Would you have stayed on board?

Very difficult to say from that description. The skipper is (inevitably) being relentlessly hammered on social media, but without more situational details its impossible to opine..
 
I have been thinking about this since I read the Oban RNLI post yesterday. My immediate thought is that the RNLI were not that effective. Their focus is on his refusal to abandon, rather than help. Neither boats got him to safety, the anchor eventually held.

At the end of the day, the bloke made the right call and saved himself and his boat. If he had abandoned his boat it could have been lost. I assume the RNLI were tasked to help because the boat owner initiated a call for help.

I don’t think it is possible to say what I would have done, but the bloke got outside assistance which helped save him and his boat, so the his actions were correct.
 
Transferring from one boat to another, especially between different sizes/types, is difficult enough in gentle conditions - what are the chances in the conditions described, with one hand injured? I think I would have also been inclined to think my best chance was staying aboard, praying for the anchor to dig in again.
 
It must have been very frightening for the single handed sailor. Conditions were pretty extreme. It was dark, and I understand that there was a power cut at the time, so there would be no shore lights to give some idea of position. His anchor dragged. He asked for help, and then his anchor held. In that situation, yes I would have stayed aboard. (I would also have chucked out a second anchor, to give some reassurance).
 
My surprise is that Loch Aline is favoured as a strong winds anchorage. Especially when there’s any W in the wind. Inevitability the wind blasts up the loch and there’s quite a fetch. I’d have opted for Loch Drumbuie, on multiple occasions I’ve been anchored there in near calm conditions whilst hearing about gales and very bouncy conditions in Oban.
 
Last edited:
First I would want to know who called the lifeboat....if it was the casualty yachtsman (to use their terminology) and he deliberately put them in danger for no reason...then he should be prosecuted.
 
I have been in the situation (flat calm) where they wanted me off. I said what if I didn't get off. They said they would have to hang about all night. If I had called, I would have done what I was told.

I was there a few weeks ago. Plenty of big buoys to catch onto off to starboard as you come in. I would have picked up one of those, I think.
 
When you are really in a strong gale with lulls at 40knts and gusts 60+ you are in the hands of the gods and your ground tackle. Hard to describe the wave size generated by 1/4 mile fetch. I did not set a second anchor in Floris as there was a 180 degree wind shift and I judged the tangling risk might cause trouble. Second anchor on deck and ready to go. The only Plan B was to beach in an inlet if possible. I did not feel an imminent risk to (my) life but definitely to the boat. Amy was stronger than Floris.
Screenshot_20251005_132721_Gallery.jpg
Choosing where to weather such extreme events is hard. Normal rules stop applying, good holding and no swell topped my list. West Coast pontoons and marinas can offer a false sense of security and would you trust a mooring?

He survived, his boat survived, the RNLI helped. A good ending and no doubt much learnt.
 
Dunno what I would have done but as it turns out he made the right judgement. Good luck to him.
 
GEM43 said:
My surprise is that Loch Aline is favoured as a strong winds anchorage. Especially when there’s any W in the wind. Inevitability the wind blasts up the loch and there’s quite a fetch. I’d have opted for Loch Drumbuie, on multiple occasions I’ve been anchored there in near calm conditions whilst hearing about gales and very bouncy conditions in Oban.
Click to expand...
This was my reaction. We opted for Tobermory in similar conditions a month or so ago and were there a day early to be certain we would be OK. Unfortunately, without an explanation as to why he was still out there's no lesson to be learned here. I saw a video of the conditions in Loch Aline that day and they confirmed my thinking that it's not a place to be in a westerly, let a lone a strong one. The shallow entrance would also give me pause in any kind of stronger conditions. Both Loch Aline and Oban pontoons suffered damage that night.

I'm sure he had his reasons, and he's under no obligation to share them. Good to hear he's OK.
 
This is Loch Aline, on the Morvern Peninsula, just off the Sound of Mull. Oban is to the right and Tobermory to the left, where the two lifeboats came from respectively. I was in the area on the night of the 3rd and 4th and wind was mainly SSE in the after noon, through to S, then SSW overnight. The wind started dropping around 4am, but still wild and far higher than normal.

Anchored at the Head of the Loch, suggest the boat was around the beacon at Sgeirean nan Ron, which is a popular anchorage, maybe towards the east shore. If on the east shore, you can see that it drops off quite steeply, so if tucked in, it would not take much to start dragging. You can see the shallows that the RNLI were concerned about. This is not a good Loch to seek shelter in from such a wind.

Screenshot 2025-10-05 at 15.21.36.png
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

L
Car insurance.. 6mths in a Spanish Marina
2
Replies
30
Views
1K
Leslie frank
L

Share this page

Top