Sleeping on the job?

[Nosher]

I ran aground because I was asleep, so I'll go below for a few minutes to film a video to tell you how my inattention and failure to keep a proper watch panned out. Good thinking.

Oh seriously?
I used to be a regular on this forum, 20 years ago or more. It had its fair share of judgemental pompous armchair sailors then, but now it just seems overrun.
Pip is a hugely successful yachtswoman, she’s talented, down to earth (I nearly wrote “grounded” but thought better of it) and a great ambassador for the sport. She cocked up last night but had the grace and humility to put that video up mainly to express her gratitude to the Fowey lifeboat crew.
And yet you think she deserves your scorn?

 

[mm42]

I do I’m afraid. I’ve no doubt she’s all of the above but rather than being an armchair sailor I’m a professional mariner who has to share the seas with someone who, having managed to complete a race, saw fit to take a dangerous decision to save a few quid. A decision which meant a lifeboat crew having to go to her aid, possibly risking themselves (though I’m a lifeboat coxswain I wasn’t on that job so couldn’t say if conditions were benign

Why do you think in the commercial world we have minimum manning standards? It’s because single handed sailing is dangerous. One only has to look at the attitude taken by someone who adds “solo sailor” to their AIS, it screams “I may be failing to keep a proper watch” as if changing your name to include that somehow makes going to sleep with no one on watch acceptable.

 

[LittleSister]

Oh seriously?
I used to be a regular on this forum, 20 years ago or more. It had its fair share of judgemental pompous armchair sailors then, but now it just seems overrun.
Pip is a hugely successful yachtswoman, she’s talented, down to earth (I nearly wrote “grounded” but thought better of it) and a great ambassador for the sport. She cocked up last night but had the grace and humility to put that video up mainly to express her gratitude to the Fowey lifeboat crew.
And yet you think she deserves your scorn?

You're so right about the prevalence of judgemental armchair posters on here.

And you think that mm42's post deserves your scorn?

It doesn't matter how spiffing a sailor or person she is, that you've escaped one disaster by the skin of your teeth (and haven't we all?) doesn't mean that you can continue to tempt fate with impunity. That's a lesson we can all benefit from being reminded of, and that's how I took his/her post.

 

[zoidberg]

The major benefit of this site lies in what we ( read 'I' ) can learn.... of what the sea teaches, if we ( 'I' ) have the wit to learn.

Many of us have fallen asleep at inappropriate moments. I fell asleep, on a warm day, in the front end of a Canberra TT18 doing elongated circuits 2000' over the naval gunnery school HMS Cambridge next to Plymouth, while watching the pretty little sailboats in the Sound below. I awoke with a startled loud 'Huh?'....
....followed a moment later by a startled loud 'Huh?' from the other guy - who also had nodded off.

Until today, no-one else on the planet knew about our little lapse. We got away with it.

 

[Neeves]

Most rock climbing and mountaineering accidents happen after the task (summit, route) has been achieved. Mostly its the person who drops their guard who dies.

Relaxation is a common problem after the adrenalin has achieved its purpose.

Jonathan

 

[38mess]

I read that a lot of U-boats were sunk on the way home because of a relaxation in concentration.

 

[TiggerToo]

Apparently Pip Hare had a bit of an incident yesterday:

Transatlantic sailor Pip Hare's yacht runs aground off Cornwall

Has anyone got any information about where this actually happened? I cannot imagine how you would get to St Austell on your way back from an Atlantic crossing.
On one of the news items "Black Rock" was mentioned....

 

[finestgreen]

Sleeping on the job?

 

[ylop]

Oopsadaisy. Things go wonky sometimes even for those at the top of our sport. No one died. Boat and skipper safe. Blessings to count....

If that was a commercial skipper/fishing boats etc, the MCA would be all over it like a rash and likely prosecute for failing to keep a proper look out. I don’t see any reason why she should not be similarly accountable.

I would however not criticise her for recording a video - I think that probably had a useful message for everyone else who thinks sailing solo whilst tired is fine because the alarm will wake you.

 

[TiggerToo]

thanks!

Lucky not to have got caught up in the mussel farms... last time I sailed by there, the ropes were laid at right angles to her original course

 

[aslabend]

Did no-one else take home the message that a louder alarm clock might be useful on board?

 

[Stemar]

The major benefit of this site lies in what we ( read 'I' ) can learn.... of what the sea teaches, if we ( 'I' ) have the wit to learn.

Many of us have fallen asleep at inappropriate moments. I fell asleep, on a warm day, in the front end of a Canberra TT18 doing elongated circuits 2000' over the naval gunnery school HMS Cambridge next to Plymouth, while watching the pretty little sailboats in the Sound below. I awoke with a startled loud 'Huh?'....
....followed a moment later by a startled loud 'Huh?' from the other guy - who also had nodded off.

Until today, no-one else on the planet knew about our little lapse. We got away with it.

Not so different but with consequences, years ago, I was driving back from a night rally and managed to nod off going down Scrubs Lane in W London, of all places. I was woken by a loud bang, I'd driven into a parked car and destroyed my rather tasty Cooper S. It's far too easily done.

 

[jamie N]

If my best was as good as her poorest, I'd be a very good sailor.
In the ROV industry there's a maxim of "The dive's not over until the ROV's strapped down on deck". As others have intimated, she appears to have let her standards of dilligence slip after the main event.
How refreshing it is to hear someone 'fess up' though; I'd have blamed the alarms for not being shrill enough, or some sort of other crap.

 

[capnsensible]

If that was a commercial skipper/fishing boats etc, the MCA would be all over it like a rash and likely prosecute for failing to keep a proper look out. I don’t see any reason why she should not be similarly accountable.

I would however not criticise her for recording a video - I think that probably had a useful message for everyone else who thinks sailing solo whilst tired is fine because the alarm will wake you.

If.

If you can meet with Triumph and Diaster
And treat those two imposters just the same......

 

[Snowgoose-1]

If she hit the rocks northbound, it must have been a hell of a bang, the AIS shows her doing c 20kts.

It's the 20 knots that worries me most.
Would someone else sailing nearby be able to take avoiding action quick enough ?

 

[doug748]

It's the 20 knots that worries me most.
Would someone else sailing nearby be able to take avoiding action quick enough ?

I have had some lively moments with a fast singlehanded fleet, would much rather encounter shipping. Assuming they are hard on the wind, you need to get well downwind in any crossing situation.
They may well be hunting about under autopilot at 20 kts and, if you get within a large arc of their bow, your chances of avoiding them are small to zero should they home in.

.

 

[Frogmogman]

If.

If you can meet with Triumph and Diaster
And treat those two imposters just the same......

“and - what’s more - you’ll be a woman, my daughter” in this case ?

 

[Mark-1]

She explains what happened here:

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Pretty big of her. Respect.

 

[Mark-1]

It's the 20 knots that worries me most.
Would someone else sailing nearby be able to take avoiding action quick enough ?

I doubt there was much about at the time that would have been seriously harmed by a plastic boat. Plus she'd have been stand on vessel in most cases.

But yeah, doing 20 knots while you're asleep in UK coastal waters would usually typically be considered a little eccentric. However, I'm prepared to give her a pass this time and in these circumstances.

Of course she's a pro so maybe the MAIB *will* get involved. Not sure the lessons to be learned will be news to anyone.

Doesn't look like the sort of boat that would hit a beach and remain undamaged, but clearly it was able to carry on.

 

[Sandy]

Delivering pasties I expect.

Any news on the pasties?