Phoenix of Hamble
Active member
I haven't done one for a while.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Pete's long anticipated crossing over to Niuewpoort in Belgium had got off to a bad start after finding the previous evening that the main engine battery had failed. Given that the services battery was also of some age, prudence suggested abandoning the night passage and waiting until the following morning, replacing the battery, and setting off for a day crossing instead.
The following morning, with new battery fitted, and working, a quick check of the forecast suggested a North Easterly 3 to 4, perfect for a good broad reach over to Belgium, and also suited to the crew of 4 strong and fit people on board.
So, by 10h00, Pete slipped the lines for the 75nm passage.
The forecast proved to be quite accurate with a wind perhaps tending towards force 4, and before too long they slipped through the Southern North Sea TSS, just north of the busy Sandettie Junction, without hardly seeing a ship, but the wind had been steadily building and had swung round to a North Westerly, perhaps even more Westerly than that, making the course very down wind. This combined with a tide turning to flow north again had caused a sloppy and unpleasant sea state.
An hour later, it was turning towards dusk, and a full Force 6, gusting 7 was upon them, with a rapidly building sea. Pete was starting to worry about his pilotage for approaching the Belgian coast, just 15nm off, with its notorious shallows and sandbanks in this wind when there was an almighty bang and the boat rounded violently up into the wind where it sat with the sails flogging..... a glance behind them and Pete could see a large log and the remains of his rudder drifting away rapidly.
In a panic he ran down below to find the rudder shaft still secure in its mount, and no leakage, but absolutely no sign of any steerage at all....
What should Pete do next?
Pete's long anticipated crossing over to Niuewpoort in Belgium had got off to a bad start after finding the previous evening that the main engine battery had failed. Given that the services battery was also of some age, prudence suggested abandoning the night passage and waiting until the following morning, replacing the battery, and setting off for a day crossing instead.
The following morning, with new battery fitted, and working, a quick check of the forecast suggested a North Easterly 3 to 4, perfect for a good broad reach over to Belgium, and also suited to the crew of 4 strong and fit people on board.
So, by 10h00, Pete slipped the lines for the 75nm passage.
The forecast proved to be quite accurate with a wind perhaps tending towards force 4, and before too long they slipped through the Southern North Sea TSS, just north of the busy Sandettie Junction, without hardly seeing a ship, but the wind had been steadily building and had swung round to a North Westerly, perhaps even more Westerly than that, making the course very down wind. This combined with a tide turning to flow north again had caused a sloppy and unpleasant sea state.
An hour later, it was turning towards dusk, and a full Force 6, gusting 7 was upon them, with a rapidly building sea. Pete was starting to worry about his pilotage for approaching the Belgian coast, just 15nm off, with its notorious shallows and sandbanks in this wind when there was an almighty bang and the boat rounded violently up into the wind where it sat with the sails flogging..... a glance behind them and Pete could see a large log and the remains of his rudder drifting away rapidly.
In a panic he ran down below to find the rudder shaft still secure in its mount, and no leakage, but absolutely no sign of any steerage at all....
What should Pete do next?
