Yachts & Idiots

[Kelvin Davies]

I bet the owner of this yacht was from Southampton. This is typical of the stupidity we see regularly on Southampton Water;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-10647766
Kelvin

[Allan RO]

Hi Kelvin,

Nice one, pity the Balmoral managed to stop !!!

Allan

[Kelvin Davies]

A pity indeed, Allan.
You know, I have a feeling the idiot in charge of the yacht probably is still unaware of anything untoward!
I think you would have been pleased to have been at Calshot the last time I was there.
When the RNLI, Coastguard and an ambulance turned up to fish out a couple of the jet ski vermin, one of whom was carted off to hospital!

[Kelvin Davies]

I wonder if the skipper is related to this one.
Look at the picture of the ferry Normandie here:
http://kelvindavies.co.uk/kelvin/details.php?image_id=981
Look at the stern area.
Now look at a cropped image of that area:
http://kelvindavies.co.uk/kelvin/details.php?image_id=4941
Who's a silly boy then?

[Allan RO]

Hi Kelvin

I heard about the jet skiers on Radio Solent - apparently none were wearing life jackets........I had hoped you might have been there

Allan

[Ben Backstay]

Where I am based, they are known as WAFI's
ie Wind Assisted F***ing Idiots.
And I think this video explains why!

[Kelvin Davies]

That must be common terminology; Southampton pilots use the same term.
Do you and your colleagues also use the term "Cattle boats" for cruise ships, by any chance?

[Bob Scott]

While I share your disdain for amateur, completely unqualified, weekend sailors, before joining you in condemning this yachtmaster completely, I would  like to have been able to ascertain what was showing on Watchet harbour

[Edward B. Davis]

Re the Portsmouth pic, obviously what none of you are aware of is there is a Small Boat Channel designated on the west side of the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour which all small craft (those under 20m - an appropriate use of that size limit!) must use when entering or leaving the harbour regardless of whether it means passing green to green with a large vessel.  So in this case the yachtsman is doing everything correctly as indeed is the ferry Captain as the apparently excessive wake is merely the effect of water funnelling through the narrow entrance and is entirely normal and of no concern.

Edward.

[Kelvin Davies]

I am aware of the small boat channel. This boat was not following the rules which say he should keep to the starboard side of the channel, which is fairly wide in relation to a yacht. If he had done this he would have had a bumpy ride but nothing more than that. As it happened, he ended up grinding up and down the wall. "Got a new gel coat, guv'nor?"
You are right about the wash, it is 'normal' and it is probably because of this I have seen small boats waiting outside the entrance for the extra 2 minutes it takes for a large vessel to pass.
As for the bloke at Watchet, whenever I have taken a small boat out of a harbour like that, where the entrance is obscured from view, I have taken the boat away from the entrance initially. When some distance from the entrance, I would then turn so the entrance is clearly in view, with a healthy distance in which to decide whether or not it would be safe to continue. This bloke just charged straight across the entrance as if he was the only vessel in the world.
If the yacht had started his move just a couple of seconds later, the outcome would have been radically different.

[Yvon Perchoc]

That brings back some Mike Peyton's cartoons ...
Yvon

[Fotojoe]

skippers of low yachts should in any case blow a signal before turning around such high obstacles like piers etc into a fairway. i once witnessed a more clever skipper of a small wooden yacht who blew his horn (he blew into a handheld horn for a "b

[Glenn Towler]

You do have to wonder about some people.  We had a similar incident a few years ago in Hobart, the fully laided Handysize bulk carrier was coming up the river under pilot, there was a harbour yacht race on on the eastern side of the river so the pilot brought the ship over more to the western side than normal and 3/4 of the yachts went and tackedsharpley right across the bow of the ship where if they had of done a nomraly tack the would have round behind the bulk carrier and not caused any problems.  Those yachts did get a nice set of 5 blasts from the bulk carriers horn as well as a few choice words by the pilot to the race controller over the VHF!!

[Fotojoe]

and another one
Freighter sank yacht and ran aground
General cargo Sandshorn struck yacht and ran aground in Wittdun. Yacht sank, Sandshorn refloated and berthed. Sandshorn - IMO 5149760, dwt 372, built 1962, flag Germany. (Maritime Bulletin accidents 17-22July2010)

[Bob Scott]

But who is the idiot in this story?
Is it the yachtsman or is it the ship operator, keeping his ship going at nearly 50 years old?
I certainly would not be surprised to learn that the ship suffered some kind of failure that caused the collision.