LESSONS LEARNED
1 After our weekend aboard Cape of
Good Hope we determined never to go to sea in a private yacht again without making a much more detailed examination of the boat’s condition and the skipper’s capabilities. It’s well worth the risk of having the invitation withdrawn by a skipper who takes exception to questions rather than be cast adrift in an unseaworthy boat with an inept captain.
2 A vessel due for skippered or bareboat charter must be prepared and equipped to conform to the MCA Code of Practice MGN280. John’s assurance that his yacht had been ‘coded’ for charter was clearly no indication that it was seaworthy.
3 The Colregs clearly define ‘stand on’ and ‘give way’ vessels and would work just fine if all vessels’ masters would adhere to them. In our experiences from over 60 English Channel crossings most ships plying up and down pay little heed to the Colregs and only a small minority will ‘give way’ when they should. It’s every skipper’s responsibility to avoid a collision no matter which is the stand on vessel. There’s no satisfaction knowing yours was the stand on vessel while you languish in your liferaft awaiting rescue.
4 We’ve learned the value of taking a look into the engine bay before starting the engine for every trip to sea. Three minutes to dip the sump and gearbox oils, press down on the fan belt and check the coolant level is time well invested to reduce the risk of a disaster. Keep the bilge beneath the engine spotlessly clean so oil, fuel and coolant drips can be seen at a glance.
5 Propellers are held on with a nut. This must be secured with a split pin through the shaft or a tab washer that cannot be rotated on the shaft before the nut is fitted and bent over at least one flat. Locking fluid on the thread is OK subject to being approved by the propeller manufacturer. I’ve found out to my cost that re-used Nyloc nuts can and do work loose.
6 You can tell if your batteries are being charged by looking at the boat’s voltmeter. If it doesn’t rise above 13V after the engine has been started it’s not charging. Be aware the boat’s voltmeter will never indicate the batteries’ state of charge (SoC). A battery monitor will show an approximate SoC when the batteries are new but as battery capacity naturally deteriorates over time (typically 2-6 years) their true SoC will become increasingly less than the monitor’s SoC.