Select Page

It is one of those sailing facts of life that, however hard you try to avoid it, sooner or later you will most likely find yourself aground. It has happened to me twice. Once when I was on a RYA training vessel near the entrance to Beaulieu River in the Western Solent, UK, on a rising tide. The second time when I was sailing single handed near the entrance to Chichester Harbour, on a falling tide. The first was easy enough to deal with, but going aground on a falling tide was a very unpleasant experience as I was stuck for six hours and concerned for the safety of my vessel.

When a yacht runs aground, it can be a stressful situation, especially on a falling tide in an exposed position with a swell running.  There are several steps you can take to address the situation in order to ensure the safety of your vessel and its occupants. Here are some tips should this happen to you. Remember that the steps to take in a grounding situation will vary according to the specific circumstances.

Safety of crew and vessel

The safety of your crew and the vessel is the number one priority. Ensure that everyone on board the vessel is wearing a life jacket. Quickly assign the crew specific tasks in order to save time and enable the vessel to be re-floated, if at all possible. These tasks include taking swift action, assessing the situation, calling for assistance and deploying a kedging anchor.

Take swift action

By taking appropriate swift action, you may be able to re-float the vessel immediately. If sailing, you may be able to quickly tack away at the first signs of a grounding, which you can feel under the keel. If you are able to tack, the vessel should heel as you do so and you may be lucky enough to get off. If this doesn’t work, try re-distributing weight, heeling the vessel or rocking it to safety. This has worked for me by positioning the crew at the bow which raised the stern and lifted us off. Also try distributing weight along the side deck which helps to heel the yacht, then motor in reverse away from the shallow water.

However, if the vessel is well and truly stuck fast, turn the engine off and assess the situation.

Assess the situation

You need to determine the extent of the grounding and evaluate if there are any immediate dangers, such as water ingress or structural damage. If there is an immediate risk of your vessel taking on water, it may be necessary to abandon the vessel so inflate a tender if you have one and prepare the life raft.

Call for assistance

If you are in a harbour, call the harbourmaster immediately, give them your position and request assistance. They will usually send someone out to see you as soon as possible and if necessary take passengers ashore to safety. Harbourmasters are trained to help vessels in difficulty and will provide guidance, help you deploy a kedging anchor, co-ordinate rescue efforts and may be able to tow your vessel clear if they arrive quickly enough.

If you are outside harbour or get no response from the harbourmaster, contact the coastguard immediately, notifying them of your position, number of people on board, sea state and any immediate dangers. They will co-ordinate rescue efforts if necessary and notify the nearest rescue vessels that can come to your assistance.

Use a kedging technique

If the vessel is not taking on water, you may be able to re-float it by using a kedging technique. This involves deploying an anchor in deep water away from the vessel and then winching it to safety. If help arrives quickly, pass them your anchor attached to a long line or the anchor chain if your vessel has an anchor winch. On a falling tide, wait until the tide has dropped completely and then you will be able to carry the anchor to the best position to enable you to pull the vessel off the shallows when the tide rises again.

Summary

Remember that when you are approaching shallow waters to be extra vigilant, especially on a falling tide. You should always keep a close eye on your depth gauge and have either an electronic and/or paper chart to help guide you. Give channel marks a wide berth, especially on low water springs. Passage planning is key, you should always know what the tide is doing and give yourself a good margin of safety.  And if it happens to you, remember to call the coastguard.

 

 

Boat maintenance log

Keeping a boat maintenance log is an ideal way of reminding owners what needs to be done to a boat and when. Read on for some tips,...

Essential Yachting + Power Boat Safety Briefing

Yachting Safety Briefing   Down below Lifejackets and harnesses - fitting, when to wear, clipping on Gas - risks, precautions, gas bottles and...

Boat interior inspection and checks

While a boat is ashore, the most critical interior checks to carry out are those that concern the safety of the boat. This entails the integrity of all through-hull fittings and seacocks, the gas system and the electrical system.

Fractures, sprains and dislocations at sea

Moving about a boat at sea often results in a few knocks and bruises, but if a crew member has a fall or major bump and is in serious pain, they should be examined and treated accordingly.

Marine engine oil system maintenance

The regular maintenance of a marine diesel is key to preventing engine failure at sea. This means doing regular checks of the fuel, cooling, electrical and oil systems.

Jester Challenge 2022 – Sailing single handed from Plymouth UK to the Azores: Part 3 – Preparations

Jester Challenge – A modern experiment in old-fashioned self-reliance, self sufficiency, and personal responsibility. This is the third of a 10-part post where solo sailor, Bernie Branfield, shares his first hand account of his single-handed, 2022 Jester Challenge, from Plymouth, UK to the Azores, in his 26′ Invicta Mk2, Louisa.

Rig check – how to prevent failure at sea

Regular rig checks prevent the risk of mast and rigging failure at sea. This includes regular rig inspections of the spars, ...

Seacock maintenance

If seacocks are always left open and neglected they can eventually seize which will prove a serious threat to boat safety should a connecting hose fail and the seacock refuses to close. There are three main types of seacock – ball valves, cone valves and gate valves.

First Aid Afloat – fish spine injury

First Aid Afloat - Here is what to do if somebody stands on a fish spine: • Check for dangers. Is it safe for you to enter...

Safety at sea principles

Safety at sea is not as simple as just spending money adding shiny new emergency equipment such as liferafts, danbuoys, distress flares, EPIRBs and so on.

How diesel engines work

The basic principle of a diesel engine is less complex than that of a petrol engine. No spark plug or ignition system is needed, making the basic diesel engine a comparatively straightforward system that results in fewer faults and has lower maintenance costs than a petrol engine.

Jester Challenge 2022 – Sailing single handed from Plymouth UK to the Azores: Part 5 – Boat Management

Jester Challenge – A modern experiment in old-fashioned self-reliance, self sufficiency, and personal responsibility. This is the fifth of a 10-part post where solo sailor, Bernie Branfield, shares his first hand account of his single-handed, 2022 Jester Challenge, from Plymouth, UK to the Azores, in his 26′ Invicta Mk2, Louisa.

DIY boat upgrades: Budget-friendly projects to enhance your (older!) boat

DIY projects that can enhance both the functionality and aesthetics of your boat. In this article, we’ll explore a variety of DIY boat upgrades that won’t break the bank but will significantly enhance your boating experience.

How to Avoid Collisions At Sea With The ColRegs

      Every Skipper Needs Accurate Knowledge of the IRPCS ColRegs As a responsible skipper it is every skipper’s duty to learn and apply the IRPCS...

Essential Boat Safety Briefing

Skippers Responsibilities Skippers are obliged to give a safety briefing to the crew even if they are a regular crew. At...

How to ensure your boat is in proper working condition

In this article Eva Tucker from Volvo Penta presents a handy check list of all the things that you need to check regularly in order to make sure that your boat is in a seaworthy condition. Including maintenance, safety gear and electrical checks.

Boat maintenance below decks

While most interior maintenance work can be done when a boat is afloat, some jobs such as servicing the seacocks have to be done ashore. It makes sense to do any major interior repairs and improvements with the boat hauled out in the boatyard.

An explanation of the IALA maritime buoyage systems – IALA A and IALA B

What are the differences between the two IALA buoyage systems, IALA Region A and IALA Region B, and where are they used?   As recently as the 1970s...

Engine failure at sea – keeping the boat safe

If the engine stops when you are underway, or your have to shut it down when a warning buzzer sounds, you also need to make sure the boat remains safe. It’s important therefore to recognise situations in which the boat would be immediately put in danger if the engine were to fail.

Keel design – options to consider when choosing a yacht

Keel design is constantly evolving and nowhere is this more apparent than in modern racing yachts such as the Imoca Open 60...

Rudders and steering systems – Part 3

In the third of our three blog articles on rudders and steering systems, we look at how to replace rudder bearings and repair a water-saturated core.

Jester Challenge 2022 – Sailing single handed from Plymouth UK to the Azores: Part 2 – Weather

Jester Challenge – A modern experiment in old-fashioned self-reliance, self sufficiency, and personal responsibility. This is the second of a 10-part post where solo sailor, Bernie Branfield, shares his first hand account of his single-handed, 2022 Jester Challenge, from Plymouth, UK to the Azores, in his 26′ Invicta Mk2, Louisa.

Understanding tides

If you are used to sailing in tidal waters, you will know that tides can be both a benefit and a hindrance to the sailor. In many ways,...

Man Overboard Drill

How to respond to crew overboard under sail • Keep the MOB in sight • Tack into the heave-to position, do not adjust the...

Understanding your mast and rigging

The rig of a sailing boat is put under huge stresses and strains so it is important for inspections of a yacht's spars and rigging to be...