Someone in Trouble this w/e?

Habebty

Habebty

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Just as I was coming into Ipswich I heard on the VHF Thames CG trying to glean information on a boat aground on the Swallowtail bank and breaking up with two people on board. Didn't hear if there was a good outcome. Nasty chop N of the Cork today so must have been a bit nasty for them.
 
We heard the Mayday Relay after the DSC went off, later we heard the the two persons were safely on board Clacton Lifeboat, however we dont know how the vessel faired. Think it was around 13.20
 
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We saw the Burnham RIB going out with flashing blue light at about 1300.

We just went as far as the Buxey No 1 & 2 and turned back (as planned) at 1200 or sometime like that - it was ~20kt NE, and a bit bumpy. We didn't see anything on Swallowtail, but were probably too far away, and we didn't have our radio on. Quite a few boats were coming into the Crouch, but very few going out, during the morning, even though the tide was still foul. It sounds as if we missed the excitement.
 
Thames Coast Guard later put out a Securite that there was a partly submerged yacht near to Swallowtail SHMB. So glad to hear those onboard the yacht were picked up by the lifeboat and all that was lost was the boat.
 
Burnham Lifeboat Shout Log

From the RNLI log here:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shout: Mechanical Failure

By Claire Rawlinson | September 12, 2009

The Lifeboats were requested to launch for a second time today following a call from a fishing vessel that had suffered a mechanical breakdown at the Swin Spitway.

However, before the Lifeboat had left the Marina it was stood down as the vessel had managed to get underway.


Category: Shouts



Shout: Vessel Aground

By Claire Rawlinson | September 12, 2009

Launched 08:35, Rehoused 15:30

The Atlantic 75 ‘Brandy Hole’ Lifeboat was launched to assist a 29ft yacht aground in the region of the Outer Crouch buoy.

When the Lifeboat arrived on scene it found the vessel to be leaning to one side. A crew member laid out an anchor and after establishing that the two people on board were happy to remain with their vessel the Lifeboat returned to Station.

Later on in the day, the Atlantic 75 returned to the vessel and laid out an anchor. A crew member then walked a tow to the yacht to enable it to face into the tide more safely.

After being refloated and taken into deeper water the vessel was left to make her own way to her destination and the Lifeboat returned to station where she was rehoused, refuelled and made ready for her next service.
 
We had just come past the Swin Spitway when the relay went out. I think the CG said that the mayday had been sent at 13.12 and it must have been 13.25 when the Clacton lifeboat came past us. Really great response from them and they were really hammering it through a reasonably large swell.

Really great response from the boats nearby as well. I think a yacht got there first, but couldn't get close to them, but could verify that the boat was intact and the people still on board. A fishing boat was also on it's way and a 40ft catamaran - who "had the heaters on". At least 3 other offers as well.

As others have said, the lifeboat just beat everybody and got the people off 'safe and well'. I guess the boat was holed from the pounding and just didn't rise with the tide. Apparently it was a red boat, but no name was mentioned.
 
I was there about 13:30 coming out the Crouch heading for the Spitway Buoys. I saw two ribs, one from Clacton direction coming out to a blue fishing boats on the Blackwater side of the Buxey sand (thought I was watching two rescues at the same time, but obviously not) and the rib from the Crouch coming to a small red yacht on the Crouch side. The yacht was anchored with two or three people aboard, close to the breaking waves on the sands. However looked safe enough as the swell was coming from the north. Bit rough (for me at least) yesterday!

IanC
 
we could only pick up the coastguard end of the convo but it didn't sound great. They were talking in terms of a vessel breaking up :-(
 
We listened to this whilst sailing off Sheppey and heard that the 2 people were safely aboard the lifeboat and all assisting vessels were stood down and thanked. During the 16:10 weather and safety bulletin, it was given out as a new hazard to shipping, a partially submerged yacht on the Swallow Tail.
 
I think the only red-hulled yacht we saw coming out of the Crouch was Mystique - but we see them sailing round there loads, so I doubt it would be them - they must know all about Swallowtail. It is certainly a lot shallower there than the charts say. It is very easy to mistake Swallowtail for Ron Pipe when coming from the Spin Spitway. Just speculation, I know. Very sad if a mistake like that leads to the loss of a boat, but at least the occupants are ok.
 
Details now on the Walton lifeboat site:

13/9/09 Launched to assist an 18ft wooden boat Rhubarb, which had sent a 999 call to Thames Coastgaurd saying they were aground and braking up near the Swallow Tail Bouy at the entrance to the River Crouch with 2 pob. Clacton Atlantic was also tasked & on arrival took the 2 persons of the sinking boat then tried to pump it out. On arrival the two survivers were transferred to Walton ALB. Attempts were made to salvage the boat but were unsuccessfull so the Rhubarb was towed to shallow waters & anchored by Clacton ILB on the Buxey Sands. The two survivers were then taken to Burnham Marina by Walton Lifeboat.
Click to expand...

Also on the Clacton site:
Clacton-on-Sea’s Atlantic 75 lifeboat Robert George Alexander launched shortly after 1pm on Sunday 13th September when coastguards received a call from a 5.7 metre dayboat which had run aground on the Swallow Tail sands.

The crew arrived to find her taking water rapidly, and took the two people on board into the lifeboat. Two crewmen went on board with a pump but were unable to keep up with the incoming water.

The Tyne class lifeboat from Frinton and Walton arrived and a tow was put aboard in the hope that pulling her from the sand might even her up and their larger pump could keep her afloat. Unfortunately she was too badly holed and began to sink.

She was put back onto the sand and anchored with a marker buoy. The two people were transferred to the Walton boat and taken to Burnham-on-Crouch.
Click to expand...
 
The Lifeboat sevice is a great asset and is greatly superior to anything in the rest of the world.

I live on Biscayne Bay just south of Miami, it is very shallow, only 6-15 ft in the deep areas even though it is 20 miles long and 4-5 miles wide and open to the ocean. Boats running aground is a daily occurence especially when the 'Sunday afternoon boaters' are out.

The US Coast Guard are usually too busy chasing terrorist, their big cutters have 4 inch guns, like your average destroyer. Their ribs carry .50 calibre machine guns.

We have to use private towing services and if you have not pre-paid for towing insurance it is very expensive...they even claim salvage!
 
We were approaching the Spitway bouy from the west when the little red plywood cruiser came from the opposite direction. The Swallowtail was kicking up a lot of white water, guite obvious to the naked eye, and the boat was about a cable north of us on a recipricol course, heading for Ron Pipe. I waved at the couple in the cockpit, who looked pretty miserable, and I commented to swmbo that they were going well, though maybe I was surprised at teh amount of sail they were carrying, even downwind. There was a good 20kt of wind and a very lumpy chop. It did seem strange that there were no life rings etc on the pushpit and they weren't wearing lifejackets. For some reason I formed the opinion that they had just bought the bought the boat in the Blackwater and were taking her to the Crouch. I don't know if that was the case.

About half an hour later, as we were approaching Eagle, the CG Mayday relay came up, saying the vessel was breaking up near Swallowtail and they had no lifejackets or flares on board. The response was excellent. I knew ther was a fishing boat near Spitway bouy and a couple of yachts had passed us going that way, there was a 40' cat making with all speed with all gear on board and 'easy to get people onboard' and the fishing boat 'Dominator', which I think was first on scene. I'm glad to hear both those on board were saved, though swmbo had nightmares about it for a couple of nights.

FWIW, I learned the dangers of heading from Spitway to Foulness phb on a falling tide the hard way. I hit the Swallowtail in fair weather with hardly any sea running and the noise and shock as I bumped on the bottom waiting 20 min at anchor for the tide to come up was frightening. I was in a very solid old Macwester with stubby keels and a long, shallow rudder skeg. In a plywood mini cruiser breaking up in that sea it must have been terrifying. Hope they were insured.

And I second the ease of mistaking Swallowtail for Ron Pipe at a distance. By the time you're close enough to realise the mistake in the murk, it would be to late on that tide.
 
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