What Now Skipper?

oceanfroggie

oceanfroggie

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Froggie's WHAT NOW SKIPPER - No 2

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<u>Senario - WNS No 2</u>
<ul type="square">[*]You are cruising down the Shannon estuary in the company of a friend on another motor cruiser during late summer. Both vessels 37ft, single engine shaft drive, well found and in good mechanical order. You have a 5hp inflatable tender in tow. The other vessel does not have a tender.
[*]The other vessel is skippered by a pal and his girl friend. She is new to boating.
[*]Your crew includes yourself as skipper, your wife who is also an experienced helm, and your 16yo son.
[*]You are cruising down the estuary with a spring ebb tide, your GPS SOG is 10kt.
[*]Position just 4 miles east of Tarbert Race on the Shannon estuary (ie upstream), mid channel (see chart above).
[*]You have noticed a ship departing Foynes about 4 miles behind you also heading downstream and closing.
[*]Weather pleasant, wind F4 from SW, visibility excellent, sea state increasingly choppy as wind against tide effect increases as you near Tarbert race.
[*]Both vessels equiped with fixed VHF, and you have a backup handheld
[*]You are leading the two vessels line astern in close quarters
[*]All is well until:
[*]Hearing shouting from behind you observe your pals girl friend waving frantically from the other vessel
[*]Your pal has fallen over board the other boat, but he is wearing a PDF and it has successfully inflated, he is conscious, floating well and appears to be waving at you, pointing to his hysterical girl friend.
[*]Panicking his girl friend who does not now how to control a boat, has switched the engine off using the key.
[*]You cannot raise her on the VHF, the other vessel is now adrift in a strong tidal stream and your friend is in the water wearing his inflated PFD.
[*]What Now Skipper? <span style="color:Gray">(give your actions in a few steps and explain reasons)
[/list]
 
1,inform coastguard
2,raise vessel that is closing and inform of situation
3,manouvre your vessel alongside your friends and tie alongside power up and keep control of both
4,leave SWMBO to helm your boat while you perform an heroic rescue of your mate in the tender.
5,meet up with mother craft
6,despatch your mate back onto his boat
7,untie
8,inform coastguard situation solved
9,inform closing vessel
10,find safe haven and have few drinks.
 
Work out how many minutes window before you either get stuffed into the race or the casualty drifts into the N shore. I reckon about 20 mins drifting before it starts to become lumpy.

Raise CG, or other boats to inform CG ,and commercial vessel.

Launch tender and recover MOB to your boat. This stops GF and him panicking, and reduces the risk of MOB getting in the way as you all jill about downstream trying to sort things out.

Go alongside disabled mobo, and transfer one crew with aim to restart engine, or receive a line for a tow, or chuck anchor over till everything cools down.

People first, property second.
 
[ QUOTE ]

[*]Your pal has fallen over board the other boat, but he is wearing a PDF and it has successfully inflated

[/ QUOTE ]

Did he need a full copy Acrobat to get it automatically inflated, or did a just use reader to do it manually?
 
- put out pan pan urgency call which will alert CG & the ship.
- put the 16yo on the radio to relay radio traffic to/from you.
- ensure wife wearing l/jckt & brief her what is required of her - to be put aboard the other vessel, to reassure the girl, to start up the engine & proceed out of the fairway to the south stemming the tide in the sheltered area close in to the NE of Hebirs Rock.
- turn your boat round & go back to put wife aboard the other boat (fenders rigged by 16yo) .
- Carry on to the NE to pick up the MOB using your practiced method with the 16yo helping out.
- try to recover MOB without using the dinghy as it would be time wasted preparing & launching it. If he is waving, he should be fit enough to help with getting himself back on the boat.
- proceed to alongside the other vessel in the sheltered waters south of the main channel.
- inform all on VHF of satisfactory recovery or of need for further assistance.
- 1st aid check on the MOB with special reference for secondary drowning.
- allow ship to clear before proceeding on passage or returning to departure point.
 
In reality your mind comes up with a quick plan, it might be right or wrong, but has to be carried through. Theres no time for iffing or butting. It's all unknown what the result would be, by taking this action first or the other one first. Acting quickly is the best you can do.
 
Excellent choices/sequence, I'd agree with almost all of that.
My only small variation is that I'd ask wife to bring the tender towing line with her when boarding the other boat, 'cause it would be not only useless, but even potentially dangerous when maneuvering to recover MOB (towing line could mess with the prop).
 
I agree, definitely a mayday situation with MOB. That way all local traffic will be alerted.
Next priority is to rescue man overboard.
Girlfriend is dry and relatively safe so comes last IMHO.

Always always life before possesions.
 
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