Wooden Sailboat Tabitha sank 08/01/2019

[sailormed]

The british sailboat Tabitha sank yesterday jan 8 in rough seas 5 miles of Dieppe in the Channel.

3 Crew members were saved by helicopter at 08 hours in the morning, they had sheltered in the emergency raft.

The wooden boat sank at around 10 the same morning.
The cause seems to be an important water ingress.

[a64pilot]

Two things are unusual, first the pic from another boat showing the life raft, but a helicopter did the rescue?
Maybe it’s just me, but that seems to be an awfully short mast?
Very sorry for their loss, good to hear they were rescued

[dasreboot]

And very far aft as well. looks like a ketch that has had its mainmast removed. perhaps delivering under power.

[boatman61]

Sprung plank..???
Glad all are safe.

[Adelie]

Motorsailor.

[hamburking]

Whatever the cause, those are some incredible and horrifying pictures. Thank you for posting!

[TrentePieds]

Power boat with a steadying sail, it looks like.

So far, I've found no news reports of the sinking.


TP

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Two things are unusual, first the pic from another boat showing the life raft, but a helicopter did the rescue?
Maybe it’s just me, but that seems to be an awfully short mast?
Very sorry for their loss, good to hear they were rescued

With the boat that far gone, I wouldn't want to come along side it. You could foul your prop in a loose line. You could come off a swell and come down ON the foundering boat causing hull damage. The rolling could roll the mast into your boat or rigging (if present).

The alternative to being 'plucked' is to make them swim for the rescuing boat or have the rescuing boat deploy a smaller boat to pick them up. With a helo on site, it would seem easier to pluck them.

This looks like a motorsailer with the short mast and wheelhouse.

[silverbeard1]

Would you consider the fact of losing the Main Mast as result of heavy seas. I have witnessed wooden vessels lose their chain plates & there fore,
lose of rigging, mast, structure damage, sinking.

[John L. Cwierz]

I am so sorry to hear about this sinking. I feel it is like just something of oneself being lost forever. Please accept my condolence. John.

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Power boat with a steadying sail, it looks like.

So far, I've found no news reports of the sinking.


TP

Brits zeiljacht met drie zeilers gezonken in het Kanaal - watersport - nieuws - watersportwinkel

https://france3-regions.francetvinfo...e-1602881.html

[TrentePieds]

Thanx IslandHopper :-)

How did you know that Dutch is my fifth most favorite second language ;-0)?

There is really nothing in either article that we didn't already know from Sailormed's original post. The interesting thing I would like to know - tho we are unlikely to find out - is whether this "important ingress of water" was due to, say, a garboard plank springing at the stem.

MyBeloved and I were just chatting about it and congratulating ourselves on how clever we were to buy a GRP boat.

Our commiserations go out to the owners of Tabitha. We are very glad that the crew was rescued.

TP

[sailboatscot]

Originally Posted by Shrew

With the boat that far gone, I wouldn't want to come along side it. You could foul your prop in a loose line. You could come off a swell and come down ON the foundering boat causing hull damage. The rolling could roll the mast into your boat or rigging (if present).



The alternative to being 'plucked' is to make them swim for the rescuing boat or have the rescuing boat deploy a smaller boat to pick them up. With a helo on site, it would seem easier to pluck them.



This looks like a motorsailer with the short mast and wheelhouse.

No swimming required if the painter had been cut surely?

[Uricanejack]

Glad to hear everyone survived. Pity about the boat. It can be replaced.
Good advert for having a life raft.

[Lihuedooley77]

a post mentioned to simply pluck the crew from the boat by helicopter....


Usually not a good plan, with the wild motion of the boat and rigging, mast , stays, shrouds, etc, that can capture any harnesses, bodies, and lines run from the helo . Plus, trying to work with a very unstable platform of a boat in rough seas. The helo is now like a fish on a hook, and will become unstable and not be able to remain airborne . The hoist cable would have to be released and free.

If not cut free :

Now you have a major problem with rescue personal crew, the victim, the harness and cable, and the helo itself with all of those now wrapped around rigging or bodies bashed into the decks of the vessel. Good chance of losing the helo, and the helo crew, as well as the person being rescued with the harness and hoist lines fouled.

The poster is correct, that the helo will have the people who need rescuing, get into the water or a life raft. Then, swim away from the boat so the helo can hover, and have the rescue diver , hook em up, and haul em up.

it would be the same type of plan for a rescue boat . Get the people away from the sinking vessel.

As to a fire on board, I have often suggested to sailing club students as to fires on board a boat and you are the rescuing vessel.

DO NOT GET ON BOARD TO FIGHT THE FIRE !!. THE BOAT OWNER MAY DEMAND THAT YOU HELP HIM SAVE HIS FLAMING BOAT. NEGATIVE. DO NOT RUN INTO A BURNING BOAT FIRE..

HAVE THE PEOPLE ON BOARD THE VESSEL ,THAT IS ON FIRE, GET INTO THEIR LIFE JACKETS, AND LIFE BOAT IF AVAILABLE. SWIM TO YOUR RESCUE BOAT.

YOU STAND OFF, UP WIND OUT OF ANY SMOKE FROM THE BURNING VESSEL AND HAVE THEM SWIM OR PADDLE TO YOUR VESSEL. HAUL THEM ABOARD YOUR VESSEL

IN STRONG WINDS, A LIFE BOAT WILL BE QUICKLY BLOWN DOWN WIND, OR DOWN CURRENT, SO MAY BE THE PEOPLE IN THE WATER. ONCE AWAY FROM THE SMOKE AND FLAMES, YOU CAN PICK THEM UP.

NOTIFY THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY FOR THE AREA, and TREAT ANY INJURIES WITH FIRST AID, GET THEM WARMED UP, INSIDE AND OUT .

FOLLOW ANY ORDERS BY THE RESCUE AUTHORITY .

PUT OUT A SECURITY CALL AS TO THE POSITION OF THE VESSEL, AND POSSIBLE HAZZARD TO NAVIGATION. HAVE THE U.S.C.G OR APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY DO THE SAME.

IF IN U.S. WATERS, USUALLY USCG AIR ASSETS, AS WELL AS U.S.C.G VESSEL, and OTHER VESSELS WILL RESPOND. HARBOR DEPARTMENTS IF IN CLOSE PROXIMITY WILL ALSO RESPOND.

Just FYI, those were the procedures that we advised our members to to follow that would work pretty much in both situations. Keep everyone safe, including you , your boat and your crew who are trying to save the lives of the vessel that is on fire. Your primary mission is SAVING LIVES, not fighting fires.

Lot more to fire fighting, on board your vessel but that is a whole other conversation .