RIB Capsize of the Needles.....

Stephen-RIB · 20 November 2006, 06:44

Just received the following MCA press release

HANDHELD RADIO SAVES THE DAY

Four people were found on top of their upturned hull half a mile off Needles Point in heavy sea early this afternoon, after raising the alarm from their handheld radio.

Solent Coastguard requested the launch of the Freshwater Solent Sea Rescue Organisation Independent lifeboat and scrambled the Coastguard Rescue helicopter 'India Juliet' to assist the rib 'Hornet' which had capsized about half a mile off Needles Point in heavy seas. Needles Coastguard Rescue team were also requested to staff the Coastguard lookout at the Needles to observe the rib.

The four crew climbed onto the upturned hull and one of them made a handheld radio call to Solent Coastguard. The rib 'Hot Lemon' was nearby and, hearing the communications on channel 16, located and stood by the 'Hornet' in increasing weather conditions until Rescue helicopter and Freshwater lifeboat arrived on scene. Freshwater lifeboat took the four crew on board and confirmed that they had suffered no injuries although they were cold and slightly shocked, and therefore helicopter evacuation was not necessary.

Freshwater lifeboat then managed to tow the 'Hornet' to Totland Bay, Isle of Wight, still inverted. It was left in the care of Needles Coastguard Rescue team and some of the lifeboat crew, while the lifeboat took the four crew from 'Hornet' back to Lymington where Lymington Coastguard Rescue team met them.

Returning to Totland Bay, Freshwater lifeboat and Needles Coastguard Rescue team managed to right the 'Hornet', and towed it to Yarmouth Harbour for the owner to return at a later date.

David Williams, Solent Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre says:

"This clearly demonstrates the importance of carrying handheld radios; without it, the situation could have deteriorated significantly as the people concerned would have been unable to raise the alarm so quickly, and with the wind rapidly increasing, the outcome could have been very different."

tim griffin · 20 November 2006, 08:30

Any one know the colour make and model of the Rib as was chatting to a guy at Town Quay Cowes who was off to the needles for a play with 3 of his mates . I hope it was not them

Julian · 20 November 2006, 11:45

I cam past the Needles and saw the Lifeboat heading out, I didnt hear any reports on the Radio at that time, It was rough about 2 Miles off the Needles with a large swell and close together which made things interesting. As I came into Lymington I spoke with Mike Deacon on hot lemon as he was heading out for a blast.

The crew were lucky in those difficult seas.

Julian

Ian M · 20 November 2006, 18:35

See the thread "Warning Severe Weather"
The front page of a local rag, the Southern Daily Echo has a banner headline "BOAT HIT BY FREAK WAVE", and inside states, "the crew of the rib, Hot Lemon, were eventually plucked from the waters by Freshwater lifeboat workers." I kid you not

You just cannot believe anything you read in the papers, I should know, I used to write for one occassionally

tim griffin · 21 November 2006, 07:49

Was the chap I was talking too , all ok and very embarassed but did highlight the need of having your handheld cliiped to your Lifejacket .

codprawn · 21 November 2006, 13:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by tim griffin

Was the chap I was talking too , all ok and very embarassed but did highlight the need of having your handheld cliiped to your Lifejacket .

Any idea what sort of RIB it was - how big???

Julian · 21 November 2006, 14:01

I heard it was 7.5mtr. not sure of the make but here is a photo of it. The seas were building and I assume that they tried to cut across the swell rather than riding it out

Julian

tim griffin · 21 November 2006, 16:33

6.5 XS with a 150hp Optimax

codprawn · 21 November 2006, 16:40

Not tiny then - does make you worry when we tend to think of RIBs as invincible. Would be great if someone could find out exactly what happened - we all learn by the mistakes of others.

At least it turned out OK in the end - I hope they didn't do too much damage to their boat and they manage to salvage their engine. I know it's a 2 stroke but loads of electronics.

tim griffin · 21 November 2006, 16:46

Watch the video of the life boat capsize and see the pendulem effect when driving too fast into a head sea . Only slightly less wind I am told .They are all ok boat has been recovered just needs fixing

codprawn · 21 November 2006, 17:10

Thought it may be - 150 on a 6.5 and 4 people all at the back makes it a bit tail happy. I am seriously considering a bow ballast tank on mine even though my boat is a lot heavier. Either that or lash a couple of people to the sunbed!!!

Almost every video I have seen of Ribs in the rough shows the nose coming up too high.

mickey · 21 November 2006, 19:33

So what's the procedure if you're about to capsize - jump clear or hang on? I'm presuming "jump clear", but it can't be easy because you'd want to be quite sure you wouldn't have a ton of boat coming down on top of you!

Hightower · 21 November 2006, 20:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickey

So what's the procedure if you're about to capsize - jump clear or hang on? I'm presuming "jump clear", but it can't be easy because you'd want to be quite sure you wouldn't have a ton of boat coming down on top of you!

I'm not so sure you'd have time to make a decision if it did happen and would probably be thrown off as it turned turtle.

Biggles · 21 November 2006, 20:31

Is this the RIB. Mentioned in a previous thread.

Richard Ward from Solent Rib Charters has a fridge which he built into his Rib 'Hornet ' and what agorgeous RIB it is. I'll be talking with him tomorrows o I'll find out how he did it.

http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread....ghlight=hornet

codprawn · 21 November 2006, 21:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

I'm not so sure you'd have time to make a decision if it did happen and would probably be thrown off as it turned turtle.

Spot on - just shows why it's not a good idea to be strapped in!!!

Probably the best place to be is sitting on the tubes. One of the big Ocean Dynamics RIBs capsized in white water in Ramsey Sound - all 12 passengers were ok - thanks to sitting on the tubes. Shaun White was also commended for getting the pax to were whitewater canoing style helmets - in excess of what the coding requires.

tim griffin · 22 November 2006, 07:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biggles

Is this the RIB. Mentioned in a previous thread.

Richard Ward from Solent Rib Charters has a fridge which he built into his Rib 'Hornet ' and what agorgeous RIB it is. I'll be talking with him tomorrows o I'll find out how he did it.

http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread....ghlight=hornet

No Richard sold it about a year ago I think now run as a charter boat somewhere else up North . Stuart Hedges posted about it not being the same one

gtflash · 22 November 2006, 20:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Almost every video I have seen of Ribs in the rough shows the nose coming up too high.

how silly a comment!! You cant stereo type every rib to be nose happy just because yours is!! U obviously never been in an osprey or scorpion to name jus a couple!! If its beamy or got alot of flare upfront then its bound to throw its head, if its not it aint gonna so much! Hence its hull shape dude not boat type!!

codprawn · 22 November 2006, 20:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtflash

how silly a comment!! You cant stereo type every rib to be nose happy just because yours is!! U obviously never been in an osprey or scorpion to name jus a couple!! If its beamy or got alot of flare upfront then its bound to throw its head, if its not it aint gonna so much! Hence its hull shape dude not boat type!!

My RIB is far from being nose happy - I deliberately didn't want 2x engines and I asked for the console to be placed further forward for better balancing.

When I see RIBs landing off waves they are almost always stern heavy. In some cases I can quite understand why - passenger carrying boats when unladen for example.

Of course in a following sea you want the bow as light as possible - normally boats are some sort of a compromise but for the ultimate in performance people fit bow ballast tanks for a good reason!!!

Study this video as a classic example.

http://www.boomeranger.fi/images/ind...conditions.mpg

Right at the start it gets very high - obviosuly with a load of passengers it would be a different story - maybe a bow ballast tank for running unladen?

http://www.zodiaccz7.com/images1/video/cz7medium.wmv

The Zodiac is better balanced than most but even that lands slightly stern first after a jump.

jackeen · 22 November 2006, 20:49

heres a link to the whitstable capsize that i think Tim was talking about

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/whitslb/capsize.htm

paul

Hugh Jardon · 22 November 2006, 20:52

easiest way i have found to ballast up a boat is to take a few bags of sand, split each bag into 2 or 3 or 4 smaller bags in a sausage shape. use the really tuf rubble sacks so they dont split. then move em around the boat so you get the balance just how you like it. I have a few small ones in the bow locker to lessen the effect of balance change when i use fuel.

personally i would not describe my rib as tail heavy or bow light to be honest.