can you get back on?
21 April 2010
ronelle - fiji islands
The tragedy of Paul on Tafadzwa, that fell overboard and his yacht and dog sailed on without him, is still fresh in our minds and I am sure that everyone is clipping on...
but can you get back on if you fall off the boat?
What will you do if you fall overboard and have nobody to help you back on your boat?
or even worse...you are clipped on... fallen overboard in strong winds...being dragged in the water behind the moving boat....and the crew cannot help you back on...
This is what happened to Brian Dugget in the early hours of the morning when he fell off Charisma off the South African Coast in gale force winds. Allthough he was clipped on, he could not get back on and Deborah Robinson 21, his crew, was not physically able to help him back on.
Quick thinking before hypothermia set in, led to only one solution . Run the yacht aground with its skipper still dragging in the water behind the boat.
Lucky for him there was land !
It is important to be able to retrieve a person overboard , crew should be tought a Quick Stop Quick Turn manoevour(fig 8)
Well done Brian and especially to Deborah who had to steer that yacht through a reef onto the beach! And we all know how ugly those waters can get in a gale force wind!
read the full story
www.theherald.co.za/article.aspx?id=553567