Far from shore

[Scomich]

Does every newbie create such discussion or am I unique. But still great reading.
All informative,
But 40 miles from land? I can't ever see. That being me, Unless I have had a major failure and am indeed drifting Norway bound. Lol.

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Scomich

... am I unique...

Of course you are! Me too...

[Fenlander]

Ha ha it doesn't take much for the handbags to come out here. Just remember new or not you have equal right to an opinion on anything and nothing is ever meant personally so remain thick skinned if the going gets a bit rough in a thread.

[Last Tango]

Originally Posted by Fender

Now your in trouble - Whats Mr Angry got to say about that

Well if you're just spending your day paddling around Lymington slip you could just give the car horn a toot to raise attention. Get someone to paddle out to you with emergency supplies of ice cream...

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Last Tango

Well if you're just spending your day paddling around Lymington slip you could just give the car horn a toot to raise attention. Get someone to paddle out to you with emergency supplies of ice cream...

Or phone Sea Start[emoji6]

[Lee argyle]

Originally Posted by Last Tango

Well if you're just spending your day paddling around Lymington slip you could just give the car horn a toot to raise attention. Get someone to paddle out to you with emergency supplies of ice cream...

Ice cream is good! However I’m more in interested in what LT has to say about Gurnard and his feelings towards PLBs - ‘Personally I would have a PLB and a mobile with me before a handheld for the Forth.’ LT was very quick to make accusations towards fender but has offered no opinion on Gurnard’s post , the post that was very clear about his priorities regarding comms, please enlighten me or are you conveniently staying silent?

[The Gurnard]

Originally Posted by Lee argyle

However I’m more in interested in what LT has to say about Gurnard and his feelings towards PLBs - ‘Personally I would have a PLB and a mobile with me before a handheld for the Forth.’

Aww..dont use my opinion as a handbag to hit one another with and I promise not to use others opinions as a handbag too

This is all only my opinion ..nothing else …

A fixed VHF is very useful and if you have power on board..IMO a must have. I have a handheld and use it regularly so know its limitations ..I would not trust it to save my life . Its great for communicating in group outings . Hopeless when I tried self rescue in a wave higher than my head and aerial. Half my time off the west I cant get a radio check from coast guard.

I have a PLB too and its my first choice if the sh&t hits the fan..but I have never needed any external assistance in 64 year.. so perhaps Im not the best to give advice..those who have got themselves into difficulty are possibly better to answer these kind of questions.

I also agree with Beamish ..in that how much equipment do we need to go boating off our home shore ? As recent as last June..the Rib guys I went to the Ross of Mull with, assisted a boat with a broken down OB. It had no radio or even mobile phone ..it waved us down and it was in no real danger at that time. We responded and got it back to its mooring. The Forth is as busy a place to wave a boat down or even let off a soggy out of date flare.

Thats what happened in days of my youth.

Its perhaps worth remembering when most of us started..we had very little money to spare on our safety gear..it took me years to get a radio.. a PLB ..a dry suit .. I still dont have a plotter so rely on compass and charts or maps when the mist comes down.

Common sense is needed more that all the gizmos in this world and Im certain from reading Scomich replies that he has lots of that ..so lets leave it at that.

Well..except to say..Im not unique..Im common as they come and proud of it

[Last Tango]

Originally Posted by Lee argyle

<<<<< I’m more in interested in what LT has to say>>>>>

I'll take that as a compliment....

And next time I bump into the Gurnard I'll buy him a pint and we can have a chat about it.

[Lee argyle]

Originally Posted by The Gurnard

Aww..dont use my opinion as a handbag to hit one another with and I promise not to use others opinions as a handbag too

This is all only my opinion ..nothing else …

A fixed VHF is very useful and if you have power on board..IMO a must have. I have a handheld and use it regularly so know its limitations ..I would not trust it to save my life . Its great for communicating in group outings . Hopeless when I tried self rescue in a wave higher than my head and aerial. Half my time off the west I cant get a radio check from coast guard.

I have a PLB too and its my first choice if the sh&t hits the fan..but I have never needed any external assistance in 64 year.. so perhaps Im not the best to give advice..those who have got themselves into difficulty are possibly better to answer these kind of questions.

I also agree with Beamish ..in that how much equipment do we need to go boating off our home shore ? As recent as last June..the Rib guys I went to the Ross of Mull with, assisted a boat with a broken down OB. It had no radio or even mobile phone ..it waved us down and it was in no real danger at that time. We responded and got it back to its mooring. The Forth is as busy a place to wave a boat down or even let off a soggy out of date flare.

Thats what happened in days of my youth.

Its perhaps worth remembering when most of us started..we had very little money to spare on our safety gear..it took me years to get a radio.. a PLB ..a dry suit .. I still dont have a plotter so rely on compass and charts or maps when the mist comes down.

Common sense is needed more that all the gizmos in this world and Im certain from reading Scomich replies that he has lots of that ..so lets leave it at that.

Well..except to say..Im not unique..Im common as they come and proud of it

Sorry, not meaning to drag you or your opinion into a bun fight! My observation was LT will rant at one poster and turn a blind eye at others with the point of view he finds so offensive, which is exactly what happened earlier, even after prompting an explanation LT is still avoiding answering - which speaks volumes to me

[Lee argyle]

Originally Posted by Lee argyle

Ice cream is good! However I’m more in interested in what LT has to say about Gurnard and his feelings towards PLBs - ‘Personally I would have a PLB and a mobile with me before a handheld for the Forth.’ LT was very quick to make accusations towards fender but has offered no opinion on Gurnard’s post , the post that was very clear about his priorities regarding comms, please enlighten me or are you conveniently staying silent?

Originally Posted by Last Tango

I'll take that as a compliment....

And next time I bump into the Gurnard I'll buy him a pint and we can have a chat about it.

However you portray my post, please be assured my underlying sentiment wasn’t complementary

[jonp]

Over here in Australia with such vast remoteness a breakdown in a motor vehicle can be just as bad as a break down at sea. Extreme temperatures will soon see the depletion of drinking water. I have equal faith in my outboard as I do the vehicles I drive. I also explore in extremely remote locations on land in search of all manner of reptiles and mammals ( last weekend discovered spotted quolls in a location where they were thought to no longer exist).

Hitting an object a sea, I carry a spare prop and locking nut. Battery fails I carry a small power pack jump starter which can also power phones and beacons. Steering breaks, as it has before I can either rig up a drogue to use to steer at slow speeds or simply turn the engine by hand. Water in fuel has to pass two alarm systems first with easy drain points. Manual pull start is relatively easy.

Its law to carry a pretty extensive safety kit here which I believe should be compulsory worldwide, I also add extras to my kit such as a plb to the compulsory epirb and a handheld vhf as well as the fixed. One of the best gadgets on my list the Garmin inreach, this alone is the best gadget in my opinion as it gives two way communication from anywhere in the world, meaning you don't have to send for the full cavalry for something minor. The fact you can state your emergency and get medical advice before rescue arrives could also be a lifesaver. I also keep up to date with first aid, going the distance takes responsibility.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yMU8xVeHARo&t=616s

[Tim M]

Originally Posted by Poly

- you know there are spots around our coasts with limited VHF coverage too?
- you know that if you phone the CG they can transmit a message to all ships (more likely to be received and responded to because a. They have a big mast; b. They are the CG).

In GMDSS Area A1 around the coast of the UK you are very unlikely not to be able to get hold of the CG on VHF. Sure there are some local blackspots (in which case you'd hope another vessel would broadcast a Mayday relay), but the capability of a waterproof VHF far trumps that of a mobile phone IMO.

Personally I wouldn't leave the dock without a VHF no matter what boat I was going out in. And of course my trusty Breitling Emergency

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by Tim M

In GMDSS Area A1 around the coast of the UK you are very unlikely not to be able to get hold of the CG on VHF. Sure there are some local blackspots (in which case you'd hope another vessel would broadcast a Mayday relay), but the capability of a waterproof VHF far trumps that of a mobile phone IMO.

Personally I wouldn't leave the dock without a VHF no matter what boat I was going out in. And of course my trusty Breitling Emergency

You've clearly not small boated in and around the west coast of Scotland. There are many places a hh vhf wont get the coastguard & certain areas see little vessel traffic
Whilst around the fourth the op would probably stand an equal chance with a mobile and a hh he doesnt have a hh. The discussion is, is it wise to leave the marina without a hh & the general opinion from most experienced older posters is with a few caveats then yes he will be fine

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by beamishken

.................The discussion is, is it wise to leave the marina without a hh & the general opinion from most experienced older posters is with a few caveats then yes he will be fine

Actually, the original question was:-

Originally Posted by Scomich

Just wondering do any of you ever suffer from the fear of being so far from shore?

which I took to mean, err Does being far from shore make you fearful?
The lack of VHF only got a cursory mention in the last line of the OPs post,

Originally Posted by Scomich

....i don't have ship to shore radio but did constantly check that i had phone signal.

but the whole subsequent conversation seems to revolve around the merits of phone/VHF/PLB, which I'm sure has been done before
It could be argued that in the event of an engine failure, the further off shore, the better.

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Actually, the original question was:-



which I took to mean, err Does being far from shore make you fearful?
The lack of VHF only got a cursory mention in the last line of the OPs post,



but the whole subsequent conversation seems to revolve around the merits of phone/VHF/PLB, which I'm sure has been done before
It could be argued that in the event of an engine failure, the further off shore, the better.

Inevitable thread drift I think but it did seem to drift in the direction of :- you shouldn't feel comfortable without a ship full of safety gear.
When clearly some of us have been around when it wasnt available & therefore see no reason to be uncomfortable without it in the right circumstances. We dont all need a vhf as our cuddle blanky

[Fenlander]

Well the OP did refer to the fearful aspect but went straight on to reference engine failure, rowing back, the effect of wind, marine radio and phone signal. So it gave a broad base for discussion hence as soon as post 4 I dived in re all those aspects plus having an anchor etc.

The OP has a 3.3m SIB with 6hp outboard so the expensive big boys stuff like a second outboard, liferaft, fixed VHF etc can be discounted but the smallcraft safety basics are compact and cheap compared to other boating costs.

Lifejacket taken as given... anchor, chain and a sensible amount of rope isn't that expensive (OK so perhaps not enough to anchor east of The Isle of May but OK to get a hook in before being washed ashore somewhere at the mercy of the surf)... the excellent portable SH 300E radio just £100 so only a tenner more than the new prop he's just bought (he can do the course/exam when he gets time)… compass …. the OPs been a kayaker so the powerboat course perhaps not essential for him to use a small SIB... perhaps a PLB but they're only the cost of a couple of tyres on the car... and that's about it for the basics.

Not really very onerous to buy or carry the stuff.

I was on the sea in large estuary areas before 10yrs old in a GRP dinghy/seagull/oars with no buoyancy, no lifejacket, no means of calling for help... and also with family frequently visited France and the Channel Isles in single engine craft with no radios or GPS including night passages.

We never got into trouble in those ill equipped days but that doesn't mean I'd turn down the excellent safety kit available today.

The only "advised" thing we don't carry now are PLBs and that may be next years purchase. However when boating down south we mostly have several other boats within view at any one time and when up in Scotland tend to be in the milder conditions of a leisure day out not an expedition but if I was doing Gurnard stuff I'd have one.

[Lee argyle]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Well the OP did refer to the fearful aspect but went straight on to reference engine failure, rowing back, the effect of wind, marine radio and phone signal. So it gave a broad base for discussion hence as soon as post 4 I dived in re all those aspects plus having an anchor etc.

The OP has a 3.3m SIB with 6hp outboard so the expensive big boys stuff like a second outboard, liferaft, fixed VHF etc can be discounted but the smallcraft safety basics are compact and cheap compared to other boating costs.

Lifejacket taken as given... anchor, chain and a sensible amount of rope isn't that expensive (OK so perhaps not enough to anchor east of The Isle of May but OK to get a hook in before being washed ashore somewhere at the mercy of the surf)... the excellent portable SH 300E radio just £100 so only a tenner more than the new prop he's just bought (he can do the course/exam when he gets time)… compass …. the OPs been a kayaker so the powerboat course perhaps not essential for him to use a small SIB... perhaps a PLB but they're only the cost of a couple of tyres on the car... and that's about it for the basics.

Not really very onerous to buy or carry the stuff.

I was on the sea in large estuary areas before 10yrs old in a GRP dinghy/seagull/oars with no buoyancy, no lifejacket, no means of calling for help... and also with family frequently visited France and the Channel Isles in single engine craft with no radios or GPS including night passages.

We never got into trouble in those ill equipped days but that doesn't mean I'd turn down the excellent safety kit available today.

The only "advised" thing we don't carry now are PLBs and that may be next years purchase. However when boating down south we mostly have several other boats within view at any one time and when up in Scotland tend to be in the milder conditions of a leisure day out not an expedition but if I was doing Gurnard stuff I'd have one.

Interesting from the RYA
https://www.rya.org.uk/SiteCollectio...Info-Sheet.pdf

[Fenlander]

I notice at the bottom of that link flares are discussed... ahh SIBs and flares...

[beamishken]

Emergency distress alerting guidelines for Pleasure Vessels under

13.7m in length, outlining the combinations of equipment you could

consider carrying and using to indicate that you require assistance,

depending upon the type of your vessel and where you use it.

Notice the words "could consider carrying" in the page header copied above
Also the last paragraph
I'm not saying dont carry safety gear just dont get bogged down in "you have to have xyz" when even the rya state you COULD carry xyz

[brucehawsker]

I have had total failure twice and both times in the Solent. Coastguard were charming, reassuring and for us tows home. That's in 15 years of boating. I have a console and handheld VHF and done course