TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Moorings 58 on reef in White Bay... really?

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Unbelievable! Not sure how to post video? SV Seaduction

Just one of the many flaws of using a chart plotter to navigate once you are within sight of land. I certainly will get flamed but the prudent mariner knows how to use a paper chart and uses the paper and tools first any only uses the chart plotter out of sight of land to confirm the work on paper. The guy had no idea where he was in two or three dimensions. When you can see land cover the display and get your head out of the boat.

We bought a chart plotter when "Rush" came out of charter. Never installed it and just went with charts (which we learned on) and eyesight. Probably saved a lot of foul words.

They said the guy said the reef wasn't on the charts! Lol

The reef would be clearly visible from the helm station on a 5800. If you look!
G

That's insane. Somehow that guy was given command of a Moorings 58 and he has apparently never picked up a cruising guide, chart or even, out of curiosity, just zoomed in on White Bay via Google maps. The reef is clear and obvious in all of those mediums.

2 more great videos on his site if you click through the comments - including a power vessel going onto the reef from the inside!--- and Husky Towing trying to get Seaduction off.

The color changes of the water alone should be so obvious!!! any boater who drives onto that reef is blind, oblivious, incompetent and plain stupid.

Doesn't Moorings require one of their own captains on cats that big? Not that professional captains are much better when it comes to avoiding reefs. I frequently see them too close to Diamond Reef so their guests can snorkel off the back. Anything for a big tip!

A chart plotter zoomed at the incorrect level will make all kinds of things disappear. Reefs even entire large islands are removed from the display some mistake for a "chart". That is just one of the reasons electronic chart plotters are so dangerous. Even more dangerous when used as the primary tool for coastal navigation. Depending on the time of day, cloud cover, and sun angle the reef may or not be visible. There simply is no substitute for proper use of the paper charts and visiable navigation aids once you are insight of land.

And, on the video the prop wash appears to indicate the skipper (I use the term loosely) is trying to power FORWARD over the reef. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

NO! Moorings, Sunsail, Dream Yacht Charters, etc. don't require "captains" on their big catamarans, even up to and including 60 foot cats. No day sailor can be expected to understand these big cats unless they have significant sea time on the same model catamaran. But as long as the charter person has a credit card they can get a monster cat for a week! Just pay the deductible when you hit a reef <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

For the most part the insurance underwriters are in control of what can be bareboated. The tradional limit is a hull value of one million pounds. For years we have chartered the largest and newest boat we could get. The documents generally show a value of 999,999. Some of the underwriters also put a limit in "tonnage". The new materials allow larger boats within the weight limits.

At the end of the day the Moorings and others are nothing more than Marketing and Sales organizations. They own few boats. The banks, owners credit, and the insurance companies take all the hull and damage risks.

Before you throw and typed spears. Go to your local Hertz or Avis and watch the checkout procedures to rent a Escalade, Lincoln, or even now very high performance vehicles capable of extreme speed.

The real checkout at Hertz or the Tortola dock. Can you get the machine out of the parking spot and put of the parking/docking area.

White Bay always shows ignorance or risk taker. Many on this forum once went into White Bay and have learned something along the way that lead them to stop that "fun" practice. Others blindly follow the chart plotter around swearing by them until they learn why that is a risk to the safety of the hull and passengers.

Short day visits to white Bay for us. No overnights anymore. Too much risk.

Brown, brown run aground... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

Complete Idiots.. Ohh sorry the chart said there was no reef there .. You can clearly see the reef and there are two sets of markers to get in .. hope they get fined .. !!

Markers??? Like RED GREEN?

Why would you expect them to mean much

Left over from Christmas?

That is what happens when the helmsman goes heads down following the chart plotter around like the video toy chart plotters are near shore. Near shore the helmsman must keep his head out of the boat. If a chart plotter must be used a designated navigator should be tasked to use the screens well away and out of sight of the helmsman.

Truth is we will likely never know the details re how it happened.

We were in White Bay on Ohana yesterday when this happened. The "Captain" literally just drove on the reef between the two sets of channel markers. There were people on the front of the cat, a crunch was heard and they flew forward. Husky came and inflated bags under it and pulled them off. Apparently no serious hull damage and they then took a ball at Ivan's. The Moorings has two 58's that they bareboat charter. Wonder if he has a clue the internet sensation he has become.

But we will continue with speculation that makes us feel as superior as possible.

Really? Did you actually watch the video?

Moorings will bareboat the 58 with 2 experienced skippers. I have looked into chartering the 58 and that is what I was told in the last year or so.

I surely have no superior feelings, have made my share of errors over the years - but that is a very obvious REEF.

I think I would be way too embarrassed to take a White Bay mooring after that entrance - seriously.
I once sailed aground entering into Drakes Anchorage restaurant in North Sound - I canceled my dinner reservation and anchored way far away that night. Totally embarrassed! And I had only forgotten to lift the centerboard.

Unless the charter somehow got Husky out there on their own? I suspect The Moorings were and are involved taking command of the vessel for the remainder of the charter. The owner and the owners insurerer should be demanding a survey prior to any new stresses or loads being put on the boat. Depending on the twisting loads on that nub keel there could be some issues to address or rudder concerns.

You can clearly see the green channel marker in the first video...

When we go in there, I still have lookouts on the bow.

During the Moorings briefings that I've been in, there are a few areas on the map the briefer jokingly named as a Moorings "sales office"... I guess this is a new one. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

tonnage/weight. Huh?

More cut and paste from Ron. He has not left PA in the past 15 years. Call him Wiki Ron.

Looks like that may not have been the case this time.

We took the 58 out shortly after they were in charter - The size only played a role in docking so I'm sure they would have done this on any other boat as well.

A 50' mono with a single engine is much more difficult to handle than a 58' with twins.

And both are considerably more difficult after a day visiting beach bars. Just sayin'.

I was thinking the same thing, I was taught tonnage was a factor of the space available for cargo and has nothing to do with the actual weight of the boat.

When I try the link to the video, I get the message "Sorry, this content isn't available right now". I tried using both Edge and Firefox. It doesn't open on my ipad either.

I would disagree with this. I could easily singlehand a 50 foot mono and did it many times. I would not consider trying to singlehand a larger cat.

If you are irresponsible <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

Yes that is the way it works. The underwriters put limits on the weight and value of the boats the underwriters will insure for use without a crew. No insurance no finance along with some other issues. You may not like it but the underwriters decided what boats are bareboat and what boats are not. The marketing companies would rent anything the owners would buy and the customers would pay for.

so sad! - no excuse at all. Was just there in June for the night on a ball. According to Moorings, I can charter anything up to the 58ft Catamaran. So I guess I don't have as much experience as that Captain. But I know enough to research harbour and bay entrances on the paper chart and cruising guide before I set sail! And I know the phrase "red right returning".... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

If you want a little more speculation since the skipper of the 5800 will not show up here for his trial. Same with the Mooring's Dock worker who "checked the two out". That boat may have been on autopilot. The boat hits the reef without slowing down and remains in gear well after impact.. There may have not been anybody near the helm with skills when the 5800 ground to a stop on the reef.