Have just returned from my annual "summer cruise" (bit of a joke considering the weather we are having here in the NW.)
Had a very mixed two weeks, intended to head for Mull but had too change plans due to the appaulling weather. Spoke to many cruisers who were totally P***d off with being holed up for days on end. Anyway I digress, I just wanted to share an experience with you all which may help some of you in the decision making process during boarderline emergencies.
We were en-route from Glenarm to Campbeltown two weeks ago in about the only calm conditions experienced during the whole trip, we were motor sailing on a course from Glenarm, considering the southerly run of tide through the North Channel (approx 2kn). Occasionally we had sea mist drifting in reducing vis to <200mtrs, but as we got further out this was disipating. Myself and first mate were having a brew on the foredeck when we heard the engine note change and it eventually died in a cloud of blue smoke. Not good...............On closer investingation and attempts to start I suspected the worst, lost compression so probably not repairable at sea, and certainly not on the edge of the shipping lanes in the North Channel. As we were little over 5nm out of Glenarm we decided to get as much sail up as possible and head back to Glenarm, alas with only 1.5kn possible this was not looking good, as the drift north in the ebb would eventually put us on Garron Point, even less good. I then decided to call Glenarm harbour to see if we could get a boat out to take us in tow, nothing big enough was the reply.
So it is now looking like an early call to the Coast Guard before the situation deteriorated into an emergency. Under normal circumstances I would have prefered to put a routine traffic call to the coast guard to ask for assistance, but as the coast guards at the time were under a work to rule and not accepting routine calls this would possibly not work. In the end a Pan Pan call was made requesting assistance and the Coast Guard duly responded and Red Bay Lifeboat was sent to assist. They duly took us under tow back to Glenarm. This whole process took no more than 1hr from report to being under tow and I cannot thank both Belfast Coast Guard and Red Bay lifetboat enough for there dilgence and professionalism. More to the point during this time we had drifted almost 2nm from our reciprocal course back to Glenarm, puting us ever nearer Garron Point.
In the end the whole process was low risk, but delay and things can easily be different. As it turned out our engine cam belt had stripped some teath and bent 2 push rods, but with the help of the local people of Glenarm we were back up and running the next day.
What would you have done??????
One other comment is that I would thoughly recommend NI as a cruising destination, the facilities are great and welcoming and the people are fantastic, helpful and friendly. I will post some more info for assistance if anyone is interested.
Have to agree with you about the weather, in the SE too. Getting fed up with wearing fleeces and oilies when should be shorts and T-shirts time!
Glad to hear your story had such a positive outcome. Goes to show how important the Coastguard is. Sounds like you did exactly the right thing, under the circumstances!
Yes, please, more info on N Ireland as a cruising destination. I think it can be under-rated compared to the Western Isles, but everyone I know who has been there comes back raving about the places they have been and the welcome they received there.
Not much choice and best course of action in such circumstances.
I suppose what always grates on me is when its quite apparent that someone does something deliberate and stupid which requires they being rescued. Eg. some years ago and several owners ago a big sailing boat I know of had to be towed into an E.coast harbour in storm conditions when its electrics(one inadequate battery)packed up such that the boat could not even use its VHF-and had no sails to set-no handheld VHF-only mobile communication-despite fact that at the time it was being brought all way from Thames via Caledonian Canal to W. of Scotland.
This boat actually possesses 2 main engines and a large gen.set now in perfect running order.
Whilst a rescue was needed one could argue that its owner needed a little more than a good telling off by the coastguards. The fire brigade up here will bill you if for example they have to fight a moorland fire that has been deliberately started to clear bracken,heather and like but is inadequately attended to and controlled by land owner.
I rather agree, if people were charged, but their insurance covered the bill, then increased premiums for poorly equiped boats would result, it all seems logical, but I rather think it would just add to the already high cost of sailing and the less than well prepared would just buy their way to sea and still cause the problems. It is noticeable that those that need help/rescue invariably are well off have a boat they can afford but don't know how to use it/prepare it and have very limited practical experience.
Whereas I can't think of an incident involving someone who can just about get his 23/ 25 footer on the water, loves it dearly but has no surplus dosh, so penalising through the wallet isn't really the way ahead. I think the RYA have got it about right - in terms of educating sailors, but I believe the Yachtmaster syndrome means that its too easy for inexperienced people to think they know enough!
I suspect this issue will never ever really be resolved, but the thing we all don't want is Govt Legislation and even more money being paid out in licences and permits. So I reckon its beholden on us all to keep an eye (paternal that is) on our less experienced fellow sailors and proffer gentle advice where appropriate. I've always found that if handled the right way, most people are only too keen to learn and find out how to do it better.
After all, every one of us learned by our mistakes - its the only way - we just need to try and help people not to make mistakes that are too big!
Ian, the North of Ireland is a fantastic cruising ground to be sure but I would rather the Solent crowds stayed in the Solent so hush your noise please!!!
I have always found the Belfast Coastguard team to be first class and I am pleased to hear that they and the Red Bay crew did the business to help. My interpretation of the work to rule protest is rather different however - from my experience every HM Coatguard shift would stand to if they recieved a call that a vessel was broken down and potentially drifting into a dangerous situation - I am certain that declining to deal with routine traffic means not giving out the weather, not answering umpteen radio checks, not logging passage plans and so on. Broken down and drifting is not routine. If the Coatguard don't know you have a problem they can't help. They may well have assets available such as passing lifeboats on test or their own vessels or shore crew who could be deployed to assist in some way and at the least, the sooner they hear about an impending serious problem the more likely they are to be able to provide effective help if it does all go belly up. So I would have put in an early call asking for the Coastguard to log my position, vessel type, persons on board, drift rate, prognosis for effecting repairs etc. That way even if the situation deteriorated - such as loss of battery power , they would have had a head start on doing their job. We pay for their services through our taxes and I have yet to hear of a Coastguard who is not eager to help - irrespective of their current industrial action.
I was nearly in the position of calling a Pan Pan last week.
On a very breezy sunny evening, my pal and I decided to have short sail out from Portsmouth towards the Nab.
Luckily i go afloat well equipped with more tools than I will hopefully ever need.
We turned a few miles earlier than originally planned, and decided a beer would be a good idea. (0% of course!) My pal stopped in the companionway and being a calm seasoned sailor and a marine engineer, showed no emotion at all when he turned and said, "we seem to have a problem Scotty, there's water a couple of inches above the sole".
Not wanting to get excited I calmly said "yeh, yeh". "true" he said. I don't think my old bones have moved quite as fast since I last danced to the Hollies back in the 60's.
My first reaction was to check that the loo wasn't flooding....it wasn't. Turning back into the saloon I heard the sound of pouring water. To get to anything behind the engine means a lot of gear inside has to be moved...flares,valise liferaft,EPIRB and locker tops. Thankfully I carry torches but also I've fitted a light behind the engine. There it was.... the stern gland gater was merrily going round on the shaft having released itself from its jubillee clips. How? I had checked and tightened those in my winter maintenance. Anyway, my crew at the cockpit bilge pump kept ahead of the inflow but it took around 80 - 100 pumps to get it down to sump level. At the same time I was upside down round the back of the egine with large screwdivers trying to get things back together. I did so after struggling and failing several times, but still had a couple of drips every second. This was as good as I could get it and my crew having checked it all over agreed, even with the tools we had onboard.
I must emphasise we kept sailing a beam reach all this time in a good F3. Racers I hope you'r impressed!
After getting back to my swinging mooring above Portsmouth, I slept the night listening to the drips....chinese water torture at its best!
The next day after phoning a Vetus expert, I discovered that two large stielsons would be needed to tighten up the lipseal just forward of the sternglands gater to stop the leaks completely. This propshaft is the water lubricated type from the stern end of the propshaft,which Vetus used to make and has now been superceded with a water feed from the exhaust. This must have been disturbed when the whole thing was spinning round like mad. The whole lot has to be loosened again this next w/e to line up the brush contactor for the connection to the anode, as this went spinning round too and is now on its side and so the spring assisted gravity brush is not effective. Any way, living 80 miles away I have had someone keep a check on things and no reports of a sinking yet.
I nearly did a bit more than a radio check! Scotty
after last weeks fun and games I have just fitted an electric bilge pump with auto flipper switch....better late than never! Someone recently blogged on another posting that wise men learn from their mistakes....even wiser men learn from others mistakes.... my crew last week said he has just fitted his auto bilge pump too. We have both had them in our lockers ready to be fitted for one and three years respectively. Funny but other things have always seemed a priority....hind sight is a wonderful thing!
Can you tell me Scotty if what you have is what they call a 'Deep Sea Seal'.
A number of people I know have these or equivelant and they seem to be a pain in the a---.
Although you have to give the old fashioned stern glands a turn on the greaser now and then, they seem to be totally reliable and go on for years (fingers crossed)
Hi Johnathan, not sure what its' called but i wish it was the old fashioned sort. This w/e it appears to be leaking even worse so hopefully with the bilge pump now fitted it will last the rest of the season without 'letting go'
