The dangers of sailing...

Two posts in one day - I know, I should be doing work - but I feel this deserves a mention.

The news here has run stories in the past couple of weeks regarding yachts running into difficulties:

- a delivery crew who've potentially had to abandon ship mid-Atlantic after being caught in "50kt winds and 20ft seas" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27465639)
- a couple who required a tow into Falmouth having hit severe weather on a trip from Spain to the UK.
- a boat running into troubles 8 miles offshore in "near gale-force winds" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-27362385)

For some, this will raise the question of safety with sailing offshore (particularly the Atlantic crossing) but I have to ask, what were those boats doing out there in the first place in those conditions?

Sadly, the answer is schedules and deadlines.

Case in point is a couple we know, who recently offered to crew a boat from UK to Gibraltar. Everyone had booked time off work to do the delivery (including the owner) and come hell or high water, they were off. What happened? They were caught in a Force 9, most of the crew were incredibly seasick and they ended up having to go into port in La Coruna as conditions were too rough.

In this day and age, with the advent of reliable long-range weather forecasting, there should be no reason for getting caught out. If the weather looks bad for the next week, stay in port (or coast hop). Heading out with forecast rough weather - no matter the reason - is just plain unsafe.

So that's my soap box rant for this Monday. Offshore sailing shouldn't be any more dangerous than bobbing around the protected waters of the Solent (we hear at least one pan-pan every weekend) and with over a thousand yachts crossing the Atlantic each year, watching the weather and not rushing certainly helps stack the odd in your favour.

(Fingers crossed for the crew of Cheeki Rafiki that they be found safe & well).

nathan