What Now Skipper?

at least they've got a skipper, ahem. Not very barrel scrapy imho.

Duncan is entirely right, you don't continue in to already iffy weathr to weynouth where it will be likely worse with no instruments at all on a 28 foot normally-riverish mobo with novice-ish crew and recently-fixed-up boat. You change plan and go to swanage/poole.

As in the question, they do know where they are but they now have no idea of Speed Thru Water or Speed over ground cos no instruments at all see -apart from h/h gps. So they soon won't know where they are regardles of paper charts or not.

Visibiltiy is worsening. Quite feasible not to be able to see land where they are and a nearby mobo has already disappeared from view.

Fix position on paper chart, set clearance course to swanage bay or poole allowing for tide/wind, check compass, calculate/verify approximate eta and perhaps turn down brightness on gps or turn off h/h gps to conserve battries. Maintain that new speed and heading as far as poss if poss, turning on gps when calculated a good bit closer. Check chart for easy to spot (if poss) landmarks and likely bearings , tho check that visibility (from looking at other boats frinstance) does not lead you too close. Look after that handheld gps!

AAs proceeding onnew course perhaps give the battery connections a look/whack/tighten but don't turn engine off cos mite not come back on. Main fuse, or main battery switch, sumink like that mebbe.
 
maglite

ah but this is the well-know MBY boat actually called Death Cheater VII !

Every month for the last seven months I as reader have set off on a variety of ill-advised and badly prepared boaty trips. So I can tell you from my useless experience that there is definiely no maglite torch on board and we're pretty lucky that there's an engine this month - often that blows up or goes awol in the first sentence.

However,i can also tell you that regardless of how badly this trip turns out, I will back out on the high seas next month in another nitwit trip with yet another unsuspecting crew.
 
Re: maglite

any legal bods here who can provide expert advice on getting a restraining order or summat on you?

Do we serve it on you personally, or on IPC for encouraging you?
 
Re: maglite

Hah! Way off in yer rithmatic matey

Anyone knows there's never a Death Cheater 1

Do you think there's an office junior writing this [--word removed--], or dya think it's more collective?

PS the [--word removed--] was cr[/b]@p, thought that would fool the censor
 
[ QUOTE ]
As in the question, they do know where they are but they now have no idea of Speed Thru Water or Speed over ground cos no instruments at all see -apart from h/h gps. So they soon won't know where they are regardles of paper charts or not.

[/ QUOTE ]Actually if you read the original article their log and sounder are still working.
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hammer.thumb.gif
"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
sailroom <span style="color:red">The place to auction your previously loved boatie bits</span>
 
oops!

ok. Saving the gps and/or wrapping bits of carboard around the AAA batteries relegated a bit.

From chart (have we got a chart for crissakes?) you could use DR and then chck with the depth thing for location if really bad viz later, yerknow, crawling along a suitable contour. I spect that will bust soon though.

incidentally, i am pretty sure that Jenny is not my wife otherwise it would say so, so fairly important not to fling boat up the rocks like that bloke did outside lulworth.

Oh - anothr idea from the text - is a Crew Jenny a clever bit of chandlery, a special machine like a Spinning Jenny? I bet a Crew Jenny would be able able to sort things out.
 
What's the problem? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Next is as next was skipper - steady as she goes

SO WHAT. Just enjoy the rest of the trip. WX is fine, they still have eye's unless a wayward sea gull has gouged them out. Drive the boat dummy, you have eyes, you can see land, you have charts, you have a sounder, what do you expect, a helicopter to winch down a 6ft swede blond in a bikini to act as your guardian angel pilot.

DOH! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

MOST OFTEN THE SAFEST THING TO DO IS STICK WITH THE PLAN AND FOLLOW THROUGH. Unless the weather turned really nasty which it didn't in this case.
 
Re: oops!

You do realise that AAA batteries are a little shorter than AA ones ... and carboard is not a good conductor of electricity ... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Re: oops!

Ah - we have kitkat chunkies ... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I've only got electrical tape and gaffertape on board ... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I'd probably just plug in the cig lighter power adapter though....
 
Re: oops!

You've got a hand bearing compas on board, I assume? With that, a log and a chart you don't have a problem so no need to take eyes inboard to bodge the gps.

If you've undertaken the trip not knowing how to navigate/pilot without a gps this is just evolution in action anyway.

A six foot Swedish blond guardian angel in a bikini would be nice, though. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: oops!

With 10% left in your hand held GPS, switch it on get a reading and switch it off again. Plot a course to steer and work out a time for your next fix. Chances are that you won't need to switch it on more than a couple of times.
 
Lots of good replies (Ducan, tcm) and lots of faecetious ones re calling for help.

But no-one has mentioned another key step, namely to call coastguard and give them an advisory that you have some issues and what you plan to do next. Then you can call them again later when things are resolved. They would rather know sooner rather than later that something might be brewing and some info is better than none.

It doesn't mention if you have a handheld VHF on board (ideal) but failing that even a cellphone call to coastguard would be acceptable in this scenario.
 
Well having never bothered doing much in the way of navigation for the south coast. I would say that once past Anvil point, there is much of nowt to hit. But anyway he looks to be 3 miles off it.The overfalls only go out a mile or two, and in a 3 to 4 hardly a problem. Supose it depends how bad vis is. Long as vis more than 100 yds or so. I'd carry on, till I was funnelled into Weymouth. It is hard to miss.
 
Quote:
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As in the question, they do know where they are but they now have no idea of Speed Thru Water or Speed over ground cos no instruments at all see -apart from h/h gps. So they soon won't know where they are regardles of paper charts or not.

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Could always use the 'measured mile' on the cliffs near Anvil to check speed
 
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