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I wonder what school he went to?

4K views 27 replies 13 participants last post by  Zanshin 
#1 ·
#2 ·
I hope he got the optional insurance. :)
 
#4 ·
That reef is not only prominent on all the charts but is mentioned in all the guide books as well. If one ignores those two plus the the chartplotter and the chart briefing plus the obvious change in water color and wave action then at least admit it, don't blame it on "problems with the sail".
 
#10 ·
I'd blame the charter company before I'd blame the captain. One sailing course a year ago does not a competent skipper make. It was the charter company that has the experience.

Anyway, nobody was hurt and, from looking at the photos, I'd say the damage was mostly cosmetic.

One thing's for sure, if he sticks with sailing I'll bet he'll keep his eyes glued to the chart and chartplotter from now on!
 
#11 ·
Mark I Eyeball is a lot better than the Chartplotter... you need to use all of your navigation tools to help ensure safe navigation during a passage. GPS chartplotters can often be a bit different from the reality...and you need to double check the chartplotter against the real world. Just remember, that an icon of a boat on a chartplotter screen is an idealized idea of where a boat is but placed against a cartographer's electronic interpretation of the real world that may be using faulty or old data, and should not be trusted implicitly IMHO.
 
#13 ·
GPS chartplotters can often be a bit different from the reality...and you need to double check the chartplotter against the real world. Just remember, that an icon of a boat on a chartplotter screen is an idealized idea of where a boat is but placed against a cartographer's electronic interpretation of the real world that may be using faulty or old data, and should not be trusted implicitly IMHO.
Nigel Clader explains this concept really well and in great detail in his book "How to Read a Nautical Chart."
 
#12 ·
I just finished my ASA bareboat chartering course, plus the 101 and 103 and navigation course. I have also gone out many times as a crew. But I still don't feel ready to captain a chartered boat and be responsible for my crew. My plan is to get a lot of sailing in this summer to practice the skills I've learned, then maybe charter a boat in BVI in early winter. Those photos just reinforced my plan.
 
#14 ·
Learning seamanship is not just about taking courses, but about experience - especially in difficult or challenging situations. And experience has very little to do with the number of miles sailed - and everything to do with what happens during those miles.

Learning to sail involves treading a fine line between being safe and responsible and stretching yourself. Like learning any skill, progressing as a sailor involves consistantly stepping just outside your comfort zone.

So bite off more than you can chew - but not too much more!
 
#15 ·
I wonder what the conditions were when the grounding occurred, was it fair weather or stormy, how strong were the winds etc.

It seems to me that both the moorings and the helmsman are partly responsible but at the end of the day the Skipper has to take final responsibility for being prepared and at the necessary skill level (and knowing how to read a chart)
 
#19 ·
Problems with sail include raising it I suppose, helpful advice is leave the motor running until the sail is up, and keep the pointy end pointed away from the reef.
My last charter was skippered because cast and crew (read admirals) wanted luxury sailing -against my personal desires, having bareboated 4 previous times. He ran aground on the pass between Monkey Point and Trellis bay. Knocked a pretty good chunk out of the keel on Voyage 50 catamaran.
He'd made that pass 'dozens of times' before. He was way to far to the left IMHO, I've only done it twice and knew that.
 
#20 ·
chucklesR - last time I went through that way there was a just a bit of wind and the waters were smooth and I still chickened out and sailed (yep, didn't turn on the ********) up between little and great Camanoe instead of taking the much shorter, easier and shallower route. I didn't know that even a cat could ground (I assume this was around the west side of little Camanoe)
 
#21 ·
Z,
I don't carry a chartplotter with me to work, but I'd estimate it's about where the M is in little Camanoe on this map: Map - Beef Island and Trellis Bay, BVI

I always hung more to the right than he did, no chart on hand so I'm not sure why, but there must have been a reason.

Boat drew about 4 feet with enclosed keel. He was motoring along at 7knts when we hit. Rode up the reef a bit (two feet up). I took the helm as he pushed with the dinghy and we backed it off with only a few bumps and groans.
Then he went out and around Great Camanoe and into Trellis.
 
#23 · (Edited)
chucklesR - I would have thought that the shallow water was much closer to Trellis! I now know that I will never try that route with my 7" draft. Did your skipper also sneak around Mosquito Island?

I am sure that Malo is due to be phased out soon - so we'll see what mention is made of the grounding in YachtWorld.Com . I really hope that the owners get a good surveyor during phaseout. Alll of the local surveyors know the boats - the 3 I spoke with in the BVI when buying mine all knew the boat by name, so they will certainly know to look for hull, keel and rudder damage.
 
#24 ·
No he didn't sneak Mosquito (I take it you mean the narrow passage by Leverick). No charter boats are permitted to use that.
As to left / right, close to Trellis etc..again, no charts in hand and even then the ones they give us are place mats, not charts.
 
#25 ·
Chuckles, you're right about the "placemats" they give you for a chart. I remember this from 30 years ago. Being a New Englander, I ordered charts in advance and brought them. I thought the placemat was a riot, but that's mostly what we used, with paper charts used more like a logbook to write down times.

My wife and I were two of four "adults" (in our 20's) who chaperoned 19 prep school kids on a 12 day cruise in that area on three 42' charter sloops. Had the potential for all kinds of problems but they never materialized, the kids turned out okay and we all stayed out of trouble on the water and ashore and had fun.
 
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