Another sorry story

PeterM · 02 December 2009, 18:58

http://www.rnli.org.uk/who_we_are/pr...ticleid=506692

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/8389981.stm

From what I have read today this was the second trip out in a small SIB, but has made me realise the local water that I dont think twice about going out into can still be bad news.

It also (again) makes me realise the admiration I have for the RNLI crews who turn out to help. Alas in this case its not looking good.

Lifejacket was by all accounts in use , but nothing I can find out of a VHF.

Makes me realise I should always have the handheld clipped to me when I am out on my own.

chewy · 02 December 2009, 19:20

It is a great shame.
I've got used to wearing my drysuit most of the year but its suprising how many people go out just in short and tea shirts.

We've been on exercise before and watched a father and son leave the harbour in a tiny beach inflatable. We made them aware that they may get blown out to sea but he wouldn't be told. We stood buy and watched the poor bugger row as hard as he could back, the tubes were folding he had to put that much effort in.

PeterR · 02 December 2009, 19:57

We came across a family of four two adults and two children one lifejacket on the smallest child in a tender 2metre with an outboard which had run out of fuel floating in the main shipping lane to comercial ships in the Orwell.his backside was dipping in the water.They had come down from london for the day and borrowed the inflateable.They were lucky.

Steve_B · 02 December 2009, 20:30

Really sorry for his guy even more so for his family, but cant help but think that this was some what self inflicted.

It is a shock when the home waters you think you know so well, snuff out human life so easily. However, there is no way I would have even considered putting out to sea in the conditions he did and in the vessel he used.

thornbackflound · 02 December 2009, 21:50

Very sad news of the 32 year old chap who was lost at sea yesterday fishing from his sib,found his sib washed up,with a few bits of fishing gear,plastic boxs ,semi inflated,don t think they have found him yet? happened dorset way,god knows what possesed him to venture out in these bad winds of late ,my heart goes out to his friends and family ,very sad

thornbackflound · 02 December 2009, 23:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackroady

http://www.rnli.org.uk/who_we_are/pr...ticleid=506692

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/8389981.stm

From what I have read today this was the second trip out in a small SIB, but has made me realise the local water that I dont think twice about going out into can still be bad news.

It also (again) makes me realise the admiration I have for the RNLI crews who turn out to help. Alas in this case its not looking good.

Lifejacket was by all accounts in use , but nothing I can find out of a VHF.

Makes me realise I should always have the handheld clipped to me when I am out on my own.

I have a hand held but it does not work when i radio check it with coast guard in one of the marks i fish,to far away from the coast guard and high cliffes about,i know the radio works i have used it else were,but i do take the mobile along with all the rest of the safty gear ,so a vhf can be useless at times,well hand held any way,on 6 watt tops compared with fixed,which i am thinking of,very sad,did it have an outboard i wonder?did t see it on the link

Solent-Salted · 03 December 2009, 08:51

Very sad indeed,

A reminder of how dangerous the waters are around Portland and the Solent.

But remember taking things for granted works both ways, I take it for granted that when I'm going out to sea, i've already grabbed my personal protection equipment bag. and i'm sure it's the same for you chaps and chappettes.

Second nature after a while, just sad no-one drilled this chap in some basic skills.

Lymington A85, Mudeford A85 and Yarmouth ALB were out.

PeterM · 03 December 2009, 13:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by thornbackflound

I have a hand held but it does not work when i radio check it with coast guard in one of the marks i fish,to far away from the coast guard and high cliffes about,i know the radio works i have used it else were,but i do take the mobile along with all the rest of the safty gear ,so a vhf can be useless at times,well hand held any way,on 6 watt tops compared with fixed,which i am thinking of,very sad,did it have an outboard i wonder?did t see it on the link

Indeed - luckily the Solent is covered with CG stations - one so close to this incident you could almost have shouted and still been heard.

I seem to recall a day of Northerly winds making the area very sheltered & near flat calm , but getting back in the harbour would have been very very hard over the bar with the amoutn of water running out due tot recent heavy rain , and the wind tunred to SSW later in the day building the break onto the beach, making it even harder.

CJS · 04 December 2009, 09:12

20 years ago I crewed a 46 foot yacht from Southampton - Antigua. I had never sailed a boat in my life but very quickly learned when we hit the first Force 10 entering Biscay. Imagine being inexperienced, alone on watch, in the dark with 40 foot sea pinning you to the deck - least to say it was scary.

60 hours we battled that gale before running back up the channel to Cherborg and this was only the first of four Force 10's in a row - the last was a few days out of Madeira somewhere off the coast of Morocco and was so fierce that we had to hove to and roll around in the surf for 13 hours.

After that experience I developed a healthy respect for the sea and even more respect for the sub mariners of old. I try to imagine being up a mast without any safety gear in the dark, 100 foot swells, freezing gales rounding something like the Horn. I have been around the Cape of Good Hope in Force 7 in a modern boat but can only imagine what the Horn must have been like - Those men of old had balls of steel.

When I bought my SIB, the first thing I purchased was 4 life jackets, Flares, 5 watt handheld VHF Radio and an air horn. I always carry my Mobile, torch, water and warm clothing even on a sunny day on the Solent. Having been into mountaineering most of my life and my sailing experience I learned never to underestimate Mother Nature.

Steve_B · 04 December 2009, 12:39

A body has been found this morning, whilst not confirmed as the above victim, it is highly likely. Not a good day

chewy · 04 December 2009, 22:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by 250kts

A body has been found this morning, whilst not confirmed as the above victim, it is highly likely. Not a good day

Not a good day but at least if it is the missing person then the family have his body back.
It must be hard enough losing someone but even harder not having a body to bury.