DeeGee
Active member
This article for a tale of woe. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
Talk about tough luck...
- Thread starter DeeGee
- Start date
Saddletramp
New member
It is a tragedy, but he sailed to Australia. Can't take that away from him. What a story to tell the grandchildren.
Evadne
Active member
Very sad, to have got all that way and hit land just where he didn't want to. Curious statement at the end, though:
"One of the tricks to surviving an experience like this is to remain icily logical and say 'I know I'm tired and I know I'm cold but I have to find some way of getting the anchor out even though the electric power has gone'," he said."
I've never had a boat with a windlass, let alone an electrical one. Is this normal? Surely you just let it run?
"One of the tricks to surviving an experience like this is to remain icily logical and say 'I know I'm tired and I know I'm cold but I have to find some way of getting the anchor out even though the electric power has gone'," he said."
I've never had a boat with a windlass, let alone an electrical one. Is this normal? Surely you just let it run?
LymingtonPugwash
New member
[ QUOTE ]
Very sad, to have got all that way and hit land just where he didn't want to. Curious statement at the end, though:
"One of the tricks to surviving an experience like this is to remain icily logical and say 'I know I'm tired and I know I'm cold but I have to find some way of getting the anchor out even though the electric power has gone'," he said."
I've never had a boat with a windlass, let alone an electrical one. Is this normal? Surely you just let it run?
[/ QUOTE ]
My goodness! How could the poor chap be expected to do anything without any power! Having a sailing boat without any electrical power to operate the electric winch, microwave oven, icemaker, electric reefing, electric heads, etc is more than could possibly be expected of anybody! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Goodness me, I support the RNLI specifically in order to get help whenever such a disaster occurs! Can you imagine having to pump my own heads out, or have to drink my ouzo without ice, or even God forbid, having to furl my own sails or handle my own anchor chain! Whatever next? Without electrical power, sailing would be a dying sport of appeal to a handful of neanderthal!
Very sad, to have got all that way and hit land just where he didn't want to. Curious statement at the end, though:
"One of the tricks to surviving an experience like this is to remain icily logical and say 'I know I'm tired and I know I'm cold but I have to find some way of getting the anchor out even though the electric power has gone'," he said."
I've never had a boat with a windlass, let alone an electrical one. Is this normal? Surely you just let it run?
[/ QUOTE ]
My goodness! How could the poor chap be expected to do anything without any power! Having a sailing boat without any electrical power to operate the electric winch, microwave oven, icemaker, electric reefing, electric heads, etc is more than could possibly be expected of anybody! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Goodness me, I support the RNLI specifically in order to get help whenever such a disaster occurs! Can you imagine having to pump my own heads out, or have to drink my ouzo without ice, or even God forbid, having to furl my own sails or handle my own anchor chain! Whatever next? Without electrical power, sailing would be a dying sport of appeal to a handful of neanderthal!
jeremyshaw
New member
There but for the grace of God etc....
Who was that famous yachtsman who, coming back to his East coast home port late and tired mixed up his port and starboard harbour wall markers and ploughed his classic yacht into the sea wall?
Just last year a yacht sailed into an island in Venezuela due to an oversight in instructing crew. They'd done two circumnavigations.
I just count myself lucky that, so far, I've got away with my moments of carelessness...
Who was that famous yachtsman who, coming back to his East coast home port late and tired mixed up his port and starboard harbour wall markers and ploughed his classic yacht into the sea wall?
Just last year a yacht sailed into an island in Venezuela due to an oversight in instructing crew. They'd done two circumnavigations.
I just count myself lucky that, so far, I've got away with my moments of carelessness...
DaveS
Well-known member
I have an electric windlass and I normally let the chain down under power, controlled from the cockpit. It's a great help when singlehanding, which I usually am. I bought the bits to make a chain counter but haven't yet got round to building it, so I count seconds, "one elephant, two elephants... ", as it drops until the count reaches twice the number of metres I want out. (Conveniently my windlass pays out at 30m/min.)
But if it does go wrong (which it did a couple of times last year) I can release the clutch and drop the chain manually, or even get the chain off the windlass entirely and go back to ranging chain on deck, cleat off and drop methods. I do also (since that incident) now have an emergency handle so that I can operate the windlass manually to lift the wretched thing without knackering my back.
But if it does go wrong (which it did a couple of times last year) I can release the clutch and drop the chain manually, or even get the chain off the windlass entirely and go back to ranging chain on deck, cleat off and drop methods. I do also (since that incident) now have an emergency handle so that I can operate the windlass manually to lift the wretched thing without knackering my back.
benjenbav
Well-known member
The poor souls on Lord Howe Island must think the Brits have some grudge against them given that, as a nation, we seem to be intent on crashing boats into their island. I'm sure that the next time it happens they'll think its's deliberate.
Pincoya
New member
Been there, done that!
Had 250 feet of chain and a 65 lb CQR hanging off my bow in Cabo San Lucas at the beginning of the year, none of it touching the bottom. My electronic windlass failed/jammed and every inch of chain needed to be winched up using the sheet winches. It took three weeks for the skin to heal on my hands and my wife was quite tired too! It's easy to sit in your arm chair and make 'informed observations' but, when it hits the fan, you are tired and trying to deal with it, sometimes it isn't quite so straightforward.
He did a great job getting there, survived and is learning from his mistakes. I, for one, sympathise without making judgement; it could be my turn tomorrow!
Paul
Had 250 feet of chain and a 65 lb CQR hanging off my bow in Cabo San Lucas at the beginning of the year, none of it touching the bottom. My electronic windlass failed/jammed and every inch of chain needed to be winched up using the sheet winches. It took three weeks for the skin to heal on my hands and my wife was quite tired too! It's easy to sit in your arm chair and make 'informed observations' but, when it hits the fan, you are tired and trying to deal with it, sometimes it isn't quite so straightforward.
He did a great job getting there, survived and is learning from his mistakes. I, for one, sympathise without making judgement; it could be my turn tomorrow!
Paul
Sailfree
Well-known member
Glad you could balance the comment.
Unfortunately there are many that only sail smaller older boats and appear to sneer at AWB's and even well equiped blue water quality boats like yours.
A similar attitude is often shown to Mobos, many do not allow for the fact that the Mobo owners are often excellent sailors but been forced due to age to own a mobo.
Unfortunately there are many that only sail smaller older boats and appear to sneer at AWB's and even well equiped blue water quality boats like yours.
A similar attitude is often shown to Mobos, many do not allow for the fact that the Mobo owners are often excellent sailors but been forced due to age to own a mobo.
DeeGee
Active member
[ QUOTE ]
...I've never had a boat with a windlass, let alone an electrical one. Is this normal? Surely you just let it run?
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, what you do under normal conditions is one thing, what you do when the boat is grinding away on a reef and you are single-handed is another. The fact is that the guy got all the way and made a catastrophic error at the end. I am glad others include the possibility that they might do the same. I certainly worry that I might. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
...I've never had a boat with a windlass, let alone an electrical one. Is this normal? Surely you just let it run?
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, what you do under normal conditions is one thing, what you do when the boat is grinding away on a reef and you are single-handed is another. The fact is that the guy got all the way and made a catastrophic error at the end. I am glad others include the possibility that they might do the same. I certainly worry that I might. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif