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Yacht runs aground

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by ombreetsoleil, Jul 21, 2013.

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  1. Bamboo

    Bamboo Senior Member

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    Hi,

    Agreed.
  2. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    It takes a serious tow line to pull a boat that big in that kind of weather... It s very possible the CG small boat didn't have the gear to tow.

    Brings up an interesting, how many boats like is would be ready to rig an emergency tow line quickly, in rough conditions? I have a couple of hundred feet of heavy line in the the anchor locker which could be rigged as a tow line, but how quickly would it be deployed? I wonder.... Something for all of us to think about.

    Good point about free fall... A competent owner or responsible captain should be familiar with every system emergency operation including free falling the anchor. On many windlasses, you need to release the clutch with a special wrench / winch handle. I know where mine is and it is easy to grab in a bind, but I bet half the captains/owners don't...

    Last, once you have deployed the anchor, stabilized the situation and passed a tow line, how do you raise anchor if the windlass is out? I have seen so many boats where the end of the chain is shackled to the anchor locker and impossible to release instead of being attached by a few feet of line.

    Stories like this are great opportunities to go thru what if scenarios.
  3. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    On the Hat I run I bought a 600' reel to splice my dock lines, and keep the unused 300+' stored for just such an emergency or for doubling up. That CG boat would at least have it's dock lines that could be put together to make a tow line. It was at least worth a try. I wouldn't be concerned about retrieving the anchor in that situation, just getting it deployed. Worst comes to worst it can be brought up by hand or cut lose. In any case watching the entertainment just doesn't seem like what the CG is out there for.
  4. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    I agree auto it retrieving the anchor not being much of concern, problem is to cut it loose when ready to to if it is shackled to the boat as I have often seen.

    Maybe I need to go to the gym but I not sure I could left a 100 to 200 pounder with chain off the bottom in rough weather by hand :)

    W don't have the details, one report stated towing efforts failed... So maybe they tried tying dock lines, who knows...

    That s one reason I m not crazy about doing deliveries, you never know enough about the boat and often the equipment is inadequate.... The 70' sky lounge I m running now had a 65 lbs danforth when I got on board for the delivery from Miami to Nantucket. Obviously the owner listened to my recommendation of upgrading it before departure :)
  5. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    The Coast Guard will rescue the vessel if it is in peril and there is not a tow boat nearby. Otherwise, they let the tow boat take it. Most Coast Guard boats have bits suitable for towing in case of a dire emergency like this.
  6. HTMO9

    HTMO9 Senior Member

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    The last sentence IMHO counts for any serious Coast Guard, Custom, Police or any other kind of governmental patrol boat all over the world. These guys are professional boaters and trained to help, when needed.

    The other thing, I do not understand is the fact, that Brindisi harbour has a salvage tug station and a rescue boat facility. The Italian coast guard is stationed there, the Guardia di Finanza has a PT boat station there and the Italian Navy has an Airbase (rescue helicopter) and a harbour (with floating units) at Brindisi. Most of those boats and those Helos are on 24/7 stby all over the year. Tugs and all kinds of capable boats just on the other side of the breakwater. Nobody listen to the Mayday call or even responded ???

    Below an aerial view of the harbour of Brindisi.

    Attached Files:

  7. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Was there a mayday call?

    Has the media over there found any new info? Transcripts? Anybody over hear any radio traffic? During the video, on second look, seems like the CG MLB looked, turned to leave, turned back and watched. Was the captain already down and guest did not know how to use a radio? cell phone? or even know they were in peril?

    We have a recording from the Costa event, but not this?

    Another rcrapps inquiring mind thing.
  8. HTMO9

    HTMO9 Senior Member

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    Mayday call

    According to the media, fisherman responded to the Mayday call, but were unable to establish a tow? I could buy that. Not every fisherman is able to perform a rescue action like this. But on the other hand that would mean, this CG boat driving around the yacht under distress must have been informed about the state of emergency of this vessel. And with his local knowledge, the commander of this vessel must have known (with the given weather situation), where this yacht would finally end up. Sorry gentleman, but the international law of the sea calls this : "Failure to render assistance in an emergency".

    Just try the practical point of view. A harbour with the size of Brindisi, a combined port for oil tanker, fishery, yachts, navy, different floating government agencies and an active salvage tug and rescue boat station plus an associated rescue helicopter station, has a port authority with radio station and listening watch of at least the local harbour frequency and the maritime emergency frequency. The call "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" or the Italian version "Emergenca, Emergenca, Emergenca" must have woken up somebody. If the above statement is correct, that there was a time frame of about an hour between the initial Distress call and the final crash into the breakwater, something is wrong in the Roman Empire !!!!

    Italy is one of the oldest seafaring nations of the world and member of the SOLAS convention. They should be able to handle a situation like this. Costa Concordia, the Genova accident, this example, enough is enough !!! Italy is a beautiful country with very, very nice, intelligent and friendly people. I know, they can do better.
  9. Bamboo

    Bamboo Senior Member

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    I don't believe that as a blanket statement. When I was leaving NY a week after Sandy I was told under no circumstances would the CG pull my boat off any sandbar or other underwater hazard- including the breakwater. They said they don't rescue vessels- just people. Other CG's I've spoken with previously were confirmed with this view. Of course that's just my personal experience, but the local Sea Tow captains (who have been crew on my boat during the coastwise voyage) also said they same thing.
  10. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    No, they will not pull you off the bar or rocks (your already there) but if your in peril (bearing down on rocks with down captain) and no other assistance is available, they will help.
    THIS IS "Failure to render assistance in an emergency".
  11. ombreetsoleil

    ombreetsoleil Senior Member

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  12. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Good thing the rib was still tied down to the aft platform. May have been the only thing holding the as%% (aft) up.
  13. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hii,

    It may well have suffered some type failure such as a broken pipe and filled up
  14. Chapstick

    Chapstick Member

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    Was the youtube footage in the OP from a tv station or similar?

    When I try to view it I get an error saying there have been allegations of copyright infringement, which can only correctly and legally be made by the owner of the footage, which originally would be whoever shot it...
  15. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    That will be Big Kev filtering your Internet, I am looking at it with a French ip addy and it runs fine on an iPad unlike a lot I look at.
  16. Old Phart

    Old Phart Senior Member

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    I dunno
    Works here.

    Too funny.

    I dunno where I am. ;)