Fun time.........

osprey__viper · 27 June 2005, 09:02

Our weekend started on Friday evening. Keran, our dog and me were at the National Watersports Centre at Holme Pierpoint, Nottingham. This weekend was the National Young Persons Clubs annual activities weekend. We along with two other boats were giving fun rides on inflateable bananas and doughnuts etc. It was all taking part on the 2000m watercourse and on Friday night we had it all to our selves

Saturday morning dawned with light rain and grey clouds so it was on with the drysuits. A good day with the kids enjoying themselves immensly. Saturday was a very long day and KeyMar never seemed to stop for more than it takes to eat a sarnie

With KeyMar safely tucked away in the boat house Saturday night it was home for a well earned beer and takeaway.

Sunday morning was in complete contrast to the day before, very definatley shorts and Tee shirts. A short day starting at 09.30 and finishing at about 15.00. All was going very well until the penultimate group. We were towing a five man banana with four kids on board and whilst making a turn the kids fell off. No problem after all its been like that all weekend. As we brought the boat around the stern suddenly seemed to dig in, Just as I backed off the throttle our rib was suddenly pitched over hard to port. This resulted in both Keran and myself being thrown clear of the boat. My last view before hitting the water was of the starboard side being very high indeed, to the point turning over. Apparently it looked very spectacular

Rescue proceedures started to recover the kids and ourselves. Keran was pulled onboard another boat and I managed to climb over the back of KeyMar courtesy of the engine and A frame. The Kill Cord certainly did its job given the force that throw us from our boat. The only person out of the three of us to stay onboard was our German Sheppard who complete with life jacket was asleep in the botttom of the boat

Only to wake up and find mum and dad having a swim. We recoverd back to shore to gather ourselves and asess our injuries. Keran has hurt her shoulder and I lost me glasses. We were both very shook up, however half an hour later we were back out to regain some confidence.

The moral of the story is, allways were ya kill cord and life jacket. Thank god we were wearing ours. We may even invest in a couple of helmets for the future. It was a big reality check that a Rib needs to be treated with the greatest of respect. Photos to follow.

Martin.

jwalker · 27 June 2005, 09:18

Nick Hearne · 27 June 2005, 09:19

Hi, glade you are all OK, sounds a bit frightening

Have you worked out what happened?
Nick

Jono · 27 June 2005, 09:31

Oops! Still "live and learn" as they say.. the most important thing is, incident not-withstanding, you and the "kids" enjoyed the weekend..

What trim did you have on for towing the "banana" and did you alter when you turned to go back?

tim griffin · 27 June 2005, 09:52

WOW glad you came out of it ok must have been a worry!

How fast were you going before turning
were you trimmed in/out before turning
did you turn to Starboard /Port
was it your wake that hit you or someone elses.
I don't have any answers was not there ,but am interested to know how it happened .
Glad you were all ok and good for you for going back out again so as not to destroy any confidence. Also good for you for highlighting the need for killcords and lifejackets to be worn.

The Jackeens · 27 June 2005, 10:07

Keran and Martin ! So glad ye all are fine. Sounds like you all handled a big emergency really well.

Look forward to your answers to Tim's enquiries above as lots of us are getting the toys out in this great weather.

Respect to your cool heads !!! (And fair play to the dog!) Hope ye had several beers afterwards!

Us

Hightower · 27 June 2005, 11:49

Glad you're both are OK. Must be a bit scary and dis-orientating to get thrown. I'm just waiting for my first dunking, I guess it happens to a lot of Ribbers some time or other.

Andy

osprey__viper · 27 June 2005, 12:11

Thanks for that guys. According to eye witness the banana had turned over so its raised nose was now digging in to the water. I had trimmed out slightly for towing the banana but then trimmed in for the turn. Had to reduce power for the turn due to our position on the lake re the bankside. The turn was rather tight. We were turning to port against the action of the prop. The banana itself was a five man eurocraft and very heavy to lift when out of the water.

As we were turning it felt like someone had thrown an anchor out the back which seemed to then make the bow come round very fast. The water was choppy due to pur wash and that of others.

Im trying to see if anyone has it on video cos I would love to know what happened. My osprey aint exactly the lightest boat on the market!!!.

But we are ok. And no doubt we will have a smile about it in the future. We are not afraid of the boat but we respect it even more now.

Martin.

codprawn · 27 June 2005, 12:25

Glad you are all ok - interesting to note the boat didn't turn over but you were still chucked chucked out. As you said the dog was ok in the bottom of the boat.

I still think a RIB's centre of gravity is way too high - as my brother always points out - you don't sit IN them you sit ON them!!!

Maybe footstraps would have helped you to stay put?

Hope the dog was totally ok and hasn't put him off ribbing??? Or did he stay asleep through it all???

steedthrust · 28 June 2005, 06:58

A real eyeopener thrown from a boat in a lake!

My first outing this year towing toys, I towed my 2-man bob from the transom on a bridle and not the A-frame hook. Result was when rider/s came off the toy nose dived, probaly what had them off, the load/drag effect on the boat was quite surprising.

This was from a 2-man vinyl toy so the 5-man banana must be enormous. I reckon the load must be greater than towing another boat (when nose diving) owing to greater drag maybe, but 'pose you wouldn't start towing another boat from 15knots which is effectivly what happens.

Topbird · 28 June 2005, 07:16

Codprawn - the dog is fine she didn't even hesitate at getting back on the boat, according to our team leader at the event how was on the pontoon doing safety briefings etc for the kids said that the boat was so far tilted into the water the rope that runs along the top side of tubes was in the water and he couldn't believe it didn't go all the way over... the dog being laid in the bottom of the boat sat up and looked at me as if to say "what's going on...where's everybody gone" as i was being hauled out of the water onto another boat. I don't think there are any pictures of the actual incident but i think it would probably scare me half to death if I did see pictures of what happened.... and what did the kids say... I didn't think they were supposed to go in too....ahhh bless 'em

Keran

codprawn · 28 June 2005, 11:39

Sounds like a "breakable link" or similar would be a good idea in the towline if the load gets too great!!!

Richard B · 29 June 2005, 16:04

How was your towing line arranged - single line or bridle?
If single line, where was it attached (centrally or to the side?)
If bridle, did it have a fixed or sliding attachment to the banana's line?

osprey__viper · 29 June 2005, 20:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard B

How was your towing line arranged - single line or bridle?
If single line, where was it attached (centrally or to the side?)
If bridle, did it have a fixed or sliding attachment to the banana's line?

Hello Richard

We had a bridle fitted to the rear towing eyes on th transom. The bridle was indeed of the fixed variety.

Below are a few pics.
1.KeyMar ready for the off
2.Keran and Cody ready for the day
3.2000m of lake on a Summer evening
4.The offending item!!

osprey__viper · 29 June 2005, 20:29

A couple more.

1.Me mate Dave and his Sea Chaser
2.Bombard Rib also helping out

Martin

Richard B · 29 June 2005, 20:32

I'm just wondering if a sudden transfer of tension from one side to the other of the bridle would be enough to snap the boat around at the wrong moment?

We often tow with a similar fixed bridle, but only at slow speed (upto 18kts) and can certainly feel the transfer of tension from one side to the other when the towed vessel yaws or we change course.

osprey__viper · 29 June 2005, 20:38

I had a conversation with Tim Griffin and that is more or less the conclusion that we came too. Still we live and learn. As I have said before, it has'nt knocked our confidence but we will certainly have more respect.

Martin