Death of a 4 Week-Old Boat

[bastonjock]

Hers a link to a Youtube video if a yacht that lost its keel after hitting a sand bank.

The crew were airlifted to safety

YouTube - Yacht 'Justice' on a Kentish beach

[Islandmike]

Awlful, I feel for those people...Thank God they were all ok.

[osirissail]

And people wonder why insurance rates are so high?

[bastonjock]

From what i can gather,the skipper tried to sail her at night through a shallow channel with sand banks either side,it is a difficult passage,most of the sailors that i know who are familiar with the area say that they would not attempt it at night.Its a tight fit for a boat with a 6ft keel and the keel on this boat was longer,the keel was ripped clean off when he hit the sand bank at night under full canvas by all accounts.The boat is a J series.

[RELEASEME]

I've seen this before in my nightmares,question.What if she was motoring? Would the outcome be any different,depends on speed I guess. Are reefs worse than sandbanks? Anyway, I am thankful the crew is OK. My stomach sank as I watched her flop around the beach, I thought to myself that would not only be my boat but also my home...Arhg...

[BubbleHeadMd]

Geeze... so many bad decisions made all at once:

1. Navigate a tight, unfamiliar passage in the dark.
2. (Apparent) failure to research the channel depth ahead of time.
3. Unsafe speed for conditions.

Of course, that's based on the meager facts that I have so far. I could be completely wrong and I hope I am.

[Nice N Easy]

sounding like a pessimist, I have to wonder about his insurance. Do insurance companies balk at paying off, if the owner is deemed in some way negligent. That is a terrible loss, and even moreso if the ins. co. refuses to pay because of the owners actions.

[Ram]

Inexperence is the cause of this , it could have happened to anyone of us if we go back in time long enough! Sad!

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Nice N Easy

At the risk of sounding like a pessimist, I have to wonder

......what kind of sailboat is this to lose a keel on a sandbar? I think I'd go after the manufacture! The keel and lower structure of a sail boat is suppose to be the strongest part. I could understand breaking off the lower section of a long thin (racing) keel but to leave a hole in the bottom. I've run aground more times then I care to mention but 30 years later it's still very strong.

It is a shame though! It could have been salvaged in better condition if it were pulled/pushed off the the old pilings that appeared to be under the boat. Its destiny I guess! A combination of two errors.

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

......what kind of sailboat is this to lose a keel on a sandbar? I think I'd go after the manufacture! The keel and lower structure of a sail boat is suppose to be the strongest part.

True statement about old fashioned long keel boats.

Becoming a more regular occurrence with fin keel boats.

[slomotion]

Bastonjock says it's a J boat and that's what I thought as soon as I saw the picture. If this is true, it's worth observing that there have been several incidents of J Boats losing keels. Maybe they're just too fast, but ......

Most boats do not lose keels after hitting sand bars - in the Bahamas I came to believe that you were supposed to hit them. Other than embarrassment and scaped paint we never suffered any damage in our fin keeled Hunter.

[bastonjock]

From my mate who knows the area well

"You are in Ramsgate on a transit to St. Kats from Cowes. Next leg is the final one. You plan to get to St. Kats for the 1300 HW locking-in. It's blowing hard from the NE and bitterly cold. You have one crewman.
You could stay put, or plan a well-buoyed route in deep water through the Princes Channel, or you could use the (very) slightly shorter 'Overland Route' as it's known locally, inside the Margate Hook Sand, past Reculver, and on across the shallows to the Nore.
You have chosen the latter.
It's 0500 on Jan 31st, it's pitch dark, blowing 6-7 from the NE and you are sailing westwards along the N.Kent coast in a very fast boat. You are approaching the shallowest section of the route. You are aiming for a very narrow swatchway which, as charted, at LW 'should' just about have enough water to get you through. And it's LW.
You approach the narrow gap between the buoys on a beam reach.
The yacht strikes and stops. You call a Mayday.
The lifeboat arrives, plus a helicopter. It's still pitch dark. Your boat is jarring on the sands with each passing wave. Somehow the lads on the AWLB get a line aboard and take the strain but suddenly you realise water is pouring into your boat. Seconds later, she capsizes, you are both in the sea. Later the lifeboatman described this moment to me as 'very dodgy indeed', with just a small hint of massive understatement.
The helo crew are onto the situation, and somehow they get you and your crew lifted off the stbd quarter of the capsized boat.
The lifeboat crew can't really do anything to save your boat without putting themselves and their own boat in grave danger in the shallows, so it's left to fend for itself.
You and your crew are alive and unhurt.
It's only a boat. "

Who said a picture paints a thousand words?

I suppose it depends on what speed he was doing? what does a J boat do with full canvas up in an F6?

[bastonjock]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

......what kind of sailboat is this to lose a keel on a sandbar? I think I'd go after the manufacture! The keel and lower structure of a sail boat is suppose to be the strongest part. I could understand breaking off the lower section of a long thin (racing) keel but to leave a hole in the bottom. I've run aground more times then I care to mention but 30 years later it's still very strong.

It is a shame though! It could have been salvaged in better condition if it were pulled/pushed off the the old pilings that appeared to be under the boat. Its destiny I guess! A combination of two errors.

The lifeboat did attempt to attach a line but it was deemed to dangerous,the lifeboat was in danger of running aground on the sand bank.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by bastonjock

The lifeboat crew can't really do anything to save your boat without putting themselves and their own boat in grave danger in the shallows, so it's left to fend for itself.
You and your crew are alive and unhurt.
It's only a boat. "

Who said a picture paints a thousand words?

I suppose it depends on what speed he was doing? what does a J boat do with full canvas up in an F6?

"It's only a boat."

Need I say more! Good decisions are important in adverse conditions. Running through the shallows in bad weather.....?
Do they have small craft warnings in Ramsgate?
And how much life & limb has to be endangered for the acts of ............... you know?
A captain has to know the capabilities of his vessel and crew. From what the picture paints that should have been a lake boat!

I say three strikes with a cat of 9 tails.

[Ocean Girl]

Originally Posted by Ram

Inexperence is the cause of this , it could have happened to anyone of us if we go back in time long enough! Sad!

I think Ram has it right. Inexperience and/or bad decisions, we have all been there. Bad weather and a shoal will rip up even the strongest of boats. I didn't watch the video, can't, too sad.
Erika