Sailing Incident Series No. 3 - Can you identify the lessons?

3:02 AM Mon 20 Jul 2009 GMT

'Yacht sailing in Force 8 (Gale force) winds' .

Judgment is for God, but the best mistakes to learn by are other people's. This is especially so with sailing.

In this anecdote, the second of a series, we present a real sailing situation which was investigated by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), and some lessons deduced. Can you identify the lessons?

(Find the answers at the end of the story)

An 11.3m sailing yacht was being used for an intensive 13 week Yachtmaster training course. The instructor and four crew had already spent almost 2 months on board sailing on the south coast of England and then to the Channel Islands, Brittany and western France before heading across the Bay of Biscay for Spain and Portugal in mid-
November.

By this time, the students had amassed a good deal of experience and the instructor decided it was time for them to skipper the yacht without him being on board. A passage of around 75 miles southwards down the coast was planned,
and the instructor stepped ashore. Winds were forecast to be a force 4 (11-13knots) westerly, veering northerly force 5(14-19 knots).

However, while on passage, the winds increased to gale force (Force 8, 34-39knots) from the north-west. The skipper on board phoned the instructor ashore and it was agreed that the original destination was going to be too dangerous to approach in the prevailing conditions as there was a bar at the harbour entrance and the pilot book suggested this may be dangerous.

An alternative destination was agreed, which was thought to offer a safer approach but which was another 30 miles further south.

The designated skipper became incapacitated with seasickness as the severe conditions continued, so another student, the most experienced of the four, took over. With sails furled and the engine on, they made their approach but were knocked down to an estimated 110? by a breaking wave.

The acting skipper was on the helm and was washed overboard. He had been clipped on but was unable to get back on board. The next wave took the yacht past the harbour entrance, and shortly afterwards she hit the beach. The acting
skipper suffered cracked ribs, but he and the rest of the crew were otherwise unscathed. The yacht was damaged beyond repair.

There are two lessons that the Marine Accident Investigation Branch deduced from this scenario. Can you identify the six?

Click here for the answers.

Sail-World Cruising is grateful to MAIB for its permission to use these incidents

by MAIB/Sail-World Cruising