'There was no wrecks and nobody drownded,....'

[Michael Rogers]

'....Fact, nothing to laugh at at all'. (The Lion and Albert)
Please go to the 'Weymouth' thread under Sailing and Events for the background details, with apologies for the need to cross-refer. These are the lessons I have learned, and fully intend to act on, from my dunking. Please may I emphasise that this is personal, so to speak, and little if any of it may be relevant to sailing the bigger Swallow Boats, but I hope at least some of it may be of general interest.

Lesson One - when preparing to sail single-handed, essential equipment such as Jelly Babies MUST be stowed within reach of the helming position. (Yes, I know, 'simples' you would think.)

Lesson Two - the mainsheet must always, meaning ALWAYS, be unjammed from the cams before letting go of the tiller for whatever reason. In my feeble defence, this is the first boat I have had with a clam cleat on the mainsheet, fitted last winter. It has been a great improvement, but I have to work on an instinctive default position and behaviour on this one (old dogs/new tricks etc). I have been warned!!

Lesson Three - I need a row of deepish notches in the top part of the after edge of the dagger board, together with a more robust and tighter shock cord retaining loop, so that, in the event of an inversion capsize, it is impossible for the board to retract into the boat. I am fairly confident that I could then right the boat on my own. (Yes, I should try it out, and I will on the next occasion I am in WARM waters - when will that be, I wonder?) This will be attended to forthwith.

Lesson Four - for my boat and kind of sailing, a VHF radio (which is essential on 'big' jaunts) which is not waterproof is absolutely useless and a waste of money. Had I had one, I would have been in the briny for far less time and would have been able to let the others know what had happened. (I am also cross with myself that, having done the VHF radio training etc, I missed an opportunity to send out a genuine Mayday). I am now, already, the chastened owner of a brand new, floating, waterproof VHF radio which flashes a red light when it gets wet (a Standard Horizon HX300, for those interested). I will experiment with attachment methods to me/the boat/both. I will probably back this up with a properly waterproof mobile, which are not as expensive as I thought.

Lesson Five - I will give serious consideration to acquiring an orange smoke flare. I don't know much about them or how I would have deployed it, but it might have galvanised Mr and Mrs Ramsbottom, watching from the cliff top, into doing something helpful. (For the present, anyway, I won't be going down the EPIRB route.)

Lesson Six - The tiller must be fixed to the rudder stock, not just slotted in. On the Trouper the tiller passes through an oval tiller port in the transom, and is held in place by the rudder downhaul (or uphaul). With the boat inverted, the tiller through the transom prevented the rudder from floating off its pintles - until the downhaul eventually floated itself free of its jamming cleat. At that point I lost both tiller and rudder and - crucially - the best way to hold onto the boat for a prolonged period. The end of the tiller fortunately protrudes aft of the rudder stock far enough for me to be able to arrange a pin to hold it in, and this mod is also in hand.

Lesson Seven - Never lose hope that a bloke in a RIB will come and haul you out, even if he then mysteriously disappears so that you can't thank him.

OVERALL LESSONS for us collectively. I want to suggest, strongly actually, that what happened doesn't change anything, and that the 'ultimate individual responsibility' model we have recently discussed should continue. It was my choice to join in the Weymouth event, not anyone else's, and responsibility for the consequences was also mine. I personally would not want it otherwise, and I am not sure that the 'buddy' system suggested by Colin would work in a sailing context (thanks for the thought, though, Colin!). However, we might perhaps organise radio communication a bit more seriously, strongly recommending (insisting?) that all participants in an event have a functioning VHF radio, and asking a named individual in the fleet to coordinate maintaining contact. Just a thought, and it might not have improved matters at all!

OVERALL LESSONS for me personally. A serious wake up call, and requiring me to rethink all sorts of things. I can make some useful safety mods to my boat and equipment. Much more importantly, I have been required to take into account the limitations, as well as the capabilities, of my boat. Partly unconsciously, I think my mindset had been that my weatherly little craft would not (could not, even) capsize. VERY silly thinking - of course she can, especially when I do something daft. Now that she has reminded me of that, I will try to change my mindset accordingly, with all its implications.

Some time ago Tony started a thread, still going strong, reminding some of us that not all Swallow Boats are Bay Raiders (or variants). Mine is one of those non-BRs, and I cannot expect her to do everything a BR can do. At the moment there isn't a small-boat contingent, apart from mine and an occasional Storm 15 (and welcome, Mark and Snowdrop?!), joining in our events. Maybe I have to stop being that annoying little brother, always wanting to join in and holding up the big boys ('Can I come too?' 'Wait for meee!').

Michael

(PS While typing the above, I flummoxed the spell-check. Instead of 'non-BRs', it wanted me to put 'non-bras'. I'm not entirely sure what one of those might be!)

[Julian Swindell]

Michael, I'm so pleased you survived what sounds a horrible ordeal. And you seem to have come up smiling and still sailing. Not sure I would. Having turned over a couple of small boats in the past, that is why I turned to a ballasted Baycruiser. Unlike many BC sailors, I always keep the ballast water in, I just don't want to go over.

On a very more mundane point, you were worried about the forum timing you out, and losing a long text entry. Things can go wrong like that. What I do id I want to type a longish piece, is to type it up in a word processor and then copy and paste the text into the forum when it is complete.

Hope you are still coming to Falmouth in September.

[Jonathan Stuart]

Michael,

Those are all very good points. Here are a few thoughts I have had:

1. For anyone regularly sailing on the sea you can't have too many methods to raise help so 'll be getting a PLB sometime (I think rather than EPIRB).

2. Would a mast head float be suitable for a Trouper? One might be out of keeping with the boat's aesthetics but if it prevents a full capsize then this would be worth considering, at least when on large expanses of water and/or where conditions are more challenging.

3. Colin's idea for a buddy system was interesting but I don't think it would work as a direct parallel to, say, diving. When we started heading back to Weymouth I asked Michael if he wanted me to stay with him, given that we were together at the back of the fleet. Michael declined and while I would have happily stayed back I was equally happy to push on - with my family on board I didn't relish the thought of tacking around and sailing more slowly to hang back  and it was far easier to push on. So I think the buddy system has issues if it means remaining relatively close to your buddy (as one does/should when diving), but is that essential? Pairs of boats could be buddied and each pair tries to keep an eye on each other. Obviously without taking on any liability, etc! This spreads the load, which makes it easier for the organiser, and hopefully means the job is done better. I was trying to keep tabs on everyone during the Weymouth weekend and it certainly wasn't easy! I think this would also focus the mind and help with the next lesson learnt.

4. When to call the coastguard? With hindsight this may sound daft but I was struggling to decide if/when to call the coastguard. Given the speed the BRs were traveling and the height of the swell, Michael was soon out of sight when we turned around and beat back to Weymouth. But we had no reason to think he was in trouble and did have some radio contact. But radio comms were proving difficult because Michael had his hands full (so couldn't easily answer calls) and I suspected my VHF was playing up (it later turned out to have a damaged antenna connector). Joybells had heard from Michael although we now know this was just before the capsize. As organizer I felt I should contact the coastguard if Michael was in trouble, but given the challenges with radio comms and uncertain situation I felt I ought to be more sure that there was an issue.


For me, point 4 is the biggest lesson. As soon as I heard of the incident I learnt that lesson and felt stupid for not erring on the side of caution and raising the alarm even if it had turned out to be a false alarm. I just Googled this point and found the following in an article on the BASC (diving) website:

Don't be afraid, embarrassed or worried about what may be said back at the club. Make that call. When your divers appear safe and well on the surface, the resources speeding their way to your assistance can easily be stood down.

You will never be criticized for calling too early for help but think about the implications of calling too late, as "Time lost can never be regained".

John Coupe
Portland Coastguard - Diving Liaison Officer

[Michael Rogers]

Jonathan, I'd be very concerned indeed if anything I've written could be construed as critical of the way the Weymouth event was organised and run. Nothing was further from my mind. And my view was, and remains, that I got into a mess and it was basically up to me to get out of it. Of course we look out for each other as and when we can, but there have to be limits to that. And if I am liable to get left behind, that makes it all the more up to me to sort myself out (perhaps by not being so adventurous in the first place?!).

With regards to radio contact, it was the basic inadequacy of my first radio that was my problem. I knew I had to keep it dry, so couldn't have it nearly as accessible as it should have been. My new one should enable me to reply readily to contact when I'm 'busy' with sailing, and even if/when I'm in the water. That would make all the difference.

There's no place at all for complacency, but I'm quite confident now that if the worst (a capsize) should happen again (and it shouldn't), I would be able to deal with it with MUCH less delay and wetness.

I'm sorry but I really couldn't be seen sailing with a great floppy float thingy at the masthead! But here's a thought. My mast is a CF tube with essentially a wooden plug in each end. Clearly the plugs are not watertight because the mast had filled with water during the upskittle, and had become remarkably heavy. Whether an airtight mast would have made a difference I don't know. I'll be dealing with that anyway. Incidentally, all three buoyancy chambers in the boat remained bone dry throughout.

As I said before, Jonathan, it was such a pleasure to see you in the A and E, and I'm grateful to you for tracking me down!

Hi Julian, of course I'll be at Falmouth, raring to go! I'm really looking forward to it.

Michael

[EDWIN DAVIES]

Very pleased you are safe and well Michael. from flying perspective all first response safety devices should be on the person. Not tried it myself but I suppose a waistcoat with pockets would hold a whistle, knife, day/night flare, Jelly Babies and waterproof radio all secured to the person with cord. Day/ night flares or orange flares are relatively cheap. I very nearly bought a d/n flare for the sail on Bala! I they had sold them near me I would have done.

[Matthew P]

Michael
Thank goodness you are okay.  I admire your fortitude and calmness in dealing with a difficult situation. And thank you for so openly sharing your experiences and learning.

I capsized my (un-ballasted) Bayraider, mostly because I did not think it could happen to me, luckily competent help was at hand.   I keep my flare container secured by velcro to the shelf in the outboard well (but is that a fire risk?) in the hope I could reach it in a capsize, I'm not sure I could get at it, especially with an inflated life jacket.  Edwin makes a very good point that first response safety devices should be on the person. However I fear the range of a handheld VHF at sea-level is inadequate and carrying pyrotechnics about me makes me nervous.

Perhaps a laser-flare (in addition to a VHF) may be a better option -see www.youtube.com/watch?v=t47hFJBsMZA. Safer to handle  and more durable but bulky to keep on your person?  And would people take notice of it or just see it as a son-e-luminiare effect added for their entertainment? I'd welcome the forum's opinion. At the very least I shall keep a good whistle on me in future.

Finally, I am relieved your motivation is intact, please continue to come out to play with the Bayraiders and inspire us all.

Matthew
BR20 Gladys

[Jonathan Stuart]

Michael,

Don't worry, I definitely didn't take anything you said as a criticism of the event or organisation.

[Colin Morley]

Hi Michael, Thank you for all your experience and ideas and I am delighted you are safe. These thoughts are always very helpful and make me realise how many mistakes I make when I am sailing alone.
Can I make one or two other suggestions from experience:
1. Make sure you have a good life jacket that is upto date and you are confident it will work if needed.
2. All life jackets must have a crotch strap fitted and used. Without it, an inflated life jacket will ride up around the neck and face and be dangerous.
3. I often leave the radio on the deck next to me but that is useless when i tack or if I were to capsize. I now have a lanyard on it attached to my life jacket harness. I or the crew have the radio stuffed inside the life jacket near a shoulder and ear. In this position I can hear what it says even when both hands are in use. When it is just lying around it just produces a jumble of sound and no one knows what has been said.
4. I do have an EPIRB. The family gave it to me for Christmas to give them reassurance as much as me. It is permanently fixed to my life jacket belt and easily comes to hand if needed. They are relatively cheap compared with other sailing expenses and will instantly alert the rescue services if you capsize at sea.
5. Two weeks ago, while having a very pleasant sail along the coast of Norfolk, against the wind and tide we got much later than we expected for our destination. The family got worried and rang the coast guard. They tried to call us on Channel 16 but for the first time in many sails we had it turned off. About 15 minutes later we were spotted safe and sound sailing into our destination  just as the coast guard turned up. We were embarrassed abut the coast guard were charming and said the family had done the right thing by calling them as soon as they were concerned.

[Colin Morley]

It has been suggested that during a Raid the buddy system might not work very well. I would like to present my thoughts in a little more detail for your consideration.
1. With groups sailing everyone is having a good time together but no one is personally responsible for the welfare of the others. This is OK if they are close together but the problem arises when one boat gets separated from the others. They may be racing ahead or dropping behind.
2. With the buddy system I am not suggesting that two boats sail with each other, that would be difficult and frustrating.
3. I am suggesting that the two boats are responsible for knowing where the other one is mainly by keeping visual contact.
4. If they cant be seen then they can be called on the VHF.
5. If they cant be seen and dont respond to the radio then the other boats are asked if they know about the whereabouts of the boat of concern.
6. If there is no positive response the buddy boat is responsible for locating them or alerting rescue services.

[Michael Rogers]

Thanks, one and all. I for one am finding this a useful discussion.

Edwin and Colin, your ideas about how actually to deploy/handle a VHF hand-held are very helpful. My buoyancy aid (see below) has a fairly handy sort-of-belt which I'll experiment with.

Colin, I wear a buoyancy aid rather than life jacket. Always have, it's not too bulky, and it was really excellent while I was in the water - just the right amount of buoyancy and not in the way. Your elaborated 'buddy' ideas are actually very like the sort of 'improved' radio links I had wondered about. As for the contacting HMC point, they and the lifeboat crews are simply amazing people. They really do seem not to mind a 'genuine' false alarm. 

I looked at some flares on line, and discovered that shipping (because they are 'hazardous') costs more than the things themselves. I'll have another look in a chandlery while raiding at Falmouth in September. Again, in my little boat, stowage (so that it's to hand if needed) will need thought.

Michael

[Jonathan Stuart]

Colin,

It sounds like we're on the "same page" re a buddy system and what you described is what I had in mind with my suggestion. I had initially taken the "buddy" concept a little too literally but a buddy in terms of comms, etc, would be worthwhile. We probably need a page on the with non-binding recommendations for how events could be run so I'll look to create that.

[Peter Taylor]

Scary, so glad it all turned out like it did, thanks for sharing the experience with us Michael so we can all learn from it.

For sailing my racing dinghy single handed (from Southampton out as far as the Solent) I used a handheld VHF attached to my (manually inflated) lifejacket but it was very annoying in terms of weight and catching on things. I also was aware that the VHF range from the water would be very limited (although probably more than adequate in my crowded home waters where getting run down by potential rescuers is a real danger!).

Now I'm sailing my BC20 I have a PLB attached to my lifejacket belt and it is much lighter and more comfortable to wear, so I must admit the hand held VHF remains in the cabin.  The RYA have just initiated their version of Safetrx, a reporting system based on mobile phone coverage, and I've joined that - if any SB owners haven't heard about it I recommend checking, e.g. http://www.pbo.co.uk/news/536893/demand-for-rya-safetrx-smartphone-app . My iPhone permanently lives in a waterproof "Life Edge" case which did keep the water out when I tested it (without the iPhone inside it)... but again the iPhone lives in the cabin so it would be reporting   Seatern's position from there, not mine! However, I do recommend the case, although they are not cheap.

The major lesson for me in reading about Michael's experience is to remember always to make fast the centreboard downhaul - which I often forget to do. I do sometimes sail Seatern un-ballasted, and if she did capsize (perish the thought) watching the centreboard rotate back into the hull under it's own weight would not be what I would want to see!

Peter

[garethrow]

Thanks for the detailed story and lessons Michael – your spirit in the face of adversity is inspiring.

I have been running dayboat rallies on and around the Teifi Estuary annually since 2007. I run it as a Drascombe Association rally. The Drascombe Association has been doing this for quite a long time and have a useful leader's handbook. They have dwelt on the issues of responsibility – adhering firmly to the principle that it is the skipper's responsibility for safety of his/her vessel. To some extent then we are going through the same learning curve as the Drascombe Association (you don't have to own a Drascombe to be a member!).

I have to admit that I find organising rallies around the Teifi and adjacent coastline to be nerve wracking. It is not an easy coast to sail safely - with very few safe refuges and a dangerous bar to negotiate. Communications are vital and I try to ensure every boat has a VHF and uses it. I also prevail upon the kindness of the local boat club and try to persuade them to have a motor boat of some sort milling around – not as rescue boat as it's not their responsibility, but as a helping hand and a 'go look for' type assistance or to act as a start boat / beer carrying vessel etc. This arrangement would be overkill in some locations (Lakes for eg) – and this is the nub of it – it all depends on the location and size of fleet. In modern jargon one undertakes an appropriate 'risk assessment' for the event; in my language one applies a healthy dose of common sense and accept help from wherever one can get it.

I quite like the idea of the buddy system – and might try it out this year in an informal way, asking participants to form their own allegiances according to their planned route / speed.

Not sure of this takes the debate further forward other than a plug for the Drascombe Association! Over the 7 years I have seen 2 capsizes, one lost contact (later found safe) but no major disasters – touching lots of wood. I am fervently hoping for an incident free rally this year.

Regards

Gareth Rowlands
Gwennol Teifi S17 (not a Bayraider!)

[Steve Joyce]

One thing I noticed during the Lake Bala rally,  is that it is fairly difficult to make out what is being said on the VHF.  As a former signaller in the Army we were always taught to press the ptt button and wait a couple of seconds before speaking so you don't lose the 1st part of the transmission. I thought that modern kit would be better but obviously not. We would then make the call to whoever and wait for a reply so you know they are listening,  then go on with the message.

Is this how they teach things on the RYA VHF course?

All I could hear at Bala was a crackle,  someone briefly saying something,  then nothing else.  Ok I am a bit deaf so at a disadvantage,  but no wonder I missed the start of the informal race (as well as being at the wrong end of the lake that is!).

The way we were taught a conversation would go something like... (for example)
"hello Gladys this is Turaco 3 over"
"Gladys receiving over"
"Turaco 3,  where are you. over"
"Gladys, in front of you, over"
"Turaco 3, not for long.  out"

Ok it was a long time since I did this stuff but it does make some sort of sense.

[Graham W]

Some of the VHF radio signals on Bala were very crackly, even at short range. I think I forgot to turn mine on on the second day, which probably doesn't set a very good example.