Catamaran Llama Lo - Two Missing After Yacht Capsizes Off South African Coast

[CarstenWL]

I have decided that the ONLY time I will ever get off the boat in survival conditions is if there is an uncontrolled fire. Right side up or upside down the boat is much easier to find, provides much better protection from the elements and has a better food and water (and wine) supply than any liferaft I have ever seen.

I would only disagree with "... much better protection from the elements ... "
I think you are way better protected from the elements in a closed liferaft. You will stay warmer, do not breathe 'the flying water' around you, ...

My 2ct

Carsten

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by FamilyVan

My comment wasn't directed at you Cadence, I read several people asking the question why they hadn't stayed with the vessel, I just took my best guess

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To the contrary. I didn't take it as directed at me other than agreeing.

A nice covered life raft may have looked good, had I been there. Being jerked around like a cork on a string, not so much, if it was tethered to the boat..

[2Hulls]

Originally Posted by FamilyVan

...trying to secure an inflatable boat to the bottom of a capsized cat (which generally don't have any tie downs).

I think tie downs are pretty common and may be CE required. I have two padeyes, one forward and one aft on the inside of each hull with a jack line running between them for attaching a tether. The forward padeye is right outside the escape hatch in each hull. There are two more padeyes across the rear beam on the outside also connected with a jack line. So plenty of ways to tie up a raft, not to mention rudders and saildrives/prop shafts. This doesn't mean it'll be easy to do....

Dave

[FamilyVan]

Originally Posted by 2Hulls

I think tie downs are pretty common and may be CE required. I have two padeyes, one forward and one aft on the inside of each hull with a jack line running between them for attaching a tether. The forward padeye is right outside the escape hatch in each hull. There are two more padeyes across the rear beam on the outside also connected with a jack line. So plenty of ways to tie up a raft, not to mention rudders and saildrives/prop shafts. This doesn't mean it'll be easy to do....

Dave

Thank you, I stand corrected.

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[Banjo]

Good evening,
See To save lives on South African waters
Follow the links to the story. That boat is floating very deep, the skegs? or keel on the one hull looks damaged, the one rudder looks damaged too. The raft looks poked. The men were picked up from the yacht's tender.
Quite a story!
Regards,
Banjo.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by 2Hulls

I think tie downs are pretty common and may be CE required. I have two padeyes, one forward and one aft on the inside of each hull with a jack line running between them for attaching a tether. The forward padeye is right outside the escape hatch in each hull. There are two more padeyes across the rear beam on the outside also connected with a jack line. So plenty of ways to tie up a raft, not to mention rudders and saildrives/prop shafts. This doesn't mean it'll be easy to do....

Dave

I hope you never need them.

[2Hulls]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I hope you never need them.

Roger that! Thanks.

I do reach up and hold onto the jack lines when I'm swim cleaning the hulls and to rest a bit between breaths. And I've used them to tie prop blades onto for painting when hauled out. Right now my boat is hauled and I have the mainsail battens bundled and hanging from the padeyes on one side for storage. So I hope that's the only use they get!

Dave

[Bulawayo]

Perhaps another vessel was involved? Possibly a collision - no doubt the crew shall clear it up rapidly. Just glad they are both safe.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by 2Hulls

Roger that! Thanks.

I do reach up and hold onto the jack lines when I'm swim cleaning the hulls and to rest a bit between breaths. And I've used them to tie prop blades onto for painting when hauled out. Right now my boat is hauled and I have the mainsail battens bundled and hanging from the padeyes on one side for storage. So I hope that's the only use they get!

Dave

Roger that!

Roger

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Not cleats on the bottom? ....

Not a bad design feature, but few cats have them or other secure points under the bridge deck. Easy to add of course.

Horizontal surfaces inside which are above the inverted waterline are another good feature, but almost none have that. Certainly not found on late model cruising cats.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Not a bad design feature, but few cats have them or other secure points under the bridge deck. Easy to add of course.

Horizontal surfaces inside which are above the inverted waterline are another good feature, but almost none have that. Certainly not found on late model cruising cats.

The cleats where in jest.

[JPA Cate]

Good on the merchantmen for spotting them, and good news that they are okay. A harrowing tale.

Ann

[Wrong]

Having rounded the coast of South Africa twice, between Richardson Bay and Cape Town, I can attest to the fact it is imperative one has a clear window in particlar between Durban and Port Elizabeth.

The continental shelf extends farther offshore on that passage, and there's no suitable refuge to take inshore. Why does this matter?

The Agulhus Current flowing southward along the East Coast as far as Cape Hope is sped up by northeasterlies, until the wind abruptly shifts from the southwest. If there is a gale force wind, the current running in the opposite direction to the wind gives rise to waves 20 meters and more in height. They have been known to break ships in half...

While the conditions are reported to have been rough, was it during a 'southerly buster'?

Local knowledge is useful but not guaranteed to help you avoid southerly busters. It took three attempts, relying on local knowledge, before I made good on my departure from Durban in 2004. And then, it's only because I left behind a female professional delivery skipper leaving for Cape Town with a cat.




.

[roverhi]

Just because a multi hull floats when inverted doesn't mean everyone will survive the capsize. A local Trimaran on a passage to Panama was found inverted. A women crew member was entangled in lines and drowned. The skipper was never found. Yes, you should never leave an inverted multi but you may not have the choice.

[Bulawayo]

Originally Posted by Wrong

Having rounded the coast of South Africa twice, between Richardson Bay and Cape Town, I can attest to the fact it is imperative one has a clear window in particlar between Durban and Port Elizabeth.

The continental shelf extends farther offshore on that passage, and there's no suitable refuge to take inshore. Why does this matter?

The Agulhus Current flowing southward along the East Coast as far as Cape Hope is sped up by northeasterlies, until the wind abruptly shifts from the southwest. If there is a gale force wind, the current running in the opposite direction to the wind gives rise to waves 20 meters and more in height. They have been known to break ships in half...

While the conditions are reported to have been rough, was it during a 'southerly buster'?

Local knowledge is useful but not guaranteed to help you avoid southerly busters. It took three attempts, relying on local knowledge, before I made good on my departure from Durban in 2004. And then, it's only because I left behind a female professional delivery skipper leaving for Cape Town with a cat.




.

An ice breaker broke in two some twenty something years ago when overwhelmed in a SW buster. We sail these water regularly and caution is needed. Thankfully, the weather services are very good and repeated up /down the coast.