Capsized Rib

[Jari Hjerppe]

Two firemen allmost drowned when their Delta RIB capsized in 37 kts wind near the Port of Helsinki. Firemen went out to test the boat engines and after few minutes ride cross-swell capsized the boat. Both men went over board and after that waves threw the boat over the rocks (photo).

People on the shore alarmed rescue units and men were rescued.

Firemen had to spent 15 minutes in the water and they were hypothermic. Both men wore life wests but NO dry suits! They were very lucky that the accident happend pretty near the shore and the rescue units were so close. Another 15 minutes in cold water without dry suit and end result could have been somethin else than two survived firemen.

Jari

[Powerboat]

Hi Jari,

I think I'll send their boss our training and consultancy brochure !

No bother to us to travel to or sell a few dry suits to Finland !!!!

Best wishes,

Stuart
www.powerboat.org

[Scotty]

Originally posted by Powerboat
Hi Jari,

I think I'll send their boss our training and consultancy brochure !

No bother to us to travel to or sell a few dry suits to Finland !!!!

Best wishes,

Stuart
www.powerboat.org

Good one Stuart. The Irish never miss a genuine opportunity ! See you soon for the level 2 course.

Luke.

[Garygee]

Hi folks

It looks like the RIB has self righting capability, from looking at the pic.

Sounds to me like putting people in somthing they dont know how to use or had enough experience with.

1) A 47Kts while high a RIB the size of the one in the pic should have been able to handle.

2) If they was testing engines that suggests they had been fixed or had some work done on them. If this was the case should they have be out in these conditions to do a "test".
If it was a routine test could it not have waited?.

2) If they did turn it over why didnt they self right

3) As said before why was they not wearing drysuits

would be interesting so see what type of rescue craft was sent out, not a RIB by any chance.

Maybe a good thought for us all though having all the right gear does not makes us safe, you need to know what your doing, know how to use the gear and most inportant know YOUR limits, which may be much less than what the RIB can handle.

Regards Gary, (who wont be taking his new 7.8 out in anything more than he would have gone out with his 4.8, for a while at least.)

[thewavehumper]

I am presuming that Finnland has the equivalent of the marine accident investigation board it will be interesting to see how these guys come out of it. They get points for having lifejackets but not much else. I am sure the firechief will be discussing the pros and cons of their safety preparation with them.

Having been chucked out of my RIB once or twice I can tell you that even with the Kill Cord operatig properly the boat travels a fair distance. 47 knots of wind is also going to effect your ability to rejoin the boat as I reckon it is more affected by the wind than the (recently)ex crew.


I dare say that Batfalcon has a formula for proving that!

Does anybody ever read the MAIB website, theres a very interesting one about a nightime return journey where the driver had forgotton to attach the killcord to himself.

[narked]

People like that careless don't deserve to be able to drive RIBs like that. My solution is they give me the RIB for use as a tender fo my SIB

Matt

[Christopher]

Having just spent the last two days in the Helsinki area on business and witnessed the snow plows in action at the airport on Saturday evening while waiting for my flight home, I think the two crew were very lucky indeed. The sea at Lovisio 100km east of Helsinki was icing over.
My question is, should a safety harness be used in conditions where a capsize is a possibility? Yachtsmen routinely wear a harness. to remain with the boat.

[Pete7]

If they had been driving the boat properly if the first place then they wouldn't have needed safety harnesses. For Gods sake thats got to be a 7m plus delta! what on earth did they do to capsize such a well designed boat? unless of course they were perhaps fooling around with a boat they didn't have to pay for or maintain.

Another example of people in a government service that know squat about boats. Sadly ours (and that includes the MOD) are just as bad. Should know spent 22 years working for them.

Makes me smile when rib manufactures advertise the fact that they sell ribs to government departments, like they are experts, ha, not! and our senior service isn't doing very well at the moment either, strike one destroyer and now a sub from the fleet. So put yourselves on standy for call up, we might need your rib in the Gulf shortly. "Ships taken up from trade (STUFT)" I think its called.
Pete
(another irate tax payer)

[thewavehumper]

I am sure the Army guys make the best ribdrivers,

Christopher in answer to your question I tend to wear a clip during night time and if its rough, but I clip two together so that if the boat does capsize then I can swim to the side of it as opposed to be stuck underneath.

Hopefully I won't have to prove that my thoery is correct.

[Alan Priddy]

Ok. Boat still up the right way. Self righting gear still intact.
Some one wasn't holding on tight enough! I wonder if the driver had the kill switch conected? Any bets he didnt have? Alan P

[Keith Hart]

wear a clip during

?

( )

[thewavehumper]

Yep i find that also provides sustained enjoyment at night time also, but what I was referring to was a sailing saferty strap which clips on to the boat and the other end attaches to the hoop on your lifejacket or an earing if you are not wearing a lifejacket. The people I sail with call them clips. sorry for the confusion.

I never thought about using one ( a clip) on the Rib but when I went through the RNLI safety check the guy brought up two points I'd overlooked. No water in my grab pack(doh) and I didn't have any provision for clipping on at night ( hence increasing the chance of parting company with they boat)

I felt the advice was good and have adopted it as SOP nowadays.

[Julian]

I'm not sure I agree with the clips. I think i would rather be thrown clear of the boat if it was to go over. I reckon if you were strapped in you would crash into the seats , A frame, engine whilst being towed along at 30 + knots till the boat stopped. If you had a long strap you could even go through the props. Ouch.

Julian

[Alan Priddy]

The only sensible "clip" is to use one no longer than from your waist to an attachment between your legs when you are in the standing position. Before the smutty remarks, this has nothing to do with nipple rings and attachments etc Alan P

[John Kennett]

Chris, Stuart

There is no way that I would use a lifeline on a RIB. In my view they are likely to subtsantially increase problems rather than improving safety.

Stuart, who did your RNLI safety check? I question their knowledge of fast boat operation! It may just be on their check list because they should be used on yachts . . .

Imagine coming out of a fast RIB on the end of a piece of rope. Worse still, imagine being attached to a capsizing RIB!

No thanks. No way.

John

[Julian]

I completely agree with John. I think they are a bad idea for a fast moving craft. Especially if it capsizes at speed. You would be smashed to pieces if U were attached to the boat.

Julian

[thewavehumper]

I am glad I don't carry a big ego nowadays, Thanks for the comments My SOP will be changed so no more clips, I'll just make sure the footsraps are well used.

I got the sea check in Ireland and I may well right to the RNLI (still a venerable and august institution in my view) and ask the to reconsider the advice they gave

Cheers
Stuart

[John Kennett]

Stuart

I don't like footstraps either! Some people swear by them, but they have contributed to more than one broken ankle.

Non-slip decking and some decent hand holds are important things, with good seats making a very useful contribution to safety too. However the most important thing you can take on a RIB is a heathy dose of common sense!

I suspect that this accident happened simply because it wasn't thought through. A quick spin in a fast boat to check the engines over is always going to be tempting, but demands as much respect as any other cruise -- especially in poor conditions.

On the subject of the RNLI boat check scheme, my understanding is that inspections are carried out by volunteers who may not be lifeboat crew, and may be working from a tick list rather than from experience.

John

[thewavehumper]

re the boat check you are right these guys/girls are not lifeboat crew and they do work from a checklist . My point is that the checklist should say " not suitable for RIBS" or something like that

I was very happy with the safety check and would still recommend, it particularly to newcomers, but I now regards that one piece of advice as suspect and would like to see it changed/justified.

When the combined experience of Julian, Alan and yourself all agree on a point then it's worth listening.

By the way where can you get hold of this common sense stuff !

regards
Stuart

[Charles]

Here you go Stuart.