I was shipwrecked earlier

elton

elton

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 Oct 2005
Messages
17,481
Location
Durham, England
www.boatit.co.uk
MCA news report

smashed off rocks at the base of 100 foot cliffs. Lifeboat couldn't reach me. Cliff rescue service couldn't reach me. Lifted off by helicopter. Thanks to those who saved me from certain death (and thanks equally to those who tried), and thanks to the lovely staff at James Cook Hospital who warmed me up and treated my broken fingers.
 
Typing well for a chap with broken fingers. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Glad you're OK. Sounds like it was a very nasty predicament. Will you tell us more about how the situation arose?

Cheers,

Steve
 
Good lord how lucky are you. You need to have a bash at the lottery this weekend. Just think, 5 minutes later and you probably wouldn't have survived.
Big hats off to the rescue services and to the person who heard your mayday in the first place.
 
Glad you're doing OK, that was quite an experience. I'm sure it will make an interesting and educational tale when you feel up to recounting it.
 
You have lived through every sailor's worst nightmare but at least you lived through it. Sorry to hear about your boat but I hope that you get back on the sea in the near future.

John
 
Glad you're okay and sorry to hear about the loss of your boat.

I'm sure you're not as indestructible as your avatar might suggest so it's brilliant that you got a mayday out and got what sounds like a superb and life-saving response from CG, RNLI and RAF.

Well done to those crews too...
 
/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

S x
 
That must have terrifying, the weather here yesterday was a stinker and that northerly wind blowing at 5 to 6 quickly brought up a big sea.
Glad to hear you are well and in good spirit despite the loss of your boat
 
Thank you all for your kind words /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

just got back from A&E where they recast my most badly injured hand. now typing with 2 fingures of my left hand.

I was sailing back to hartlepool from runswick bay, where I'd spent 3 days in this beutiful little village. Force 6 or more blowing, which didn't bother me too much, though I'd have waited until it calmed a little if I hadn't had to be at work today.
things began to go wrong when I messed up a tack and got the foresail in a muddle. I was at least a mile, maybe 2 offshore at this point, but heading toward land. I fired up the engine so I could point winward, take the load off the sails and get them sorted out. I turned parallel to the coast, and set about sorting everything out. as I was doing so, I looked up to see that I was heading to land again, and the autotiller was having a fit trying to correct my heading. looked astern to see no prop wash. lifted the hatch and saw that the cush drive on the propshaft had snapped. then made an immediate mayday call. there was nothing I could do to correct my trajectory, heading straight for the massive boulders at the foot of the cliffs at around 5-6 knots. I threw out a large deflated dinghy on a rope in the hope it would slow me. then threw out an anchor. close to the shore by now, I began feeding out chain and then rope once the anchor had bitten. noticed rope wasn't attached to cleat, and attempted to attach it. rope entagled my hand and broke fingers of right hand. got it attached, but too late, and smashed into rocks. water began pouring into the engine bay, then the cabin. inshore rescue (from Staithes I think) appeared quite soon. they couldn't get close enough to attempt my recovery. they told me by radio that the chopper was on its way. 30, 40 or 50 minutes of sheer terror ensued, as ten foot waves pounded me and my broken vessel. I was washed out of the cockpit twice but managed to get back in. then the chopper arrived. I didn't even hear it over the roar of the waves and wind. rescue chap came down on the winch and strapped me into the harness. 20 feet off the deck I found I was tangled up in a line from the boat. the line was cutting into me like a knife; at this point I passed out. when I came to, we were around 20 feet below the aircraft, and I thought for a moment it had been a dream, or I was having a dream, or something. when I was unconcious I had the strangest hallucinations or dreams, like I was inside a child's kalidascope of something. next thing, I was inside the chopper. I checked I could move my legs before the winchman examined me. 20 minutes later, arrived at James Cook hospital, and quickly tended to at A&E for broken fingers and hypothermia. winchman said he was pleased to see I was wearing all the right gear and was properly equiped. I always carry a handheld vhf on my person, which was just as well, as the fixed set soon packed up after sinking began.

BBC news report
 
Bl**dy hell! That must have been scarey! It's frightening how quickly things went wrong. Glad you are (relatively) OK, but commiserations on losing your boat.

Andy
 
Really glad you have survived and are in reasonable spirits.

What was it about the sails that meant you could not tack out into deeper water?

Real bummer that the engine decided to fail just at the moment of greatest need!!

Hope you get back sailing soon.
 
Glad to hear you made it ok with only minor injuries, but sorry to hear about your boat. Sounds like a hell of an experience!
 
Sounds like a really wild ride. Very fortunate that you called Mayday when you did, I think I might have delayed calling, and prevarication does not sound as though it would have been the best option. Hope the hands set well.
 
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