Missing yachtswoman in South west.
- Thread starter FistralG
- Start date
FishyInverness
Well-Known Member
To clarify, as to what was reported by the media:
1. The broker advised her to take a refresher course.
2. Her husband advised she was not inexperienced, as she had been accompanied by an experienced sailor previous to this sailing and both he and she were comfortable with her competence.
Pete7
Well-Known Member
Or even one from an overseas posting like Malta, Gib, Hong Kong or Kiel, which would be worrying.
Pete
Alan ashore
Well-Known Member
... and it strikes me the broker's listing showing the boat as fin keel probably wasn't a mistake (not unheard of) because the listing quotes the correct draft for the fin version.
There could be a logical explanation for the apparent mismatch between the boat type and the (reported) destination, but you might imagine this would have emerged in reporting. For example, they just might have had a crane coming to bring the boat ashore at one of the several places in the Torridge that that is feasible.
Probably not something that this forum will see as a sensible plan, of course.
A.
There could be a logical explanation for the apparent mismatch between the boat type and the (reported) destination, but you might imagine this would have emerged in reporting. For example, they just might have had a crane coming to bring the boat ashore at one of the several places in the Torridge that that is feasible.
Probably not something that this forum will see as a sensible plan, of course.
A.
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robertj
Well-Known Member
god you're a self righteous plonker are you not?
how do you know she was foolish you have no facts!
how do you know she went overboard you have no facts!
oh good for you with your waterproof vhf.
How do you know she is a fool the implied sentence really is not warrented so why not keep quiet and hope none of the family reads utter rubbish from peple like you!!!
Lets hope alls well and sympathy in this worrying period for her immediate family.
bob
Plevier
Well-Known Member
+1 (but there are many deplorable speculative posts in this thread, not just Niander's)
I am 50, 8 hours is a moderate coastal hop, 36 hours is a serious undertaking, 20 hours somewhere in the middle. Perhaps under 10% of English Channel sailors accomplish similar 20+ hour passages a year but this still amounts to hundreds. A 20 hour journey around Cornwall is notable for a 65 year lady but not exceptional in warm settled autumn weather.
Yes I do, although mine has a direct ram connection below deck. You do not need fancy plotter integration for safe solo sailing, ability to hold a stable magnetic course is far more important. Only a fool would plan to sleep through plotter controlled waypoint course corrections.
What does the word "lightly" refer to?
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jordanbasset
Well-Known Member
+2 I made this post yesterday at16:47
"While I can understand people wanting to speculate, there seems some pretty wild suggestions coming out on this thread. I wonder is this the time or the place, my thoughts are with the family and friends"
While many have been reasonable and considerate some of the responses are so beyond the pale as to be grossly offensive. People criticise the Daily Mail but some posts on here make the Mail look like the a shining beacon of good reporting. I believe that the family and friends are desperately worried and casting about for all the information they can find about their friends/loved one. I do hope they do not find this thread.
toad_oftoadhall
Well-Known Member
A large quantity of the 'information' on this event comes from the broker.
I would seriously question if his words should be taken at face value without confirmation from a second source.
Firstly, he hasn't sailed with this woman and his opinion on her talent/competence for sailing must be based on talking to her alone.
Secondly, the one thing he would be competent to comment on was the quality of the boat. We have no reason to suspect any problems with the boat, but if he did have any niggling doubts about some aspect of the boat he's hardly going to go public with it in the press.
I'm sure this broker is pukka. However, imagine another broker sold a boat. Imagine someone went missing in it on the second day of ownership. Imagine he had some vague memory of perhaps smelling gas near it some weeks ago and thinking nothing of it. He'd hardly go to the press to tell them about his half-doubts. What he might do is openly emphasise the lack of sailing ability of the buyer, perhaps as much to reassure himself as anyone else.
I'm not convinced the husband is an impartial source of fact either. He will, I'm sure, be feeling guilty even if he had no doubts about his wife's fitness for the trip. Maybe he did have nagging doubts about his wife's health/ability himself, we don't know. He's hardly going to crow about that to the press. He's more likely to make the case that she was fine to do the trip.
I'm sure neither is the case here, but I hope my point is clear: We know almost nothing about this event, and the little we do know is from people who aren't impartial through the distorting lens of the press.
So, based on no credible evidence whatsover I'd bet she had a medical problem leaving her immobile/dead or fell over the side & the boat smased itself on something rocky. Nobody to blame, good luck to her for living life to the full.
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lw395
Well-Known Member
No, that would be the surveyor.
toad_oftoadhall
Well-Known Member
I'm not convinced you have to be a surveyor to have a valid or useful opinion on a boat.
Retired in Crete
Well-Known Member
Can I remind you that many who post/read this thread are even older than 65 and sailing regularly. It is not ancient you know! Ageism is alive, well and thriving on this thread!
Just so that you know, in February 2010 I got up on a Saturday morning and did not go to bed, or sleep, until Tuesday night. If you really need to, you would be surprised what the (elderly) human body can do when necessary.
John (almost 70 years young)
longjohnsilver
Well-Known Member
2 years and 8 months without sleep!! Is that a record?
Seriously how did you manage to stay awake? I couldn't do that now or even when I was much younger.
lw395
Well-Known Member
No, but the surveyor is the bloke we pay to give a professional assessment of a boat.
The role of the broker is introducer the buyer and facilitate the transaction. His opinion of the condition of the boat might be no more technical than SWMBO's.
The basic condition of the boat is probably irrelevant.
There are probably boats out there which are basically in excellent condition, but I wouldn't take them on a long or difficult trip because they are not ready for sea. For instance you might not get any spare filters with a used boat, but it might still be immaculate and complete to a broker. Likewise it is common not to get any safety gear such as lifejackets or flares, it is often assumed the buyer will replace these.
Any boat that has sat around all summer under a for sale sign is a likely candidate for a bit of diesel bug. Would you expect a surveyor or broker to test for that?
Anyone who calls their self qualified as a yachtmaster ought to be aware of all these things, but you really only get that by running your own boat.
toad_oftoadhall
Well-Known Member
None the less if someone who wasn't a surveyor said it always smelt of gas or had noticable cracks round the keel I'd call that relevant. Or any other flaw come to that.
Remind me lw395, what qualifications or experience are required for someone trading as a yacht surveyor?
toad_oftoadhall
Well-Known Member
Offending words removed.
prv
Well-Known Member
Agreed - although I don't think you'd be able to even if you wanted. Certainly the Raymarine kit requires you to acknowledge the impending change by pressing a button before it will alter course.
Pete
BrianH
Well-Known Member
+1
... erm, well, I still am, or rather was, sailing at 65, which is not old these days. I still am, having had my last sail for this year today, at 77. As usual, single-handed.
That is one feisty lady. A very sad outcome, if the worst has happened, as it looks as though it may well have done.
Kukri
Well-Known Member
I rather treasure a photo of my father singlehanding his small gaff cutter, with the topsail set perfectly, at 85...he died in his sleep a year later.
tsekul
Well-Known Member
Very sad.
I'm fairly new to sailing, having done day skipper recently. But live and have surfed extensively in the area. I would want to be well offshore sailing round there at night unless it was very good weather and or I was a very good sailor. Not the place to hug the coast. As for Sennen as a place to head for even in a bilge keel, put it this way if you are desperate for a surf and it's flat everywhere, go to Sennen, Gwenvor.
As for Falmouth Yacht brokers. We are looking at boats, phoned to view one , "yes no problem come over" the lady said. When we arrived she couldn't find it ! apparently it was on a swinging mooring. 2 hour round trip wasted.
As a novice you try and think what may have happened. As you pass the Runnel stone Cardinal mark you start to hit the Atlantic swells full on, maybe she got a bit nervous. I doubt she would have gone inside longships lighthouse, but maybe when she rounded it she thought to stay a little inshore where it may be a little calmer. She could have hit the inner greeb reaf or Brisons area and the debris could easily end up back at Sennen on the current.
I'm fairly new to sailing, having done day skipper recently. But live and have surfed extensively in the area. I would want to be well offshore sailing round there at night unless it was very good weather and or I was a very good sailor. Not the place to hug the coast. As for Sennen as a place to head for even in a bilge keel, put it this way if you are desperate for a surf and it's flat everywhere, go to Sennen, Gwenvor.
As for Falmouth Yacht brokers. We are looking at boats, phoned to view one , "yes no problem come over" the lady said. When we arrived she couldn't find it ! apparently it was on a swinging mooring. 2 hour round trip wasted.
As a novice you try and think what may have happened. As you pass the Runnel stone Cardinal mark you start to hit the Atlantic swells full on, maybe she got a bit nervous. I doubt she would have gone inside longships lighthouse, but maybe when she rounded it she thought to stay a little inshore where it may be a little calmer. She could have hit the inner greeb reaf or Brisons area and the debris could easily end up back at Sennen on the current.
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