Warning Capsized Boat On The Ant.

[marshman]

Always had to back the foresail on a Thames Barge to get the head round - wouldn't go otherwise at all sometimes if you didn't!

 

[catcouk]

I was able to speak to my colleague today - it wasn't his group but he was in contact with the group involved. Apparently, there were four youth groups out sailing last week.

Firstly,as already confirmed, all crew are well. Secondly, despite theories, there was no structural failure of the boat and there was no significant damage caused. Furthermore, the affected boat is already back out on hire - she went out on Saturday (I'm assuming after a fair bit of work!).

I have gathered slightly more information. The yacht was under sail with one reefing point on. A combination of too much sail and then taking in water over the gunwales seemed to have caused the capsize. As they say in the airline industry - pilot error. We've all had bad days at the helm but I feel for this skipper as their bad day has become such public knowledge.

The hair raising experience to one side, all are well and the boat is out and about. All's well that ends well, then?

[Mouldy]

22 minutes ago, catcouk said:

.. . . . . We've all had bad days at the helm but I feel for this skipper as their bad day has become such public knowledge.

Ah, the joys of social media!  There’s always someone to capture a boater in difficulty on film and post it on Facebook or YouTube, apportioning blame, without actually knowing what’s gone wrong.

Just wait until someone goes outside the markers crossing Breydon, running aground and witness the vultures name calling.  Very occasionally, it may be justified, but if a crew has lost power, or suffered some other issue, they don’t deserve public vilification.

[Meantime]

19 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

Ah, the joys of social media!  There’s always someone to capture a boater in difficulty on film and post it on Facebook or YouTube, apportioning blame, without actually knowing what’s gone wrong.

Just wait until someone goes outside the markers crossing Breydon, running aground and witness the vultures name calling.  Very occasionally, it may be justified, but if a crew has lost power, or suffered some other issue, they don’t deserve public vilification.

I feel as the person who started this thread I must reply.

I posted the thread as a warning to anyone travelling up or down the Ant, hence the word warning as the first word in the title. I mentioned it was a Hunters boat and it was mid channel. It was a very blustery day and also raining at times.

Despite it being "questioned" whether the boat had capsized, it had. It was lying on its side on the bottom with the mast blocking one half of the river. Apart from saying it was a Hunters boat, I didn't name the boat, or post any pictures of the boat. Much more info has come since this thread was started, but my only aim was to warn anyone travelling up or down the Ant on the day, which is why I have restrained from the fascinating discussions that have followed. Despite passing the boat, I didn't even take any pictures. That was not the intention of my post.

The boat was about three quarters of a mile downstream from How Hill on a bend. The later pictures showed it at How Hill upright, but still underwater. I assume the staff from Hunters must have righted the boat and then dragged it along the bottom to How Hill for refloating with pumps at How Hill?

[Mouldy]

2 minutes ago, Meantime said:

I feel as the person who started this thread I must reply.

I posted the thread as a warning to anyone travelling up or down the Ant, hence the word warning as the first word in the title. I mentioned it was a Hunters boat and it was mid channel. It was a very blustery day and also raining at times.

Despite it being "questioned" whether the boat had capsized, it had. It was lying on its side on the bottom with the mast blocking one half of the river. Apart from saying it was a Hunters boat, I didn't name the boat, or post any pictures of the boat. Much more info has come since this thread was started, but my only aim was to warn anyone travelling up or down the Ant on the day, which is why I have restrained from the fascinating discussions that have followed. Despite passing the boat, I didn't even take any pictures. That was not the intention of my post.

The boat was about three quarters of a mile downstream from How Hill on a bend. The later pictures showed it at How Hill upright, but still underwater. I assume the staff from Hunters must have righted the boat and then dragged it along the bottom to How Hill for refloating with pumps at How Hill?

I wasn’t referring to the thread on here.  Without going back through the thread, I don’t recall any mention of blame, however anyone who looks on Facebook will know the type of post I was thinking about.  Some people seem to thrive on feasting upon the misfortune of others, offering nothing constructive, just commenting on the stupidity of the crew involved.

I didn’t see any mention of this particular occurrence on FB, although it was mentioned, so can’t comment on it, but there are plenty of posts following yet another boat wedged under Ludham Bridge last Friday, some of which were not particularly helpful.

[TheQ]

On 11/04/2024 at 18:06, LizG said:

Lazy jibs are lazy! Ideal for solo sailing but a p*g in light airs. Crewing my brother in Mayfly I would stand at the bows and back it to pull the boat around on a tack. Strong winds that isn't a problem though on this boat!

I have a club footed jib on my little sailing boat. I've added a pair of extra sheets to the fore end of the club, so while sitting in the cockpit I can goosewing or back the jib.

[catcouk]

@Mouldy I don't think the content on here has been particularly accusational - more one of concern and a want to understand. I really appreciated your post. If I had been going up the Ant that today, it was a really useful notice. I didn't think at all that you were starting a thread for rubber neckers!

[grendel]

47 minutes ago, catcouk said:

I didn't think at all that you were starting a thread for rubber neckers!

and neither did the moderators, be assured that if it had been the other type of post the topic would have been locked or removed early on, we noted that you didnt name the boat or crew or post pictures that might have identified them, thank you.