Swanage Lifeboat

[Seadart Bob]

Swanage Lifeboat

Latest launch: D Class on 13/07/03

Date:13/07/03    Launch time:11:30  Recovery time:12:04
Wind speed: 3 Wind direction: E
Sea state: Moderate
Weather: Fine Visibility: Good  Casualtyiver/Dive boat

Location: Peveril Ledge

Crew: S. Williams, K. Dimarco (Helm), G. Steeden
Details: Portland Coastguard requested the immediate launch of the D Class inshore lifeboat
to go the assistance of 2 persons reported in difficulties in Peveril Ledge.
The 2 people turned out to be 2 divers whose surface marker buoy had become caught on the hull of a passing catamaran.
Both divers were recovered safe and well and returned to their boat.
Once all the divers in the party were accounted for the lifeboat was released and returned to station.

Could have been a nasty situation.

Cheers
Bob

[Lou]

Can one ask WTF was the catamaran doing so close to the SMB as to get it caught on its hull?

Some folks shouldn't be allowed on the water.  When we were at Chesil Cove on Saturday we were sat on top of the beach by the Cove House Inn having a post dive picnic.  We were watching the divers down in the cove, who were numerous.  A RIB had also come into the cove and was flying the A flag.  Most divers were using SMBs.

Anyway a large family group (hereby referred to as "the Muppets&quot appeared and immediately launched number 2 son into the sea on one of those standup jetskis.  Baby muppet shot off at full throttle and managed about 3 full speed, figure of 8 circuits of the cove using SMBs as his "course bouys"!!  Much screaming from divers on the beach and those on the rib seemed to be of little use and the only thing that stopped him was falling off and seeming to flood his engine, limiting him to a plod.  However, the swift movement of his family down the beach appeared to indicate that the displeasure had got through somewhere.  Could've been very nasty though.

[Seadart Bob]

Hi Lou

I do that stretch of the sea quite regularly as you know,
and if the cat was about to go through Peveral Ledge then
the last thing on the skippers mind would be to watch out for
stray divers.
It can be a treacherous piece of water at certain times of the tide.
There are a number of lobby pot markers, all shapes and sizes
in that area and it is easy to mistake an SMB for one.
Unless you know the area you would not be expecting to
bump into any divers.
I think you will find that the dive boat was not keeping close
tabs on its divers.
Around that area the inner tide goes one way and the outer
tide goes in the opposite direction.
I have seen dive clubs drop divers and within 30 mins  two
different dive groups could be up to 1 ½ mls apart  with a
Rhib Capt trying to keep tabs on both groups.

On numerous occasions we have come across a pair of divers
bobbing around in the water ½ a mile offshore with no sign of
a dive boat anywhere.
Then gone off to look for it and found it in the next Bay  looking for its divers.
Firstly checking the divers were happy to sit there while we
find the boat.
The point I’m making is that it is sometimes the dive
clubs/groups that are at fault and in this case I suspect it was.

Cheers
Bob

[Lou]

Ok, Bob.  I bow to your knowledge of the area!

Let's give the cat skipper the benefit of the doubt on this one.  

I certainly wasn't absolving the divers or dive boat of any blame as I guess if they had been around there would have been no need for the lifeboat.  However I still get concerned about the lack of knowledge required of boatusers.  What is the point of an A-flag if more than 50% of the people pottering around the Dorset coast on a sunny day have absolutely no idea what it is!?

Reminds me of the news story on that guy who tried to sail to Ireland using a road atlas....

[Adrian Kelland]

I did a Day Skipper (theory) course a couple of years ago. Many of the people there sailed alot, but node of them knew what the A flag meant.

They were told.

Adrian

PS Just seen this on the BBC site http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/h...et/3064007.stm (sort of related)

[Mdemon]

Anyone know whether the SMB was a sausage or a blob?