TonyJones
Well-Known Member
WNS README FIRST.
The purpose of What Now Skip is to give forum members the opportunity of learning from each other's experiences and opinions. To that end, awkward boating scenarios are presented for forum members to discuss. WNS is not a test with replies measured against predetermined ‘correct’ answer. In fact, in most cases, their usually more than just one solution to the posed scenario. Selected posts will appear in the next issue of the magazine along with the author’s preferred solution.
However, please read the scenario carefully as some of the information given may imply certain possibilities or restrictions on possible courses of action – without spelling them out specifically.
The author always tries to describe the situation as fully as possible but ambiguities sometimes arise. If you are unclear as to any particular aspect or require clarification of an issue – just ask.
During a final late season cruise along the coast in your 38ft flybridge cruiser with your partner and teenage son the weather turns a bit unpleasant. There’s now a F3/F4 on the nose against a 2kt flooding tide, it’s started to rain and the visibility is poor. You elect to divert to a nearby fishing harbour with an easy entrance and good protection from the elements. The approach is crosswind with a sharp chop on top of a longer swell, making the boat roll uncomfortably. You try coming off the plane but that only makes things worse and will prolong the misery, so you decide to close the harbour entrance on the plane at 20kt. There are no legal or seamanship reasons not to do so and you know things will be reasonably calm once inside the outer harbour breakwater.
Your rather ancient chartplotter broke down a couple of months ago and you are planning to replace it with a new one over the winter. So navigation has been by visual pilotage with the knowledge that you can always switch on your hand-held GPS should you need an exact fix for some reason.
About half a mile out, your son leaves the flybridge to prepare the fenders which are stowed in the lazarette. After about five minutes there is no sign of the fenders so you send you partner to investigate. She finds the lazarette hatch up, the transom gate swinging on its hinges and no sign of your son. He has obviously gone overboard. He is wearing warm clothing, a modest foul weather jacket and a manual gas inflation lifejacket. But he does not have a hand-held VHF, personal EPIRB or miniflares.
Obviously you need to backtrack in an attempt to find him. What other actions should you take? And what would your search pattern be? In fact, What Now Skip?
The purpose of What Now Skip is to give forum members the opportunity of learning from each other's experiences and opinions. To that end, awkward boating scenarios are presented for forum members to discuss. WNS is not a test with replies measured against predetermined ‘correct’ answer. In fact, in most cases, their usually more than just one solution to the posed scenario. Selected posts will appear in the next issue of the magazine along with the author’s preferred solution.
However, please read the scenario carefully as some of the information given may imply certain possibilities or restrictions on possible courses of action – without spelling them out specifically.
The author always tries to describe the situation as fully as possible but ambiguities sometimes arise. If you are unclear as to any particular aspect or require clarification of an issue – just ask.
During a final late season cruise along the coast in your 38ft flybridge cruiser with your partner and teenage son the weather turns a bit unpleasant. There’s now a F3/F4 on the nose against a 2kt flooding tide, it’s started to rain and the visibility is poor. You elect to divert to a nearby fishing harbour with an easy entrance and good protection from the elements. The approach is crosswind with a sharp chop on top of a longer swell, making the boat roll uncomfortably. You try coming off the plane but that only makes things worse and will prolong the misery, so you decide to close the harbour entrance on the plane at 20kt. There are no legal or seamanship reasons not to do so and you know things will be reasonably calm once inside the outer harbour breakwater.
Your rather ancient chartplotter broke down a couple of months ago and you are planning to replace it with a new one over the winter. So navigation has been by visual pilotage with the knowledge that you can always switch on your hand-held GPS should you need an exact fix for some reason.
About half a mile out, your son leaves the flybridge to prepare the fenders which are stowed in the lazarette. After about five minutes there is no sign of the fenders so you send you partner to investigate. She finds the lazarette hatch up, the transom gate swinging on its hinges and no sign of your son. He has obviously gone overboard. He is wearing warm clothing, a modest foul weather jacket and a manual gas inflation lifejacket. But he does not have a hand-held VHF, personal EPIRB or miniflares.
Obviously you need to backtrack in an attempt to find him. What other actions should you take? And what would your search pattern be? In fact, What Now Skip?
