SeaStart our gardian angel

[paulrossall]

I agree with Happy 1

Happy I think you are right. I only bought a boat capable of going coastal 3 years ago. It is a 30 year old yacht with a 3 year old engine, which was important to me.
Like you seem to have done I carried out a detailed "risk assessment" of things that could go wrong and came up with standby systems where necessary. I also made sure I understood how everything worked.
Going to sea in a boat is not to be compared with going for a run out in the car. If a car breaks down, even if you have to sleep in it overnight, you are unlikely to be risking your life. In a boat, at sea, your life might well be at risk. Comparisons with the AA & RAC are unrealistic.
Sometimes I sail with a load of mates who are all experienced sailors. However sometimes I am just with SWMBO and the kids. I would not dream of taking them out in a boat that I could get into serious difficulty with just because of an engine failure.
Obviously I have sails, which I would prefer to use anyway. I also have a dinghy with outboard powerful enough to lash alongside boat and make progress.
Too many boaters do not take enough care about their own self-sufficiency before going to sea.
I have not commented on the origional post as you, Happy,have covered some of the points I would make.
Happy at least your post will have caused some boaters to consider this subject more carefully and if only one serious incident has been prevented then your will have served a purpose.
I read the report of your slight misshap with interest.

I would be happier going out on your boat than with some of those that have criticised you.
Keep up the informed comment. (and the comment!!)
Paul


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[paulrossall]

Dave
I recon your guardian angel has buggered off and left you.
If you want to use a similar analogy I recon you are
BEING RESCUED BY A TART!!

IMHO

Only joking, lets hope your luck changes.
Paul

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[lanason]

Re: I agree with Happy 1

Maybe we all agree on this :-

- Have the boat "properly" maintained either professionally or DIY if your are competant.
- Have reasonable emergency equipment on board - in 2 parts
- 1) Spares and tools to effect a repair at the time
- 2) alternatives in case a repair cannot be effected
- 2a) spare engine etc, dingy / liferaft
- 2b) friend following about 100m behind (like Col, Duncan, Barry)
- 2c) method of commincation to call assitance (VHF / mobile) from Friend / Seastart / RNLI etc
- Dont go out if you don't feel properly prepared.

Dave's comment - was VERY relevant. How well has the boat been maintained before he owned it. My boat has passed the BSS (for what its worth). So you buy a boat - is the first thing you have to do is to strip it all down and take everything apart just to find out. Or do the obvious things and take it easy / gradually build up the trips.

Interestingly my fuel stavation problem ONLY shows up when UNDER LOAD at over 3000 revs. The boat was fine last season. Not much chance of doing that speed on the river or in most harbours. Most of our trips are river based.
On the drive it ran as sweet as a nut - revved perfectly !!!
However, when I was in Poole we did NOT go out until I had someone (thanks guys) at hand in case it stopped. My assesment was that up to 3000 revs it would plod along all day and thats exactly what happened. Poole - Swanage loverly weekend and plod back.
Now where can I go to give it another safety test ??


<hr width=100% size=1>Adrian
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/kelisha>More Pics of Kelisha</A> /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[Happy1]

Re: I agree with Happy 1

Good advice froggy /forums/images/icons/wink.gif As you say you never know what you are buying second hand, so don't take it for granted that if it runs standing still it will be Ok at load. I don't know if there is a figure that you should build in when buying a second hand boat for unforseen problems. Some of you on here are more than capable of self help so perhaps would need les in the pot than those that rely on marine services.

Even for me, I bought my stuff arse about face, I did the training, bought all the safety gear and then the boat, the gear I needed took £10k off my available purchasing money. Had I blown the lot on an old boat, then found problems, I would certainly not have been able to afford the level of safety gear I have, and perhaps the level of confidence in my new engine that I have. I would however have had loads of room to sit in it in a marina all summer though /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif. Others will have their own opinions, this is just mine, but with a young family, safety and training was No 1 on my list. It has worked for me, I am out almost every day in my little boat, perhaps one of the smallest on the forum, but feel safe, have great fun, and love every minute of it /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>

 

[Dave_Knowles]

Re: I agree with Happy 1

Happy,

Safety gear is a little bit of a red herring if you read my original posting. I have evrything on board safety wise. We were only going less than a mile from the shore and the breakdown was completely unforseen and could not have been avoided as with the other two times. The only thing that would have made a difference would have been a spare engine but even with that I might have still called out Sea Strat to see if they could have got me going. That is what I pay for and that is what they charge for. By the way I also havve done a Day Skipper course before taking the boat out and recieved one to one tuition from a Master Mariner.

I think no matter how well you arew prepare things go wrong as you know yourself.

Stay Happy

<hr width=100% size=1>Take care.

Dave

Dave Knowles
Southampton - UK

http://www.MyCleopatra.co.uk

 

[Happy1]

Re: I agree with Happy 1

Dave, please don't think I am having a go at you, I am not at all, at all, at all. I put it up for discussion and have only spoken about MY personal experience and what I did. I have no doubt that you have been unlucky, and I realise that things do go wrong. I apologise if it seemed that I was 'having a go' but I did explain originaly that I wasn't. I have started a new thread re Emergency to leave this one clear for the sea start stuff. I hav no doubt Bob is doing a great job and as I said good luck to him, he seems to be offering a reliable and friendly service, a refreshing change in the marine industry /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

P.S. Can we be friends, I think it got a bit out of hand earlier and unfortunately I had not logged on to see what was going on, but I have done my best now to explain all my comments in detail /forums/images/icons/wink.gif And I wish you happy and trouble free boating for the rest of the season /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>