Quote:
Originally Posted by CrazyRu
And, I guess, any potential buyer needs to read this:
Report of the
Marine Accident Investigation Branch
Investigation into the capsize of the Yacht
OCEAN MADAM
with the loss of one life
in the Bay of Biscay
8 October 1997
http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources...an%20Madam.pdf |
This is really one of the most interesting HWS reports I've come across in a while. It brings up a lot of subtle-but-critical issues that end up being fatal in this case, even under the hand of a Master Yachtsman with tons of experience.
One of the most critical mistakes was that the skipper wasn't aware of the boat's angle of vanishing stability (around 109 degrees). He assumed the boat would right itself if capsized (as most of us typically would), and made decisions and prepped his crew accordingly.
He also stayed "coastal" during the storm, coming onto the continental shelf under the Bay of Biscay - instead of turning out to sea. This also proved to be a critical mistake - but one that is exactly what I would have thought to do; that is seek the "shelter" of the coast.
It's all really counter-intuitive, especially in light of all the discussions we have about coastal versus blue water sailing...and the assumptions one typically makes about boats.