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

[smj]

Originally Posted by 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.

Even if the crew aren't able to stay with the overturned multi, it sure gives the rescuers a good point of view as to where to start their search. Nothing is foolproof.


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[StuM]

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.

As 2hulls says, secure points under the bridge deck may be a CE requirement. I have similar secure points to his on my FP (but don't keep jackilines attached).

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by Bulawayo

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.

A must have when sailing the S.A. coast is a HF radio so you can receive advance warning of change ahead from the net.

One thing worth remembering. Coastal lows that do not give much warning can develop and create the same conditions as a Southerly Buster. They rarely appear on weather charts...

[sy_gilana]

A good friend of ours narrowly escaped with his life after a Cat he was crewing on flipped in those same waters. He and another survivor spent a long time inside the port and starboard fore deck lockers. He wrote the whole story afterwards and pointred out the reason for the capsize and the lessons learned. Unfortunately the skipper was never seen again.

The jacklines running fore-aft were useless as the waves crashed over them, they were washed to the stern which was sunk to about 8 feet underwater. He suggested that the jacklines should run athwartships.

Survival on the exposed upturned bridge deck would not have been possible even if the jacklines were so rigged, due to the pounding of breaking surf. The upturned cat is very sluggish and will not rise to each wave, he said that half the time, they would have been under green water.

When the helicopter with rescue swimmer had winched them on board, the flight engineer/winch operator told them to observe the upturned hull, white hull with blue anti-fouling. As the helo climbed and left the scene, they had visual for less than 20 seconds, and then could not make it out on the blue sea with white waves. He suggests that all bridgedecks are painted day-glo orange underneath.

The reason for the capsize was that they were hand steering to avoid broaching, a tiresome and concentration intensive task doing over 12 knots under bare poles and running before. J had just turned in after handing over to the skipper. He said "I removed my foul weather gear flopped into bed and turned out the light, there was a violent yaw, the autopilot alarm sounded and then the cabin turned around me and I landed on my knees on the cabin top."

They surmise that the skipper had put the autopilot on in order to relieve himself, but it could not respond fast enough to prevent the broach.

Glad these two are OK and perhaps some lessons to learn. An upside down Cat is not a place to be in foul weather. It will float stern down if it has engines.

[Moontide]

Originally Posted by CarstenWL

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

I would be inside the hulls with access to clothing, food, water, etc. Would not try to hang on to the outside of the boat. Of course that is because my boat is "unsinkable". Apparently enough core material to keep it floating upside down. Would not be comfortable, but out of the wind and should be able to prop oneself out of the water. Really hoping never to test that though.

[Boatguy30]

Did your friend happen to be sailing with a guy named something like Quin Queeg? That guy had built and circumnavigated aboard a Piver Loadstar in the 60s and wrote a cool book about it. He is referenced in several of the early multihull books about the safety of cruising multi hulls.

He then built around a 45' cat and began a circumnavigation in retirement. Boat was lost and he died approaching S Africa after crossing Indian Ocean. I believe there were 3 onboard, I recall one or two survived.

I happened to get a good deal on orange paint when building my boat and the top of the mast and entire underwing are orange. Also red bottom paint is more visible. Hopefully, never needed but better safe.......

[Cadence]

I often wondered why bottom paint has not been marketed in international orange or day glow. I feel sure it is not a lack of science but more of marketability. Probable not cool on dock condos. Blue and green are stupid but red is lousy for night vision.

[Sand crab]

From the previosly posted link.
Catamaran sailors safely in Cape Town: | nsri.org.za

The catamaran hit a whale about 50 miles off East London which tore a hole in the vessel’s port side causing it to flood and capsize.

Still would like to know the cat brand. Just curious.

[Banjo]

Good evening,
The National Sea Rescue Institute news report makes interesting reading. They chose the inflatable tender as their best option. See To save lives on South African waters.
Regards,
Banjo.

[category4jay]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

From the previosly posted link.
Catamaran sailors safely in Cape Town: | nsri.org.za

The catamaran hit a whale about 50 miles off East London which tore a hole in the vessel’s port side causing it to flood and capsize.

Still would like to know the cat brand. Just curious.

I'd like to know what brand of cat that is too...so I don't buy one. What type of miniature keel/skeg design is that? And to have that much structural damage for hitting a whale? HMMMM....

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by category4jay

I'd like to know what brand of cat that is too...so I don't buy one. What type of miniature keel/skeg design is that? And to have that much structural damage for hitting whale? HMMMM....

You and I also?

[Geekatlrg]

From what I am hearing it is a Switch 51

[smj]

Originally Posted by category4jay

I'd like to know what brand of cat that is too...so I don't buy one. What type of miniature keel/skeg design is that? And to have that much structural damage for hitting a whale? HMMMM....

My guess is the mini keel/skeg is only there to protect the saildrives and rudders. If you look closely you would realize this is a daggerboard boat.
There have been many monohulls that have sunk from hitting whales, so I think the outcome was rather impressive.


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[Bulawayo]

Does anyone know what type of cat it was?

[Emerald Sea]

Weather GRIBs for the 18th Oct in the Durban area called for high winds which were also forecasted before the 18th. South African skippers are normally very well versed in their weather patterns, Agulhas and local knowledge so I wonder why they went out in these knowing conditions?

We were crossing the Mozambique Channel this week (arrived Richards Bay 21 Oct) and choosing routes based on changing weather patterns. Its a formidable area and current predictions, apart from the reliable Agulhas current, have been known to be wrong (as they were in our prediction models) and played havoc with us. Buts that's another story.