I thought we were going to lose the boat

[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

No really!

Not out at sea in a storm or running towards rocks without power.

But, apparently safely tucked up on a mooring off Beaumaris Pier on Tuesday night. SWMBO had retired and I was sat in the saloon finishing a last coffee and fag. Curtains closed and flat calm weather.

Next thing, we must have been hit broadsides by a wall of water, I swear at one point we must have reached 60° list. I was scared, really scared as the television left the table and hit me, I actually thought 'ohhhh sh*t we're going over'.

I am sure I know the culprits of the wake, the two power boats that spent 3 days going up and down the straits without a care for the moorings, Pwllheli boats too!

I will be watching them and waiting for them to put a foot wrong while I have my camera ready.

I do not want to continue a rag vs mobo argument, I just thought I would share this frightening experience, it is not a mobo thing per se' it is about two prat skippers who also think 16 is a working channel.

You might have seen them if you were about the Llyn peninsular this week!

rant over.


<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>

</A>

 

[Tomsk]

It's not just the little MoBo's!

Whilst awaiting recovery from Fleetwood lifeboat on Saturday (don't ask!) I spotted a HUGE ferry leaving Heasham and heading for Isle of Mann. Ferry was on a collision course with me at approx 2 miles. I constantly tried to raise the ferry on 16 but received no reply. Starting to panic I called Liverpool CG again and made them aware of the situation. They had heard me calling the ferry and where also distressed that I had had no response. They then called the ferry themselves and a reply came instanlty. When asked why they hadn't answered my calls they replied something along the lines of "We tend to ignore small boats..."

Getting back to the main issue - CG told them to give us a wide berth when passing. Of course they didn't. No adjustment of course until within a few hundred yards - finally passing about 50 yards off and virtually turning us over - water over both sides of aft deck as we rolled from side to side.

Definately new underwear required!

<hr width=100% size=1>Tomsk -

What the hell... it's only money!

 

[Benny1]

Well it wasn't me as I ahve been at work in London all week...which ones were they Jools? Have to say am surprised they manged to get to Beaumaris - skippers like that rarely go bey6o6n6d Abersoch...

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[david_e]

Name names!!!

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[bedouin]

Have you made a complaint? I think you should (both to the Ferry Company and to the "Authorities").

Probably won't have much effect as a one off but it is part of a pattern then the more documented cases there are the more likely someone is to act on it.



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[Twister_Ken]

Time to CHIRP

Grass them up <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again

 

[KevB]

Re: Time to CHIRP

Looks like a web site designed just to give the government statistics to use for jusifying compulsory training. /forums/images/icons/frown.gif



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[AlexL]

Re: Time to CHIRP

Not so - In aviation circles the chirps work very well and have helped to head off a few growing issues before they became too serious.

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[KevB]

Re: Time to CHIRP

Still looks like a place where the Govnmt can claim to have statitstics from unknown sources. Looks very suspect to me.

"The CHIRP aviation programmes are funded by the UK Civil Aviation Authority; CHIRP for the maritime industry is funded by the Department for Transport."

The CAA are not funded by the Govnmt where as the maritime side of CHIRP is!!
Very in their pockets I'm afraid.

And with objectives like this......

"to analyse data and identify trends, and to advise interested bodies on Human Factors issues relevant to air and maritime transport safety"

On Maritime issues they seem nothing more than the govnmts collecting pot for justification for compulsory training. IMHO /forums/images/icons/frown.gif

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[david_e]

I am pretty sure I know who they are (90% certain), appreciate you might not want to go public on it.

You only have to look at the boat on the hard (the one hit/written off by the speedboat) to realise what we are up against.

I get on well with most of these folks as neighbours on the marina, fellow clubmates etc but despair at some of the behaviour on the water. Most recent criminal act was jetskiers blasting through the harbour at 20+knots.

Last year my brother (who also has a boat on the marina) gave a mouthful to a bunch of jetskiers who were being a real pain at Abersoch. Two weeks later the Coastguard and RNLI were out looking for his boat in distress off Llanbedrog at 2.00am - hoax call.

Education is the answer, but who does it etc?


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[Tomsk]

Bedouin: MCA officials were waiting in marina to take details from me - I made sure that they recorded my concerns on their 'official' forms...

<hr width=100% size=1>Tomsk -

What the hell... it's only money!

 

[Dave99]

You should have put a parachute flare through their windscreen

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[rich]

This is A copy of my complaint last year, to the local H.M.

I would like to make a formal complaint about a Condor ferry and the seamanship of it's Captain.
On Thursday 8th May I was travelling from Jersey to Granville in my wooden motor cruiser Hermees. The top speed of my boat is 7-8 knots, and although I keep a good look out, it leaves me with limited options should I need to get out of trouble quickly. At 18.25 I was just approaching the N-E Minquiers Buoy and was aware of a Condor coming up fast behind me, and as it was to go around the buoy to make it's way to St. Malo, and I was to go straight on, I tried to contact it by radio to inform them of my course. However I received no answer. I had just got past the buoy when to my alarm the Condor swerved at full speed between the buoy and my vessel. The gap between the buoy and Hermees was less than 50 yards, and the wash from the Condor could easily have swamped the open cockpit of my boat from the stern. However I immediately turned to face the wake, which was difficult as there was hardly and room to turn, due to the Condor rounding the buoy directly behind me.
My boat leapt up into the air as we hit the wake, but luckily my wife and 7 year old daughter and myself were unharmed. I again tried to contact the Condor by radio to complain, but had no reply - I hope that they keep a listening watch on Channel 16 even if they never reply to other boats.
I then contacted Jersey Radio on 16 and informed the duty officer of the recent danger, and he suggested I get in touch with the harbour office.
I realise that Condor Ferries have a schedule to keep to and are a commercial company, but it would not have made much difference to his arrival time if he had slowed down for a minute to allow us to clear the buoy. As it is I would classify this on a road as dangerous driving, and probably even worse at sea, as we were a long way from assistance, had we needed any.
I would appreciate a reply to this e-mail, and should you need any more details I can be contacted on xxxxxx




<hr width=100% size=1>http://www.jersey-harbours.com<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by rich on 08/06/2004 19:29 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Rabbie]

What happened?. Any reply?. Any action taken?.

<hr width=100% size=1>A day not spent on my boat is a day in my life wasted.

 

[Bergman]

Re: Gosh

You really have had quite a weekend

Oars nicked

Chased aground by dingys

Swamped by stinkies

It never used to be so much exciting when I was based in Conwy

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[rich]

I can't spell it, but i got an "apolagy"

<hr width=100% size=1>http://www.jersey-harbours.com

 

[Benny1]

Jools,

Further to our PM's I am still at a loss as to what could have caused such a big wave...was it just one big wave or were there several - like a wake would cause?

If it was just one wave then perhaps the Morbidly Obese Society of Wales had an outing and one of them fell in nearby?

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

I was hit by a few, I think the time when we started to really go into capsize type moment one hull was a top and one was in the crest, my hulls from keel to keel are prolly around 10 to 11 feet. So this was IMO a smaller boat.

Obviously being a flat calm exagerated the wake, but it was fast moving too, to the point I was just hanging onto the saloon table rather than making for a window to spot the culprit!

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>

</A>

 

[Benny1]

Hmmm...most unfortunate...sounds like the entire busload of the Morbidly Obese Society of Wales fell in at once. Very unlucky.

Sorry to jest, but could not resist.

Would you like me to run them over for you (the culprits) next time we are out - although knowing one of the families I suspect they would be mortified if it was them. It is probably just ignorance of the damage a wake can cause.

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[Dave_Snelson]

No excuse Jools. No one should be kicking up a wake near moorings at any time of day, let alone in the evening when everyone's settled.

Once again, apologies on behalf of all decent MoBo'ers

<hr width=100% size=1>Madoc Yacht Club
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk>http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk</A>