"I learn't about Ribbing from that"

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by K&S

Yep good piece of kit!!

I'd be much happier for the kids, wife, guests to use the boat hook for a lot of tasks fending off, catching mooring bouys, and in a MOB (safer than having loose ropes in the water etc, etc,

Its not often i stuff a landing up (not that i'm admitting to anyway )but allways had a member of the crew up front with boat hook in hand just incase as fingers and limbs between to hard places hurts lol

Good point about the MOB - when I have done safety boat cover for a few races my crew have often used the boathook - it is a lot easier and safer when you get close - I can stick the engine in neutral and not worry about props and legs!!!

[Poly]

Originally Posted by K&S

Could argue that the otherway - in a swell and notice at the last min there is a rusty nail sticking out etc

OK fair comment and I can see its that last minute panic when someone puts a hand out, and blood really would clash horibly with cod's tube colour!

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by Polwart

Lessons learned
- Driving a rib all day is tiring, probably more so than most people realise
- Should have stopped for coffee & rest before driving home (my reactions were definitely slower than normal).
- Anyone who has never tried an emergency stop with their trailer should do so (somewhere safe). Even if you don't skid the effect on stopping distance even with a small trailer is surprising.

Very good points sir!

Another one I learned is comparable to Codprawns boathook one-never assume that a newbie to boats knows what you're on about-even if it's really basic stuff. It's caught me out on a few occasions-having grown up on yachts most stuff is second nature to me so no 'benchmark of ignorance' to compare it to. A newbie isn't going to understand about springs,painters, warps, sheets and lines all being ropes for a start... (saying that, I can''t remember a lot of yachting stuff anymore as I haven't used any of it for quite a long time...)

[nikster]

My first lesson was........ never assume that you know the sea!

February 93:

I was a Rib test driver for Mike Armitage the owner of Northern Diver, he also made Osprey Ribs, we had a demo weekend after the London boat show in Whitby in Feb 93. 3 boats 3 drivers plus 1 sales/technical.

I briefed the drivers to stay inside the breakwater due to seas almost identical to that in the MAIB report..... low and behold one of the boat builders / helmsman thought he knew better and to prove the product ventured outside in a Viper 5.25...... Stupidly i went after him to get him back in, I was in the 5.75 - got alongside him and shouted with a lot of expletives to get back in... he then powered up in the trough we were in and aimed for the entrance, just as the bloody wave behind me lifted me up from the starboard qtr and crested into the bow of the boat - it sounded like thunder and before i knew anything i was in the water...

This was now a real "oh sh$t" situation - i was in the water in a 5 mtr swell to the south east side of the entrance to Whitby harbour in Feb and I knew I was going to die.... my mum died in 85 and so i talked alot to her whilst drifitng towards the rocks, feeling very helpless..and getting cold, even tho i was wearing a 5mm drysuit and impact vest, i remember shouting help a few times... but then it started to go quiet..... the waves cresting over me and sending me under in a washing machine like scenario was the most frightening thing in the world i have ever experienced, and the worse bit was as i was getting closer to the beach and getting driven under was hitting the bottom and praying i didnt get caught or trapped...

23 minutes after going in the water the D class crew did an amazing scoop up of me whilst underway and got me back alive with the ALB just outside the entrance as i was too shallow by the time they got out.....

I learnt a lot of lessons that day and owe my life to the RNLI and Northern Diver whose drysuit i was wearing, and without which I would have been dead 12 minutes before they got to me.... the boat was utterly destroyed... a million orange pieces on the rocks...

Stay safe, stay warm, stay upright!!
.......................

April 2001

Lovely spring weekend - calm winds, based in Poole - Cowes anyone?????? Hell yeah!! eager to start the season as we meant to go on... 3 ribs blatt down to Cowes for the afternoon of beer and there was a photo i wanted to pick up from Beken.... perfect non eventful run down.... 5pm lets head back.......coming past Newtown Creek wife wants a pee - sooooo frustrating being as we had only left Cowes not 10 minutes earlier... however beer would have been the culprit....so we all dive into Yarmouth....anyone fancy a beer here then a night passage back?? quick beer but others wanted to be back before dark.... no probs..

Get back to boats mine wont start stbd engine - the twin 200 yammy's had never failed in almost 3 years......mmmmm confused...!! Dont worry chaps you shoot back and we will limp back on 1 and sort it out in poole we could make 10/12 knots so only a couple of hours!!!

Just getting dark as we are passing christchurch ledge.........Lurch!!!!!! oh bugger!! what now? - Lobster Pot line wrapped around Port prop - it had the tiniest black buoy on its line and with it just about dark, it had my name on it!!!

No probs - just get the blade out, take my strides off - stand on the cav plate of the stbd and cut it away

NO BLADE..........! took it off the boat the week before for home job... DONKEY!!!!!

Anyway - Wife started getting cold - we were stuck and after pleading managed to get mate back out with correct kit to free ourselves...!! got back into poole just after 22:30

What did i learn.............!! Never leave the berth without a knife, never assume your ever going to be warm enough, and never assume girly's are going to be warm enough - oh and take ear defenders for the constant whining you get thereafter!!!! :-)

[K&S]

Originally Posted by nikster

My first lesson was........ never assume that you know the sea!

To quote a friend '' Assumption, the Mother of all FcUk ups....''

Originally Posted by nikster

i was wearing a 5mm drysuit and impact vest,!

I'm sure you would now advise all boaters to wear something more suitable than an impact jacket. Yes i'm am very aware of there purpose but in those conditions???? Bugs me how many boaters think they are suitable for allround use...

Originally Posted by nikster

I learnt a lot of lessons that day and owe my life to the RNLI and Northern Diver whose drysuit i was wearing, and without which I would have been dead 12 minutes before they got to me.... the boat was utterly destroyed... a million orange pieces on the rocks...

Stay safe, stay warm, stay upright!!

A VHF call to the other boat instead of putting yourself into danger is surely another lesson you learn't



Brave post Nickster, i hope that there is something learnt by other boaters that might prevent similar situations.

[nikster]

K&S

They were demo ribs and we didnt have radios in them - re the assumption - guess you watched Under Siege 2 last night as well then.............!!! lol

[Locozodiac]

2 Issues I've learnt : Put meters of chain accordingly to your anchor setup, let sufficient rope betwen anchor and boat, specially at low tides. Watch out for plastic bags, kelp, newspapers on water that might block your water intakes, specially if your engine has not a overheat alarm as in small portable engines.

Happy Boating

[K&S]

Originally Posted by nikster

K&S

They were demo ribs and we didnt have radios in them

Another lesson learnt then....

Originally Posted by nikster

re the assumption - guess you watched Under Siege 2 last night as well then.............!!! lol

Damm, I allways gave my friend credit for that quote, didn't realise he had lifted it from a film.... allways learning

[codprawn]

No wonder Nikster went cold when I posted about "Last Call" sinking at Whitby.

our harbour is very dangerous as well - even in normal conditions. That is why I get so annoyed at our local council's attempts to get rid of the JetSkis - if the worst happened then they are the ideal people to help - it's great watching them nip around in the Surf!!!

[K&S]

http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=26739

Blimey, are you running the course?????

[nikster]

funny you should say that...........Yes!!!

After 20+ years ribbing and a few scrapes in my early age days - i vowed to do the very best i could to understand fluid dynamics both in the air and through water..... and having been - and still am, more than a fair weather boater and having had the luxury of Queenie lay on some boats and training for me over the years - I actually think that we - not just me - see my location for clues...!! green and well ard!! can add a lot of value to ribbers that want more out of themselves and their boat that is not currently taught in any syllabus....

Put it this way........
There are those that HAVE had incidents or close calls in a a rib and those that WILL...!

.......Polwart

I'm also one of the Jet Ski Patrol bods for PHC here in Poole, and whilst we have no surf - i 100% agree with your thoughts on PWC shallow water rescue craft - thumbs up from me..!

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by nikster

I'm also one of the Jet Ski Patrol bods for PHC here in Poole, and whilst we have no surf - i 100% agree with your thoughts on PWC shallow water rescue craft - thumbs up from me..!

Shame the tossers doing stunts 50 feet out at Baiter don't share the same attitude after the licence enforcement guy has gone home! There's been a few times I've had 'words'...

[K&S]

Originally Posted by nikster

funny you should say that...........Yes!!!

Put it this way........
There are those that HAVE had incidents or close calls in a a rib and those that WILL...!

Agreed! Some learn the hard way and some are just plain DAFT!

I used to work down your way a few years ago craking place for windsurfing

[nikster]

Nos,

It wil be different next year...........!! Grin ;-)........!!!

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by nikster

Nos,

It wil be different next year...........!! Grin ;-)........!!!

A minelayer might help...

I must down to the sea again
To the lonely sea and the sky
And all I ask is a guided missile
And some fuel to make it fly
And the launcher's kick
And the rocket's scream
And the vapour-trail a-snaking
And the wonderful sound
From over the waves
Of a jetski disintegrating

(nicked from John Mason. WSF forums)

[BogMonster]

Mine are trivial by comparison to some of the above and only a new prop on no 2. cost me a few quid but...

1. Left the boat at a pontoon after putting it into the water, pulled out trailer, back to pontoon. After it has just been running it will always start instantly won't it, so to save getting out of the boat again, cast off lines, jump into boat, start engine. Brrrrrrmphut. Crankcrankcrankcrankcrankcrankcrankcrankcranknothi ng. Now ten feet from pontoon, strong offshore breeze in a narrow-ish channel, rocky shoreline opposite the pontoon approaching....

Crankcrankcrankcrankcrankcrankcrankcrankcrankcrank nothing. Rocky shoreline now somewhat closer. Oh and there is a jagged old steel shipwreck over there just for good measure. Crankcrankcrankcrankcrankcrankcrankcrankcrankcrank nothing. Anchor or auxiliary? F***! Erm ... bllx ... auxiliary. Started after four of five pulls, stalled as soon as put into gear. F***!! Started first pull, stalled, Started, gear, stalled. Started, gear, stalled. Now about 10 metres from beach.... started, ran on full throttle for about 10 sec, jam into gear, swing around just a few metres from beach and power back to the pontoon.

Lessons learned: do not get into the habit of casting off the pontoon before you start up just to save 30 seconds, just because it "always starts", and make sure the bloody auxiliary starts on the first pull!

2. Recovering onto bunk trailer on rocky beach, boat sticks on the bunks (trailer was a little too far out of the water). Burst of throttle, no movement. Another burst, still no movement. Stupid bloody thing, full throttle BRRRRRRRclankclunkbonkbang. OK, that would be the nearly new prop then

Lesson learned, just because the prop is over a foot from the bottom doesn't stop it from picking up large rocks with 115hp driving it so don't give it too much for too long

3. Out playing a couple of weeks ago in an exceptionally large but benign swell (about 5m at the outer end of Port William, but no wind), spotted something that caught my attention where a previously sandy beach had all been taken away in the storm over the previous week or so. Went in closer for a look, stopped about 50m from the shore as the swell was breaking coming into shallower water and roaring up onto the beach onto the now exposed rocks. A few fair sized crests came under me, up and down, up and down. Something made me look around, oooooh F here's a big one coming, spin round and up over the first (rapidly increasing) crest, then a second even bigger one reared up almost from nowhere, only doing about 5 knots forward speed but almost the whole boat must have been out of the water (I'd love to have seen a photo...) hung in the air for a moment and landed beautifully on the other side, power on and away. The swell crest broke about 10 feet behind me and crashed right up into the grass at the top of the beach. If I'd been ten seconds later turning, or it had caught me side-on, I would probably have been either upside down or parked up in the grass somewhere.

Lessons learned; big swells suddenly get a hell of a lot bigger in shallow water, don't get distracted by sightseeing, and keep an eye out behind you! Also that big swells move faster than small ribs - I was out in the open sea later the same day and several swell crests came under me - and overtook me - when I was doing nearly 30 knots.... I couldn't keep up with them

[tinker]

Check here for a slipping anchor mess up of massive proportions see the more photos link for some awsome shots

[codprawn]

In situations like that the crew are often better off staying on board!!!

[martini]

Originally Posted by tinker

Check here for a slipping anchor mess up of massive proportions see the more photos link for some awsome shots

Those are some spectacular pics!

Reading through this thread i've come to the conclusion that boats are at their most dangerous when they're sat on their trailers!!

[brucehawsker]

I guess I have done almost anything wrong that I could have done.

Highlights include:

Spending 4 hours on Ryde Sands because I did not check the charts for myself

Getting between a supertanker and a police escort vessel in the Solent in the dark, and receiving a deserved royal bollocking

When acting as a Marshall, approaching a speeding miscreant who was travelling above a statutory speed limit and, I had thought, not seen us. Turns out he had seen us, and at the last moment as I approached he crash stopped and my attempt to drive round his stern and come up alongside him at speed resulted in my bending his A frame

Certainly having the trailer handle rotate at very high speed as boat rolled off trailer and bumped the transom

Getting stuck in a French service station where the exit curve was too sharp for the trailer

However, worse mistake was a couple of weekend's back where I relied on an larger boat much more expertly helmed than ours to support us en route to Weymouth from Yarmouth. A catalogue of problems - first of all the radio started to pack up, then we started finding the sea tough and were going much slower than the bigger boat, then we lost contact with the bigger boat, then we came off a big wave badly, almost vertically, and dumped the stern in the water.

Now we had all the kit we needed, and probably the experience, to overcome the consequences of that mistake. But the boat was full of water. The Opti ran fine, and the elephant's trunk worked. So we were ok, dryish, coping. But no radio. Also very understandably scared son (and Dad!)

Fine, we sort of knew where we were and what the form was. But when the GPS gave up and then the electronic chart, we became a tad less sanguine. Still had motive power, still knew that following the coast was the correct strategy, but the paper chart in the rear pod might have been a million miles away. I was not leaving the helm for a moment, and my son was hanging on for dear life. We also could not reach the mars bars which were under his pod.

When we passed Durdle Door, we knew for sure where we were. As I helmed, gentle persuasion and encouragement got my son to take his phone out from around his neck. Wind was too bad to use inside its wet case, so he had to take it out to use it and make the 999 call. After first being handed to the wrong department ("you in a boat???") he eventually got the support needed.

Establishing we were not in a true Mayday, the Coastguard sent a landrover up on the cliffs to watch for us, and agreed to call us in 20 mins.

Of course, in 20 mins we had not arrived in Weymouth, and, as we found out, the salt water had knackered his phone. But we arrived 10 minutes or so later, to see one of the organisers of the trip on the harbour wall who stood down the 'emergency'. They were 5 minutes away from launching helicopters and life boat.

Lessons:

You have to be totally self sufficient in any serious sea - and that means studying the chart carefully before leaving - relying on anyone else is not enough
A handheld backup radio is ESSENTIAL, not an expensive luxury
Food must be accessible
If electronics fail, even if you have done the trip before, the coastline at 4.30pm on a darkening October afternoon seems unbelievably hostile and alien
You have to have a crew member you can rely on. Though scared my son did everything I asked him to do, or explained calmly why he was unable or too frightened to do it, or why it was plain stupid! And everything he did was carried out calmly and professionally.

We learned loads, and gained a huge respect for the boat and how well it coped. But we also learned about having to cope on our own as still relatively inexpereinced helms.