Tenacious sails to rescue of stranded mariners

[Bajansailor]

The note below was copied from the website 'This is Hampshire' at http://www.thisishampshire.net/news/hamp...ed_mariners.php


THE CREW of a Hampshire tall ship have saved the lives of seven French sailors in a dramatic sea rescue in the Atlantic.

The Southampton-based Jubilee Sailing Trust's Tenacious went to the aid of the stranded crew of Zouk after stormy conditions damaged the 43ft yacht.

Tenacious's crew, which had 12 people with physical disabilities, including three in wheelchairs, out of a total of 36, then had to sink the damaged yacht as rough seas stopped them from towing it back to the mainland.

Dramatic The dramatic rescue occurred 900 miles from the Caribbean as Tenacious was on a 30-day transatlantic voyage from Gran Canaria to Antigua.

Many crew members had paid or were sponsored to take part in a tall ship adventure on the high seas, as part of the charity's work. At the helm of the ship was Captain Barbara Campbell.

Jubilee Sailing Trust spokesman Alistair Thompson said: "It's an incredible achievement.

"It's not everyday you get to take part in a sea rescue and to do so well in such terrible conditions is amazing and a credit to the crew."

The ship received a distress call from the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre - MRCC - Fort de France in Martinique, who had picked up the emergency call from the French yacht and sent out a message to the nearest vessel.

Despite the raging seas and strong winds, two of the Tenacious crew, second engineer Steve Garrett and second mate Steve Higgs used a rigid inflatable boat to join the distressed French crewmen, who had been adrift for six days after the craft lost its rudder.

Mr Thompson added: "Despite repeated attempts made by the crew on board Tenacious to tow the French vessel into Antigua, appalling weather conditions meant that Captain Barbara Campbell in consultation with the skipper of the Zouk was forced to abandon any attempt to save the yacht as it could not be towed safely.

"Rather than allow the stricken yacht to become a hazard to other vessels, Tenacious was forced to give her a nudge and help her roll over so she would sink."

The 43ft Sun Odyssey French-registered yacht was owned by the Glenans Association - one of France's biggest sailing schools.

"The crew of Zouk are now on board Tenacious where they are being looked after. The cook's homemade ginger cake is going down particularly well," Mr Thompson added.

Amanda Butcher, chief executive of the Jubilee Sailing Trust, praised the crew of Tenacious.

"I am delighted that the crew of Tenacious responded so quickly to this call for assistance," she said.

"The safety of those sailing was the primary concern to both crews and this is why the decision was taken to transfer the crew off the Zouk and to sink her."

"I am extremely proud of everyone who took part in this rescue. They demonstrated their professionalism and expertise and are a credit to the Jubilee Sailing Trust and our work."

With both crews now on board after Saturday's rescue, Tenacious is back on course to arrive in Antigua on December 22.

 

[Bajansailor]

"Rather than allow the stricken yacht to become a hazard to other vessels, Tenacious was forced to give her a nudge and help her roll over so she would sink."
-----------------------------------------
My comments below :

Tenacious was 'forced' to help sink the French yacht? I wouldnt want to be the person who makes that decision.

In fact, I disagree with this 'green' policy of sinking yachts that have been abandoned. Before you all issue howls of protest re the danger to other vessels, this yacht will only be a possible danger to other vessels of a similar size or smaller. And although she will be easily visible during the day, I acknowledge that she will be virtually impossible to see at night while drifting.

I have two reasons for disagreeing :

1) As a keen seafarer and boat designer / builder, I could never deliberately sink any vessel at sea - I know what went into building that vessel, and I am very aware of the anguish that will be caused to her crew (especially if the vessel is not insured!).

2) An abandoned yacht is a very small and insignificant item of flotsam, in comparison to all the other rubbish that is floating around in the North Atlantic. The other rubbish includes semi-submerged containers that have jumped off ships, floating tree trunks, just about anything that can float really.
I live on the east (ie windward) coast of Barbados and go for a walk on the beach with the dog on most evenings - we often see 100'+ tree trunks, even whole trees, washed up - they probably originated from the Amazon. If they didnt wash up here, or on one of the other Caribbean islands, the odds are that the Gulf Stream might well then take them across the North Atlantic and let them visit Ireland eventually..... and these tree trunks and containers are a much greater risk to other vessels than a little yacht that is drifting.

This Jeanneau was abandoned only 900 miles off Antigua. If she was left to her own devices, and stayed afloat, she would probably make her own way westwards (or WNW) to Caribbean longitudes in about 6 or 7 weeks. And I am sure that there would have been various vessels from St Maarten or Antigua or Guadeloupe that would have happily put to sea (once she got within range) in an effort to salvage her, if they knew that she was out there.

We had a similar incident here in January this year. The J 40 'First Light' was abandoned 600 miles east of Barbados, after losing their rudder (WHY are so many yachts losing their rudders these days???). Her crew reported that she ws taking on water, and unlikely to stay afloat.
First Light washed ashore on the east coast here exactly 4 weeks later..........
She bounced over a reef coming in, and the hull started breaking up immediately - but local salvors managed to get the rig off her intact, as well as most of the equipment, including winches (big 3 speed Barients...) etc.

If we had known that she was still afloat, and heading west, we would have put the word out, and many boats from here would have gone looking for her, I am sure.

And I wonder if the crew of this Jeanneau (rescued by Tenacious) experimented with drogues, anchor cables, buckets, anything hanging off the back end in fact, in an effort to help her to steer herself?

Although I have enormous respect for Captain Campbell (I sailed with her, on my very first voyage with the TSYT on their brig Stavros almost 5 years ago), I do wonder why they were not able to tow this vessel.
Put her on a long enough towline, with enough drogue material being towed behind the yacht, while ensuring that she is ballasted down at the stern as much as possible (eg transferring the anchor cable and anchors aft, also portable water and fuel containers, in fact anything of weight that is reasonably portable really) and it should be possible to tow her, IMHO.

I shall duck down behind the parapet now...... I see missiles arriving.....

 

[rickp]

[ QUOTE ]
Although I have enormous respect for Captain Campbell (I sailed with her, on my very first voyage with the TSYT on their brig Stavros almost 5 years ago), I do wonder why they were not able to tow this vessel.
Put her on a long enough towline, with enough drogue material being towed behind the yacht, while ensuring that she is ballasted down at the stern as much as possible (eg transferring the anchor cable and anchors aft, also portable water and fuel containers, in fact anything of weight that is reasonably portable really) and it should be possible to tow her, IMHO.

[/ QUOTE ]

According to the report here on YBW a tow was attempted but the line parted because of heavy seas and the yacht yawing about because of its lack of rudder.

Rick

 

[boatmike]

I tend to agree but if it only required a "nudge" to sink her this indicates she was probably well down in the water anyway perhaps? There is another reason why deliberate sinking is a bad idea though. Insurance companies won't pay out if you sink her deliberately when there is a chance of salvage.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Dodgy rudders

Seems to be a rash of rudder loss lately. Time to bring back the skeg?

 

[Bajansailor]

If they wanted to sink her, they would not have to 'nudge' her, or do anything else other than removing a couple of hoses from through hull fittings below the waterline, and then opening the seacocks.....

Tenacious was involved in another similar rescue a few years ago on her winter voyage to the Windies - this was re a Hunter Legend yacht (relatively new) in the ARC who lost her rudder. The engineers on Tenacious fabricated a temporary rudder, and that worked for a while, before the stock of this rudder broke. The crew then talked to their insurance company (I think it was Pantaneius) via satellite phone, who apparently gave them permission to scuttle the yacht. This seems to have set a precedent.....

Re attempting a tow of the Jeanneau, no mention was made as to if any drogues had been streamed in an attempt to reduce the yawing. Getting weight out of the bow would also be very important. It was claimed that First Light (mentioned above) would not tow, despite drogues - yet when she came ashore here, her anchor and chain cable were still in the anchor locker. The effect of not moving this aft would be similar to the effect of having a couple of crewmembers on the foredeck while the yacht is sailing downwind under spinnaker - something to be avoided!

 

[Blueboatman]

Thoroughly agree regarding the wasting (scuttling)of perfectly reuseable yacht in this age of disposable consumer yachts...
Mine own experience of open water towing involved being offered a 200mile tow along the Portugese coast-its a good story but irrelevant except to say that we quickly doscovered that you needed anchor chain and then rope for the towline in order to survive the incredible(and unmanned)chaffing that occurs at the bow of the towed vessel through yawing..And towing at max hull speed was actually better ...So 30m of chain and 30m plus of rope,with a couple of droguelines/rubber tyre at the back would do the job.
There are plenty of tales of quite long bluewater rescues and towage by other yachts....seems such a waste to throw one away!

 

[Twister_Ken]

"seems such a waste to throw one away! "

C'mon, it was only a Jeanneau. Ten a penny. Bet the new one's already been popped out of the mould.

 

[Sailfree]

Re: Dodgy rudders

Anyone with any knowledge as to why these many boats have rudder problems? Previous groundings?

I am aware of the Legend but do not know what the conclusion was as to the cause.

As an owner of a Jeanneau 43 DS I am naturally curious!!

 

[Blueboatman]

Have you seen how much these jellymolds sell on for?

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[capt_courageous]

Seven lives were saved and it sounds like two brave men put themselves at great risk to do it. Your response is to bang on about how much the boat would be worth as salvage and what they should have done. They were there and did a magnificent job. You were not there so how do you know what was possible?

 

[Bajansailor]

Courageous Captain, were you researching your perfect G & T when you wrote the note above?
I acknowledged that the Tenacious crew did a 'magnificent job', as you say. I have full respect for them, and I know their Captain is a very experienced seafarer.
In my earlier posts I never 'banged' on about how much the boat is worth as salvage, nor what they 'should' have done.
I was not there (thanks for reminding me!), and I do not know what was possible.
I was merely questioning why they had to sink the yacht, when they could have left her floating, for someone else to come and salvage (if they felt so inclined), and wondering if the yacht's crew had tried drogues and shifting portable ballast aft in an effort to improve the directional stability of the yacht while being towed.

PS - Were 7 lives saved, or were 7 people taken off the yacht?
I know I was not there, but it is probable that the yacht would have stayed afloat, and carried on westwards at her own pace if she was left to her own devices.
Surely lives are saved if the vessel is in danger of foundering? If there was no danger of this (but again, we dont know), then the crew were 'taken off' rather than 'saved', IMH(pedantic)O.

 

[Twister_Ken]

When a yacht loses its rudder, it often leaves a somewhat difficult-to-plug hole in the back end, so the yacht will sink unless pumped. Dunno if this was the case here, but it it really only required "a nudge" to sink it maybe it was already on the way down. So with crew aboard and pumping it may have stayed afloat; with them gone, glug. Does taking the crew off constitute life saving? Depends how many weeks they could have kept pumping, I guess.

Mind you, all this is just conjecture.

 

[sambrunner]

See next month's Yachting Monthly for the full story on 'to scuttle or not to scuttle' - and one top insurance company's view on why they RECOMMEND scuttling yachts in certain situations.

Sam Brunner, Geoff Pack Scholar, YM

 

[oleander2]

Re: Dodgy rudders

The earlier Legends built by Luhrs at Portland had glassfibre rudder stocks.

 

[capt_courageous]

Some people act, some people talk. I know who I wanted on my watch.

 

[graham]

Re scuttling an abandoned yacht:

A yacht is a collection of plastic ,wood and metal stuck together .Why risk even the tiniest possibillity of lives being lost if another small boat runs it down?

If a ship hits it and later discovers bits of yacht rigging hanging on the anchor,how will the officers of that ship feel thinking they have killed people?

If a ship hits it and attempts to" rescue" the non existent crew they will be putting brave peoples lifes at stake.

The argument that theres loads of crap out there allready doesnt add up in my opinion,why add to the problem?

 

[Bajansailor]

Good points, and I would agree with them on principle. However the odds of hitting this abandoned yacht are infinitely smaller than hitting anything else like containers, trees, floating weather buoys, all of which would cause a lot more damage.

If a yacht has solar panels and / or a wind generator to keep the batteries topped up, then they could leave a white masthead light on, assuming that they have not lost the rig.
OK, I know they should have NUC lights on display, but how many yachts have these? Besides, they would use a lot more current.

The yacht Compromise was abandoned recently with her steering still intact (see earlier threads) - I do hope for the Owner's sake that another yacht manages to find her, and perhaps put some crew on her to sail her to safe haven.

 

[graham]

Certainly a good point about leaving lights on.As you say with a wind generator or solar panel they could stay lit indefinitely.

If I had to scuttle my boat it would be with a lump in my throat and tear in my eye but boats can be replaced.