RNLI Atlantic flip

Ezgoing · 05 February 2006, 21:54

Greetings all

does anyone have the video of an Atlantic class rib doing a flip leaving harbour?

Poly · 05 February 2006, 22:20

I think you should find the details here:

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/whitslb/capsize.htm

link to video on that page too.

Andy Moore · 05 February 2006, 22:44

Question: Should he have been punching more into the breakers?

Discuss....

Poly · 05 February 2006, 22:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Moore

Question: Should he have been punching more into the breakers?

Discuss....

An all weather lifeboat may have been more appropriate for the conditions?

Hightower · 05 February 2006, 23:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Moore

Question: Should he have been punching more into the breakers?

Discuss....

If it had been me at the Helm I'd have been comming towards the camera

.

Wouldn't a slight angle of attack into the waves have helped, might have prevented the bow from rising as much.

bogib · 05 February 2006, 23:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

If it had been me at the Helm I'd have been comming towards the camera

.

Wouldn't a slight angle of attack into the waves have helped, might have prevented the bow from rising as much.

Very diffcult situation, if to much power used and you fly over the wave this could happen especially when so close to coast and in braking waves.

This has not happen to me but we did go out in bad weather, freezing and night so often we did not see the waves but radar showed really nothing but either full vision or land......... before time of GPS and we did not have Loran C onboard as they where not waterproof.

Bogi

JIY · 06 February 2006, 11:13

Wouldn't a slight angle of attack into the waves have helped, might have prevented the bow from rising as much. [/QUOTE]

An interesting question! I always take really big waves head on (when I've been unable to maneouvre round them!), presuming that using the boat's full length gives the best stability. "Tacking" across smaller waves is a great way of making quick progress, with a more comfortable ride, but in big (breaking) waves there must be a risk of rolling the RIB. I don't think that the Atlantic 21 helmsman would have fared any better in this capsize if he'd used a tacking angle, but I will be interested to hear other opinions.

Jimbob · 06 February 2006, 12:22

Brave men

l looked at this a few times. It does look as if he was trying to pick his way through the breaking waves (missing the breakers as we all get taught) and i think in these conditions the angle would have made no difference, in fact you would probaly get caught out in such conditions. It looks like he as unlucky as the wave came under the bow just as he was trying to get over in. Half a ton of weight on the front may have helped.

The conditions look just to bad for any rib, must be a difficult one not to go out if you are the RNLI in this boat.

Easy saying all this in the office

codprawn · 06 February 2006, 17:21

I still think many RIBs are too tail heavy - either have a bow ballast tank or chuck all the crew up front in such conditions!!!

mdt · 06 February 2006, 17:34

Not too convinced it would be easy to coxes said crew forward in these sorts of conditions…. Mind you if you where to mention the almost certain capsize this may encourage the team to shift, quick smart.

Paul F · 06 February 2006, 18:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Moore

Question: Should he have been punching more into the breakers?

Discuss....

You could right as im led to believe that they had not long come off the trailer and didnt manage to get enough speed before being hit by waves and were in disturbed seas due to harbour arm.

jyasaki · 06 February 2006, 18:57

Problem with moving people forward is that bow movement may try to flip them out of the boat.

I suppose it may be debateable whether that is preferential to having the boat flipped, but I think I would prefer neither.

jky

mike · 06 February 2006, 19:26

The breakers here are terrible with a Northerly straight at you, the depth is -3 metres quite frequently and the shallow depth gives the breakers more height the team here were very unlucky as a few more waves it deepens a tad and eases off a little.
I think its amazing that the chaps all went out again as lesser men would have given up.
Just for the record I am not brave enough to have done that launch.

Swifty · 06 February 2006, 20:09

They launched at near high water from a tractor and trailler off a semi-sheltered beach in the lee of the harbour.

Where they capsized is about the line of chart datum, so water depth would have been around 5½ metres. When we get NE gales it draws the waves into a very short, steep dumpy type wave, which are relatively short and pretty destructive.

The Atlantic 21 has now been replaced with an Atlantic 75 and I think these have bow tanks fitted.

Not an easy drive at all heading into those waves, you get very little time to set up ready for the next wave.

I have been out in similar conditions and it wasn't pretty, even for a Searider. Hats off to the guys who are ready to go out in those conditions.

They were facing an 8 mile upwind journey to assist some anglers.

Jonny Fuller · 06 February 2006, 20:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swifty

The Atlantic 21 has now been replaced with an Atlantic 75 and I think these have bow tanks fitted.

Yes they do, with the combined pick-up & dump valve made and supplied by Steve Salmon

Ezgoing · 06 February 2006, 20:50

Guys

Many thanks for the clip.

would it have helped if they had flooded the rib?

Dirk Diggler · 06 February 2006, 21:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonny Fuller

Yes they do, with the combined pick-up & dump valve made and supplied by Steve Salmon

Ah ha, I see the problem! Ready on thursday.

dgpw · 06 February 2006, 21:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ezgoing

Guys

Many thanks for the clip.

would it have helped if they had flooded the rib?

Don't know the physics but driving a rib full to the brim is a very strange sensation of surging water as the weight moves slowly arround the boat, Iwould not want to be in those conditions through choice and if I was would not want a boat full of water. As for sending the crew up to the bow the chance of them being able to stay in the boat is slim. and I definatly would not want to be doing an mob in those waves.

Bilge Rat · 08 February 2006, 20:14

As Swifty, Mike and Paul have pointed out they were really close to the launch point and going across a shallow bar which runs parellel with the harbour entrance, at low water you can drive a 4x4 right out to the edge of the bar. Once the boat flipped the crew were all thrown clear and it was only the helm who managed to actually get back to the boat, he managed to right it but was unable to board before it beached itself, the crew on the other hand got washed ashore, its just a shame that the guy filming stopped as what happened next would have been almost as good as the boat backing down.
And before anyone says, these guys were experienced locals who know the area, the sea's around our coast and have done this lots of time, on this occassion shit happened as it does sometimes

The Jackeens · 08 February 2006, 20:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgpw

As for sending the crew up to the bow the chance of them being able to stay in the boat is slim. and I definatly would not want to be doing an mob in those waves.

Agree with that one in principle. Suicide seating on an open RIB? (video won't load at the moment!) in bad conditions.

missus