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03-04-2013, 18:15
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,185
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challenge: adrift, no anchor, no power, flat calm water
No details, but let's just say this or something just like it occurred before.
So you're getting near shoaling water making way, aiming for a hole in the breakwater. The engine packs in, you've got zero anchors onboard, and flat calm waters.
Any ideas?
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03-04-2013, 18:28
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Picton, ON
Boat: Grampian 26
Posts: 227
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Re: challenge: adrift, no anchor, no power, flat calm water
Jump in the dingy and tow her in
Easy peasy
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03-04-2013, 18:30
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#3
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: PORTUGAL
Posts: 30,586
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Re: challenge: adrift, no anchor, no power, flat calm water
Quote:
Originally Posted by rebel heart
No details, but let's just say this or something just like it occurred before.
So you're getting near shoaling water making way, aiming for a hole in the breakwater. The engine packs in, you've got zero anchors onboard, and flat calm waters.
Any ideas?
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Depends... d'ya wanna stop.. keep going.. is there a current/significant tidal flow..
paint the picture Reb...
Should mention on my Corribee 21 the wind died just 3 miles from Bayona.. the old Evinrude that came with it had died coming past Ushant and it was my 2nd day without water.. I paddled 2 n 1/2 mile's before I managed to hail a 50ft Aussie boat heading in for a tow.. he was dead chuffed.. got to try out the new towing Y he'd made up.. worked great and he dropped me at the anchorage...
__________________
It was a dark and stormy night and the captain of the ship said.. "Hey Jim, spin us a yarn." and the yarn began like this.. "It was a dark and stormy night.."
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03-04-2013, 18:33
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#4
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Resin Head
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Seattle WA
Boat: Nauticat
Posts: 7,205
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Re: challenge: adrift, no anchor, no power, flat calm water
So many possible answers depending on so many variables. Dinghy? Sculling oar? Radio for assistance or hail another vessel? Drag a grapnel in lieu of an anchor? Depends on the boat and the situation...
__________________
O you who turn the wheel and look to windward,
Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you.
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03-04-2013, 18:36
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 86
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Why would you have zero anchors? I think most of us would use our brains and not be in that situation.
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03-04-2013, 18:36
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#6
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: gettin naughty on the beach in cornwall
Boat: 63 custom alloy sloop,macwester26,prout snowgoose 37 elite catamaran!
Posts: 10,594
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Re: challenge: adrift, no anchor, no power, flat calm water
Quote:
Originally Posted by rebel heart
No details, but let's just say this or something just like it occurred before.
So you're getting near shoaling water making way, aiming for a hole in the breakwater. The engine packs in, you've got zero anchors onboard, and flat calm waters.
Any ideas?
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just wait,about 4 pm as the land cools down you will get a land breeze,tack in
or in the morning as the land warms up you will get a sea breeze run in to safety
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03-04-2013, 18:37
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,185
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Re: challenge: adrift, no anchor, no power, flat calm water
40 ton vessel, you can row all you like but there she will go.
Weather is calm but there's a gentle 2 knot wind pushing you onto shore, and small wavelets moving you in that direction as well. Constant shoal.
You were moving at 7 knots before the engine packed in, dirty fuel. You're 400 yards from grounding depth, mid tide. Let's say you've got ~2 minutes.
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03-04-2013, 18:40
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#8
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: gettin naughty on the beach in cornwall
Boat: 63 custom alloy sloop,macwester26,prout snowgoose 37 elite catamaran!
Posts: 10,594
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Re: challenge: adrift, no anchor, no power, flat calm water
Quote:
Originally Posted by rebel heart
40 ton vessel, you can row all you like but there she will go.
Weather is calm but there's a gentle 2 knot wind pushing you onto shore, and small wavelets moving you in that direction as well. Constant shoal.
You were moving at 7 knots before the engine packed in, dirty fuel. You're 400 yards from grounding depth, mid tide. Let's say you've got ~2 minutes.
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i guess it is time to pull the sails up!
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03-04-2013, 18:44
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,185
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Re: challenge: adrift, no anchor, no power, flat calm water
Quote:
Originally Posted by atoll
i guess it is time to pull the sails up!
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If I get into why the sails won't work I'll be giving away some identity of the vessel, but believe me: sails weren't an option.
Really, it's just you on a power boat with the shoals ahead. No anchor onboard and you're bearing dead on. I'm seriously lost what I would do.
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03-04-2013, 18:46
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Salem, MA
Boat: Pearson 31
Posts: 535
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Re: challenge: adrift, no anchor, no power, flat calm water
I wonder how much horse power a person in the water could generate?
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03-04-2013, 18:49
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#11
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: gettin naughty on the beach in cornwall
Boat: 63 custom alloy sloop,macwester26,prout snowgoose 37 elite catamaran!
Posts: 10,594
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Re: challenge: adrift, no anchor, no power, flat calm water
Quote:
Originally Posted by rebel heart
If I get into why the sails won't work I'll be giving away some identity of the vessel, but believe me: sails weren't an option.
Really, it's just you on a power boat with the shoals ahead. No anchor onboard and you're bearing dead on. I'm seriously lost what I would do.
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currents tend to move around shallows,so if it is flat calm,chances are you will get carried past/around them.
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03-04-2013, 18:50
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Nicholasville, Kentucky
Boat: 15 foot Canoe
Posts: 14,191
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Re: challenge: adrift, no anchor, no power, flat calm water
40 tons is a lot vessel to row in with your dinghy. I'd try a warp or a net with some weight in the center to see if I could snag something before I ran up on the beach. Sounds like a powered vessel, not a sailboat? Sails up if it's a sailboat.
Kind of reminds me of when I sucked a fuel tank dry in the ferry lanes to Bremerton once and had just a tiny bit of wind. Sails went up fast and I ducked below to change tanks, filters and bleed the engine. I had it done in time before going ashore but was a bit longer than 2 minutes. The Ferry Captain didn't like changing course much but I had my sails up and my engine was not running.
Amazing what you can do with a bit of adrenaline.
kind regards,
__________________
John
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03-04-2013, 18:53
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Wash DC
Boat: PETERSON 44
Posts: 3,165
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A) call insurance company B) yell at wife C) fire off flares set off epirb jump in life boat D) change the fuel filter
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03-04-2013, 18:54
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#14
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CF Adviser
Join Date: Oct 2007
Boat: Van Helleman Schooner 65ft StarGazer
Posts: 10,280
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Re: challenge: adrift, no anchor, no power, flat calm water
Hard to be specific as you don’t say what assets we actually have. (Local help, /VHD/Mobile/Location…etc??)
Also how close to the breakwater… are we already committed?
First thing with the remaining momentum, turn away from closest danger to give you more time.
Once stopped…. assess prevailing current set and rate, plus zephyr wind indicators… including time and anticipated direction of next thermals.
If you have a dingy and outboard… then launch and lash tightly near your stern with a long back spring to bow and practice guiding in and stopping, before heading in thru hole.
If small tiller sailboat, you can use that rudder to squirt you out of danger
If no dingy, put up sails to work with whatever wind and current fate gives you.
REBEL...JUST READ YOUR ADDITIONAL DETAILS AFTER POSTING...WILL RETHINK
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03-04-2013, 18:55
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Massachusetts
Boat: Finnsailer 38
Posts: 5,132
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Re: challenge: adrift, no anchor, no power, flat calm water
Like all boating answers, it depends. For example, if there was a slight current coming out of the harbor you could probably throw a bunch of stuff off the stern in ropes and create drag to pull your boat back against the gentle wind--of course it depends on how much wind and how much current. I would also try putting it in gear and using the starter motor to push me away from danger. I have heard that you can move pretty far this way, but you have to do it in bursts or you burn out the starter. If I had oars, paddles, or long enough fender boards I would add paddling to the recipe. If the wind was gentle and onshore I might try adding sail area by holding up blankets etc. which might push me in the right direction. Obviously, I might call for help on the VHF--in those conditions it wouldn't take much of a boat to move it out of harms way.
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