GRP vs Rocks

[Rational Root]

Last summer in Spain, I witnessed, and duly photographed this. As far as I know no one was hurt, and they did get the yacht off the next day.

It was bloody windy. I don't know anything about these guys, experienced or not, their own boat or a charter, nothing.

A little earlier I had seen these guys having some trouble with sails, then seem to sort themselves out and head off, I thought they had motored off, but I am not certain. Then later, I saw some commotion and wandered over, camera in hand.

I noted the outboard was up. I have no idea if it was working or not.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_-jLgHzfXWAU/STr3HmFwKZI/AAAAAAAAAus/gUo9UpmpvBk/s800/__IGP0121.jpg

Note the guy on the mobile. "Hey, Joe about this boat you lent me.."

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_-jLgHzfXWAU/STr3KOJ1mlI/AAAAAAAAAu0/HHqKA9jnIUo/s800/__IGP0125.jpg

The next day it was still stuck, the following day it was gone.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_-jLgHzfXWAU/STr3LceeZlI/AAAAAAAAAu8/kDXNBj8Grqs/s800/__IGP0131.jpg

[johngsandusky]

Dramatic pics.

[Bob Cleek]

Not enough HP in that engine to overcome obvious "pilot error," would be my guess. Interesting to note the anchor is still stowed neatly in its chock. They might have saved themselves a lot of grief if they'd used it. Hindsight is always 20-20, though. Can't be too harsh on them.

[Henning 4148]

S... happens. And it normally happens when someone is looking or able to take photos.

The most obvious error I see is, that they used a GRP and not a steel boat for putting on the rocks. Steel is much better for putting on the rocks. Or Aluminium. But it should be metal. Not GRP or wood.

The remark about the anchor might be correct, but then, I don't know what happened and in which order. A former colleague from work was part of a rocky stranding in the med years ago. They had chartered, not very experienced, somehow made a mess of the sails (perhaps the genoa sheet caught on the winch so it couldn't be tacked, something like that), tried to motor out of the situation, got the other sheet in the prop, didn't think about the anchor, lost a little too much time wondering what to do and hey, presto, ... It happens. The local navy towed them of and demanded 1/2 the boats value as fee. Took some serious discussions involving the charter company, to remind them, that as navy, they were not due any fees and a few hundred $$$ settled it in the end.

It happens. One always hopes that it doesn't happen to oneself.

If it was a charter vessel, something might not have worked or worked differently than expected. With charter vessels, the question is not, if everything works, but the question is, do you find out how everything works and what doesn't work and can find a workaround before you are in trouble. There are always things on charter boats that don't work ...

Or the guy helming may have concentrated for a short time on something that needed four hands and not just two and hey presto ,...

[Rational Root]

Yes. Hindsight is usually bestowed with wonderful clarity.

One thing I did notice was....

Neither of them are wearing life jackets. Suddenly departing that boat could have been quite "interesting" with a sharp blow to the head from a big rocky thing being quite possible.

There was a very strong onshore wind. Sailing would have been bracing rather than leisurely. Certainly not the sort of day you would consider life jackets to be unnecessary.

[rooster]

I hate to see any boat like that.Wonder why the headsail is still sheeted in,can't be helping with anything. They did put the fenders out though:rolleyes:

[ssor]

They prolly never pulled the fenders in and I don't see that any effort has been made to let the jib sheet run. I always thought that you needed some manner of proof of ability to charter.

[bucheron]

. . .Wonder why the headsail is still sheeted in,can't be helping with anything. . . . .:rolleyes:

I wonder too. The headsail appears to be on a furler, it should be furled as soon as possible. I mean before making a phone call.

I see that the lazy sheet is wrapped many times around the active sheet. That tells me that the jib has been allowed to flog violently, wrapping the loose lazy sheet, it may be jammed already.

All my sympathy to them, it may be their new boat, problems occur on those first trips when one is not familiar with everything on board, many of us are not patient enough to wait for an easy bit of sailing weather.