A Story You Will All Be Interested In Reading

[Blind Owl]

Some food for thought in this video:

Whenever Jules and Susan drop anchor, they take photos of the anchorage, the boats all around, and photos of their instruments (chartplotter, radar, AIS) showing their boat's position, the positions of other boats, the time, date, state of tide and whatever other information they can record.

Seems like a very good idea.

 

[BandB]

Why does it take a while to at least get and engine started and in gear to take some of the wind load?

For a boat that length, it doesn't take long to start the engines, but it does take a while to make any headway into the wind without at the same time sliding toward the other boats as while the bow is directed into the wind, the stern is going to swing toward the other boats. Will require combination of engines and thrusters to counter the inertia from the wind. Also, an anchor to be raised.

Not excusing any of their actions and no idea how long "a while" turned out to be, but warning others sounds like the first wise thing they did the entire time.

 

[twistedtree]

For a boat that length, it doesn't take long to start the engines, but it does take a while to make any headway into the wind without at the same time sliding toward the other boats as while the bow is directed into the wind, the stern is going to swing toward the other boats. Will require combination of engines and thrusters to counter the inertia from the wind. Also, an anchor to be raised.



Not excusing any of their actions and no idea how long "a while" turned out to be, but warning others sounds like the first wise thing they did the entire time.

What I’m envisioning is a boat at anchor, dragging, but not yet entangled with any other boat. In other words I’m presuming the boats realized they were dragging before they smashed into Kya.

In that situation it seems that an engine started and placed in gear will provide enough thrust, and in the right direction, to relieve enough tension on the anchor to stop dragging. You would need enough rudder to keep the boat pointed into the wind, but it seems thrusters would be a bonus and not required.

And I don’t understand why having tenders out would stop you from doing the same.

Once entangled, it’s a whole other story, but according to the account, the yacht crew were up and busy messing with tenders before they came down on Kya.

 

[BandB]

What I’m envisioning is a boat at anchor, dragging, but not yet entangled with any other boat. In other words I’m presuming the boats realized they were dragging before they smashed into Kya.

In that situation it seems that an engine started and placed in gear will provide enough thrust, and in the right direction, to relieve enough tension on the anchor to stop dragging. You would need enough rudder to keep the boat pointed into the wind, but it seems thrusters would be a bonus and not required.

And I don’t understand why having tenders out would stop you from doing the same.

Once entangled, it’s a whole other story, but according to the account, the yacht crew were up and busy messing with tenders before they came down on Kya.

I also don't know how much anchor scope they had out or how shallow the waters were. Just know it's a long way from the bow to the stern and in a strong wind getting the boat moving the way desired can be a challenge. Now, no challenge they shouldn't have been capable of handling. Often on a boat that size, the expedient thing isn't trying to reset the anchor, but it's moving out of there.

Now, as to the tenders, I know what was likely happening in their minds although I disagree with their thought processes. They were likely thinking of avoiding damage to them, while they should have just let the tenders come along for the ride as they were and thought about avoiding damage to other boats and to their main boat.

Now, I wasn't there on any of those boats, but what I picture is everyone asleep, aware of issue too late, not thinking their best having just been waked and a bit of anxiety and panic taking over rather than calm, collected judgement. Perhaps then reacting by doing the wrong things or delaying or focusing on the wrong things. I can picture, "Omg, the tender is out" hitting before "Omg, we're going to crush those other boats."

 

[BandB]

Wifey B: This thread is a good endorsement for marinas.

 

[psneeld]

Last 3 out of 4 times I have been hit was in marinas.


I sniff out the hazards better or at least have options in anchorages.

 

[Gdavid]

Now, as to the tenders, I know what was likely happening in their minds although I disagree with their thought processes. They were likely thinking of avoiding damage to them, while they should have just let the tenders come along for the ride as they were and thought about avoiding damage to other boats and to their main boat.

This sounds very likely, there were caught by surprise and became fixated on the tenders and never grasped the full situation to prioritize their actions.

It's easier to identify the best response in hindsight but using the mains to reduce the load on the anchor would have been the best option, with a lower load on the rode the anchor may have reset or at least provided enough resistance to keep the bow into the wind such that the engine thrust would have been in the correct direction. The prop wash coming off of the mains would have also driven the tenders away from the hull of the big boats and mitigated some damage (or flipped them). I would not be surprised if there was a standing policy on the boat to not engage the mains while crew were on the stern in foul weather particular while handling tenders but I think they lost sight of the forest for sake of the trees.

Sound very fortunate that no one was killed or injured.

 

[Alaskaflyer]

Wifey B: This thread is a good endorsement for marinas.

I hear you, but...some people have no business being responsible for operating a boat. Other than at weekend launch ramps, those people tend to congregate most at marinas.

 

[Bigsfish]

Scott

I agree I have had my boat damaged by others quite a bit more at a dock than anchored. I had a Bahamas fishing that had just had its bottom tarred pass to close to my bow and it’s keel picked up my white anchor rode, the boat stared pulling me into it until I yelled. He stopped and I retrieved my anchor and it never got in his prop but my rode was no longer whitr

 

[rgano]

My guess is somebody was on watch in ONE of the super yachts, but not both, and that person was obviously not competent to see the developing situation on radar as the storm approached.

I was anchored off Fort Jefferson with twenty other vessels one morning in 2009 when I began to get snippets over the VHF weax channel (who says you cannot get VHF reception out there) of lightning and tornadoes in the Tampa area. It being a pretty unprotected anchorage, I was a bit antsy with all those other vessels about. Finally, about noon, I was hailed by a passing friend who I had not realized was within a thousand miles. When I told him my concerns, he mentioned that he had a satellite weather system aboard his vessel. We immediately repaired aboard his boat where I viewed a very ferocious looking arc of weather roaring down the Florida peninsula.

As soon as I could retrieve the admiral from ashore we were underway for Key West at best speed arriving at the US Navy Marina at Boca Chica after dark tying up our last line just as a tremendous crack of lightning broke above us. A sailing vessel whose operator I had assisted in laying out a second anchor the morning I discovered the weather problem arrived the following afternoon and profusely thanked me for my assistance as he described the carnage of many boats run aground.

 

[R lucky]

till I interrupted her with the "first hit is free, second brings the USCG" reply lecture.

This sounds great, but not sure what the CG would do if hailed in that situation other than to suggest you move your own vessel?

 

[psneeld]

You are possibly correct, but use the right buzz words such as negligent operations, collision with more imminent, boat out of control, etc....

They know they would be in a lot more trouble if they didn't respond and something like injury or MOB occurred.

Now what they actually do on scene, sure it could be nothing to citing the other vessel.

46 U.S. Code § 2302 - Penalties for negligent operations and interfering ...
A person operating a vessel in a negligent manner or interfering with the safe operation of a vessel, so as to endanger the life, limb, or property of a person is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 in the case of a recreational vessel, or $25,000 in the case of any other ...

 

[R lucky]

Great. Thanks for taking the time to post this, I appreciate it.