Just When You Think You're Safe . . . CRASH !

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by cwyckham

Sorry, I obviously got that wrong. The wind that drove you ashore did come from the side, though, right? If so, the stern anchor arrangement is what caused the drag.

Sort of a moot point, though, as you didn't have a lot of other options with limited swing room and a very small place to hide in.

You're right to be feeling a bit beat up on. We're all here trying to analyze everything you could have done to get it perfectly right and not drag. Part of that is trying to learn so we might avoid the same. Part of it is trying to convince ourselves that nothing bad will happen to us because we're all oh so smart.

Truth is, in those conditions, with that crew, after those days of fighting, 80% of us probably would have done worse than you, 19% about the same, and 1% better. You were in an almost impossible situation, one that most have us have never seen. There will always be the perfect scenario that can be found in hours of debate from the warm armchair after the fact, and there is value in that because it increases all our knowledge. But in that situation, when you're in the middle of it all, you did better than most.

The crews ok, the boat will be ok, and we all got to learn a few things. You done good. Coulda done better, maybe, it's hard to tell. But you done good.

Very perceptive. (bow)

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by zeehag

timbenner-- what ever happened to plain old eyeballing the coast anchor watch for the duration of a watch, then sleeping in comfort as you realize your anchor is set and you are going no where. alarms FAIL and you have no way to know until you are in trouble. eyes dont lie.

Not in this case as you remember everybody (both) were bushed.

[Mr B]

And I forgot to mention that my Passenger was chronically sea sick as well.

[webejammin]

Originally Posted by Mr B

And I forgot to mention that my Passenger was chronically sea sick as well.

Ouch, sea sick makes a bad first mate

Any pic's of your boat on the hard?

[Pat Ross]

Great report

Thanks,

[Pat Ross]

Originally Posted by Mr B

I
The Broughton Island Bay is not a place to be in bad weather, The big waves and chop were horrendous on the way out

Thanks for the great post

Tell me besides anchor upgrades, being in that situation where do you wish you had gone? I am not familiar with the area, here in the U.S., but it seemed from the original weather concerns like that was initially a good spot to hold up but you sound as if there would have been a better choice. Where considering the circumstances you faced?

Pat

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Pat Ross

Thanks for the great post

Tell me besides anchor upgrades, being in that situation where do you wish you had gone? I am not familiar with the area, here in the U.S., but it seemed from the original weather concerns like that was initially a good spot to hold up but you sound as if there would have been a better choice. Where considering the circumstances you faced?

Pat

The entrance to Port Stephens is about 8 miles SW of Esmerelda cove. Port Stephens is a large all weather harbour, (Bigger than Sydney) with a fairly deep water entrance.

[Mr B]

In America, you have an island called South Coronado near San Diego,

Its very similar in size to Broughton Island and the distance to Port Stephens,

Just off the coast, But too far to sail in a storm with a dodgy steering,

In Hindsight, And listening to a lot of people and their comments, It was the safest place to be,

I missed two storms being in there,
I just got caught at the wrong moment,

[Pat Ross]

Originally Posted by Mr B

In America, you have an island called South Coronado near San Diego,

Its very similar in size to Broughton Island and the distance to Port Stephens,

I missed two storms being in there,
I just got caught at the wrong moment,

I've always heard 2 out of 3 ain't bad

Thanks for the comparative. I have very much enjoyed this thread, for me perhaps as good a thread as I have read in any Forum. So Brian thanks for starting the thread

By the way I know several people who lost their boats is such situations, who also had boat building skills, and after the Insurance paid them they bought their boats back and fully owned them when it was over, usually a much improved version.

[Mr B]

A couple more,

[Ozbullwinkle]

Originally Posted by Mr B

A couple more,

I noticed that the file names for all of the photos is Bundaberg Boat Wreck Nov 2011. This could be a bit confusing for your dealings with the assessor or the insurance company - although I am aware that you have given them both top marks.

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Ozbullwinkle

I noticed that the file names for all of the photos is Bundaberg Boat Wreck Nov 2011. This could be a bit confusing for your dealings with the assessor or the insurance company - although I am aware that you have given them both top marks.

It was just the way I put the camera card into the computer, The Piccys cover a large amount of time,

Bundaberg. fixing the gear drive, Maroochy, Morton Island, Stradbroke Island, and video's coming down the Tasman sea, Forster, Boat Wreck, Video leaving Broughton Island, Are all on the same card,

Its just a brief name to help me find particular piccys on my computer after I have down loaded them from the card.

The card from Fiji, Covers Fiji for 3 weeks, My new Boat, Musket Cove, Fiji Day, all my tours and sightseeing on Fiji, then covers the 7 ocean video's to Vanuatu, approximately 6 weeks in lenght.

The assessor took all his own piccys for the Insurance company,
I never gave them any, as I didnt have any,
I only have the ones after they brought the boat back,

We were still unloading the boat onto the beach when the Rescue vessel arrived, So I didnt have time or think about piccys at the time, which was a shame, now I think about it,

Before the Rescue vessel arrived, and the electrics failed, I was too busy trying to get extra pumps working, But when the water came over the Transom and filled the hulls, It was a matter of saving what we could,

Its still some thing that I just cant come to grips with yet,
We were very fortunate or lucky, or whatever, That it happened like it did,

A bit more to the right, and on the rocks, we would have been in the ****, real bad,

In the dark and on the rocks, instead of on the beach, My passenger is not young, So getting her off safely would have been my priority, and we would have lost the lot,

We came away uninjured, We got the wrecked boat back,

And I do have a home to go home too, Unlike Minx, who lost the lot, Which is Totally Dreadfull.

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by Mr B

It was just the way I put the camera card into the computer, The Piccys cover a large amount of time,

Bundaberg. fixing the gear drive, Maroochy, Morton Island, Stradbroke Island, and video's coming down the Tasman sea, Forster, Boat Wreck, Video leaving Broughton Island, Are all on the same card,

Its just a brief name to help me find particular piccys on my computer after I have down loaded them from the card.

The card from Fiji, Covers Fiji for 3 weeks, My new Boat, Musket Cove, Fiji Day, all my tours and sightseeing on Fiji, then covers the 7 ocean video's to Vanuatu, approximately 6 weeks in lenght.

The assessor took all his own piccys for the Insurance company,
I never gave them any, as I didnt have any,
I only have the ones after they brought the boat back,

We were still unloading the boat onto the beach when the Rescue vessel arrived, So I didnt have time or think about piccys at the time, which was a shame, now I think about it,

Before the Rescue vessel arrived, and the electrics failed, I was too busy trying to get extra pumps working, But when the water came over the Transom and filled the hulls, It was a matter of saving what we could,

Its still some thing that I just cant come to grips with yet,
We were very fortunate or lucky, or whatever, That it happened like it did,

A bit more to the right, and on the rocks, we would have been in the ****, real bad,

In the dark and on the rocks, instead of on the beach, My passenger is not young, So getting her off safely would have been my priority, and we would have lost the lot,

We came away uninjured, We got the wrecked boat back,

And I do have a home to go home too, Unlike Minx, who lost the lot, Which is Totally Dreadfull.

So I am trying to understand, are you fixing up the boat or is the boat a total loss? Did you salvage gear to put in another boat?
So sorry for you to have to go through this....

[Ozbullwinkle]

Hi Mr B, ok I understand about the filename. As you say you would have been so busy you would have hardly had time to scratch yourself.

Also agree with your comments about poor Minx who not only lost his boat but it was also uninsured.

I am very familiar with Broughton Island and have stayed there for many weeks on end over many years. My favourite anchorage where I have ridden out many blows in yachts and large gamefishing vessels has been Coalshaft Bay which is protected by the rock wall reef although it gets covered at high tide. I think you stayed there the night before moving to Esmerelda which has always been my least favourite anchorage as it is so susceptible to surge. But then again in NSW we are not blessed with recognised overnight offshore anchorages and Broughton Island is surprisingly the only one on the whole NSW coast.

I believe that you said that you are an engineer and are going to make your own 60Kg anchors. Like others, I suggest that these are way too heavy and you will have a hell of a job if you ever have a electric anchor winch failure and need to retrieve one manually which usually happens when you are short crewed and in adverse conditions. We recently replaced a CQR which often dragged despite being set correctly with plenty of chain and we had no confidence in it. I met a commercial fisherman who ran a 50 ton trawler between Gladstone and New Caledonia who said they had switched over to the Super Sarca anchors for their fleet and had successfully rode our cyclonic conditions and he thoughly recommended them. So we took his advice and could not be happier. It is an excellent anchor and sets first time every time on a variety of bottoms. The Super Sarca # 5 should be ideal for your cat and weighs only 14.8 Kg (the #6 only weighs 22Kg) which will give you a great weight saving compared to the 60Kg one you have in mind. Well worth taking a look at them.

Regards,
Steve

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Ozbullwinkle

Hi Mr B, ok I understand about the filename. As you say you would have been so busy you would have hardly had time to scratch yourself.

Also agree with your comments about poor Minx who not only lost his boat but it was also uninsured.

I am very familiar with Broughton Island and have stayed there for many weeks on end over many years. My favourite anchorage where I have ridden out many blows in yachts and large gamefishing vessels has been Coalshaft Bay which is protected by the rock wall reef although it gets covered at high tide. I think you stayed there the night before moving to Esmerelda which has always been my least favourite anchorage as it is so susceptible to surge. But then again in NSW we are not blessed with recognised overnight offshore anchorages and Broughton Island is surprisingly the only one on the whole NSW coast.

I believe that you said that you are an engineer and are going to make your own 60Kg anchors. Like others, I suggest that these are way too heavy and you will have a hell of a job if you ever have a electric anchor winch failure and need to retrieve one manually which usually happens when you are short crewed and in adverse conditions. We recently replaced a CQR which often dragged despite being set correctly with plenty of chain and we had no confidence in it. I met a commercial fisherman who ran a 50 ton trawler between Gladstone and New Caledonia who said they had switched over to the Super Sarca anchors for their fleet and had successfully rode our cyclonic conditions and he thoughly recommended them. So we took his advice and could not be happier. It is an excellent anchor and sets first time every time on a variety of bottoms. The Super Sarca # 5 should be ideal for your cat and weighs only 14.8 Kg (the #6 only weighs 22Kg) which will give you a great weight saving compared to the 60Kg one you have in mind. Well worth taking a look at them.

Regards,
Steve

Thanks Steve,

After Getting stuck on the sandbar at Maroochy, I wasnt too keen on river entrances along that coast,
I was on the west side of Broughton island the day before, perfectly safe from wind and waves from the east,

If my steering wasnt dodgy, I would have sailed to Port Stephens, 12 miles away.

I dont have local knowledge of the area, So it was a crash course in finding some where safe for the night and to miss the storm coming from the East.

I am an Engineering Blacksmith by trade, Making Anchors of any size are childs play to me,

I remade a D shackle the dockyard lost, 6 inches thick, 5 feet tall and weighing 8 ton, for a container ship we were making at the time, in Brisbane,
It held the anchor onto the chain they dropped in the ocean.

My next anchor wont drag, Irrespective of the weight of it, But it will be heavy enough to do the job,
I lost one boat, It will be the last I lose to a dragging anchor,

Further south past Sydney, there are a lot of safe places to anchor, But none near Broughton, other than Port Stephens,

I didnt like the harbour at Forster either, But I had a broken davit that needed fixing so I went in there for repairs,

Cheers, Brian,