YM question - You're in your open 60, 1k miles from land.....

[jprstoney]

Re: YM question - You\'re in your open 60, 1k miles from land.....

Having chatted to Alex, it was not an easy operation (not that it looked it!). Even turning Ecover round for a second pass took quite sometime.

Tying on to the raft could have been dangerous as release in an emergency is more difficult.

 

[sighmoon]

Re: YM question - You\'re in your open 60, 1k miles from land.....

I'm sure Mike Golding did the right thing. I would have done it differently, but I'm coming at this from a position of never having tried anything like it, and I bow to Mike's massive experience and seamanship.

In my ignorance, in view of the engine problems, I'd probably have tried to approach under storm jib and deep reefed main, and hove to a bit upwind of the liferaft. Would this be dangerous in case a wave dumped the boat on the liferaft?

What we will definitely do though is spend a windy afternoon practicing the man overboard drill in horrible waves. To my shame, it's something I've only practiced once or twice, years ago, in flattish water.

 

[Woodlouse]

Re: YM question - You\'re in your open 60, 1k miles from land.....

The problem with trying to float a line back is exactly that. Without instant control of the engine getting a rope round it would have been game over. I imagine that is why it wasn't even attempted.

 

[Saguday]

Re: YM question - You\'re in your open 60, 1k miles from land.....

...and the whole thing was aggravated by the failure of the rocket-powered line which Alex tried to fire over to Ecover in the first place... I'd like to know a little more about that. Anyone have any experience with these things? reliability etc?

 

[doris]

Re: YM question - You\'re in your open 60, 1k miles from land.....

Goes to show good Pete Goss was when he picked up Dinelli, !st pass and under sail. Have always thought that Pete is one of the greatest. Not to denigrate Mike G in any way though, think he's a hero too!

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Re: YM question - You\'re in your open 60, 1k miles from land.....

[ QUOTE ]

I'm assuming that it was not an option to go alongside Hugo Boss and have Alex step aboard, (very quickly).

[/ QUOTE ]

Not a cat in hell's chance - they were bouncing around like matchsticks in a flushing urinal. Golding was scared of damaging Ecover to the extent they would both be in trouble. Even after Thompson got into the raft, they waited until he had drifted sufficiently away from HB before making their first attempt.