A not so funny incident - all turned out well

[boristhebold]

2 incidences of note I witnessed and was involved with over the weekend.

The first one on saturday, just had my rib put in the water along the pontoon from the drystack, a small hard sports boat in front of me with a chap giving it a good clean with a brush, soap and water.

As I was in the rear of my rib filling the oil container with some 2 stroke oil and out of visibility of the other boat I heard a loud splash, realizing instantly what it might be I shouted 'man in the water' and exited my boat to go round to the front and sure enouth a chap and his broom wwas treading water between my boat and his and looking in a sorry state, I went onto his boat and got his boarding ladder down and helped him up.

He had basicaly fell off his boat when getting onto it from the pontoon, the dry stack supervisor came over and gave a bit of first aid and as he did seemed to be a little bit shocked suggested he went home for a change of clothes and a cup of team which he did. A small cut and bruises and was generally OK.

The morale of that story is ... if your going to step on your boat from the pontoon keep a hand free and make sure the mooring line isnt loose in terms of slack line dangling down and the water flow pushing the boat to the pontoon rather than the line holding it there which was the case here as when he stepped with one foot onto the rear bathing platform the boat moved down and outwards with his weight and splosh.

Second incident on sunday, I wasnt allowed to go out on my rib as I had to spend some quality time with the misses !!! im sure you have all had that ... anyway so combine being near the sea with quality time we went for a nice coast walk along from steamer point to mudeford. When I was about half a mile from mudeford I coudl see out to the sand bank in the entrance and could easily see a couple having problems in a small rib, they had decided not to use the main marked channel but instead had decided to try and go over the large sandbank and yes on a spring tide that was fast going out. Obvisouly stuck, hundreds of people around and not one noticed they were in trouble. When I eventually got to mudeford I popped into the RNLI place and they launched and recovered the sib and both people. And yes both people were not wearing any lifejacket and no VHF ... But all was well in the end. Lesson there is if a channel is clearly marked which it is most of the time at mudeford then there is a bloddy great reason why its marked num nuts... ha ha people are always getting stuck on that sandbar. Anyway it was great to see the mudeford rnli powering through the tide flow at mudeford.

[Harrys Game]

Glad they both had happy endings but it just goes to show always be aware. Regards Jim

[jumpinjack]

Glad I avoided you all weekend Boris!! Lol

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Edit

Misread

[willk]

Originally Posted by boristhebold

. Obvisouly stuck, hundreds of people around and not one noticed they were in trouble. When I eventually got to mudeford I popped into the RNLI place and they launched...

Maybe those hundreds of people HAD noticed but decided to wait until they walked the half hour to Mudeford before alerting the RNLI (despite 112 and 999 being free calls). Good thing neither of the "num nuts" panicked and decided to swim for it! That could have been a not so funny incident indeed...

[PeterM]

Superb how only posts on Ribnet with its really odd sense of morals & safety police could end up hinting that Boris didn't do the right thing....

Or that not not wearing a lifejacket is the most safe option.....

[willk]

Originally Posted by PeterM

Superb how only posts on Ribnet with its really odd sense of morals & safety police could end up hinting that Boris didn't do the right thing....

Hey, I'm just setting the stall out - letting folks see the wares - a whole tray of "other perspective". No-one's making them buy it!

Personally, if I was stranded on a sandbank with Missus willk, for whatever reason (I have run aground a couple of times) and we were without lifejackets and VHF - then I'd like the help NOW, not eventually. Just saying. Maybe I misread the story, it happens

[ShinyShoe]

I though the same as Willk (scary I know) but didn't have time to post this morning...

Would I have dialled 999 or just a routine call to CG I don't know but I'd have thought it better to make the contract with the 'casualty' still in sight so I could answer any questions... Boat name, colour, any boats near by, etc.

[willk]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

...so I could answer any questions... Boat name, colour, any boats near by, etc.

or "Is the boat still there?"

[boristhebold]

To get the record straight, it only took me a few minustes to walk to the lifeboat house adn I knew they were around as they had launched to another incident off the beach near mudeford about 15 mins before. The two persons in the boat were not going anywhere and were content on thrashing their engine and throwing watery mud out the back trying to get over the sand bank. As the lifeboat place was within around 100 yards walk to where they could visibly see the incident I thought it best to speak directly to them in person, and yes i found them putting the inshore lifeboat back in the garage, so one of them wandered the 100 yards with me and had a look and yes decided to launch.

As to the large number of people at mudeford, the majority were coffin dodgers asleep in there micras or fat people stuffing themselves with chips, or others intent on catching as many crabs as possible and then allowing their kids to torture them in a bucket for an hour or so. They wouldnt notice if the Titantic was sinking in front of them.

If I had phoned the coastguard I would have been still talking to them on the phone as I arrived outside the lifeboat house.

Too much criticism from people on here, dont know what some peoples issues are. I cant be bothered anymore.Over and out.

[Lee argyle]

'Too much criticism from people on here, dont know what some peoples issues are. I cant be bothered anymore.Over and out.'

100% true!!! wasn't it you calling all PWC owners wankers only a few weeks ago. Do I need to mention that a couple of recent 'incident' threads have had jet skiers rescuing people..........enough said

[Bigmuz7]

Originally Posted by boristhebold

Too much criticism from people on here, dont know what some peoples issues are. I cant be bothered anymore.Over and out.

Hey dont worry about it fella .. forums eh ? just gotta move on and keep the faith dude

[willk]

Originally Posted by boristhebold

Lesson there is if a channel is clearly marked which it is most of the time at mudeford then there is a bloddy great reason why its marked num nuts... ha ha people are always getting stuck on that sandbar.

Originally Posted by boristhebold

As to the large number of people at mudeford, the majority were coffin dodgers asleep in there micras or fat people stuffing themselves with chips, or others intent on catching as many crabs as possible and then allowing their kids to torture them in a bucket for an hour or so. They wouldnt notice if the Titantic was sinking in front of them...........

Too much criticism from people on here, dont know what some peoples issues are. I cant be bothered anymore.Over and out.

Sorry Boristhebold - I didn't mean to sound judgemental or critical or anything

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by boristhebold

If I had phoned the coastguard I would have been still talking to them on the phone as I arrived outside the lifeboat house.

Erm - you should have stood still on the phone. The coastguard have this really radical system of technology that lets them request a lifeboat launch without having to send runners to the RNLI station. Its a bit weird but it involved someone in the coastguard contacting the RNLI launch authority who will then page the RNLI...
Meanwhile you can remain on the line giving any update to the CG.
If you'd been in your rib but unable to help them would you have run ashore to ask the RNLI or would you have called the CG...

Too much criticism from people on here, dont know what some peoples issues are. I cant be bothered anymore.Over and out.

You called them num nuts, you didn't follow the CG advice. You slagged them off -- so I quite agree too much criticism on here... ...what's your issue?

http://t.co/qBuQbcCBjk

[The Black Pig]

"Over and out"

Hold on a minite here

Your asking someone to reply and saying I'm leaving

That's a little Hollywood

I recommend a VHF dsc course

[Copinsay]

Originally Posted by boristhebold

Lesson there is if a channel is clearly marked which it is most of the time at mudeford then there is a bloddy great reason why its marked num nuts... ha ha .

While marked channels are really helpful, I'm not sure we can always criticise people for going outside such a channel per se.

I recall from my RYA courses that it's stated that small craft doing the latter can be fine, and may help avoid danger / nuisance to larger or less manoeuvrable vessels.

Of course the caveat is if you are doing so to have a chart / local knowledge etc etc.

While they may have been irresponsible in this case, I'm just a tad wary of a general assumption being supported that going outside a buoyed channel is, in itself, always a sign of ignorance / irresponsibility.

Just saying

[PeterM]

Mudeford is the one place that for sure you never leave the channel....

[Barrowboy]

Originally Posted by Copinsay

While marked channels are really helpful, I'm not sure we can always criticise people for going outside such a channel per se.

I recall from my RYA courses that it's stated that small craft doing the latter can be fine, and may help avoid danger / nuisance to larger or less manoeuvrable vessels.

Of course the caveat is if you are doing so to have a chart / local knowledge etc etc.

While they may have been irresponsible in this case, I'm just a tad wary of a general assumption being supported that going outside a buoyed channel is, in itself, always a sign of ignorance / irresponsibility.

Just saying

Wholeheartedly agree BUT as you say an up-to-date, corrected, chart will tell you what lies outside the channel and whether such a decision can be contemplated, or not?

The state of the tide and strength of the wind will also inform your decision, not only because of the depth of water you're likely to find but how far the buoy is likely to be from the charted danger. With the tide on the ebb, combined with a strong wind, it's entirely possible that a channel marker buoy could be lying 50 metres from it's position when the tide's flooding strongly three hours before high water...

In a rib, I can completely ignore all the channel markers in the Mersey for approx 18 hours each day but if I adopted the same attitude on the Menai Straits, especially on Caernarfon Bar, I'd wreck my boat very quickly indeed.

[Copinsay]

Thanks folks - nice to see a more informed discussion about why being outside a marked channel doesn't always make you a "num nuts"

Originally Posted by Barrowboy

Wholeheartedly agree BUT as you say an up-to-date, corrected, chart will tell you what lies outside the channel and whether such a decision can be contemplated, or not? .

[Copinsay]

PS - Anyone like to deal with the " coffin dodgers asleep in there micras or fat people stuffing themselves with chips" bit now.....

Steve (likes chips, some weight to lose but no Nissan Mirca - so 2 out of 3!)