Yacht capsize

StephenSails

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MARITIME AND COASTGUARD AGENCY
No: Duty No 4 7 July 2005
FOUR RESCUED AFTER YACHT CAPSIZE

At half past seven yesterday evening Brixham Coastguard picked up a pan-pan call via VHF radio from a yacht in St Austell Bay called Gemini reporting four people in the water from another yacht they were sailing with.

The four men were attempting to lower a sail when the vessel filled with water and turned over, throwing the four men into the water.

Brixham Coastguard on receiving the pan-pan call called out the St Austell Coastguard rescue team and requested the launch of the Fowey RNLI all weather lifeboat. An ambulance was also called.

The yacht was in a position, one mile offshore in St Austell Bay. The broadcast by the fellow yacht was also received by a nearby fishing vessel who went to their assistance.

Fowey Lifeboat was quickly with the vessels to render assistance. The men were taken back to the boathouse to be checked over by paramedics after being recovered from the water.

The men were all local to the St Austell area.

Kevin Hird, Duty Watch Manager, Brixham Coastguard said:

"In this particular incident, the men were quickly rescued because a fellow yacht was able to raise the alarm by making a pan broadcast to the Coastguard and any other vessels in the area who heard the call.

A passing fishing vessel the 'Pamela' went to the aid of these yachts and was able to help recover the men from the water prior to the arrival of the lifeboat.

We would recommend that all users of the water around our coasts have a VHF radio on board, are trained in its use, and use it to call the coastguard in an emergency, which is to the credit of the fellow sailors in this particular instance."
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A bit worrying!!
 
The other boat did well to send out the position etc so help could get there quickly but in that position I would have sent a Mayday relay.
 
I have been in the same position standing by a capsized boat, and I used a Mayday Relay. Pan Pan call is not strictly accurate, but achieved the aim of raising the alert.

VHF course is easy and can be done in a day, but from listening on Channel 16 seems not to be a course completed by a lot of people (or maybe they have just forgotten what they did learn)
 
I work on the theory that it is easier to cancel a Mayday once you have control of the situation, rather than 20 minutes later having lost control, decide it is a Mayday. Even at this time of year you will chill very quickly in the water. Talking with our local lifeboat after our anual inspection, they advised better to make a Mayday and cancel, than wish you had made the Mayday.

I hope all make a speedy recovery
 
You are absolutely correct, the theory being that mob's "life is in grave and imminent danger and he/ she requires immediate assitance". This is part of the official definition of distress.

I wonder what caused the yacht to capsize as the weather down here is OK.
 
IMHO Anyone in the water has to be in grave and imminent danger. If they were unable to send a distress message themselves, then it should definitely be a Mayday Relay. If they had sent one and there was no response, it would still be a Mayday Relay.
 
I would send a Mayday.

If I was the one trying to pick them up, what's wrong with a Mayday in my boat's name? The situation would be the same as if they'd fallen off my boat. Also, if I recall, you can't send a Mayday Relay with DSC (is that right?)

Tony S
 
Totally agree with Cornishman and would have used a Mayday.

Would the response from the lifeboat not have been the same though? Aren't we becoming a bit pedandic over the protocol.
 
Its all academic. The important thing is that the emergency services were alerted in timely fashion and others heard the pan-pan, and helped rescue on scene
 
it would be a mayday, not a mayday relay as you are not relaying anything, you are the vessel sending the original message.
who cares anyway tho, the coast guard know when something is urgent.
 
No, the original point was correct. If you are raising a Mayday on another vessel's behalf it's a Mayday Relay. The fact that the other vessel didn't make a call doesn't alter that.
 
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