In the second part of his examination of possible yachting predicaments, reproduced here by kind permission of Yachting Monthly, Des Sleightholme asks Coxswains Dave Kennett of Yarmouth, loW, Griff Jones of Porthdirllaen and Ian Johnson of Troon how best his imaginary yacht crews should prepare for rescue.Luke It was about threequarters ebb when they hit the sandbank and Luke's mind went blank with shock. He stood gripping the tiller while the yacht pounded and water deluged over her stern; then she slewed beam-on and heeled hard over pounding and shuddering to the wave blows while he still stood there with his brain numbed.

Penny flung herself forward and let go the anchor, running out scope then making it fast. White-faced, she stumbled aft.

'Luke for God's sake do something!' she screamed. She fetched the lifejackets and bundled the two children into them, put one on and handed one to Luke. This simple act jerked him back to reality.

'Mind out Penny,' he said forcing past her to get below. With relief, he saw that the bilge was still dry although the boat was slamming with a force that jarred his bones. Already the saloon was chaotic with a junk of books, galley pans and cushions. He forced himself to stare at the chart. They were on the Gunfleet bank and five miles from the Essex coast. In two hours it would be dark and already the visibility was deteriorating with the murk of worsening weather. He reached for the distress rockets, cursing himself for not having a VHP radio.

Since the boat has stood up to the punishment so far and since the further fall of the tide to come means that she will strike less heavily for a few hours, the boat may not break up quickly and might even survive.

She can't sink, as might have been the case if stranded on a reef with deep water nearby.

The danger lies in the risk of being washed overboard later, when the tide rises. They must stay with the yacht. They don't have a liferaft but they have an inflatable dinghy which can be streamed astern as a last resort or as a pick-up position in case of helicopter rescue (see later comments).

They won't know whether their distress signals have been seen and, lacking the reassurance of VHP, the waiting will be harrowing. Luke must keep his family together, roped perhaps, and as warm and dry as conditions allow. He must not fire off all his signals at once, but in pairs and at regular intervals; in this way, an observer who half-sees one rocket will stare more intently and probably see the second. He must keep some hand flares for later, to guide his rescuers.

If a lifeboat comes out and cannot get close, a rocket line may be used for passing a towrope. It may be too thick to fit Luke's bow fairleads and having made it fast properly, he may need to bowse it down to the stem iron with a lashing so that the yacht's bows can be pulled round to face the seas. Or the lifeboat might anchor upwind and veer down, her massive hull taking the punishment from striking the sand without undue harm.

The yacht may not be towable at this state of tide and survivors may have to be takenoff. Or, being close to the coast, a shorebased inflatable lifeboat may be sent out which, being able to operate in very shallow water, could be the quickest service of all.

Salvaging the yacht is a secondary problem.

Could she be motored off later by a lifeboatman? Can her cable be slipped? Anchoring the yacht will mean that she will lie head to wind and sea in due course, after bumping to leeward for a bit; the mainsail could be left aloft to make the boat easier to see, but it must be stowed if a helicopter arrives. All the yacht's lights should be left on during the wait for rescue.

Griff Jones comments: Inflating their dinghy and streaming it astern would be important, because they have no idea how long rescue may take; later it might be used on a whip (an endless line) from the lifeboat to transfer the casualties to the lifeboat and lifeboatmen to the yacht. Leaving sails set has disadvantages. If a rocket line is used, the sail may deflect it from dropping across the yacht. Also if a rocket line is fired, fuel drums and gas bottles on the yacht are a fire hazard and should be stowed below or out of harm's way. However, fire can be used as a signal if all flares are used up and the need is urgent, but using a steel and not a plastic bucket, plus oil-soaked rags. ('Fire-inthe- vessel' is an old-established and recognised signal.) Another means of creating a very bright flash is to use jump leads from the battery but, needless to say, not if there is spilt petrol around the cockpit.

Ian Johnson: If the boat is not actually breaking up, Luke should keep his family below, wearing properly adjusted lifejackets pending rescue, to protect them from hypothermia. Ian would probably have used the lifeboat's inflatable to send a lifeboatman over with the end of a towrope, which might have to be secured by means of a bridle, taken back round the sheet winches if the foredeck cleat wasn't strong enough—or round the foot of the mast if practicable. Even if the yacht was pulled off on the rising tide, her occupants would be transferred to the lifeboat.There is a danger to using an inflatable streamed astern of the yacht for helicopter pick-up, a warning seconded by the Royal Air Force, in that a dinghy blows all over the place and can even be capsized by the down-draught of the rotors. It is better for survivors wearing Hfejackets to abandon ship by jumping overboard, clear of the yacht singly upon instructions.

This story highlights the need for a good supply ofin-date distress signals; better still, and additionally, a vm radio. What price do you put on your family's life? (Further to helicopter pick-up, our RA F contact stresses the danger from a yacht's mast and rigging and notes that being able to let go and clear away the backstay may be possible in some cases. The RNAS Culdrose contact refers to streaming two survivors at a time in a liferaft.

A raft, with its stabilisers is plainly less likely to be blown about).

Dave Kennett: In general, it is a good idea to anchor the yacht in such circumstances, but much depends on location; some banks are flat for miles while others, being short and steep-to, might allow a yacht to be bumped over into deeper water beyond. Think and check the chart.

The most worrying aspect is not knowing whether distress signals have been seen but, there is a Coastguard station within sight, white flares would be fired to confirm that a distress signal has been observed. The chart will show whether there is a CG station nearby and a watch should be kept in that direction, and towards passing shipping which might also signal acknowledgement.

Try to keep warm—this is essential to survival.

Leaving the mainsail set may also steady the vessel, but conserve electric power until there is a likelihood of lights being seen and remember that you may need power to start the engine later. In poor visibility Luke's signals may not be seen at all and if he can, at low water, he could find it well worth re-laying his anchor properly to windward.

Most lifeboats are sufficiently sturdy to take the ground and the coxswain may approach near enough to pass a line as soon as there is enough water. Be ready to receive a rocket line also.

When the mast went overboard, it did so seemingly without fuss, falling half across the starboard bow, half in the water. John felt the boat jerk upright and slew beam-on, commencing a series of gut-jerking rolls. The other two came up from below yelling enquiries, gazing blankly at the indescribable tangle of rope, wire, sail and spar. It was dark, the wind a westerly Force 5-6 and Anglesey lay some 20 miles to leeward.

'We've got to get that mess aboard or we daren't start the engine,' John said.

'Pete, there's a shifting spanner but no cutters; we'll have to disconnect the shrouds.' There was no panic.

Nearly two hours laters, Harry lost the only spanner. Pliers were useless on bent and twisted bottlescrew threads.

They tried a hacksaw and broke their only blade. They tried parbuckling the mast out of the water but it was too heavy. The water in it would only drain slowly from its immersed upper half.

They hauled and struggled to get thesails and wires aboard but the violent motion had exhausted them. The water around the stern seemed clear though and John decided to risk the engine.

Perhaps they could motor north a few miles, enough to drift into Liverpool Bay and find a lee under the north shore of Anglesey. For a while, his hopes rose as the boat began to move very slowly ahead; then a stray halyard streamed aft unseen and the engine stopped with a judder. By then they had drifted considerably closer to the coast and the Skerries light lay to leeward.

'OK,' John said, 'let's not fool ourselves, we need help.' He went below to the radio.

Although tidal streams might carry them clear of Anglesey, they may have already drifted three or four miles closer and although the yacht's hull is undamaged they are in danger. It should be a straightforward towing job once the mast is cut clear, but John must think where best to make fast a towrope. If his cleat looks too small he might rig a bridle back round the sheet winches in readiness, or he might use his anchor cable, marline-spike hitching it round a strong bar (winch handle?) below decks; the deck is unlikely to tear out. His anchor cable is more likely to part than the lifeboat's towrope.

He should have red flares handy as a position indicator and white ones also in case there is a threat from passing ships, although shipping will have been warned of his predicament and location. There is the possibility that a ship may close them and lie to windward to give a lee. They should continue to haul in any lines streaming overboard.

RNAS Culdrose comments: John should have used his VHP radio to inform of his problem right from the start.

Delayed calls for assistance can make rescue services much more difficult.

Griff Jones: If they were lucky enough to have a large vessel standing by to windward, this would also make a good radar target for the lifeboat.

Passing a towrope to a yacht is not difficult, provided those aboard know what to do with it, where to make it fast. Most pleasure craft have far smaller warps than a lifeboat would use though and if yachtsmen are in doubt, or injured or seasick, they should tell the The value of carrying bolt or wire cutters is stressed. The mast could be cut clear and used as a sea anchor. This would avoid damaging the hull by having it alongside. Later, under tow, the wreckage can be transferred to the stern where it would act as a drogue to steady the tow. The loss of the mast may have meant the loss of the VHP aerial; has John a plentiful supply of flares? (An oversight in my story! Perhaps John had an auxiliary emergency aerial. It raises a question though of whether owners who have VHP radio may sometimes tend to skimp on distress flares and rockets—J.D.S.) Dave Kennett: Dismasting is fairly common but few are prepared for it and the value of having bolt cutters aboard can't be over-stressed. There is also the possibility that, if the boat is a long way from help, a jury rig may have to be considered and, in this event, as much of the rig as possible should be saved. On the Yarmouth lifeboat, we carry cutters which can be handed over for the yacht's crew to tidy up because towing with mast alongside can do great damage to a hull. When we arrive we like to see sails down and stowed so that decks are uncluttered.

I wish boatbuilders would provide bigger and more strongly reinforced foredeck cleats.

The tow should be attached first to the cleat and then back to the foot of the mast as a back-up. We like to know that the first-time connection is safe because conditions could worsen later. On some older vessels the tow has to be taken round the wheelhouse or stern samson posts because the forward post wasn't strong enough.

Chafe is a great problem, especially on a tow of long duration; towels, sailbags and even a headsail can be wrapped around the towrope—what's a damaged sail if life is at stake? In very rough conditions, it is easier to transfer casualties from yacht to lifeboat by having them jump into the water. Wearing lifejackets, they must wait for a lifeboatman to throw a line, secure it to themselves and jump when ordered (singly, of course). But this is a last resort if the boat was sinking perhaps.

The coxswain will take full charge and his instructions should be awaited.

Use of sea anchors Regarding the chances of a distressed yacht drifting away from her original position while awaiting a rescue, Dave recommends the use of a drogue or sea anchor, a point also madeby Culdrose. It will also help to hold the boat steady.

1 Lacking a proper sea anchor, strong buckets, half-filled water containers or bunk cushions roped together (which soon become waterlogged) can be streamed on a scope that allows the drogue to lie in the trough between two waves. An oil bag attached to it might help to quieten the sea to windward.

2 A rudderless yacht is also quieter to tow if some sort of drogue is transferred to her stern, but the coxswain must be told if anything of the sort is in the water, or it should be hauled up on the lifeboat's arrival.

Some lifeboats carry drogues which can be passed over to the casualty.

3 Sea anchors consisting of a galvanised steel ring and a tapered canvas cone are usually too small and too light to be effective. The ring must therefore be heavy and the diameter equal to one tenth of the yacht's waterline length minimum. A tripping line is attached to the narrow end of the cone and brought back on board, but the sea anchor should also be attached by a swivel or it will spin and foul its tripping line making it impossible to recover by hand in severe conditions.

4 Traditionally, an oilbag is of canvas, loosely packed with oakum, rags or cotton waste and capable of holding about half a gallon of oil—the warmer the water the thicker it can be. Bags attached to lines can be streamed windward of a drifting vessel.

Conclusions Rescue can come quickly or it could take hours. A yacht's crew must resist falling into despair and the great value of VHP radio lies in the contact with rescuers and the effect on morale— plus, of course, the fact that distress signals are quite often not seen at all.

Keeping warm and dry, or at least as warm as possible, can mean the difference between a straighforward rescue and one complicated by having to deal with a shivering, helpless group of bewildered people.

Even if it is not possible for the crew to rig some sort of sea anchor (if the boat is drifting), they can still stow loose gear on deck, haul in stray lines and prepare to take a towrope. All should wear lifejackets properly tied and when rescue arrives they must be alert for instructions and ready to obey them instantly. The yacht's crew may be able to attach the tow or a lifeboatman or men may be put aboard; this the coxswain will decide.

Owners must forget all the old injunctions concerning salvage if the towing vessel's line is accepted. A lifeboat coxswain is concerned with saving life and nothing must obstruct his work. A lifeboat's towrope is in any case far stronger than anything likely to be carried in a yacht.

Above all, stay with the boat for as long as this is possible, even if she is breaking up, because the boat can be seen. If you have a liferaft a final recourse is to get aboard it and remain moored to the wreck; but be careful— boarding it would be difficult and perhaps dangerous.

The possibility of dismasting is quitestrong. Carry an emergency VHF aerial and enough tools, including cutters, to deal with the tangle. The rapid motion of a mastless yacht makes any job difficult and exhausting.

Wing Commander Ian Robbins MBE from Headquarters Strike Command at RAF High Wycombe makes some additional points about the use of helicopters in search and rescue: 1 Distress beacons (EPIRBs) Yachtsmen might well consider carrying distress beacons (EPIRB—Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) to notify the rescue agencies when they need assistance. Beacons operating on 121.5MHz can be picked up by orbiting satellites called COSPAS or SARSAT. Soon to be introduced are beacons operating on 406MHz which can be coded to give details of the operator, ie, type of ship, souls on board and so on. Most SAR helicopers and fixed wing aircraft involved in SAR can home on to 121.5MHz beacons.

2 Rocket lines The RNLI lifeboat coxswains mention the use of rocket lines. These should not be used in the vicinity of helicopters; lines entangled with rotors can be disastrous.

3 VHF radio Some SAR helicopters can home in on VHF/FM transmissions. Early information passed to the helicopter crew on the state of the survivors' injuries can be helpful. I agree with RNAS Culdrose that the earliest notification of distress will give the best chance of successful rescue.

4 Helicopter rescue It is helpful for the helicopter crew if the yacht crew clear as large an area of deck as possible on to which to lower the winchman.

Sailors of small craft should be prepared to jump into the sea—one at a time—to effect rescue into a helicopter; warm clothing is therefore advisable. RAF helicopter crews always carry out 'double lifts' where the winchman is lowered to rescue survivors.

The downwash from a hovering helicopter can be quite strong so yacht crews should be prepared for some buffeting.

Finally my thanks again to all who have co-operated in writing this article and for their readiness to help us when, having done all we can to help ourselves, we reach for VHF mike or rockets.

Note: The advice in this article is given by the author and not by the RNLI or other rescue organisations. The RNLI is not an advisory body for yachtsmen and the comments of coxswains given here must be regarded as those of individuals, albeit highly experienced seamen..