Why do Sailing boats call the RNLI when their engins pack up?

[ QUOTE ]
No wind and drifting onto the rocks - what about the Anchor till you get a little wind?

[/ QUOTE ]

You've obviously never sailed in places similar to the Norwegian Fjords...
 
I had an impellor go in a headwind approach to Portsmouth recently, but knew I could fix it quite quickly. Bore away under sail and then replaced it, resumed course within 10 minutes or so.

I could have put out an advisory call, but as I could easily get clear of the shipping channel and into safe water didn't bother. Seems to me that as soon as you put out a call, CG turn into busybody mode and want to 'rescue' you. GC are experts at turning a minor inconvenience into a full blown crisis, launching assets you don't need at the drop of a hat and trying to take over the management of your boat.

Avoid them whenever possible
 
As they say, turn a minor incident into a major crisis!

But Tom you have the skill to do what you did, I believe there are too many out there without a clue.
 
I would say no thanks now! -- Longish

[ QUOTE ]
.... which of us would say 'no thanks'? Chances are they will continue to 'stand by' until you are safe anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am sorry to say, me, now. Once bitten, I shall explain, is everyone sitting comfortably!

When I was about 13, a friend, we will call him Les, because that was his name, and I would sail most weekends and summer evenings in a mirror dinghy we had been lent / given. We had spent most of winter doing her up as she had previously been dumped in a shed and was in a terrible state. We never got to Lakesailors varnish standards but she looked good when we rolled her out the following spring.

One Sunday afternoon toward the back end of the season it was blowing a hoolie in dinghy sailing terms, in fact a hoolie in most cruiser terms. We decided a sail in the lake was in order. This ‘lake’ was not really a lake, it is the area sheltered between the beach and the sandbank at Hoylake on the Wirral, Hoyle Lake, hence the name, see a little history lesson too. You can’t pay for this type of entertainment, strangely!

So we rigged the boat, we shall call her ‘Splasher’ as that was her name, and launched. Oh how we flew down the lake, up on the plane, I have never seen a mirror sail so fast, we got soaked to the skin as she was throwing water everywhere. This was the best fun ever! We had forgotten the kicking strap so some of it was seat of the pants, but we were having a fabulous time.

We capsized and had a fair time getting her back up, oooer, so it was decided, as we were now drenched we would practice capsizing as we needed to get it right, this is how a 13 year old thinks, remember! So sail a bit, tip her over. To the point we could get out onto the board before she touched down. We were having great fun. The old people sat in their front rooms in their beach front properties did not agree and decided to do their bit!

We had not noticed that the buoyancy tanks were slowly filling with water each time she went over and on the last occasion, when she came up there was very little freeboard. We had drifted in toward a tristar on a mooring and I had grabbed the tristars rudder and held Splasher by her transom with my other hand. Les had brought her up and climbed in, but had I got in it was feared she might not have the buoyancy to stay upright.

So we decided I would climb aboard the tristar and Les would sail to the beach to dry her out and pop back to get me, I let go and he shot off toward the beach. I hauled myself aboard the trimaran and then noticed the commotion on the promenade. A small crowd had built up around the Coastguard Landy that had parked to observe us. I pulled my waders off and emptied them as I watched. Yes I know!

Les arrived ashore and the auxiliary CG rushed over to him, preventing him re-launching, not advising, he would not let him come back for me. The auxiliary was also our geography teacher, he did know us and Les explained what happened, we were not in trouble, a rational, non panicked decision had been made, if only he would leave us to get on. ‘No, I am calling the West Kirby Lifeboat’ says he, ‘he might try to swim ashore’. Les tried to explain who I was, fishing family, knows the waters etc. to no avail, the CG had the mist.

While all this was happening, the wind had dropped and the sun had come out. I had laid my sodden fags on the deck in an attempt to dry them out. I had managed somehow to get one lit, so was sat watching, wondering why Les had actually been stopped when he tried yet again to pull the dinghy back into the water which was quickly ebbing now. I resigned myself for a wait until low water.

Along comes the rubber duck, I saw her approach and that was the only moment I considered swimming for it. Very quickly she was alongside, I knew all the crew and there was a fair amount of laughing going on, mainly from the lads on the duck. ‘I am alright, I will walk ashore at low water, no problems, you couldn’t leave me some fags could you’ says I. So cox gets on VHF and says there is no problem, he is waiting until the tide goes out, we are going back to station. You see, they also knew me, and unlike the auxiliary CG realised I was not stupid enough to try swimming.

So the crew let go and just before pulling off I suggest, while they are here they might as well give me a lift ashore, as a lift! No problems says cox, and after about 10 minutes they drop me ashore, after a couple of laps of the lake at high speed, what a laugh!

My mum had now wandered down, hence the photographic evidence, she had heard on my scanner the commotion. Once ashore Les and I sorted the dinghy and sailed off back to the slipway we had launched from.

The moral of the story, I am now a statistic, I am on the board as a life saved, complete bollicks, too many busy bodies trying to do their thing. The auxiliary CG who knew best, the guy does not go out in boats, I know this for a fact. We were not in trouble, this was explained to him and he prevented Les from coming to get me, Why?

If a lifeboat ever arrives alongside because I have for example suggested I am sitting at anchor overnight because of engine problems and there is no wind, I will be forced to tell them to buggor orf. I will not be a statistic because some landlubber CG decides I am not intelligent enough to make a decision.

This is not against the CG, but it would be nice if occasionally they trusted the boaters decision and not what they thought was best for them. Sorry it was so long, I just thought it was another example of a non rescue!

LB-Hoylake-J--L.jpg


Mirror-Hoylake-J--L.jpg


The End.
 
Re: I would say no thanks now! -- Longish

what a long read woofy - yo umust not have much to do right now. BUT I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who finds some of this 'we know best' attitude' anoying.

Anyway seems this post got prople talking and I thought I'd be shot down in falmes for even suggesting something was not as shoudl be....
 
are you kidding ?

but sorry - welcome to our forum. you will find us helpful, cynical and hopefully entertaining ........ the order will vary /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hi I am new to sailing what am I supposed to do when I see a yacht flying a blue ensign

[/ QUOTE ]

It's the International Code Flag for "Dogging".

So just go on over and peer though the windows with your nose pressed against the glass...........any time of day or night........although you may sometimes need to tap on the window if someone has accidently closed the curtains.
 
It's a well known signal for 'I'm not racing' therefore they are the give way vessel, and you can continue on your course, confident they will give way and give a friendly wave and holler friendly greetings
 
[ QUOTE ]
No. If my engine was US, and a Lifeboat turns up unasked, offering to get me home, chances are I would take up the offer even if I did think I could do it safely under sail.

[/ QUOTE ]

But why would they turn up unasked? I presume in this scenario you are proceeding under sail, or hoisting sails if not already set, no one would know you'd got a duff motor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top