--- In [email protected], Captain Beeky
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>
> On 17, Jul 2006, at 23:44, Martin Phillips wrote:
> > I think the SARA boat could be deployed before major problems
were
> > reached (assuming they
> > were not providing backup).
>
> I think they might have been out on patrol anyway for this
weekend, but
I was thinking in more general terms of a future, less well-attended
trip over. Not sure how long Sara take to deploy under normal
circumstances to a call-out, but I imagine it would be an hour or
so. Maybe more. In that time, a boat would be well down towards the
Severn Bridges and the water would be getting dangerously low in
places.
> I did call their boathouse by phone when we were waiting in the
Lydney
> lock just to confirm they were aware that 8 narrowboats were
coming
> out. We had a little chuckle between us as the call was conducted
by
> the recipient as if it was a radio communication which created
great
> laughter in the boathouse.
>
Been there, done it, felt like an idiot! Over.
> Do you think their boats could haul a narrowboat back upstream say
30
> mins after high water ? I suppose it might be a "fun" ride being
towed
> at a fast speed downstream to Portishead. Surely the best you
could
> hope for would be an escort/guide to a safe haven. But that won't
work
> if your engine has stopped.
>
I'm not sure if they would have enough pull to tow a nb upstream.
Wouldn't big engines on a RIB attached to 20 te of steel just make
it bounce around in front like a balloon on a string? By the time
one has missed the tide and a rescue boat had arrived, I think the
best one could hope for would be a controlled move to a safe
beaching place or anchorage. It would likely be too late too get to
Portishead or Avonmouth. There is no shortage of suitable places for
beaching on the river.
If the engine were running and one had just cocked up the timing,
although an escort would be nice (perhaps Mr Tripod's friend?), a
detailed set of waymarks for the GPS read out over the radio plus
some frantic button pushing would probably suffice. (Thoughts of
reprogramming the computer on Apollo 13 come to mind!).
Better still, some pre-preparation involving having a chart and
enough knowledge to navigate to the next port down would be
desirable, combined with advice from the harbour trustees by 'phone
or radio. I think that if I'd missed the entrance to one of the
docks, I would rather head downstream with a destination in mind
rather than beach and sit out the tide.
In turn, that implies that one should only cross when conditions are
suitable for a run down to Portishead, rather than setting out in
the perhaps less restrictive conditions needed for a trip across
to/from Lydney. (Having said that, I think the conditions when we
crossed to Lydney on Saturday were about as marginal as I'd be
willing to contemplate, and there was a nb going down to Portishead
with a pilot that day).
> I'd feel like a really silly billy risking their lives to save my
boat,
> though I'd be more than happy to accept their services to pluck my
crew
> and I out of the drink after a mishap.
Agreed!
>
> Anyway I'll say no more or Lydney basin will end up silted all
over
> again {;>(
Not much chance of that with all the activity going on from the
yacht club. Those blokes are truly nutters. At least we had engines.
Wassail!
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