Jan 09 WNS

Wiggo

I KNOW no one has suggested taking the big boat inshore. You keenness to score a point has lead you to jump to an erroneous assumption. Neale's solution is to simply call the Coastguard and then standing by. Which suggests to me that he would regard going in in the dinghy to be unacceptable. Which is his prerogative having analysed the risks.

Regards
TJ
 
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But you just know, the answer cant be anywhere near as simple as that. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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As with almost every situation there is no one 'correct' answer that fits all. Different people have different approaches and preferred courses of action. That's what it's all about. Thinks: have I never pointed this out before...?

Cheers
TJ
 
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Pick up all 4 peeps

wow, you found two more? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

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Yes their parents who foolishly were swimming out to them................. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
It's the wrong question anyway Tony. Superman can just drift to the rock in the dinghy, he cant help himself withe the wind and tide, then the kids get in and they drift to the beach.

The problem is getting superman back on the boat, or maybe he takes a taxi. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Move in as close as you dare keeping the bow to the rocks and the stern out to sea, so wind is behind you. Send athlete man over with single paddle dinghy (suprised there's no O/B) and with rope attached. Wind will assist the dinghy. Paddle over and pick up two kiddies with wind and 38 footer behind you, then get one crew to help haul back the dinghy against the wind (hard work). One man stays working the helm all the time. Notify CG of your actions and completion of same.

Parents (doubtless watching) can pick kiddies up at marina. Job done - award yourself a bottle of wine!

PS - similarities to a rescue I did at Pwllheli. I didn't get it as right as I described here (so no smugness on my part!) and damaged two props in the process. But I learned from it all. My scenario also had a broken-down boat, a man overboard, and an inexperinced crew to help me, just to spice things up a bit /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
But the coast guard would never ask him to, for fear of being sued if he or the kids drowned in the attempt.

I'm with the earlier poster, if the skipper is so blindingly inept as to have no lifejackets (just two buoyancy aids for four adults), no way of propelling the tender, and no warps on board, he would almost certainly f@ck it up and drown the kids, they'd have a much better chance on their own. He could radio the coast guard, but the VHF is probably broken, or he doesn't know how to use it.
 
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No, I think you jumped to the assumption that Neale wouldn't go in with the tender if the CG asked him. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

15 all, your serve.

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I call on Neale to tell us whether he would or not. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

TJ
 
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"Apart from the usual equipment" ? 2 lifejackets for 4 adults, polypropylene rope for towing, dinghy with no means of propulsion? Sounds like a right MAM (manky auld mobo). Probably no working vhf or mobile either.

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No it doesn't say '2 lifejackets for 4 people'. It says apart from (i.e in addition to) the usual equipment there are 2 buoyancy aids. So there would be at least 4 lifejackets onboard.
A Buoyancy aid is not a lifejacket. Its the sort of thing canoeists wear. It help keep you afloat but doesn't try and turn you over on your back.

Cheers
TJ
 
Thanks TJ!

Neale, in front of the world, and likely to be published in MBY...

If the CG asked you to go the rescue of two small children in danger of drowning at the possible risk to yourself of a slightly dinged prop or having to unravel a piece of crappy polypropylene towing warp, would you:

a) do the decent thing, and hold 30m off while letting the tender go in as described in numerous other posts here, or

b) turn the radio off and beetle off slowly hoping no-one saw the boat name or recognised you, or

c) announce to the CG that you had carried out a full risk assessment and that your H&S manual really implied that helping out was a bad idea and that in actual fact you were a spineless weasel?

Sorry, Tony, that was too good to pass up on... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]


I'm with the earlier poster, if the skipper is so blindingly inept as to have no lifejackets (just two buoyancy aids for four adults), no way of propelling the tender, and no warps on board, he would almost certainly f@ck it up and drown the kids, they'd have a much better chance on their own. He could radio the coast guard, but the VHF is probably broken, or he doesn't know how to use it.

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But the scenario specifically says 'Apart from (i.e in addition to) the normal equpment... So it would have everything you have on your boat which I'm sure includes lifejackets for all onboard, normal mooring lines and a hand-held VHF.

TJ
 
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>
Fortunately, the 5hp outboard was fixed on a recent MBM cruise,


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Yep, a 5hp outboard for a dinghy this size - although not mentioned specifically - would be included in 'normal equipment'. So your suggestion is totally valid.

Cheers
TJ
 
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Where's the classic yacht?

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Damn. Forgot to mention that. He is anchored about 50m to seaward of your closest point of approach - with some very tasty looking stern cleats... And there's no one onboard. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif


Cheers
TJ
 
OK

As stated I would call up the CG on the VHF and standby. The reason I would standby is to be able to help if needed. I would not put myself, my crew and the boat in danger to do so, so personally would not take the boat in near the rocks on a lee shore.

I would however, prepare the tender with the outboard ready for a rescue mission should it look like the professionals, (not Bodie and Doyle), were not going to make it in time.

The crew of four is strong enough that I would be happy to leave the boat myself in the dinghy, or if he was up for it and suitable, send in my fit crew mate.

As the rock is already nearly awash and the kids haven't been swept off yet, I am assuming that the surf situation would make an approach in a dinghy possible.

I would probably take the long rope with me and tie a life buoy to it to throw to the kids if I couldn't approach safely. If need be, I could then use this to drag them to the boat once they are clear of the rock, but this would require them jumping in, which would have to be a very last resort.

Ideally the rescue services would arrive, winch the kids off in their helo and I could carry on my day knowing I had played a very small part in their rescue.



Whatever the situation, I could not just sit and watch as two youngsters were swept to their deaths.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Yep, a 5hp outboard for a dinghy this size - although not mentioned specifically - would be included in 'normal equipment'. So your suggestion is totally valid.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a pretty vital piece of information you've just lobbed in there. Wtf didn't you mention it in the original scenario instead of blathering on about only having one oar?

Why bother having this WNS at all? It's a no brainer. Just get in the bloody tender and motor over to get the kids. A 3m inflatable is not going to be in any trouble in a F3-4
 
Ah, but the dinghy is listed as 'in addition' to the usual equipment, so this particular 38 footer doesn't normally have a tender. So it wouldn't have a spare 5hp motor as part of it's 'usual equipment'.

It's all going to unravel from here as usual, innit?
 
So it's all gone tits up again! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

So, it's a normal, anchor boat, all jump in dinghy and go to the pub, collecting the kids on the way. The only question being. Who pays for the beer.
 
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Why bother having this WNS at all? It's a no brainer. Just get in the bloody tender and motor over to get the kids. A 3m inflatable is not going to be in any trouble in a F3-4

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Because although you may consider there to be only one solution (yours) other people may wish to differ, as they have. For example, some may consider the delay in extracting the motor from the lazarette, fixing it on the dinghy and getting it started to be worthwhile; others may not. And others may not agree with you that a 3m dinghy with a 5hp O/B would fare that well in the breaking waves at the foot of the rock.

I agree 'no brainer', but I'm not thinking of the situation or the challenge it produces... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

TJ
 
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