, but there's now no water under the toilet seacock, and I had a vindaloo last night. I preferred it at sea. lol.
 
Sound like a good call Nathan. While I have sailed to windward up the Wallet in 25 knots in my 25 footer with another lady as crew, it was, shall we say, character building. I consider my character to be built now and have no desire to do it again. I would certainly not plan to cross the notorious Deben bar in those conditions.
 
Never mind Nathan. If it was horrid in the river then it would have been even worse once you got the otherside of the Colne Bar and into the Wallet - every eastcoast sailors favourite piece of water, not.

You've lived to fight another day that's the main thing.
 
As others have said theres no such thing as bottling it, it's called judgement.
I know my experience is very limited so I use my judgement to only go out in fairly calm conditions, mind you I have no rag and stick so wind is no use to me.
Keep going, you'll be fine.
 
Absolutely right. Doesn't sound like failure to me, just another of what will be numerous re-schedules. Keep it safe /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
No you didnt fail....Just delayed the trip....You made the right decision. And dont be afraid to make the same decision again if you think it neccassary, for fear that you are "bottling it".
 
I turned in at Bench Head. Shipping Forecast said 5-6 occasionally 7. I think I got the 7. hah. It's supposed to drop to 4 later, so I *might* see if I can hop up to Walton Backwaters this evening. It'll have to calm down a lot for me to go out in the dark though.
 
Nathan
you have showed excellent seamanship.

I was going to Dover 2 weeks ago.
got to Black Deep wind with tide straight at me
water over the top all the time
turned round and went home.

Not bottled it

just a very good decision in adverse conditions.
i presume you have time...
so if it takes a few extra days....
SO WHAT!

keep safe and enjoy is the important message.
 
Cheers for the support all. The first thing I did when I stopped was flick open the laptop and right this post, so I was a bit more "meh" then.

The pressure charts are showing a right pooey low coming in soon and staying for a while, so I was eager to make as much northward progress as I could. Nevermind, as you say, I've got time, and I've been able to see Brightlingsea, which I wanted to do anyway /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I have an attitude problem though - The down slope keel is buried to the hull in the mud, and the up hill keel is only a few inches in it.
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I am a bit concerned about the weight on the rudder though. Should be fine, but it's side on and it's stopping a lot of weight from sliding backwards. Has anybody got a spare skeg I can borrow for a month or so :P

Sod it, Lenseman donated a selection of beers from his fridge, so I might attack those for lunch.

Oh, actually, I'm in a marked channel and there seems to be some industry upstream. Does anybody know if I can expect anything bigish coming down here later?
Currently at 51 48.51N 001 03.291E

Oh, you'll be pleased to know I donated some drinking water to the toilet heritage fund. Sides of the boat aren't looking too pretty though.

Errrrrrrrrgh. hahaha.
 
well done Nathan on sensible seamanship. Once out there and tired in bad weather and on your own is no fun and it is when mistakes starts creeping in. I am at Walton at the moment and I can hear the gusts come whistling through the rigging.

I would not try to go into the backwaters at night in bad weather. The channel across the bay is narrow and shallow and not that easy to find. I would go past Harwich up the Stour. There are usually free bouys on the port side in the bay after Harwich.

Secondly, stereo wires for the autopilot does sound insufficient. The harder it works the more amps are required. You might find that it fails to cope when you most need it.

Thirdly. Autopilots are not great for sailing as the wind changes all the time. Have a look on the web for ideas how to rig up self steering. That does not always work either, but does not drain the batteries.
 
Oh yes - the Wallet. It brings back memories of our first "failure" in a 22' Cirrus with the kids. It was the first time we'd been "down" the Wallet and we got as far as seeing the Frinton flats; we were running out of tide and everyone was feeling miserable so we turned round and managed to bump on the shallows off Clacton.

It can be a nasty place, and usually gets worse off Walton but you'll forget all that when you enjoy the delights of Suffolk.
 
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Currently at 51 48.51N 001 03.291E

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That's just on the bend below Thorrington Mill. I don't venture up there myself but wouldn't expect traffic, especially at a weekend.
 
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'I'd rather be in here wishing I was out there than out there wishing I was in here.'

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Perhaps. The tide is coming back in now and one of the keels is buried fully in the mud. Lol. I hope it let's go.
 
Of course you failed! Whatever tempted you to put to sea with 25 knots of wind over tide in a Corribee?
Don't you listen to the forecast? Check the tides?
Then getting water down below - don't you have washboards?
And ending up aground - no chart? No echosounder?

Do you have flares - and know how to use them?
A VHF radio - both set and yourself licensed to operate?
Where did you do your Day Kipper - or is that on the shopping list too?
The list is endless.

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The first thing I did when I stopped was flick open the laptop and right (write?) this post

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Your blog is a catalogue of inadequacies that is embarrassing to read. IMHO your disasters are best kept under wraps while you privately learn from your mistakes - if you can.
You'll be an RNLI statistic before long at this rate.
So save a life and take up skittles!
 
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Of course you failed! Whatever tempted you to put to sea with 25 knots of wind over tide in a Corribee?


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The boat would have been fine.

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Don't you listen to the forecast? Check the tides?


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I have the shipping forecast written down here. Force 5 to 6, occasionally 7. 4 later. Seemed fine to me. I left at high water because I would have got nowhere against the flood down the east coast.

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Then getting water down below - don't you have washboards?


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Yes, and they were put in after I got a splash down there.

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And ending up aground - no chart? No echosounder?


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Yes. I intended to go aground, hence coming this far up the creek, it just happened slightly sooner than I hoped and the boat was directed the wrong way. I was turning up the slope as it touched down.

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Do you have flares - and know how to use them?


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I did, but I used them to light cigars. Of course I do.

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A VHF radio - both set and yourself licensed to operate?


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I have two.

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Where did you do your Day Kipper - or is that on the shopping list too?


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The Little Ships Club. The training was second to none.

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The list is endless.


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It is when you add made up stuff to it.

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The first thing I did when I stopped was flick open the laptop and right (write?) this post

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Indeed, I'm sorry for my momentary lapse in grammatical accuracy.

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Your blog is a catalogue of inadequacies that is embarrassing to read. IMHO your disasters are best kept under wraps while you privately learn from your mistakes - if you can.


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How in any way, shape, or form, was this a disaster? It was a calculated decision when the conditions where getting worse than I was happy with. I failed to get to my intended destination, because I decided to seek shelter.

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You'll be an RNLI statistic before long at this rate.
So save a life and take up skittles!

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Based upon what?
 
Nathan, he's another one of the less than helpful ones on here and best ignored. You made the right decision to change your mind, you know it because you're alive and the boat is alright. Got caught out myself in similar conditions and it was far from comfortable so you're better off waiting for a better forecast than trying to keep to a schedule. If the weather man says f5 to f6 I read that as f6 to f7 now. Stay safe and wait for better weather, it's howling through here at the moment and none of the big boys have gone out so you didn't fail, you just changed your mind which is the right thing to do
If you end up still in that area by next week you still haven't lost anything, and it might be easier to pick you up for Oostende too.
Chin up mate, correct decision made, all's well
 
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