Oyster Yachts gone into administration

[pvb]

That's a gross leap of assumptions. It's quite probable that it would have taken some time to sink, sufficient to use a liferaft and epirb.

Maybe, but no evidence...

 

[lpdsn]

That's a gross leap of assumptions. It's quite probable that it would have taken some time to sink, sufficient to use a liferaft and epirb.

There's a timescale attributed to the skipper in a link a lot further up this thread. Of course there's always an element of luck in these things but it appears that the way the keel failed gave time to abandon ship. No doubt the crew could've sued for some sort of mental anguish but they survived. I'm sure it would've been a different story if they hadn't.

 

[pvb]

There's a timescale attributed to the skipper in a link a lot further up this thread. Of course there's always an element of luck in these things but it appears that the way the keel failed gave time to abandon ship. No doubt the crew could've sued for some sort of mental anguish but they survived. I'm sure it would've been a different story if they hadn't.

Did you notice the skipper's comment about the main companionway hatch being electrically-operated and being impossible to open by hand? And that he couldn't start the engine to use the big bilge pump because the engine electrics were connected to the house batteries which were by then underwater.

 

[dom]

Did you notice the skipper's comment about the main companionway hatch being electrically-operated and being impossible to open by hand? And that he couldn't start the engine to use the big bilge pump because the engine electrics were connected to the house batteries which were by then underwater.

What I remembered most was his calm description of sending a mayday from the chart table as the rising water began to cool his b*lls

 

[CCJ]

Not always. Rolls-Royce pre-BMW/VW were horrible engineering kludges in many ways. Lovely leather and wood, but dreadful under the skin.

Thers is more to that picture that what is implied. I have heard the owner had a load of gear / extension on the stern & didnt want to pay for expensive designer time or materials to get her floating to her lines. The photo is the result.

 

[lpdsn]

And that he couldn't start the engine to use the big bilge pump because the engine electrics were connected to the house batteries which were by then underwater.

Must've had a 1-2-Both switch.

 

[lw395]

Must've had a 1-2-Both switch.

1,2,Bath perhaps?

 

[Resolution]

What I remembered most was his calm description of sending a mayday from the chart table as the rising water began to cool his b*lls

Absolutely memorable description. Loved it.!
Peter

 

[dunedin]

That's a gross leap of assumptions. It's quite probable that it would have taken some time to sink, sufficient to use a liferaft and epirb.

Have you actually looked at the pictures in the reports, or the description of the events - as a large chunk of hull suddenly peeled off. Very lucky that in moderate conditions, no guests on board and an extremely professional crew.

 

[lpdsn]

Have you actually looked at the pictures in the reports, or the description of the events - as a large chunk of hull suddenly peeled off. Very lucky that in moderate conditions, no guests on board and an extremely professional crew.

Six minutes according to the skipper, so not an instantaneous capsize.

If I may quote the timings he published:

"3 JULY 2015 TIME 14:07'
strong noise with vibration from the hull
14:07'15"
big flooding in the engine room
14:07'30"
water over the service batteries; all systems KO
14:07'45"
I bear away, the crew prepare emergency bilge pump, life rafts, grab bags, furl manually the stay sail, send the may-day by standard-C and by VHF
14:13'
the keel disconnected completely and the boat capsized, in that moment I was standing up in front of the chart table (deck-house) sending the may-day, the water was already cooling down my balls.
a fishing boat "fished"us after a couple of hours."

 

[JumbleDuck]

Six minutes according to the skipper, so not an instantaneous capsize.

I wonder how many sleeping crew members would escape from a similar incident at 3am?

 

[Frogmogman]

I am pretty sure that if lives had been lost with the sinking of PS III, matters would be VERY different for Oyster at the time. They basically sort of got away with it

Probably helped Oyster that the owner wasn't a fat bloke who was up the pub.

 

[lpdsn]

I wonder how many sleeping crew members would escape from a similar incident at 3am?

It's really irrelevant though in terms of the liabilities Oyster may have been facing from the incident. The keel could've dropped off in more awkward circumstances leading to loss of life of the crew or it could've dropped off in the marina merely squashing a couple of grey mullet, but the financial impact to Oyster was only ever going to be based on what actually happened.

 

[JumbleDuck]

It's really irrelevant though in terms of the liabilities Oyster may have been facing from the incident. The keel could've dropped off in more awkward circumstances leading to loss of life of the crew or it could've dropped off in the marina merely squashing a couple of grey mullet, but the financial impact to Oyster was only ever going to be based on what actually happened.

Of course. But as someone previously suggested, they may have had a lucky escape in the way it happened.

 

[davidej]

I get the feeling that you guys are revelling in the PSIII disaster and forgetting (ignoring?) the huge contribution Oyster has made to British yachting.

Tall poppy syndrome?

 

[pvb]

I get the feeling that you guys are revelling in the PSIII disaster and forgetting (ignoring?) the huge contribution Oyster has made to British yachting.

I'm not convinced Oyster has actually made a "huge contribution to British yachting", whatever that's meant to mean. Oyster is certainly a well-known brand, but it's always been a fairly small company. Far from revelling in the Polina Star's disaster, I think that what many of us wonder is how on earth the people managing Oyster can have got the design and construction of the 825's keel stub so fundamentally wrong, and then so badly mishandled the Polina Star's issues - both before and after its sinking.

 

[Zing]

I'm not convinced Oyster has actually made a "huge contribution to British yachting", whatever that's meant to mean. Oyster is certainly a well-known brand, but it's always been a fairly small company. Far from revelling in the Polina Star's disaster, I think that what many of us wonder is how on earth the people managing Oyster can have got the design and construction of the 825's keel stub so fundamentally wrong, and then so badly mishandled the Polina Star's issues - both before and after its sinking.

You are very wrong to belittle Oyster’s importance. 400 highly paid employees and a mostly UK purchase bill of about £28m annually is funding maybe a thousand jobs elsewhere. This makes them a very important part of the UK marine industry and not by any accepted standard are they small.

 

[pvb]

You are very wrong to belittle Oyster’s importance. 400 highly paid employees and a mostly UK purchase bill of about £28m annually is funding maybe a thousand jobs elsewhere. This makes them a very important part of the UK marine industry and not by any accepted standard are they small.

I didn't belittle Oyster, I said it's a fairly small company, which it is, or was. Oyster has always been good at self-publicity, hence their brand image. As a comparison, one might argue that Pendennis is a more successful and respected ambassador for the UK marine industry.

 

[dunedin]

I get the feeling that you guys are revelling in the PSIII disaster and forgetting (ignoring?) the huge contribution Oyster has made to British yachting.

Tall poppy syndrome?

Not at all. But it does appear that Oyster may have been rather arrogant, and disrespectful to their customer(s), in how they appeared to treat the incident as user error, and try to brush it under the carpet. A degree more humility might have helped

 

[Lozzer]

Not at all. But it does appear that Oyster may have been rather arrogant, and disrespectful to their customer(s), in how they appeared to treat the incident as user error, and try to brush it under the carpet. A degree more humility might have helped

Are you talking from experience here? I was involved in a build project at the time of PS III and Oyster were very open with us sharing what information they had. Obviously this was done under a NDA. If you were a an uninvolved bystander sitting in a chair looking for idle gossip I am not sure you needed to know.