Boat sunk at Droitwich - man has died

[Keeping Up]

Hmmmm that's not what I was thinking of. ISTR a reg mentioning the rudder specifically, and the fenders having to extend beyond it when held in the straight position.

 

But maybe I'm dreaming...

If you're dreaming then so am I because I'm sure I remember the same thing but can't remember where.

[Robbo]

So the motto is never take your eyes off the boat when in a lock.

 

And never enter a sinking boat as you never know how fast it's going to sink.

[IanM]

 

And never enter a sinking boat as you never know how fast it's going to sink.

 

I think that's the key here.

 

Had he not gone back into the boat he'd be still here now.

[Robbo]

 

I think that's the key here.

 

Had he not gone back into the boat he'd be still here now.

 

Although I would go back to save my cats if mine was sinking as I'm sure most would.

[Guest]

Although I would go back to save my cats if mine was sinking as I'm sure most would.

That's an interesting one. I think instinctively my immediate impulse would be yes I would go back in for my dog but if you really just stopped for a second and thought about the potential consequences of doing so I am not 100% sure I would.

 

Tough one.

[IanM]

I quite agree about going back for pets but he'd already got his mother and the dog off but went back for the money he had on the boat.

[Robbo]

I quite agree about going back for pets but he'd already got his mother and the dog off but went back for the money he had on the boat.

 

To some going in after a pet may seem daft. Perhaps to this guy money was always hard to come by and at his forethought.

[junior]

I had a think about this yesterday and i would 100% go back into a boat to rescue my dogs. Not sure if I'd bother for a cat though.

[Robbo]

I had a think about this yesterday and i would 100% go back into a boat to rescue my dogs. Not sure if I'd bother for a cat though.

 

Whats the difference, a beloved pet is a beloved pet.

Edited July 27, 2016 by Robbo

[Dave123]

But surely a cat or dog would have the instinct to make their way to the deck and swim, rather than staying in the cabin and drown?

[Guest]

But surely a cat or dog would have the instinct to make their way to the deck and swim, rather than staying in the cabin and drown?

 

Depends what else is going on.

 

From some of the descriptions of what has happened it sounds as if a lot of debris was floating about inside the boat which is what will I guess have hampered this guys escape, it might indeed be human or animal instinct to get out but if you simply physically cannot you are pretty well done for.

[Robbo]

But surely a cat or dog would have the instinct to make their way to the deck and swim, rather than staying in the cabin and drown?

 

Depends, a cat will more than likely not go near water and just go to a higher level even if you call for it. A dog would more than likely come to the owner when you call it, even if means getting wet.

[Dave123]

Yes I suppose, and thinking of our border collie, he would most likely start running from stern to bow in panic so I guess could get trapped inside...

This is a scary thread!

[Nightwatch]

This is very emotive. I would,like others, go back into the boat for dogs. I'm in two minds if I would re-enter for money. In panic I may well do. Especially if I was already wet and accoustomed to the water temperature.

 

My thoughts for what's they're worth, we rarely use the bow doors for boarding or going ashore. I understand this boat went down stern first so I'd imagine it would be difficult to get pets to go to the front for a safe exit. Not a pleasant situation.

[Robbo]

Yes I suppose, and thinking of our border collie, he would most likely start running from stern to bow in panic so I guess could get trapped inside...

This is a scary thread!

Also the boat (being their home) would be a safe place for the cat/dog, leaving a "safe place" wouldn't come naturally and they wouldn't think of "boat sinking, better get off", but water here, better get higher. Although with fire they would leave the area, which means they would try escape the boat.

[junior]

What a ghastly thing to have to think about, let alone discuss.

[Captain Pegg]

As has now been reported on the BBC Hereford & Worcester news website the correct name of the boat was Sonskit and the gentlemen who lost his life was Allen Green.

 

Allen and his mother Jean both had boats on the permit moorings at Netherwich Basin in Droitwich. Allen's boat was on the adjacent pontoon to my boat and Sonskit - on which his mother and her dog lived - on the adjacent pontoon to Allen's boat.

 

I first met Allen last December on the day I arrived at Netherwich with Vulpes and he helped pull me on to the mooring as I struggled with the wind. I can only endorse what his mother says in the article on the BBC news site that Allen was a cheerful and helpful soul who loved the opportunity to help a visiting boat manoeuvre onto the visitor mooring pontoons. His presence at the basin was a reassuring thing for me as the owner of an adjacent boat. He was the most visible part of the canal community in Droitwich.

 

Over the the past seven months I have seen and chatted to Allen on a weekly and sometimes daily basis as my home is close to the basin and I visit my boat regularly. However it is important that I point out that I didn't know him that well - I only found out his surname ten days ago and am relying on the BBC for the correct spelling of his first name. There are others on the moorings who had known him better and for much longer than I did. I believe some of them may visit this site as guests and it is to his mother and to them I offer my condolences.

 

One thing I did know though is that Allen was tee-total and his drink of choice was a glass of Coke. So if you ever find yourself struggling to reverse on to a pontoon at Netherwich Basin, stop and take stock for a moment and remind yourself that much worse things can happen. Then when you finally get moored pour yourself a Coke and raise a glass to Allen.

 

JP

[ditchcrawler]

 

 

What is it with front fenders on multiple chains?

And dont touch the cill with them or they will get dirty

[She25]

As has now been reported on the BBC Hereford & Worcester news website the correct name of the boat was Sonskit and the gentlemen who lost his life was Allen Green.

 

Allen and his mother Jean both had boats on the permit moorings at Netherwich Basin in Droitwich. Allen's boat was on the adjacent pontoon to my boat and Sonskit - on which his mother and her dog lived - on the adjacent pontoon to Allen's boat.

 

I first met Allen last December on the day I arrived at Netherwich with Vulpes and he helped pull me on to the mooring as I struggled with the wind. I can only endorse what his mother says in the article on the BBC news site that Allen was a cheerful and helpful soul who loved the opportunity to help a visiting boat manoeuvre onto the visitor mooring pontoons. His presence at the basin was a reassuring thing for me as the owner of an adjacent boat. He was the most visible part of the canal community in Droitwich.

 

Over the the past seven months I have seen and chatted to Allen on a weekly and sometimes daily basis as my home is close to the basin and I visit my boat regularly. However it is important that I point out that I didn't know him that well - I only found out his surname ten days ago and am relying on the BBC for the correct spelling of his first name. There are others on the moorings who had known him better and for much longer than I did. I believe some of them may visit this site as guests and it is to his mother and to them I offer my condolences.

 

One thing I did know though is that Allen was tee-total and his drink of choice was a glass of Coke. So if you ever find yourself struggling to reverse on to a pontoon at Netherwich Basin, stop and take stock for a moment and remind yourself that much worse things can happen. Then when you finally get moored pour yourself a Coke and raise a glass to Allen.

 

JP

Lovely words JP. I saw that his funeral will take place this Sunday, info at Droitwich marina.

[Scholar Gypsy]

Report of inquest here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-38017434

 

"A man whose narrowboat sank died as the result of an accident, a coroner has ruled."

[Sea Dog]

That rather thin BBC report was from last week. I believe the cause of the sinking was the rudder becoming trapped in the gate and the finding was that the boat had no rear button fender which ought to have prevented the entrapment. I think it's been known for a while that the original sinking was not the cause of the fatality however, rather the returning inside the boat having survived the original accident. That said, if the above is correct, it sounds a lot more like misadventure than accident, so perhaps there's more to it? Still a tragic loss of life though - does anyone know more now the investigation is complete?

[Dave Payne]

Saw a clip in midlands today last week, they claim the rudder did become trapped causing the sink and the owner did go back into the boat after rescuing his mother to retrieve the money.

 

Such a waste really.

[WJM]

So I guess when he went back in only the bow had sunk, the stern was still hung up? Then while he was inside the stern dropped?

[StephenA]

So I guess when he went back in only the bow had sunk, the stern was still hung up? Then while he was inside the stern dropped?

 

Boat was going up - so stern would be stuck down

Saw a clip in midlands today last week, they claim the rudder did become trapped causing the sink and the owner did go back into the boat after rescuing his mother to retrieve the money.

 

Such a waste really.

 

Even with a fender I've always put the tiller hard over when we've been in a lock - we did get the fender stuck on a bent metal plate in one lock on the S&W but the split link did its job and the chain sheared.

[Alan de Enfield]

Couple of Summers a go we were on the T&M with along with a friends boat having a couple of months cruise.

 

Going up - We had exited the lock and were waiting at the top for him, and we were operating the paddles / gates, I noticed that his front end was going up, but, the back-end wasn't.

 

Dropped the paddles and let the water back out.

 

His mooring rope had fallen off the back and was trailing out behind him, the gates closed and trapped the rope, as the lock started to fill, the boat lifted (a little), took up the 'slack' and then 'stopped', the front continued to rise, but he hadn't noticed the 'angle'.

 

Accident averted, but it was a close thing.