What Now Skip?

Firefly625

Firefly625

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taken off a previous thread as didn't want to hijack Assassins topic..;

What would you do skipper;

so earlier this year we were faced with this scenario;

A quiet weekend at the beginning of April we were heading out the Hamble at 9am. Saw 2 men on a 45ft yacht waving franticly at us, about half way from Hamble spit buoy to Hamble point....I slowed and headed over. On board our boat was just the wife and I.

So we approach. Yacht is a racing yacht, a bit old but ok.. sails down, engine clearly running. The two men aboard not dressed for sailing...wearing jeans, leather jackets, walking boots. Cannot speak English. In very broken English say engine not working (I can clearly see it is running and they are making some slow progress....). Indicating a need for a tow into the river, and for us to go along side. I ask what is wrong with their engine, and have they got a anchor but just get a shrug of shoulders and a response in their foreign tongue.

What would you do?

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Call the CG, explain the situation and ask advice. At best I'd throw a long tow rope out and tow them back in. I would not let them board my vessel nor I theirs nor give them the opportunity to board mine by maintaining a distance.
 
As Bruce said, I'd hold station and call the CG. Doesn't look like there is any immediate danger, but based on the slightly suspicious circumstances I'd only throw them a line if they were.
 
BruceK said:
Call the CG, explain the situation and ask advice. At best I'd throw a long tow rope out and tow them back in. I would not let them board my vessel nor I theirs nor give them the opportunity to board mine by maintaining a distance.
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Good response.
 
Waving arms frantically is normal procedure for WAFI’s. I might slow to reduce my wake and give them a bit more room before waving them good day and continuing on my journey....
 
Given their attire... and their sails down (despite seeing other boats in background sailing)... think they stole the boat?

I mean, if they're desparate and needing assistance, anybody with the vaguest experience would be on Ch16 calling all vessels... I bet even if you do it in French, the CG would attempt to reply in French.

I'm guessing by your profile picture that you're in a mobo... so if they want a gettaway from the police... that'd be a better option than what they're on!

Personally, I'd get on to Coastguard and ask them to provide assistance... whilst maintaining a distance until they arrive. I wouldn't bugger off just in case their engine bay was on fire, flooding or something that they didn't communicate effectively enough. I hope that's what I'd do anyhows... to be perceptive enough that it all looks out of place and dodgy as F.

What happened in the end? (if you want to say)
 
So, what I did...

Having been called over my immediate thought was they had a problem and my intention was to help with assistance. If I had then been met with two crew members in sailing gear and lifejackets regardless of their lack of English I would have tied up beside them and motored into Hamble River and put them on the river pontoon at Warsash.
However what I was met with immediately did not look right. Their engine was running and they appeared to be under some degree of control. So regardless of the fact the crew member on the side deck was getting quite agitated that I was standing off by 30ft and not taking a line he was wanting to throw me I maintained my distance and shouted over that I would get help.

Having been followed up the river only 10 minutes earlier by Hamble ILB, I first off looked to see if I could see them, but couldn't , then I did call them on ch16 and 67... thought they would enjoy the exercise! However no reply. So as we were still in the Hamble River entrance I thought next quickest assistance would be the Hamble River Harbour Master.

So called Hamble River radio on the VHF, got an immediate response and explained the situation, including my slight concerns something didn't feel quite right. Their river launches were not in service at that time so they just needed to get one out to us & they told me they would be 10 minutes & if I could stand by in the meantime.
I shouted over to the yacht that I had got a tow organised for them by the harbour master, but frankly communication was so difficult I still don't think they knew what was happening. But 10 minutes later at high speed the HM appeared. I had a brief chat to them and they went to the yachts assistance.
They tied up beside the yacht and as we left they were motoring it back towards Warsash.

It was still moored up at Warsash on Sunday when we went past..

Never did find out anything about it.. I assume it was all OK, therefore I had perhaps just caused the guys to wait for 15minutes or so unnecessarily.

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Firefly625 said:
... So regardless of the fact the crew member on the side deck was getting quite agitated that I was standing off by 30ft and not taking a line he was wanting to throw me I maintained my distance and shouted over that I would get help.
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This would set alarm bells going bonkers to me.

One thing that really bloody annoys me is people playing the agitation card to try manipulate your actions. Common tactic with thieves and chavs. Try to make you out to be the a-hole. Never fall for it. It's even more irritating when they try to turn your partner or friends on to you because you're sooooo rude!

Give the HM a call on landline! It's not out of order at all, as you were involved in the situation. Every day is a learning exercise with regards boating. Plus I'd love to hear what the situation was in the end!

Also... trying to throw you a line... possibly claiming salvage on you?
 
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Firefly625 said:
So, what I did...
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Very sensible. Hope I'd have had the self-awareness to do the same. We'd all want to help but put together the lack of obvious danger (Southampton Water in the middle of the day in a flat calm), the disconnect between their appearance and what one might expect (it's an un-cruiserlike vessel which would typically be sailed by a crew in team-branded gore-tex), and the claim that the engine wasn't working when it was running it could easily have been some sort of unpleasant shake-down. Best get the professionals in whilst discharging the mariner's responsibility by keeping a watching brief from a safe distance.
 
I think most regular boaters looking at these pair would have thought they looked so far removed from the boat they were on something was amiss. However because of my prejudice on what they should of looked like it changed the way I dealt with the situation, not sure I am proud of that, just a weird one..
 
Firefly625 said:
I think most regular boaters looking at these pair would have thought they looked so far removed from the boat they were on something was amiss. However because of my prejudice on what they should of looked like it changed the way I dealt with the situation, not sure I am proud of that, just a weird one..
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I don't know what you are beating yourself up for because regardless of what the law says about helping other mariners in distress I'd think that as captain of your own vessel you have as high if not higher obligation to ensure your own vessel and crew's safety
 
Firefly625 said:
I think most regular boaters looking at these pair would have thought they looked so far removed from the boat they were on something was amiss. However because of my prejudice on what they should of looked like it changed the way I dealt with the situation, not sure I am proud of that, just a weird one..
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But you SHOULD be proud. You helped them.

Their agitation was bulls**t, and you know it.

Their attire was bulls**t, and you know it.

Leather jackets at sea? Mental, and you know it.

Their sail was down, but sailors be sailing.

Their engine was on, but supposedly not.

Why hadn't they put a call out for assistance? Even not in English, you'd have heard it. Even better, generic DSC blasts are probably independent of language, or if not, people might have chance to translate or even just see the coords and come to assist.

They appeared to not speak english, in British waters. Ok, this one I have some sympathy for... but would still be suspicious of this also being bulls**t given everything else.

They were in no apparent danger, so no rush.

Their helm even looks like its got a cover on it... though that could be something mounted on the transom.


You did good. Very good!


The alternative opened the option of being a naive fool thrown overboard or looted.

Would utterly love to hear what the Harbour Master has to say.
 
BruceK said:
I don't know what you are beating yourself up for because regardless of what the law says about helping other mariners in distress I'd think that as captain of your own vessel you have as high if not higher obligation to ensure your own vessel and crew's safety
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not beating myself up as such, I mean I got them the assistance they wanted and was pleased I could help and get alongside someone who could ask a few more questions and maybe establish if they were wrong'uns or not.
 
Looks dodgy alright. The boat looks like an early Class 40. These are very fast, short-handed, racing boats that are used for trans Atlantic races, etc. They are popular in the UK and France. Any French Class 40 sailor worth his salt would have sailed up the Hamble River on jib alone and moored under sail.
 
James, I think your actions were spot on. You were monitoring to ensure they were ok, and you got them the assistance they appeared to required. Well done!!!
 
rafiki_ said:
James, I think your actions were spot on. You were monitoring to ensure they were ok, and you got them the assistance they appeared to required. Well done!!!
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+1. I also think Bouba's post #6 would be classic :D:encouragement:
 
Thanks for sharing this Firefly it is indeed an interesting situation and helps people like me because I would now know what to do in a similar situation which would be exactly what you did. Before today I might have foolishly rushed in.
 
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