Poole Harbour is an important yachting centre, with marinas and moorings for more than 5,000 yachts and other pleasure craft. A passenger chain ferry, which spans the mouth of the harbour, operates every 20 minutes from Sandbanks to South Haven Point.

Many recreational craft, including a fleet of 15 XOD-class yachts, were enjoying a particularly balmy spring afternoon.

The fleet of yachts had set out on a 10-mile race. As the fleet approached the harbour entrance, they unexpectedly encountered an inward-bound fast ferry, which was late arriving. The fleet moved out of the channel to avoid it.

The ferry passed and, seeing a gap between the leading three yachts and the rest of the fleet, the chain ferrys skipper manoeuvred his vessel away from the Sandbanks slipway. As some of the fleet approached the chain ferry, they lost the wind and their steerage. They were close to the Sandbanks side, and the north-easterly wind had created a lee. The chain ferrys skipper had not realised the lee of Sandbanks would affect the yachts steerage, leaving them no effective alternative means of steerage.

Under an obligation to keep out of the way of all traffic, the skipper reversed the chain ferry to allow the leading group to pass to the south of it. However, a strong ebb tide swept the next four XODs into the side of the ferry.

Two of the yacht clubs safety/rescue boats attempted to rescue them but one damaged her propeller, and the crew of the other boat felt that the tide was too strong. Fortunately, RNLI lifeboats were nearby and were able to quickly tow away three of the XODs from the side of the chain ferry. One yacht remained, pinned to the side of the ferry. Its owner, his 72 year old wife, and one other crew member were on board.

The yacht was buffeted and pounded into the ferry. She was in danger of capsizing. Water was quickly being taken on board, there was a great deal of turbulence and a very strong ebb tide. Within minutes, the boat was drawn under the chain ferry, together with the owners wife.

The lady was swept under the ferry but, less than 2 minutes later, emerged on the other side, conscious and, miraculously, unscathed. She was quickly recovered by one of the RNLI lifeboats.

Meanwhile, the owner and his other crew member clung to the grab lines which hung from the ferrys side. Both men were rescued, unhurt.

The Lessons

The MAIB investigation highlighted a number of contributing factors pertaining to various parties. However, the following lessons focus mainly on those to be learned by yacht club race officers.

1. In a busy harbour, yacht clubs race officers should obtain not only the scheduled shipping movements before the start of the race, but also the latest movements. Arrival and leaving times are often changed at short notice for operational reasons.

2. Effective communication between port control, the race officer, safety/rescue boats and racing craft, is essential. This will ensure that everyone is aware of unexpected situations which may be developing.

3. When planning a racecourse, race officers should consider wind direction and force. Yachts sailing downwind tend to keep together, and can bunch-up in positions of navigational importance. Short start-elapse times between different classes of craft will exacerbate the situation.

4. When different operators or interests are working within a harbour area without comprehensive lines of communication existing between them, accidents happen. All parties should meet regularly, to discuss their different needs and operational limits. Potential problems can then be resolved quickly and easily.

5. Safety/rescue boats should be adequately designed and equipped, and should be manned by properly trained crew.

This incident had a satisfactory outcome and all crew were rescued unhurt, having suffered an extremely harrowing experience. However, a keelhauling is not normally on the agenda these days when one sets out for an exciting afternoon of sailing!

Reproduced by kind permission of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch. Originally published in MAIB Safety Digest 1/2003. www.maib.dft.gov.uk