Rescue last Saturday

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bromleybysea

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The thread about the programme "Seaside Rescue" elsewhere prompted this one. Last Saturday we were listing to an exchange with the CG from a 10 mtr yacht which was "in the outer approaches to Burnham" (later sounded ilke he might have been at the top of the Swin or rounding the Buxey) said yacht's engine had over-heated and he was making slow progress under sail against the tide and asking for assistance. Now, I obviously didn't have a complete picture of the situation, but a well found sailing yacht in these conditions should have been able to get herself out of trouble without an engine. Weather was good. In the end, some kind soul offered to go back 2 miles and help him. Does anyone have the resolution of this sorry tale, and was I right to stop listening when overcome with embarrasment?
 
It may not have a well-founded yacht or one that doesn't do well against the tide, the skipper may be inexperienced and out of his comfort zone, he may have had inexperienced or timid crew who couldn't cope with the anxiety. It is for each of us to make decisions for a given situation - others might have made different decisions. Caution beats risk-taking in my book. He did what he felt he had to as he couldn't cope. Fair dos. Another boat going to assist was a good outcome for all concerned.
 
We overheard a similar story on Monday morning, a 25' dutch yacht aground near Stone / Marconi on the Blackwater, a falling tide but otherwise a very nice day with little wind.

The CG offered a lifeboat, which was refused and we later heard a 35' yacht was heading for them. Again we did not hear the resolution and only heard the CG transmissions.

On the face of it a grounding in sheltered water with a good forecast did not seem like a reason for calling for help (even on a falling tide).

The worry I have is that the more we have minor incidents calling on government funded agencies for help the sooner we'll all be required to take an exam before we are allowed to board a dinghy.
 
MoodySabre said:
It may not have a well-founded yacht or one that doesn't do well against the tide, the skipper may be inexperienced and out of his comfort zone, he may have had inexperienced or timid crew who couldn't cope with the anxiety. It is for each of us to make decisions for a given situation - others might have made different decisions. Caution beats risk-taking in my book. He did what he felt he had to as he couldn't cope. Fair dos. Another boat going to assist was a good outcome for all concerned.
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I couldn't disagree more. Whilst there may have been factors in play last Saturday, on the face of it we had a benign forecast with almost ideal conditions and unless there was something badly wrong that we don't know about he should have been able to cope without outside assistance. If he couldn't then he shouldn't have been out there. Whilst we can all be hit by unforeseen calamity or make some stupid mistake that puts us in danger (from experience to my eternal embarrassment) being out of his comfort zone or with a timid or inexperienced crew is no excuse- on a day like that he should have been able to deal with the situation, even if it meant dropping the pick and waiting for a fair tide.
 
I'm on our local CG team and although we very rarely get involved with yachts in 'trouble' round here, the number of incidents consisting of mobo's of various sorts that break down and cannot self-rescue is boggling. All trade for the local RNLI who end up being the unpaid AA/RAC of the seas, not that they complain of course.
Personally I would be mortified if I needed to be 'rescued' for anything avoidable, for the sake of my own pride as well as the risk that when the lifeboat pulls alongside, it turns out that they all know me and shriek with delight.
 
Like many people I am often surprised at hearing of a sailing-boat requiring assistance for engine failure in conditions where sailing is possible. However, when wandering round the local harbour in St Peter Port this year it was apparent that virtually all the small motor-boats, presumably mostly for fishing, had some form of reserve power in the form of an auxiliary outboard. Presumably the presence of large numbers of rocks in the area is enough to concentrate the mind, or maybe Channel Islanders are just a lot more intelligent?

That's funny, the new forum seems to changed my name, sorry about that.
 
bromleybysea said:
I couldn't disagree more.
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I'm happy for you to disagree but deciding that the call was unneccesary when we are not in full possession of that facts about the people, the boat or their abilities seems to be a bit too judgemental. I hope that I wouldn't make a call in those circumstances but I do remember how vulnerable I felt at times with my first boat with a very dodgy engine.
 
MoodySabre said:
I'm happy for you to disagree but deciding that the call was unnecessary when we are not in full possession of that facts about the people, the boat or their abilities seems to be a bit too judge-mental. I hope that I wouldn't make a call in those circumstances but I do remember how vulnerable I felt at times with my first boat with a very dodgy engine.
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My first boat woz a Mk2 Silhouette & not a 40 footer as seems to be the norm today.
no vhf or instruments untill my third boat 5 yrs later then i bought the vhf after 4 yrs of ownership. many North Sea passages without vhf:eek:
 
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