SeaStart and then nearly a Mayday

I suppose it has to do with the experience of the company. As I was the more experienced, it was my responsibility to look after their safety. First priority.

Where as if they are an experienced crew, I suppose you would relax more knowing others are just as capable should situations arise.

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Re: Mayday?

Thanks Happy1. They certainly did enjoy yourselves - the families are still talking about it and want to know when their next invites are!! /forums/images/icons/mad.gif Must have done something right after all that!

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I th9nk in BrendanS case it is down to the fact that there is only one handhold on his boat - the windscreen - and he likes it to himself!
In mine I find I am looking round after we hit a particularily big 'hole' to see who's still holding on - instead of trying to avoid the next one.

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Takes courage to talk about your problems in this way, and it seems to me that you coped very well.

You're quite right - its only when it all goes tits up that you realise how vulnerable you are. Thats when you wonder whether you were right to save money by only buying a handheld vhf, or an outboard powered boat.

Trouble is, when the next trip is a doddle, you forget all about your resolutions and carry on as you were - until it happens again!




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Re: Mayday?

I bought a 3.3hp Mercury outboard for my 20'5" boat, I get about 3.2knots out of it, which seems very fast after having no power /forums/images/icons/wink.gif Send me a PM and you can come to Chatham and have a go with mine, I will show you the outboard bracket set up and how quick and easy it is to get attached in an emergency. Part of my choice for this against a bigger one was weight for man handling and also storage space. The engine also fits the dinghy which we take if we are going offshore (out to sea).

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>
 
Nah! The windscreen is useless as a handhold, it just comes away in my hand.

I just cling tightly to the steering wheel, and wonder how much strain I'm putting on it, and will it come off one day?!

<hr width=100% size=1>Err, let me know if Depsol enters the forum, I'll go and hide
 
I agree with everything but the outboard reference! From my experience I never had one falter in 500hours of use (250 on each of a 90 and a 175) and were there not the price differentials on purchase and fuel I would have one or two large direct injection 2 stroke OBs on my transom now!
However everything is of course a balance and petrol inboards are dirt cheap which does it for many people and there's red diesel for my Yanmar...........

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Re: Mayday?

Why ever did you cut the power to recover the cap? I have had CAP (cap over board)
several times and each time we execute the man over board drill bringing the boat around
and picking up the cap with a boat hook.

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Re: Mayday?

In our BP Level II we were always taught to cut the engine on a MOB. Bring the boat around, line her up, a little throttle and then cut the engine. That way you gently bring the boat up to your MOB, and just in case your MOB goes under the boat - the props aren't turning.

Our instructor was ex-RNLI and the stories he had of MOB being sliced in half... too early for this.

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handiCAP

Well it was my first 'CAP' and the said cap was an important momento.

(I didn't want no slippery overgrown eel getting its little front flippers on my cap)

On the black waters of the Loch in a 12 ft swell, or was it six, my memories fading, the cap lost visual contact immediately upon departure. Being a CAP virgin, my instinctive reaction was just to cut power and try and regain visual contact.

However thanks for the advice, maybe you'll throw in some free CAP training if I charter?

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Re: Mayday?

I would do the same as you but not for a cap overboard, although there would be nothing to stop you getting into the habit. I always cut the engines when people are anywhere near the props, e.g. getting in or out of the boat after donuting or water ski -ing. As you say there have been some horror stories and it would be so easy to forget when you were in a panic trying to get someone on board in an emergency, best to start as you intend to go on and get into the habit. I also wear my killcord all of the time, and there are still times I have forgotten it is on and been twanged by the cord when moving around the boat. I would rather that happen than it run away from me.

I keep a fishing net on board, a cheap triangular one with an extendable pole, I got this after I lost a couple of mugs overboard when a big cruiser went flying past in a 6nkt limit and sent everything flying. As I was leaning over to get one of the floating cups, it tilted filled with water and sank, I was so near to getting it, it was annoying. My net has been used for the odd recovery including a cap /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>
 
Re: Mayday?

Its always best to carry extra equipment. What you need is some trawler gear for colecting lost cups etc. The fishing industry is going through a bad time so there should be plenty of good heavy duty gear up for grabs......./forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn
 
Re: Mayday?

I bought one of those extra strong sea searcher magnets, so I think I will just use metal cups in future, the magnet is so strong it is scary /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif I wonder what I will catch today? perhaps a container ship /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>
 
Re: Mayday?

I had one of those but they go super-rusty. I also got a bit wary of where the hell to keep it on the boat, away from instruments, solenoids and so on, so i threw it away.

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Re: Mayday?

Yes but did you throw it far enough?

It's probably stuck to the underside of the hull, just underneath that chunk of steel ballast you placed in the port bilge to balance the extra cases of champagne in the starboard fridge!

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Re: Mayday?

You seem worryingly familiar with my boat. But i put it in the wast bin so probably stuck in some tipper lorry to this day. I balanced out the champagne in the fridge (how did he know it is on the stbd side?) with same amount under the seats on the port side.

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Re: Agreed

Quite right turn the boat get up wind of the MOB for protection and cut engine for
safety when getting them back on boat, however my experience of COB, meant chasing the
damn thing and it was after all only a cap.

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