How to safely lift a yacht aground
Denis Korablev
  • 03.12.2019
  • 387

How to safely lift a yacht aground

What if the ship ran aground? First of all, you need to calm down and not make hasty decisions - you will need to take into account many factors, and some advice may simply be inapplicable in real conditions. Think carefully about the situation, and only then make decisions - you need to act very carefully. If this is a rented yacht, you should contact the specialists 2yachts and inform the owner of the yacht, this will allow you to receive important information for further actions.

The first thing to take care of after a ship is grounded is the condition of the crew members, and if someone needs first aid, they should immediately provide it. In the worst case scenario, when landing aground, the yacht may begin to collect water - you need to make sure that all members of the ship's crew are wearing life jackets. And, if the ship is filled with water, you should not send anyone to the hull compartments - it will be very difficult to get out of there later.

Before going aground, find out the type of bottom at the location where the yacht was trapped. And if these are, for example, coral reefs, then when the yacht goes into motion, they can severely damage the bottom of the vessel. If you think logically (and statistics confirm this), you need to shoot in the direction opposite to the path along which you ran aground - try to get out in reverse. If the yacht is not turned, and the engine power is sufficient for this, it is worth trying to get off the shallow water on a tidal current or on the crest of another wave. However, in this case, everything must be accurately calculated, or there is a great chance after the wave breaks down to land on the reefs again.

Also one of the worst choices is a stone planting - they usually have sharp edges somewhere, even if the stone looks smooth. Since the stones themselves do not deform, all the energy from the impact will be absorbed by the yacht's hull, keel or rudder blade, which, of course, can break from such a load.

The most popular option is to boarding the vessel on a sandbank, as well as on an area of coastal mud. In such a case, the best option is to try to return on your own path, which drew a keel in the sand or mud.

If the motor is out of order

Owners of yachts without a motor may find themselves in the most deplorable situation. Then you can only rely on sails, so direction and thrust will be insufficient. When the wind blows in the bow, you can bring the movable spar into the wind and try to set the staysail by hand so that it pulls in the opposite direction, and go backwards. Otherwise, you need to be sure that there is deep water directly on the course, as the yacht will move forward and to the leeward side. If there is no doubt that there is deep water on the leeward side, you can try to tilt the vessel - the draft will decrease and the yacht will be carried out to sea.

When trying to get out of the shallow using engine thrust, be sure that various contaminants will get into the cooling system tank, and immediately after turning off the engine, you should immediately check the filters for clogging and replace them if they are clogged.

If the rented catamaran runs aground - the situation is complicated by the possibility of turning the vessel when the engine is turned on. And, for example, if the left cylinder is aground, and the right one is floating freely, then the vessel will begin to unfold in the clockwise direction when the reverse is turned on.

If other members of the competition, an acquaintance of a yachtsman or one of the participants in the movement on the water decide to come to the rescue, do not follow their lead - after all, it is not yet known whether their advice will harm your yacht or not.

After going aground, analyze the situation: at what time did the yacht run aground and the map did not lie, are there any breakdowns, perhaps it is worth installing additional equipment for such cases, etc.?

If you managed to break the bank on your own, luck is on your side. Lovers of water travel have faced this problem for many centuries, and successfully cope with its solution. The main thing is to correctly assess the situation and call for help if necessary, especially if it is rented yacht. We wish you pleasant travel!