Newly restored 19th-century German ship sinks after collision

[nipper]

The trouble with Schooners is that they were not designed for close quarters work as required in rivers and such like.

They were designed to be used in the steady trade winds were the winds were either coming from the starboard or port of your intended destinations.

I skippered a fairly large schooner some years ago during a weeks sailing around the north English Channel. What i can say is that tacking was very hard work, having to get the boat up to a fast speed to enable her to tack though the wind with a rig that has a smaller sail area at the front than at the back.

I did lean that it was easier on my nerves to have a crew member stood ready to start and then to gun the engine when required!

Nipper

Edited June 10, 2019 by nipper
cant speel!

[DandV]

1 minute ago, nipper said:

The trouble with Schooners is that they were not deigned for close quarters work as required in rivers and such like.

They were designed to be used in the steady trade winds were the winds were either coming from the starboard or port of your intended destinations.

I skippered a fairly large schooner some years ago during a weeks sailing around the north English Channel. What i can say is that tacking was very hard work, having to get the boat up to a fast speed to enable her to tack though the wind with a rig that has a smaller sail area at the front than at the back.

I did lean that it was easier on my nerves to have a crew member stood ready to start and then to gun the engine when required!

Nipper

They would be even worse with a full length keel. In a sea they track beautifully, like being on tram tracks,  but such keels have a very marked aversion to going round corners. Looking at the photos at the time of the collision she was only carrying a small inner jib at the time of the collision, not much turning effort available even in a well timed tack.

[nipper]

Yes, my destination with the Schooner was Poole Town Quay, and anyone who knows Poole on a summers day knows its busy, very busy.

Anyway, I continued on the passage until i noticed the Cherbough/Poole ferry fast approaching from across the Channel.

Being not a hero, instructed the sails be lowered and we motored into the fairway along side the ferry.

So easy, but could of been so hard!!

Nipper

[nbfiresprite]

12 minutes ago, nipper said:

Yes, my destination with the Schooner was Poole Town Quay, and anyone who knows Poole on a summers day knows its busy, very busy.

Anyway, I continued on the passage until i noticed the Cherbough/Poole ferry fast approaching from across the Channel.

Being not a hero, instructed the sails be lowered and we motored into the fairway along side the ferry.

So easy, but could of been so hard!!

Nipper

But then there are nearly 10,000 berths in the Harbour, so some days it does feel that you are on the waterborne version of the M25. More so when the Condor ferry comes charging in and cuts power just before it passes the Sandbanks ferry.

 

[Bee]

I rammed a boat on the Thames years ago in a narrowboat. Lots of those single seater sculls (Is that what they're called)? milling about. No really  clear way through so I just carried on dead straight. One of the boats which I was clear to pass in front of just gave a little flick on the oars and went right under the bow, shoved it in reverse, ran along the roof to see what the hell had happened just as my boat was backing off, the scull thingy righted itself, no one hurt, my boat still going backwards heading for other boats. What a mess. Never forgotten it and I doubt if the young bloke in the scull thingy has. (probably some Tory MP now, could have been Gove out of his head on coke I suppose)

[Rob-M]

This was us heading down the Severn last year on Scorpio, we maintained our line whilst the sailing boats went all over the place.

 

[Chris Williams]

I think a lumbering narrowboat gives them a bit of extra interest -  see how near you can get before the steerer looses his nerve.

[MtB]

17 minutes ago, Chris Williams said:

I think a lumbering narrowboat gives them a bit of extra interest -  see how near you can get before the steerer looses his nerve.

 

Yes, for nimble little boats like that a narrow boat is much the same as a static jetty or island, but often has a bloke stood on the back looking nervy. 

 

I just don't get it. I cheerfully chug my way through the centre of them in a straight line and at a steady speed without worrying about hitting one. I doubt I could even if I tried. None of them ever seems annoyed or irritated by my presence and they all carry on darting around in a totally unconcerned manner.