Search for missing solo yachtsman - IoW

srp said:
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?
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I'm very new to yacht sailing. I recently bought a yacht. I set out from Hayling Island on four or five occasions in the last few months with skipper and crew as inexperienced as myself. I have some common sense but only learned in the last fortnight about proper route planning during my RYA Day Skipper training. Before that, I had a general idea that favourable tides and wind would make for more enjoyable sailing. Now, I've learned the basics of reading the tide charts and understanding the forecast but if I'm honest, I could still easily plan a "daft route" like this one as my understanding of these things is rather undeveloped and I'm very inexperienced.

I guess what I'm saying is that I think it's easy for all the very experienced sailors on this forum to underestimate the level of ignorance amongst those of us who are new to sailing.

I like that yachting is so easy to get into in this country and I hope that the naivety/carelessness/bad-luck of the few who get into trouble does not spoil the accessibility of the sport for everyone who is taking their voluntary, self enforced training seriously.
 
So let me get this right:-

He bourght a (very small) boat off ebay (probably without seeing it first, and almost cetainly without a survey or any inspection for seaworthyness). The ebay listing states that the boat had one of the old revolving light depth sounders and that's about it (so no tiller pilot, no GPS, no VHF, No dinghy, no liferaft, no Epirb or PLB, probably no lifejackets or harnesses, etc). He leaves Poole at high tide intending to go East (against the tide) with a F6-7 wind in place. He was single-handed on a poorly-equipped, unfarmiliar boat with no tiller pilot, and I suspect no safety lines or Jackstays (looking at the ebay pics).

Hmmm. I wonder why it all went wrong?

Am I being harsh?
 
grenade said:
I guess what I'm saying is that I think it's easy for all the very experienced sailors on this forum to underestimate the level of ignorance amongst those of us who are new to sailing.

I like that yachting is so easy to get into in this country and I hope that the naivety/carelessness/bad-luck of the few who get into trouble does not spoil the accessibility of the sport for everyone who is taking their voluntary, self enforced training seriously.
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Well said, and there are many on this forum who feel the same way.
 
Bobc said:
So let me get this right:-

He bourght a (very small) boat off ebay (probably without seeing it first, and almost cetainly without a survey or any inspection for seaworthyness). The ebay listing states that the boat had one of the old revolving light depth sounders and that's about it (so no tiller pilot, no GPS, no VHF, No dinghy, no liferaft, no Epirb or PLB, probably no lifejackets or harnesses, etc). He leaves Poole at high tide intending to go East (against the tide) with a F6-7 wind in place. He was single-handed on a poorly-equipped, unfarmiliar boat with no tiller pilot, and I suspect no safety lines or Jackstays (looking at the ebay pics).

Hmmm. I wonder why it all went wrong?

Am I being harsh?
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Who knows, we don't know his experience level. He may have had a HH GPS, Radio life jacket with him and may have done a full passage plan.

Speculation is no substitute for facts. Let's hope he is found, although it is looking unlikely, sadly.
 
jokerboat said:
Who knows, we don't know his experience level. He may have had a HH GPS, Radio life jacket with him and may have done a full passage plan.

Speculation is no substitute for facts. Let's hope he is found, although it is looking unlikely, sadly.
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Bu surely if he was experienced, he would never have contemplated setting-off single-handed on an unfarmiliar boat into a F7?

2+2 usually equal 4 in my book.
 
Bav34 said:
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.
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Sorry, you appeared to be suggesting that Brighstone was on the coast in your post with the plotter picture...
 
Bobc said:
Bu surely if he was experienced, he would never have contemplated setting-off single-handed on an unfarmiliar boat into a F7?

2+2 usually equal 4 in my book.
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True and you may well be right. Either way it's a probable sad ending.
 
Bobc said:
Bu surely if he was experienced, he would never have contemplated setting-off single-handed on an unfarmiliar boat into a F7?

2+2 usually equal 4 in my book.
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The wind was Northerly & he was heading East.
The sea conditions if he had taken the North Channel route, would have been fine, since the land would have given some shelter & little opportunity for any fetch to build. The boat, robust enough to get to the Island, was new to him, but hardly looks over complicated.

Whatever happened, maybe just an unfortunate accident.
 
Bav34 said:
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.
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The yacht was found at Grange Chine 50° 37.939'N 001° 24.583'W

To date, there is nothing to say he did not walk ashore and catch a ferry home.
 
l'escargot said:
Interesting that that is one of the few places with easy access to/from the beach along that stretch of coastline...
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He possibly took one look at the spring ebb running at Bridge under a northerly Force 6 and thought "di-di-dah-dit, di-di-dah, dah-di-da-dit, dah-di-dah that, I'm outa here" and walked ashore !!

I bet plod has studied all the videos of foot passengers crossing over to the mainland hence posting the photo and description? :rolleyes:
 
lenseman said:
He possibly took one look at the spring ebb running at Bridge under a northerly Force 6 and thought "di-di-dah-dit, di-di-dah, dah-di-da-dit, dah-di-dah that, I'm outa here" and walked ashore !!

I bet plod has studied all the videos of foot passengers crossing over to the mainland hence posting the photo and description? :rolleyes:
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He's probably still sat at the bus stop - buses can be infrequent along the back of the island...:rolleyes:
 
I have to be careful what I say here... I bought our yacht from a member of PYC. It was moored in the marina. As i wasn't a member of PYC my presence there was not required for any longer than needed, due to the berth being allocated to someone else. So after asking what all the ropes did, I cleared off, luckily to somewhere local. I wonder if weather conditions or other factors would have affected my need to leave in a hurry, even if my new or prefered berth was as far as hayling Island.
 
grenade said:
... but if I'm honest, I could still easily plan a "daft route" like this one as my understanding of these things is rather undeveloped and I'm very inexperienced.

I guess what I'm saying is that I think it's easy for all the very experienced sailors on this forum to underestimate the level of ignorance amongst those of us who are new to sailing.
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Yes, I agree. Put me in N Wales or on the E Coast and I too could plan a daft route. I just happen to know a little bit about the Solent, and the area around Bembridge Ledge can be a bit nasty. I've also had to creep east-bound up the Solent against a foul tide when the weather has blowy, and it was ok. We can only speculate at this stage, but since the boat was found intact, the planned route was obviously within its' capabilities, so maybe the skipper knew that and simply decided that was where he wanted to go. But it would be a daft route for me because I definitely wouldn't have looked forward to the last 5/6 miles to H.I.
 
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