Yesterday's Solent Pan-Pan for Mobo hitting rock

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Seahope

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On way out yesterday my DSC alarm went off for the first time. The chart plotter gave me the option of heading towards the source but then refused to do it as an obstacle (Portsmouth) was in the way. I heard some of the dialogue with the Coast Guard. It seemed a very calm guy had hit a rock off bembridge and incapacitated his boat. I was just wondering if anyone knows which one and is able to confirm that it is on the charts?

On the way back into Portsmouth I heard another Pan-Pan of a boat in trouble off the Chichester Bar. Given that it was a little bit choppy at the entrance to Portsmouth harbour it must have been pretty unpleasant coming into Chichester Harbour. Anyone know what happened? Last I heard the Hayling life boat was being launched to assist.
 
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As we were entering Bembridge fairway buoys yesterday the nimbus passed behind us, he was quite close to st helens fort, too close for me, as we turned to stb in the channel the dsc alarm went off, then came his message he had run aground on bembridge ledge.

Solent CG handled the case, I dont think the lifeboat was launched as we didnt hear anything else, the tide was rising, the owner didnt report any water ingress so he must have floated off and continued, no doubt with dented pride and a set or duoprops!.

Yes the rocks are on the charts but from memory no buoy to keep you off.
 
volvopaul said:
As we were entering Bembridge fairway buoys yesterday the nimbus passed behind us, he was quite close to st helens fort, too close for me, as we turned to stb in the channel the dsc alarm went off, then came his message he had run aground on bembridge ledge.

Solent CG handled the case, I dont think the lifeboat was launched as we didnt hear anything else, the tide was rising, the owner didnt report any water ingress so he must have floated off and continued, no doubt with dented pride and a set or duoprops!.

Yes the rocks are on the charts but from memory no buoy to keep you off.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. We were taken to Benbridge when we were being trained. I remember the entrance being quite tight with little margin for error.
 
volvopaul said:
Yes the rocks are on the charts but from memory no buoy to keep you off.
Click to expand...

was he on the rocks 200 m wbsw of the fort ?

http://www.visitmyharbour.com/viewchart.asp?chart=50B10B0D65F722260

The chart says it dries to 1.3m
the channel to bembridge dries to 1.1m
I think it was just gone noon = 2 m of water.

Thats .7 m , if he was on the plane he must have only just clipped them.


I am asking as I often approach well outside the channel so I dont have to drop off the plane as I pass other boats going slow in the channel.

I thought Bembridge ledge was somewhere off the lifeboat station:o, if there are rocks off Bembridge harbour I could do to know about them please.
 
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The power boat in queston hit Bembridge Ledge, reported no power to the coastguard with a mayday, and was attended by the Bembridge Lifeboat. The casualty was towed to a boatyard in Portsmouth Harbour for immediate lift out as she was making water.

jc
 
The boat, a Nimbus 345, did not hit Bembridge Ledge but the rocks which surround St Helens Fort.

We were en route from Cowes to Lane End to see the new lifeboat station when we picked up the DSC alert and subsequently monitored both Ch16 & Ch67 (Solent CG). He had damaged both props but was not taking on water.

When CG asked mobo to give numbers on board, position, etc he said close to a concrete fort. Must admit this confused me as knowing the area it did not make sense if he had hit the Bembridge Ledge unless he was somehow referring the the Nab Tower! CG then confirmed they had the Lat/Long from his tranmission which put him close to St Helens Fort.

Another local boat which had also picked up the DSC alert stood by while both Bembridge offshore and inshore lifeboats were launched from Silver Sands shore at Bembridge harbour and when we went past the scene the offshore had a line to the Nimbus and was starting the tow.

Guess they were trying to take a short cut or have a close look at St Helens Fort. Either way, did not look at chart and misjudged the tide.
 
I still don't quite get it.
There are no rocks to seaward of St Helens, well, not unless you went so close that you would remove your nav lights on the side of the fort anyway...

...unless he went the "wrong" side of the fort, or hit something on the way to Bembridge Ledge?
 
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