Yacht hits container

[25931]

I've just read in a Portuguese newspaper that an English yacht was damaged yesterday afternoon near the coast between Albufeira and Portimão when it hit a container. It appears that the only occupant took to a rubber boat and was rescued and the yacht was towed to Portimão. The authorities will be looking for the container.

 

[uxb]

I've just read in a Portuguese newspaper that an English yacht was damaged yesterday afternoon near the coast between Albufeira and Portimão when it hit a container. It appears that the only occupant took to a rubber boat and was rescued and the yacht was towed to Portimão. The authorities will be looking for the container.

I wonder why he got off- seems the boat was just fine.

 

[Reverend Ludd]

I was on night watch going down the coast of Portugal and saw a strange triangular thing slip by about 10 or 15ft away.
I did a double take and realised it was the corner of a container, there was no way I could doze off after that

 

[Seajet]

Containers; money talks !

I do think semi-submerged containers are the 'elephant in the room' threat, and may be the answer to several mystery sinkings / disappearances, including Mike Birch in 'Three Cheers', and there's still a question mark over the cruising catamaran capsized after possibly hitting a container off Ryde...

However container ships are big business, aren't they ?

 

[Poignard]

I wonder why he got off- seems the boat was just fine.

Does seem an odd thing to do but maybe it seemed like a good idea at the time.

 

[fireball]

Does seem an odd thing to do but maybe it seemed like a good idea at the time.

I think I'd be looking at getting my inflatable blown up too ... probably look at stemming any leak first mind.

 

[Reverend Ludd]

Seems the amount of containers lost from ships at sea varies from 2,000 to 10,000 per year

 

[davidpbo]

Seems the amount of containers lost from ships at sea varies from 2,000 to 10,000 per year

So shouldn't the spec be that they sink in a certain time with trackers on anything containing hazardous material?

 

[Reverend Ludd]

So shouldn't the spec be that they sink in a certain time with trackers on anything containing hazardous material?

I think most do sink fairly quickly to be fair.

 

[Evadne]

So shouldn't the spec be that they sink in a certain time with trackers on anything containing hazardous material?

A container will fill with water and sink unless it's full of anything that gives the whole package a density of less than 1. Waterproof, they are not!

 

[Blueboatman]

When I crossed the pond I seriously thought about having a (spinnaker type) pole projecting a metre plus in front of the boat, and hanging not one but two of those V prow fenders on the stem, which 'might' reduce the possible contact area with strange objects like ships..

 

[Deleted member 36384]

When I crossed the pond I seriously thought about having a (spinnaker type) pole projecting a metre plus in front of the boat, and hanging not one but two of those V prow fenders on the stem, which 'might' reduce the possible contact area with strange objects like ships..

You could use one of the large round fender types. By feeding a line through the pole you could pull the fender eye up tight and this secure a large soft ball ready to butt any object. If it was a pink fender you could nick name it the The Swan.

A collision bulkhead would be better, but where to put it?

 

[rogerthebodger]

Shipping containers are not the only thing that falls off ships at sea.

Have you seen how tree trunks a carried and if tree trunks fall off a ship they will take a very long time to sink and are as dangerous as containers to yachts at sea

 

[fireball]

A collision bulkhead would be better, but where to put it?

In the bow?

 

[KellysEye]

>I think most do sink fairly quickly to be fair.

Not sure about that they will certainly float just below the water for months. That's one of the reasons we bought a steel boat.

 

[Seadog17]

A forward looking fish finder/depth sonar on long range alarm bolted to the stem?

 

[Sandyman]

>I think most do sink fairly quickly to be fair.

Not sure about that they will certainly float just below the water for months. That's one of the reasons we bought a steel boat.

Snap

 

[Seajet]

There was a proposal years ago to fit containers with salt blocked vents, so they might sink relatively quickly; I'm not sure what the financial argument over-riding it was, but I couldn't help thinking it would be preferable to prevent the things going over the side in the first place !

When we were conducting recce camera trials on the Sea Harrier aircraft, Test Pilot Mike Snelling took shots of a ship off Shoreham in a gale, with large planks washed overboard all around her; he had an interest, as he also ran a fishing boat out of Brighton.

Any of those planks would have made short work of the average yacht, I quite fancy the idea of a watertight compartment in the front ( at least one Anderson 22 has this ) but it's quite difficult to organise what with access & ventilation for breathing etc.

I was told of certain Services training boats which were so effectively water/ air tight the crews in the forepeak nearly suffocated !

 

[Blueboatman]

Plan B. I did compartmentalise everything up to bunk height and had tiedown strings to hold the compartment lids on. Whilst not totally watertight at all, the theory was ( as proved with any wee deck leaks too) that after the BANG of a collision, the extent and whereabouts of any hull stove in area would be v easy to find and , hopefully, then stuff that compartment(s) with rag/teeshirts/plastic tarpaulin/stuff to act as a coffer dam and buy time for the second, better repair.

Seeing a rising bilge full of water is spectacularly unhelpful when you cant locate just where the damage might be..

 

[Giblets]

Snap

Wouldn't want a steel boat if they snap!