s/y Ramprasad lost off coast of Madagascar

[demonboy]

This is from Sam Coles of s/y Ramprasad:

On Sun 27th Sept Ramprasad grounded on a reef 20 miles from Nosy Mitzio in Madagascar and was badly holed and wrecked. Sam and Dao abandoned when the deck was awash and reached Nosy Vory 1.3M away in the dinghy with o/b where fishermen helped us. They took us back up the coast to Baie Ambarata from where we travelled y'day to Diego Suarez (Antsiranana). Navigators please beware the reef in posn 12deg38.1S 48deg49.5E wrongly shown on Navionics charts as an island. Banc Ampamonty is a reef and very hard to see in the strong winds which we often get here. Sam and Dao are alive and uninjured!

Sad to read this as Sam was the first sailor to take me under his wing. I sailed hundreds of miles aboard Ramprasad with him and I have Sam to thank for my love of sailing. Glad to hear he is ok but this marks the end of an era.

 

[JumbleDuck]

This is from Sam Coles of s/y Ramprasad:

Navigators please beware the reef in posn 12deg38.1S 48deg49.5E wrongly shown on Navionics charts as an island.

I'm finding this hard to understand. Wouldn't hitting an island be just as bad as hitting a reef? Or did they assume that because they couldn't see an island, it didn't exist, or that there were somewhere else, or something?

 

[RichardS]

Or did they assume that because they couldn't see an island, it didn't exist ....

I assume that is the case. I've had the same in the Caribbean when there was an island directly ahead on the chart but I couldn't see anything. I initially changed course to go around the invisible island but then decided that this was a ridiculous idea so sailed as slowly as I could straight over the island but keeping a close eye on the depth sounder and a firm hand on the wheel ready to swing around at the first sign of shallowing.

As it turned out, we were fine so I've no idea what the chart was supposed to be showing.

Richard

 

[demonboy]

I assume that is the case. I've had the same in the Caribbean when there was an island directly ahead on the chart but I couldn't see anything. I initially changed course to go around the invisible island but then decided that this was a ridiculous idea so sailed as slowly as I could straight over the island but keeping a close eye on the depth sounder and a firm hand on the wheel ready to swing around at the first sign of shallowing.

As it turned out, we were fine so I've no idea what the chart was supposed to be showing.

Richard

Indeed. It is not the first time a chart has shown a non-existent object. If he believed he was supposed to be seeing an island and couldn't see one, it's easy to write it off as a mistake. To mark a reef as an island, however, is a terrible error since reefs can be difficult to spot, especially if he was sailing westwards in the afternoon. God knows I've almost landed Esper on a few, and I know a few others who have. It's easy to judge from the comfort of one's armchair and no doubt the usual naysayers will be crawling out the woodwork on this one, but for those of us who have been in similar situations all I can say is "there but for the grace of god" and all that guff. Good to know Sam and his partner are safe.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Boats can be replace but lives cant't I too wish them both well.

 

[LadyInBed]

My (old) CMap charts show it as a Green area (awash) about half a mile by half a mile.

12 38.3498 S 048 49.4502 E
texta - Banc Ampamonty
Depth area (DEPARE)
NATSUR coral(14)

 

[prv]

My (old) CMap charts show it as a Green area (awash) about half a mile by half a mile.

12 38.3498 S 048 49.4502 E
texta - Banc Ampamonty
Depth area (DEPARE)
NATSUR coral(14)

Whereas the Navionics webapp (currently!) shows it in yellow as land.

Pete

 

[PhilipH]

Awful - had drinks with them in Mauritius before they left. Glad they are safe and well.

 

[hisw]

There is a name I haven't heard for some time. Was lucky enough to sail with him to St Petersburg in 1996. A real sailor and very memorable home brew! Glad he is ok.