I was in a rescue helecopter yesterday.

[bilbobaggins]

This is a good, honest and helpful account of the sort of situation most of us could find ourselves in one day.

All credit to 'matnoo' for sharing it with us.

Not idiots at all.

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[ChasB]

I'll certainly never forget that feeling of relief when I needed them and they showed up with their flashing lights, high tech gear, and 'all in a days work' attitude.

And they called me skipper! No-one else does that.

 

[LittleShip]

Mat

As long as there was no injury's or worse it's a learning curve, a steep one I will grant you but something we are all capable of having at sometime.

I too had to call the RNLI this year due to engine failure, nothing at all I could have done about it but it was real good to see them coming around the headland to help us. It was however in calm conditions and bright sunshine!

The one point I found was the very polite way that the services dealt with my situation, even to the point of visiting me the next day to check everything was OK. Two cups of coffee the next day and a wave every time they see me now, makes me feel real important..............or is that embarrassed.

I just hope that you are or are about to be a member of this

www.rnli.org.uk/

Thanks for letting everybody read you account, it may not seem it but others will learn from this.

Hope all your passages are safe for you in the future.

Tom /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Spyro]

One thing to add to the list.
If you want to practice something new like laying an anchor, try it on a good calm day in waters you are familier with.
Glad you are all ok though.

 

[kengill]

You did right.

I'd far rather be dead embarassed than dead embalmed.

The Coastguard would far rather they had an expert look at what's going on than provide expert witnessses to a coroners court.

When in doubt yell. Loudly!

 

[contessa26]

Excellent and most informative post - well written. Many Thanks. The sort of post that makes the forum worth it! And at the same time, 'There for the grace of God go I...' springs to mind. Also - glad you're all ok!

 

[William_H]

thanks for interesting post. It reminded me that a long time a go I had an anchor on deck not secured and it went over the side. Inadvertent anchoring is bad news. There is a lot to be said for a covered anchor well with all the rode inside under the anchor and well protected from any wave over the top.
It is amazing how the most unexpected things can happen and go wrong. I am not sure you should be so hard on your skipper as this is an unexpected occurence but then he should not have gone out in bad weather. And he should have known where the sand banks were. olewill

 

[peteandthira]

Is it not the "correct" way to anchor, ie by laying out all your scope on deck? Could it be that the RYA might not always be right?

I do it the "wrong" way, by letting it out of the locker thru the windlass. I wonder if this might not have happened if this chap had done it the wrong way.

Or do most people do it the wrong way?

 

[fireball]

I lay out the scope on deck - because if I don't then the chain will soon mangle up the anchor locker lip and sods law says the line will tangle (10m chain the rest rope).

If it looks to be a bouncy entrance then when I put the anchor over the bow roller I put a turn of chain around the cleat - although the anchor (a CQR) is balanced so it won't self deploy - the semi-taught anchor chain will stop it going over the edge.
Once ready to anchor the turn of chain is removed and the line is tied off at required scope + 5m (scope is never more than 25m anyway).


Do I get my YM? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[ChasB]

Cripes! I've no idea what you guys are talking about. And I should shouldn't I? (And I've got a RYA pt.3!) There's already been a couple of times I've had to drop anchor in a hurry. If I did it all wrong i might not be here now...

Is there an on-line guide? A good book? I'll certainly go ask my crusty boating friends in the marina (if i can get them away from their 'responsible drinking' down the pub! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

 

[boomerangben]

Well done for calling for assistance. As ex SAR crew, I can categorically say call sooner rather than later. The CG will decide on which asset to use. The longer you leave it the harder the rescue and the greater the chance of an unhappy ending. Moreover it is 100 times easier to do rescues in day light than at night, so if you are in trouble towards the end of the day, it is even more important to get the call in sooner.

 

[fireball]

[ QUOTE ]
Well done for calling for assistance. As ex SAR crew, I can categorically say call sooner rather than later.

[/ QUOTE ]
Whilst I don't doubt that the call was correct in this instance - I think there are too many unnecessary calls to the CG with piddling little problems that the crew should have a) foreseen and b) been prepared for - usually to do with the lack of mechanical propulsion... on a saily boat...

 

[Dyflin]

Great post, thanks for sharing it with us. I had a similar experience when I brought my boat to it's new home on her delivery trip. The previous owner hadn't secured the anchor on the bow roller and when we went across a particularly rough patch of water, off it hopped and the anchor cable started paying out. Luckily we got to it in time before the whole thing had gone over the wall. Worst trip we've ever had on our little boat. We later found out that despite the assurances that the o/b had been serviced the impeller looked like a savaged corn on the cob stalk (engineers description!) and we were lucky that the engine hadn't packed up at any moment...

 

[duncan]

elloquently put

 

[Superflid]

The discussion of anchoring is relevant (just....), but in this case was being done by the (RYA) book.



"About jettisoning the anchor, we misdiagnosed the situation: We thought wed hit the bottom, where as wed actually lassooed somthing! The anchor was still on board, shackled to the deck, and the dry end of the anchor line was still attached to the cleat. In effect we were trailing a giant bight of rope! We only noticed this after any rope cutting action could have been taken".

 

[boomerangben]

Agreed, but that is why I said that the CG would decide on which asset to commit. Maybe it would be another yachtie who offers to help out rather than a big expensive parafin budgie.