Just read "Left for dead" - about the 79 Fastnet.

Bobc

Bobc

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Given to me by another forumite. I assume lots on here have already read it, but if you haven't it's certainly worth a read.

It just shows how resiliant a person can be, and how boats have a habit of surviving long after the crew have given-up.
 
Bobc said:
Given to me by another forumite. I assume lots on here have already read it, but if you haven't it's certainly worth a read.

It just shows how resiliant a person can be, and how boats have a habit of surviving long after the crew have given-up.
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No, the only one I own (and presumably read, back in the day) is Bob Fisher's report, simply called "The Fastnet Disaster and After".

Mike.
 
Yes read it, and gave my copy to someone who's uncle was a survivor who had never read the book and who noticed my copy at work.

"Deep Survival" by Laurence Gonzales is an interesting read about who survives and why with details about survivors from a long list of different disasters.
 
For those who haven't read it, it was the account of one of the crew on Gramalkin, a 30ft Ron Holland IOR yacht. The skipper drowned during an inversion (a 180 degrees capsize), and when the boat came upright, the other crew assumed that the author was dead (along with another crew member) and went for the liferaft, leaving them on the boat. When this person (who was left for dead) came to, he found himself alone on a dis-masted and sinking yacht. He was the last survivor to be rescued, as everyone thought he was dead.

A compelling read.
 
We were looking for a 1/2 Tonner in about 2001, and saw a Nicholson 30 advertised, she seemed ideal.
The name Grimalkin seemed familiar so I looked in "Fastnet 79" by L T Gardner and found a photo of her taken from a rescue helicopter. This rather spooked me so I never followed it up. Probably superstitious of me.
 
DanTribe said:
We were looking for a 1/2 Tonner in about 2001, and saw a Nicholson 30 advertised, she seemed ideal.
The name Grimalkin seemed familiar so I looked in "Fastnet 79" by L T Gardner and found a photo of her taken from a rescue helicopter. This rather spooked me so I never followed it up. Probably superstitious of me.
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She's still sailing I believe.
 
bitbaltic said:
Left for dead is far better, although written from a particular perspective (understandably).

I thought Roussmaniere's (sp?) 'Fastnet, Force 10' the most readable of several accounts.
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Rousmaniere's account is the only one I've found that explains what actually happened and why it was so patchy - he sailed through it relatively unscathed.
It changed my outlook on sea conditions much for the better; understanding what is going on is helpful even if it doesn't flatten the waves.
 
I understand the lack of good will between the survivors still exists, which is a shame. As I understand it the leavers directed their rescue helicopter back to the boat, so their prior action arguably saved all their lives.
 
superheat6k said:
I understand the lack of good will between the survivors still exists, which is a shame. As I understand it the leavers directed their rescue helicopter back to the boat, so their prior action arguably saved all their lives.
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Quite so, I know one of the other survivor s who tells a different story to that promoted by the book
 
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It was indeed a windy night! At one point when I was helming, I remember thinking, " I hope nothing breaks". We did not suffer a roll over, nor did anything break. In one sense, it was fantastic sailing - beam reaching at 8 to 10 knots with only a storm jib set. In another sense, I don't mind admitting it was pretty scary. >60kts on the wind instrument is sobering..........
 
RobbieW said:
Quite so, I know one of the other survivor s who tells a different story to that promoted by the book
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Indeed, I once went to a screening (long story) of "Perfect Storm" with one of the survivors, a very surreal experience and not much was spoken over dinner after.
 
Time Out said:
Indeed, I once went to a screening (long story) of "Perfect Storm" with one of the survivors, a very surreal experience and not much was spoken over dinner after.
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As in ' a survivor of the storm ' ?

Nobody survived on the subject fishing boat, at least not in the film; I've read more about it but a while ago, I forget if there were discrepancies like that.
 
Seajet said:
As in ' a survivor of the storm ' ?

Nobody survived on the subject fishing boat, at least not in the film; I've read more about it but a while ago, I forget if there were discrepancies like that.
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As in the Hollywood blockbuster, more so the seas, wind and waves.
 
bitbaltic said:
Left for dead is far better, although written from a particular perspective (understandably).

I thought Roussmaniere's (sp?) 'Fastnet, Force 10' the most readable of several accounts.
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I thought Bob Fisher's "The Fastnet Disaster and After" was 'better' (more factual, covered more boats, written nearer the time) than Left For Dead.

Haven't read 'Fastnet, Force 10', I exclusively source my reading material from charity shops and free Kindle books so it's pure chance whether I ever will! :D
 
C08 said:
Without going into too much detail it would be interesting to hear the different story?
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You might have to wait a while - the 'leaver' I know has, I understand, written his version of events down, strictly for publication after his demise, but is not up for any discussion prior to that.

What is clear is that to be out in such conditions must have been truly frightening and required the people concerned to make decisions based upon the facts as they saw them, and without the clarity of a warm lounge or pub to think through such decisions. I have seen enormous seas, but not from the perspective of a small vessel. I certainly would not want to have been out in such seas in a yacht of any size.

I am glad that they, including Nick Ward, survived.
 
It is a great read, I thought the BBC drama/documentary based on it was good as well. I knew a competitor who went through it, he says there were only two properly terrifying moments, the first was when a wave blew the catches off the forehatch, the skipper screamed to the crew "close it or we sink", he described how three of them tied a rope around it and hauled it down, it took all three of them to hold it down inside the forecabin against the power of the wind - whilst standing under a waterfall. They saved the boat - just. The second was after that when it got properly windy and he saw what looked like tracer bullets being fired at the boat, he realised they were balls of phosphorescent water ripped off the waves, they flew at terrifying speed and smashed against the hull, the windows and if you didn't duck, against you.

The tragic loss of life changed boat design though, from the rudder, through fittings and liferafts to electronics. We sail in safer yachts as a result.
 
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