Skipper dies in tragic mishap in the Bermuda Ocean Race. Sailors Debrief 104
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- čas přidán 28. 05. 2024
- The skipper, experienced and knowledgeable, embarked on the Bermuda Race with confidence. However, the unforeseen can swiftly transform the serene ocean into a tempestuous battleground. But this wasn’t the case. In the midst a phenomenon called Risk Habituation, a moment of not wearing a life vest in combination of a rogue wave, the skipper was swept overboard, separated from the sanctuary of their vessel. In those harrowing moments, a life vest would have provided vital buoyancy, increasing the chances of survival until rescue could be secured.
Ocean racing demands a delicate balance between skill, strategy, and safety. A life vest is not merely an accessory; it is a lifeline, a guardian against the unpredictable forces of nature. In the event of an emergency, it can mean the difference between life and death. Its significance transcends the boundaries of competition, embodying a fundamental principle of seamanship: prioritizing human life above all else.
The tragedy of the skipper's demise serves as a sobering reminder of the inherent risks associated with ocean racing. It underscores the imperative for all sailors, regardless of experience or expertise, to prioritize safety above all else. A life vest is not a luxury; it is a necessity, an indispensable tool that can mitigate the inherent dangers of maritime pursuits.
In conclusion, the importance of a life vest in ocean racing cannot be overstated. It is a vital piece of equipment that can potentially save lives in the face of adversity. The loss of the skipper in the Bermuda Race stands as a poignant testament to this reality, serving as a somber reminder of the critical importance of safety measures at sea.
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International Offshore Safety at Sea with Hands-on Training (In-person) sas.cruisingclub.org/courses/sas
This Course is for
Crew members of long-distance and international offshore races, long-distance cruisers, or persons requiring the International Offshore certificate that complies with World Sailing guidelines for Personal Safety (World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations Appendix G compliant).
Topics
Typically covers 8-10 units from Giving Assistance, Personal Safety Gear, Care and Maintenance of Safety Gear, Fire Safety, Crew Overboard, Cold Exposure, Crew Health, Marine Weather, Heavy Weather, Storm Sails and Reefing, Damage Control, Search and Rescue, Signals, Emergency Communications, and Life Rafts plus hands-on training that includes topics such as boarding a life raft (in a pool), working with inflatable life jackets, pyrotechnics, firefighting, etc. Some courses may include race-specific information.
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This Video contains ---------------
00:00 intro
00:33 background of boat/crew
01:15 events timeline
02:40 feeling safe isn’t safe
03:00 Man overboard
04:30 lessons learned
05:10 risk habituation issues
05:40 skipper memorial
06:30 satellite passwords
07:20 safety definition of success
07:50 USCG rescue range
08:19 three phases of the MOB drill - Sport
I do a lot of single handing and while I’ve never tried hoisting a person using a halyard, I have hoisted many zodiac dinghies aboard myself using a halyard, and always assumed that if I needed to recover an overboard crew person, I could do it myself with a halyard. Then I tried hoisting someone up the mast and found it extremely hard and tiring even using the low speed setting on the primary Genoa winch. It taught me a valuable lesson! Now I carry a 3:1 block and tackle for that purpose, which can also double as a boom preventer. Having a swim platform, step through transom or sugar scoop at the stern would also certainly help get someone aboard, as you wouldn’t have to lift as far.
Great comment. Always taken care using the stern. In heavy seas, the heaving of the boat can cause difficulty. You don’t want the boat to be lifted with a wave, then come down and cause injuries to the PIW.
Excellent review of the US Sailing Inquiry of this incident - As a sailor myself, things as simple as operating VHF properly should be reviewed by ALL boarding a sailboat. Much respect 🫡
Thanks, we hope you found this useful. We are here for you!!!
When I bought a L:ifeSling for my sailboat I also purchased a 3:1 hoisting tackle. In use one block of the hoisting tackle is attached to a halyard and hoisted 10 feet above deck. The COB in the LifeSling is attached to the other block of the tackle . The tail of the tackle line is led to a winch on deck. When we've practiced with our LifeSling and hoisting tackle it takes a lot of energy grinding a winch to hoist a 200 lb. adult into the boat. I've heard other sailors say the hoisting tackle costs too much and they will just use a halyard to hoist the COB onto the boat. This accident shows that relying on a halyard alone is unlikely to be successful. You've produced a really good analysis of this accident. Thanks.
I, my crew, and some passengers from an oil platform were tasked with retrieving MOB's that abandoned ship from a boat that caught fire. All MOBS had pfds, strobe, and whistle. What was notable it took three men to heave from water to my boat, a freeboard of 5 ft, to rescue one man in the bight of a line.
Yea, usually three or four people without mechanical advantage.
And don’t forget halyards don’t work when the mast is no longer intact!
We use a 5 to 1 tackle and practice with it. We are women and have less upper body strength.
Great review. Thanks for hitting on all the little details that are mostly overlooked when hearing about these sad events.
Our pleasure! Looking forward to sailing with you!
Great review and reminder on safety. And Bravo Zulu for you educating others on the learnings. It reminds me that I don't do enough MOB prep. That is so horrible for everyone. To have recovered him and not be able to get him aboard.
Thanks. Yea… the need to practice is huge. But the vest is critical and please wear your crotch straps.
Great report i did that race and it was a very sad moment after learning of the unfortunate tragedy
Thanks for watching. We intentionally put this out at this time as a reminder. I hope you found it helpful. Please share with your sailing Mates!
Great debrief thank you... tragic... simply tragic. Risk Habituation can develop into a Normalization of Deviance which is even worse. Set standard operating procedures and do not deviate from them. I love the idea of daily reminding everyone, the risks are the same... nothing has changed. Safety vigilance does not take away from the enjoyment.
Are you a pilot!!! Thanks for the comments
@@ministryofsailing Dead give away I guess... retired...
The first phase of rescuing an overboard casualty is to making sure you know where they are. You can't rescue them if you can't find them. And I can tell that with those waves and without PFDs on, it can be really hard to locate a bobbing head in the water.
I do safety briefing every time I go with a new crew or a crew member even if it is on a small lake with land always in sight. Those are typically random people with no prior experience sailing. Besides talking about basic things like my role, their responsibilities, how to move about, in and out of the boat, what they can expect, etc. we also talk about risks and what happens if proverbial excrement hits the proverbial fan.
I explain nobody is jumping out to save a casualty (heard this happen to other skippers, you just suddenly have two casualties in the water). I describe how the rescue operation proceeds. I assign the roles to individual crew members and explain to everybody what each role entails.
Then when we leave the port, we actually do one or two MoB drills, just to drive the point home.
I have heard from a lot of people it goes a long way to lessen their anxiety to see that the skipper can prepare and organise the crew and handle the boat to be back in seconds. So I don't think there is any reason not to do it -- most people actually like and appreciate the experience. If anything, for many people this is first experience of really vigorous maneuvering on a yacht.
I never had anybody fall off under my watch, but I talked to a guy who did. He was alone, it was after sunset. He slipped, fell, and spent *HOURS* hanging off railing trying to get back on the boat. If he let go of the railing he would be dead as he would be unable to reach the land and nobody would locate him after dark or knew where he was.
Thanks for your comment and the efforts you make to drive home the safety points on your vessel. It’s so important for a crew to have confidence in the skipper. This confidence is underlined even more when they see the skipper doing all the right stuff like wearing pFDs. Sail safe.
Excellent presentation
Ive been in similar situations,
Tough to get 250 lbs back on deck, in big sea
Thanks for listening
Wonder if it's a good practice to use a 300 pound replica of a victim, not some 150 pound doll?
Complacency always lurks in every human endeavor. So great reminder
I hope you found this helpful…
@@ministryofsailing Absolutely- a timely reminder, especially since I am getting underway shortly for 2 months with a recent major surgery patient. We'll definitely practice an MOB recovery on day 1. Both me recovering him and vice versa.
That was such a surprise when it happened. It was my second off-shore in a row where someone passed away shortly after the start. I was on the Chicago-Mac the year before, too. A pro was swept overboard. Once more, not on a tether.
Thanks for your comment. We know quite a few folks on Imedi. US Sailing even recommended the possibility of the use of our Trained Sailing Rescue Swimmers for difficult situations as this. The conditions that day were definitely challenging that day. The report of the incident is on our web site. Look on the department of Learning page. We also have a segment on IDR drowning on our you tube. The coast guard has come out with a new drowning to be aware of as a result of this incident. We also go in depth in our handbook.
@@ministryofsailing That start in the Chicago was the worst I've ever experienced. It was genuinely brutal. Much of the field was sea sick before they crossed the starting line.
@@ministryofsailing It's the worst feeling in the world to hear on the radio when something like this happens.
I hope few of your viewer ever experience it. I sail the Pacific Cup this summer. I hope we all make it safely this time.
We ran video on deck for every second of our race. Reviewing the 100 hours of footage after the race, there was quite a lot to learn to improve our own safety. We had no significant incidents, but in video review it is possible to see where things could have gone differently. Our procedures and deck discipline will be tighter than ever.
MOB briefing and run-through was standard before going offshore, everyone must wear vests. What I neglected was learning, and teaching, the technique of hoisting someone up.
Something to bear in mind for this season.
We can provide that information. Practice… most likely a spare main halyard or topping lift.
@@ministryofsailing Yes! I was on someone else's boat and he asked for a spare halyard - I threw him a sheet and learned some new English words.
This season, I'm starting with someone new, and have to relearn everything.
@@ministryofsailing but didnt you state in above that they tried to use the halyard but couldnt due to chaffing in the sheave. there are other options but it either wasnt available or wasnt used. retrieval is often an overlooked part of MOB drills especially when fenders are used in drills.
Important message. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
The skipper endangered the entire crew by not following on deck protocols. On deck, off shore, you must ALWAYS be clipped on. If your harness has only one hook, add one so you can move about without ever being unhooked. I heard of a guy swept over board while changing his single hook. Hate to hear stuff like this.
Thanks for your comment. Appreciate your experience and please be a leader! You can have safety without it.
I'm an airplane pilot and ocean sailor. My pilot training was very simple. procedure, procedure, procedure when it came to risk abatement. You never re-calculated the apparent risk you executed the procedure, period. I sail the same way.
Thanks for your comments. We use advisors when we produce these. Airforce MH 53 and NaSA safety engineers. Both are sailors too. Our team is also made of former military from numerous countries.
Iirc, being able to get an incapacitated person back on board was one of the lessons of the Fastnet disaster. It was discussed in Kretschmer's Fastnet Force 10.
I was tossed out of a sailing dinghy once, into a reservoir fed by the Elbow River, i.e., Canadian Rockies snowmelt. Brrrrr!🥶 Trust me, it did not take long to where I could barely get into the patrol boat that picked me up after I couldn't get the dinghy righted quickly and stopped trying so I could preserve my remaining energy. Cold water sucks the energy right out of you.
Incidentally, I was wearing an auto inflating PFD, which worked, but made it nearly impossible to swim the ten feet back to the boat. A strap running front to back between the legs might have prevented this by keeping it from riding up under my armpits. If you use an auto inflator, you should try swimming in it once just to familiarize yourself.
Good point about the auto PFD... They are not designed for swimming in. They are designed for waiting to be retrieved, whilst keeping your face clear of the water.
Personally, I think a kayaking-style bouyancy aid and a kayak-style helmet (like the Americas Cup sailors use) is safer than an auto PFD and a sun-hat.
And... studies have showen that calming down and waiting it out is the safest way to deal with cold water immersion. Your body will centralise the warm blood, whereas swimming send valuable warm blood to areas where is can be lost to the water.
We encourage all sailors to contact your national authorities and take the offshore safety at sea course where cold water survival, getting into a life raft, jumping into water with PFD is taught. In the US it’s on the US Sailing Website. Once you have a certificate, if you are a boat owner. Expect a discount on your insurance.
We think it is important for all offshore sailors to read that book. We also require it for the crews who join us in our charter racing like the Fastnet, Transatlantic and RORC 600.
Nice Pilot Debrief
We have UK and US Airforce on the team. One hello and one zoomy
During my time as an instructor for "Power Squadron" , maneuvering the boat alongside a person in the water is difficult, but manageable. Getting them back on board is the difficult part. Had an experience as a professional mariner. The MOB was a seafarer, pfd on. He fell off a pilot ladder, in calm weather, no residual swell, and warm temperature. He was a "fireplug" also, by girth, height and weight. My deck, unsecured by line jump in to assist. It all turned out well. I won't bore you with a long story line. But fortuitously the ship He was boarding had a piece of equipment I had never seen before or since in my career.
If I can ask, what was the piece of equipment you had not seen before, or since, that helped with the recovery of the MOB?
@michaelargilla4240 It was a lightweight, small aluminum cage. Best described as a mini "shark cage" The ship used it haul light objects (luggage, small light packages etc.) All ships used a handline to haul small and light objects aboard. Fortunately, the cage could accommodate a crouched, full-grown human.
Thanks for sailing.
Nice review. The term risk habitualization doesnt resonate well from a safety behaviors standpoint. You might consider the Safestart terminology which would be "complacency". I do enjoy your reviews; keep it up!
Good point!
@@ministryofsailing I prefer "risk habituation". It's much more specific than "complacency". You can be complacent about your wardrobe, or your brand of fishing tackle. I was vaguely aware of the phenomenon of risk habituation, but until I saw your video I didn't know what to call it. So here we have an experienced seaman, the skipper, lulled into a false sense of safety because of his habitual exposure to the risk. And it cost him his life! That's a big lesson for the living!
THIS EVENT IS JUST CRAZY , SALUDOS
Yeah it is
Very informative Capt Jack. Keep it up
So happy that you, of all my friends, spent the time to watch!!!! Rambler 100 is next!!!!
@@ministryofsailing Perhaps "risk complacency"
Real life. Wow. I am a US Sailing instructor and have trained and performed many COB’s offshore San Francisco, a very challenging area. We performed these trainings both day and night, as per the US Sailing curriculum. This is indeed challenging. Especially in very large seas as they were in. What an amazing job they did. One of our instructors came up with a way to add a crotch strap to the life sling for just this reason. Getting an out of shape, overweight person out of the water is indeed challenging. So sorry. RIP.
Thanks for your comment. The key is to not get in the water. This is a sad story to lose such a great sailor in a moment of inattentiveness. The ocean times the big waves when we least expect them. The combination of the two have serious consequences. Best to always be prepared.
Died from what?
It’s most unfortunate, but it was a drowning
@@ministryofsailing I think more sailboats need hinged swim ladders 🪜
@@ExploringCabinsandMines Seems like he (in his 70s) would have been too exhausted to climb it.
I'm not a sailor, but I have hope one day. Such a senseless avoidable loss of life. Perhaps you could show how to get a non responsive person back on deck? I've been taught drowning people often panic and fight rescuers, is MOB the same? Differences in a large person verses small? Thanks for the video, the info and the reminders to all who are on the water. Working knowledge of radios is a must for all - ALL.
Thanks for watching
Thanks, John best yet
Thanks Dad… love you!!!
I don't understand. So they weren't wearing life-jackets?
It's like riding a bike without a helmet.
Agree… understand that the constant briefing keeps crew informed and on the same page. Even when the owner doesn’t follow crew rules, the crew needs to have a mechanism to correct the behavior. Thats where good leadership and safety go hand in hand. Safety normally does not exist when there is poor leadership.
Yes beginners fear things that are safe but don’t see real dangers. Intermediates now accurately the dangers and what is the way to be safe. Experts must guard against complacency. This is what killed the skipper hEre
Thanks for watching. I would also like to note that risk habituation is also a natural process. The brain does not have the capability to operate under stress over long periods of time. So the brain naturally tells the vast that things will be ok, even if the risk hasn’t changed. This is were the constant safety briefing comes in to remind everyone. The studies on this are fascinating.
Shame on the small-minded criticising pronunciation and nomenclature.
This is a reminder that prevention is better than rescue.
P.S. What is the story behind the yacht at the end with the collapsed rig?
Thanks.. The rig was during the Heineken Regatta in St Maarten. All were fine, the grabbed another boat the next day and continued racing. We were al ready in the Barn as we race in CSA Zero. It was an interesting moment that a broken stick gets a standing ovation from the Yacht Club. Thanks for watching till the end and thanks for the comments.
....radio set to Low function vs High function. .. please explain? Did you really mean high power output, vs. Low power output. ? Was it written and spelt like that in the official report? If so. I am beginning to wonder about our investigative bodies. ... sheesh.
There is a Hi and Low button on many marine radios. The higher your output power, the further your message will carry, so always use the “low” setting for close communication, as a courtesy to others. Reserve the “high” setting for emergencies, when you want your message to reach as many people as possible.
@ministryofsailing You missed my point. No further response required.
If he'd gone overboard with a teather he.may still may not have been recovered.
Tethers need to be short.
Yes, dragging and drowning, according to research can occur at 4 knots. It’s important to take your time when setting up jack lines and clipping in. Set them up center line to the boat so that when sailors clip in. The tether keeps them on the deck. Use double tethers and as much as possible rely on the shortest. If a situation occurs where a sailor is being dragged… We advocate the Hook, Hoist and cut. 1) identify the rescue halyard, then hook it to the tether. 2) hoist the halyard then release the jack line. As always, this takes practice, but if you always clip in so that it keeps you on the deck, you avoid the drag. Avoidance is by far and always the best control.
PFD & being clipped in can not have guaranteed the avoidance of tragedy.
1. The skipper was 74yrs old, and being a "larger man" it suggests he was in questionable health anyway.
2. The tether and PFD don't prevent the man going overboard, they prevent the boat sailing away from the MOB. The skipper would still have been flung pretty hard, and would have been badly jolted by the tether. This would have been dangerous for an elderly 'large' man.
3. The cause of actual death might have been cardiac arrest from a heart attack... A tethered MOB could still have had a heart-attack.
Oh, and the MOB drill should include a pan-pan call to alert coastguard and/or other vessels.
That's how UK sailors are taught.
Respectfully I don't think you know what you are talking about.
It is pretty clear in this case having either tether installed or an inflatable vest like other crew members did, would save the guy.
What the inflatable vest does is it turns your entire body in a proper position with your head up and means you do not have to know how to swim or expend any energy to stay afloat. You are also way more visible as well as you might have a light on or a radio device activate to locate your position.
And the tether properly installed would absolutely prevent him from falling overboard. The tether is mounted to the vest and so the jolt is well spread over upper body and is designed to dissipate the force over large area.
People do get cardiac arrest just from anxiety. Do you know what lessens anxiety? An inflated life jacket that means you do not have to fight for survival. Or a tether that prevents the situation in the first place.
We emphasize in our Sailing Reacue Swimmer Manual that the objective of the tether is not to keep you attached to the boat, but rather to keep you on the deck. Setting up the jacklines to the center of the boat is a good start. When in the cockpit, clip in so that you cannot be tossed over. Thanks for watching.. we like to point World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations as the standards!
@@ministryofsailing What manual are you talking about? What are your credentials?
Respectfully, you might not be sufficiently experienced to offer definitive opinions on these matters. In most cases safety harnesses that have both 3' and 6' tethers will prevent falling overboard provided they are used correctly and the padeyes and jacklines are located properly and run inboard.
Secondly, a MOB situation by definition is a "grave and imminent danger to life", which requires a MAYDAY transmission, not a PANPAN as you stated, which is for urgent and non-grave situations such as a dislocated joint etc. However, I think your comment underscores the need for US Sailing to make Short Range Radio certification a requirement for racing crew. The USCG is out of step with best practices required in most other countries regarding VHF licensing and radio operators certification in the belief that this will dissuade people from carrying VHF radios. They might be right about the tradeoff regarding the general public, but racing crew should all recognize the worldwide requirement by SOLAS and the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) that they should be capable and proficient in using the radio properly. The training is basic, but amongst other useful things teaches how to use DSC, make MAYDAY, PANPAN, SECURETAY and routine calls. I had a recent case in point when I received a MAYDAY call from a vessel 150 miles off Long Island whilst returning from Bermuda last year that was utterly useless. Had the caller had GMDSS training he would have known what, and in which order to transmit the vital information needed by responders. Fortunately, they retrieved their MOB without incident.
When making a voice MAYDAY call use the acronym MIRIPDANIO, which stands for;
(M) MAYDAY x3,
(I) Vessel I.D. - name x3, radio call sigh and MMSI
(R) MAYDAY
(I) Vessel I.D. x1
(P) Position - lat/long
(D) Nature of distress (MOB, sinking, on fire etc)
(A) Assistance required - always say, "We require immediate assistance."
(N) Number of people onboard
(I) Additional information which might assist your rescuers such as; "We are taking to raft and are carrying a portable VHF."
(O) OVER
This should be mounted next to the ships radio for reference.
It's obvious that the most critical information needs to be transmitted first. This might be the difference between life and death if you are sinking and your batteries are about to short out. Remember to speak very slowly and very clearly, because the receivers need to write everything down and you might have only one chance to get the message out.
Hopefully this is helpful.
Cheers
Pete
S/V Aqualibra
@@sailingaqualibra4848 We saw flares -- three separate launches -- off the Grand Banks, tuned to 2182 and 16, listened, called, listened, called, searched, found nothing on an inky black night. This was almost 30 years ago.
The most utterly chilling thing I've ever experienced on a boat.
No risk with a skipper 50+lb overweigth Nd out of shape.
Thanks for watching..
BATMAN
Thanks for watching!!! Robin?
First rule we are taught is to personally take every precaution to prevent going overboard in the first place. I.E. Clip on, etc. Hence I have little sympathy for those increasing the risks and hence dying or putting other at risk, as in this case by willfully disregarding the basics. Cant fix stupid.
Thanks for your response, buts let’s remember, we have all made mistakes and this one is underlined by tragedy. He was a Son, Father, husband who was loved by many.
Colin was a volunteer leader of my section when I took the “Safety at Sea” seminar - he was a kind man whose one-time oversight cost him dearly. He was not stupid.
You donlt even know what the 'STORM TRYSAIL CLUB' is ( not Trysail Storm), and we should pay attention to you? Very funny.
who gives a shit.
Yea… we know that!!!! Sorry for that. Please keep in mind we are sailors and educators! I hope you don’t miss the points. Our intent in learning, we have LOs and sped a lot of time discussing the key payoffs for viewers. We are not film makers, editors nor producers. Please forgive us!!! If you see us around in any regattas please remind us that we owe you a dark and stormy.
FYI, for the haters. Time involved - research, 20 hours. Prep, 10 hours. Filming, 3 hours, discussions with Pro Colleagues 4 hours, editing 10 hours. All comments are helpful as we try to make each episode better. Hope to see you all on the water. Please let us know what topics you would like us to cover
@@Woobieeee The shit is this dude dosnt know what hes talking about
@@peterandersen8684 who gives a shit.
Am I watching a dude read? Why?
Sorry, working on making them better. Thanks for the feed back. But I hope it did not distract you too much from the important information. We will work on the users experience.
@@ministryofsailing video was informative and interesting in my opinion. good job. work on normalizing your audio though its too low
A “ Ministry of Sailing “ doesn’t know how to pronounce the word Leeward.
or Storm Trysail Club. This guy is a joke.
English is my 2nd language. I am from Wisconsin!!!! Again, if you see us out on the race course, remind us. We will buy you a dark and stormy when we catch your lines at the dock. But thanks for watching. We hope you may have learned from this.
@@peterandersen8684 what do you sail?
@@ministryofsailing Just about everything. 100,000 ocean miles
I hope you don't sail a boat.
You can control the risk.
Was this to us? Hope we don’t sail? What are you sailing on?
Sounds like they did everything right except for not practicing an actual recovery. Picking up a hat or cushion is not enough.
Clipping in is very important. One should always wear a life vest. As skills progress, including COB recoveries, then a consideration for Life Vests, hooked in when reefed and always at night!
@@ministryofsailing learning how to stop a boat quickly is imperative. You have less than 2 minutes to live being dragged alongside by your tether. Clipping in only saves you if you stay on board.