Search for missing solo yachtsman - IoW

I reckon he has gone over the side as he left Poole and was raising his main sail or gone over the side whilst deciding to drop the main sail at some stage.?

Being an ex RNLI Coxswain I would have liked to concentrate a search back towards the Poole area maybe assuming he fell overboard on clearing Poole Harbour. If that was the case maybe we will have a body washed ashore in that area in the next day or so.
 
lenseman said:
A Kannard device on the other hand gets a location from the satellite and transmits a MOB code on the AIS band (162MHz) which is received on all chart plotters within its range.
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Excuse my ignorance, but does the ais band get picked up by the chartplotters GPS aerial? Or does it require a VHF aerial as per an ais receiver? Or is an ais receiver needed to make it all work?

If the latter then the Kannard device seems to be limited in usefullness, unless you sail in an area with loads of people with a) chartplotters, and b) ais receivers?
 
So much talk about dangers of single handing and what to do about preventing a MOB. Yet another crushingly convincing argument for having a junk rig. I have never had to go on deck while at sea.

No problems with speed to windward as modern generation of junk sails is often faster than bermudan equivalent particularly in fluky rough winds when bermudan man is tired of reefing and/or fallen overboard in the process.
 
I saw the TV report on this last night. I was trying to work out with the passage he was planning, how the boat ended up where it did.

There was a strong N wind with some pretty heavy gusts. I would have assumed that he would have left Poole and gone NE leaving enough clearence to miss bridge, then some more east to clear St Cathrines.
With the boat ending up where it did, it looks like he might have ended going to close to bridge and getting caught up in the overfalls. What does the pannel think?
 
When I fitted my swim platform and ladder to the stern one of the considerations was if I fell overboard singlehanded how would I get back on board. If I could not then a lifejacket or lifeline would not help much. Had a friend that was found dead being towed in circles by his yacht so maybe I am more sensitive to the issue because of that.
 
Ru88ell said:
Oh dear. If it's the same boat then it does look like the 'curse of ebay' for boating again. Just a handful of days from the end of the auction to finding it on the IOW.
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Yes BUT not all boats sold on ebay end up that way. There are 100's that dont but you ever hear of them. We bought on ebay but did a deal so that the previous owner helped us to get her to her new home. I would offer to do the same for any new owner, should I ever sell.
 
The alleged loss of yet another yachtsman(person) in a recently purchased 'new to them' vessel is a sad event but something that is in the public domain more frequently than it should be ? .

As much of my sailing is completed singlehanded these days as my crew have grown up, and my grandson to young to be of use just yet (18mths) these recent incidents is something of interest and no doubt the MAIB reports will make interesting reading once they are published. Not sure the curse of ebay will be included by the MAIB.

I, like so many others take safety very seriously more so when setting off alone... and so it is curious to me how anything like this can happen, like so many of this parish I do feel equipped for most events singlehanded or not and always carry the usual HH VHF, PLB(registered), mini flares, wear LJ at all times, ensure passage plan is known at home and they are aware of likely timing. I always check weather and plan every journey no matter how short et al. It is therefore difficult to concieve that the skippers of the now two fated vessels would not similarly consider risk and how they may be is minimised by their planning and actions.

I am aware of others arguably in similar circumstances whom set off in a new, 'to them' yachts, whom have taken their new acquisitions on first passage ending up entering Chichester and parking on 'the winner' allegedly to check antifowling ! :).

It will be interesting to follow the reasons, aside from the Curse of Ebay and what made the two fated vessels come to grief.
 
PhillM said:
I saw the TV report on this last night. I was trying to work out with the passage he was planning, how the boat ended up where it did.

There was a strong N wind with some pretty heavy gusts. I would have assumed that he would have left Poole and gone NE leaving enough clearence to miss bridge, then some more east to clear St Cathrines.
With the boat ending up where it did, it looks like he might have ended going to close to bridge and getting caught up in the overfalls. What does the pannel think?
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Do you mean SE to clear the Bridge and St Catherines? I really can't see how the boat ended up there, it has apparently taken itself onto a windward shore.

With so much north in the wind that day my choice would have been Christchurch Bay, North Channel and along the northern coast of the Solent and on to Hayling that way.
 
Searush said:
Might work fine in the Solent, but there are many places where I (& others) sail where there are unlikely to be other AIS receivers within range & the Budgie only comes into the equation if someone has called it out, or perhaps it might co-incidentally be on exercise nearby.

I suspect the issue is that a small personal device cannot have the power to send a signal strong enough to reach a satellite (or mainland aerial) in overcast or cloudy/ misty conditions.
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Is a radio signal affected by not being able to visually see a satellite or aerial then?
If thats the case, better not go sailing unless its sunny & daytime.
 
l'escargot said:
Do you mean SE to clear the Bridge and St Catherines? I really can't see how the boat ended up there, it has apparently taken itself onto a windward shore.
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Strictly speaking its not a windward shore. For a boat travelling east in a northerly wind there is an awful lot of Island to hit.

Brighstone is just about where the existing wreck shows on this chart.

bcfca41ca4f74430d0f0e5861c3e4eca_zpsa2289595.jpg
 
l'escargot said:
Do you mean SE to clear the Bridge and St Catherines? I really can't see how the boat ended up there, it has apparently taken itself onto a windward shore.

With so much north in the wind that day my choice would have been Christchurch Bay, North Channel and along the northern coast of the Solent and on to Hayling that way.
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+1.

No reason to go anywhere near the Needles Channel.
One alternative, was to go south of the island, getting some shelter from the high land, until past St Catherines.
 
l'escargot said:
I'm not sure that there is anything for MAIB to investigate. They don't report on all incidents.
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AFAIK, the MAIB only investigate incidents where commercial vessels are involved.

In a private case, the MCA and Marine Police Unit will get involved, then its up to the coroner to establish the cause of death.

I stand to be corrected, as ever!
 
l'escargot said:
Brighstone is actually more than half a mile in from the coast...:rolleyes:
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From first post:


At 5.15pm the yacht Brigand was found ashore near Brighstone by a member of the public. Its engine was running and one of its sails up, but was no-one aboard.


Sorry I didn't give exact lat and long. Don't know it.
 
srp said:
Slightly strange that the yacht was found round the back of the Wight. Given the wind strength yesterday I would have tried to creep up the mainland shore right up the Solent. A route around St Catherines would have meant a horrible slog for the last bit to Hayling Island.
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Bav34 said:
Depends where he fell off.
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Possibly, though I am suggesting that the guy planned a daft route. To actually plan a southerly route he would have to have had no idea what it would be like at Bembridge Ledge (and northwards to Hayling Island) in a f6 Northerly. I wouldn't plan a route that entails wind on the nose for the last 5/6 miles, when you're going to be very cold and very tired, when the alternative is to creep up the mainland shore with far less fetch.
Unless you're suggesting that, if he fell off near Poole, that the yacht could sail itself to Brighstone, rather than being pushed out into the channel? Do you think that's a possibility?
 
As usual there are too many things we don't know.

What sail was up would influence how the boat responded to the gusts, was the engine in gear, was there an autopilot ?

All we know is that a boat on a basically easterly heading ended up about 6 miles south of of a more ideal position in The Solent.

That could be because the skipper planed to go south of the Island or that the boat (inevitably) made wind and wave assisted leeway to the south of the intended track.

Where he fell off has a massive effect on where the boat ended up i.e. falling off in the North Channel would make it unlikely that the boat would end up round the back of the Island.
 
There is something very odd here. He left PYC before second high water, so would have encountered a west going tide in the bay until around 3pm, so to get to where the boat was found at 5.15 he would have needed to make good progress. This suggests he was on board and in control up to near the time it was found. If he had fallen overboard earlier, the wind and tide would not have taken the boat to where it was found. 4 hours of west going tide on springs is about 6 miles, plus 4 hours at 5 knots (possible in the winds experienced) is 20 miles, net 14 miles which is about right for the distance from Old Harry to south of Needles. Consistent with being where the boat was found at 5.15.
 
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