Talk about sea worthy for a small boat
- Thread starter Warpa
- Start date
benjenbav
Well-Known Member
Yes. Amazingly little water coming over the decks of all of them too, except for the pilot boat near the end.
iangrant
Well-Known Member
And there is always this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brhTFkthl0M
RNLI crew in a washing machine!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brhTFkthl0M
RNLI crew in a washing machine!!
AndieMac
Well-Known Member
That's seriously nasty Ian, I wonder if the guys were going out to a shout, or just playing in the breakers.
It would be one thing getting out to a distressed vessel in those conditions, but how about getting the rescue completed?
Tresner
Well-Known Member
If you read the comments below the pic, it was the mechanic and not the pilot that went out in that force 11 to a stranded trawler. Lots of cajones. Our Coast Guard goes out in like seas off the mouth of the Columbia River between Oregon & Washington on the Northwest coast of the US.
Bernie
AndieMac
Well-Known Member
I wonder at which point the lifeboat folks say "it's too rough to go out"?
How would they get the injured off the stricken vessel, for that matter how would you hold station in that turmoil?
To think they are volunteers risking life and limb........amazing people!
Nautical
Well-Known Member
Its never too rough or bad, if the call comes they go, whether as many of the crew turn up as would do on a nice sunny afternoon is another thing ! 
but generally you can count on six or seven of the hard nuts turning up no matter what. The wind can be ripping the roof off the boathouse but they still go.
but generally you can count on six or seven of the hard nuts turning up no matter what. The wind can be ripping the roof off the boathouse but they still go.
benjenbav
Well-Known Member
Its never too rough or bad, if the call comes they go, whether as many of the crew turn up as would do on a nice sunny afternoon is another thing !
Yup, total respect. I know you've been out there and done it and all I can say is thank you.
Nautical
Well-Known Member
Nah, I was just a softy.
The older chaps, they were real seamen, a compass, a bandy ole DF, and an old sailor VHF that sometimes worked, GPS? wasn't even invented !. My dad crewed on an old open cockpit Watson, they could spend hours waist high in water, pitch black and rolling like a pig and totally exposed to the elements, H&S would have a heart attack nowadays if you sent men out in one of those old boats.
The older chaps, they were real seamen, a compass, a bandy ole DF, and an old sailor VHF that sometimes worked, GPS? wasn't even invented !. My dad crewed on an old open cockpit Watson, they could spend hours waist high in water, pitch black and rolling like a pig and totally exposed to the elements, H&S would have a heart attack nowadays if you sent men out in one of those old boats.
Salty John
Well-Known Member
We were caught in a very bad blow off Cape Town a few years ago - in a 45' raggie - and we called the Cape Town Harbourmaster to warn him we were out there. He said they would launch the lifeboat to come and tow us in. We said it would be impossible to attach a tow in these seas and he insisted it was their duty to try. Ten minutes later he called back and said it was too rough to launch the lifeboat!
So, for South Africa at least, there is a limit beyond which they will not launch. Our anenometer was pegged at 64 knots and they were reporting gusts of 100 knots (200kph) at the airport. Seas were huge. I don't know if they have a specific set of conditions at which they call it a day, or if it's up to the individual lifeboat skipper.
So, for South Africa at least, there is a limit beyond which they will not launch. Our anenometer was pegged at 64 knots and they were reporting gusts of 100 knots (200kph) at the airport. Seas were huge. I don't know if they have a specific set of conditions at which they call it a day, or if it's up to the individual lifeboat skipper.
AndieMac
Well-Known Member
Crikey John, thats a 12 (Hurricane), did you hove to and ride out the storm or run?
Salty John
Well-Known Member
Yes, hurricane force although not, by definition, a hurricane. It was reported as the worst storm in the Cape for 20 years. I still have the Cape Times from the following day with a spectacular photo of a wave breaking over the lighthouse at Francis Bay and a report of our situation, as well as that of two other boats out there - one dismasted and picked up by a ship.
Having initially hove-to to get things sorted we than ran before the storm, first under bare poles and later with a storm jib, all the way back up the coast to Saldanha Bay, about 100nm or so, from whence we had set out two days previously! Fortunately the storm was a southeaster so we were blown parallel to the coast and not onto it.
Having initially hove-to to get things sorted we than ran before the storm, first under bare poles and later with a storm jib, all the way back up the coast to Saldanha Bay, about 100nm or so, from whence we had set out two days previously! Fortunately the storm was a southeaster so we were blown parallel to the coast and not onto it.