Boat Aground In Patong

[pumpuiman]

I would assume this guy had to have had a GPS aboard (I cant imagine this guy working out a plot with a sextant)

Even the cheapest hand held GPS units have an "anchor alarm" function. You set it and if you drift out of position, an alarm sounds.

Has anyone seen what sort of electronics are aboard? Looking at the photo, I believe he has radar. Most radars have similar alarm functions.

This guys got more balls than brains.

I run into this sort all the time.

I remember one guy had me laughing my head off. He was making a distress call to the coast guard.

Now.....insert voice of Woody Allen in place of victim. (He was traveling from Nantucket to Long Island)

The coast guard asked his position...he replied...."I'm near a red buoy" (no Lat/Long or even the buoy's number)

When asked the nature of his distress he replied "My anchor is in the dangling position"

When asked why he couldn't retrieve his "dangling" anchor he replied "The button won't work"

When asked to retrieve his anchor manually, he replied, "I'm not going out there"

He was told he could access his anchor line from inboard....just open a hatch forward.....he replied..."It's very difficult to open, I'm not doing that"

He was told that a commercial tow service would be contacted to assist him......he asked if he had to pay for it.....and was told he did.

He went nuts, screaming about tax dollars being wasted and on and on.....

The Coast Guard informed him that as he was in no immediate danger, and there were no medical problems on board, they had no obligation to respond

A few moments passed.....He replied "My wife has a terrible headache, and she's becoming nauseous"

The Coast Guard (sounding a bit miffed) agreed to assist him.

I had spotted him in my radar, and relayed his coordinates to the Coast Guard. (I could not assist as my draft restricted my movement)

The Coast Guard told him they were 45 minutes from his position.....he went nuts again......he had a very important appointment in Long Island.

The Coasties arrived, and proceeded to tow him to the nearest harbor for a "complete inspection" (I've seen them do this to others that piss them off)

Anyway, that's my sea story for the day.

(For those of you not familiar with my occupation, I am a licensed Merchant Marine Officer,Ships Captain, and ships pilot)

[stevenl]

Just read the Phuket Gazette, where there is another article on this guy.

It looks like is waiting for others to arrange everything for him, and pay everything for him. If that is true, I really don't like that attitude.

[LivinLOS]

I refrained from posting about this guy initially as I kinda thought it might change peoples opinions about any assistance efforts.. However I made a post elsewhere that I am putting here now.. This was about the day after the first rescue attempt / high tide and was in a response to a post saying how the beach boys / jetskis where asking for big money in ever increasing sums.

Well another side to this story..

Yesterday was drinking and one of the beach boys I know came in.. I asked about the boat and his side of the story was this..

The first high tide after it happened all the beach boys came to push it out, he claims 100 of them but lets say 50 plus anyway.. They had a pickup (used for taking the speedboats / jetskis around) and speedboat(s) in the water.

According to the beach boy I spoke to this guy already has a mega attitude.. Hes blaming them for his anchor chain and cursing and blaming everyone Thai for not helping him (not smart).. They said OK we will all muscle in but if we all work and get this off (saving him millions of baht) you pay for some beers.. Like just 5k or so (100 baht per person !!) to buy some boxes of beer. He told them he wasnt going to pay one baht to Thais and to help him if they simply wanted to help (again this guy doesnt sound like he knows how to motivate beach boys) .. After trying to get him to agree to a token payment and him saying no they told him '**** ya then' and left him alone..

After that is when the price keeps rising.. all the beach boys now think hes an ###### and deserves all he gets and he wont get any help from them without 100k or some other big big mega payment now.

I am told hes since then lost his rudder so even if he refloats getting to to a marina and repairs will be very costly and hard to do..

Now I should say I dont 100% believe the side of the story.. I am sure they pushed him harder than just 'a couple of beers'.. However I am 99% sure than for 10 cases a beer, a few 1000 baht notes to guys with speedboats and petrol costs and a good attitude he could have got those guys to help him.. He would be afloat again and sure it might have cost him even 10k baht but due to having an attitude and not just getting it done its likely he will lose the lot.

As the story has unfolded over the last days I reckon this hold more and more truth.. The guy was immediate in his blame of Thais cutting his anchor.. He has copped an attitude with them almost non stop.. He feels he shoud be getting free assistance for his mistake (weak chain, poor choice of morring, no movement alarms, etc etc) and really doesnt seem to have much social skills at appealing to any charitable offers.

Interesting question is whats the salvage rights on vessels not in international waters ?? He might regreat requesting assistance if he finds someone does and claims endangerment or abandonment !!

[HDRIDER]

Hi

Ask him to sign a lloyds open form, that will teach him.

[ozymandious]

He could have tried calling the German Coast Guard...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1365353836237246497

[sbk]

He could have tried calling the German Coast Guard...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1365353836237246497

good one.

[LivinginKata]

Oh dear... back to the gutter again

DanBlack's original post was a call for help. Let's leave it at that.

Edited June 25, 2007 by LivinginKata

[ozymandious]

Sorry I just couldn't resist it. (it's too funny and fits in to the thread too well)

Hope he gets off the beach soon

[sbk]

It was funny ozy, and pertinent

Anyway.... LivinginKata, it seems this guy isn't willing to do what it takes to get helped. At this point, do you really think a concerted effort of just manpower is going to get his boat back in the sea? And if it is damaged and he doesn't even have the money to get it towed, how is he going to fix it?

How far are Phuketeers willing to go to help this guy out? From the sounds of it, it would take quite alot of financial help to do anything at all.

[thaigerd]

Sorry I just couldn't resist it. (it's too funny and fits in to the thread too well)

Hope he gets off the beach soon

Why you all zink we are se zilly Germans???

Gerd

(I went yesterday for a look, nobody there and so far no changes)

[LivinginKata]

It was funny ozy, and pertinent

Anyway.... LivinginKata, it seems this guy isn't willing to do what it takes to get helped. At this point, do you really think a concerted effort of just manpower is going to get his boat back in the sea? And if it is damaged and he doesn't even have the money to get it towed, how is he going to fix it?

How far are Phuketeers willing to go to help this guy out? From the sounds of it, it would take quite alot of financial help to do anything at all.

No, I never ever thought that manpower alone would get that yacht off the beach. In fact I thought it rather dangerous to be up to your neck in water, in a heavy surf, with a 38 ft cruising yacht swaying about. No way would I do that.

I would be willing to chip in a little bit of money to help fund a small tug, as I think that's the safest way to get this thing off the beach. Unfortunately this guy seems to have alienated a lot of locals, and having actually talked to him myself I do get the same opinion as many others about his could not care less attitude.

Utlimately I think the authorities will have to get this off the beach, impound the boat, and charge him the costs ++. If they can't drag it off they will just break it up with a digger and cart it off in trucks, and still make him pay the bill.

[Ping]

I refrained from posting about this guy initially as I kinda thought it might change peoples opinions about any assistance efforts.. However I made a post elsewhere that I am putting here now.. This was about the day after the first rescue attempt / high tide and was in a response to a post saying how the beach boys / jetskis where asking for big money in ever increasing sums.

Well another side to this story..

Yesterday was drinking and one of the beach boys I know came in.. I asked about the boat and his side of the story was this..

The first high tide after it happened all the beach boys came to push it out, he claims 100 of them but lets say 50 plus anyway.. They had a pickup (used for taking the speedboats / jetskis around) and speedboat(s) in the water.

According to the beach boy I spoke to this guy already has a mega attitude.. Hes blaming them for his anchor chain and cursing and blaming everyone Thai for not helping him (not smart).. They said OK we will all muscle in but if we all work and get this off (saving him millions of baht) you pay for some beers.. Like just 5k or so (100 baht per person !!) to buy some boxes of beer. He told them he wasnt going to pay one baht to Thais and to help him if they simply wanted to help (again this guy doesnt sound like he knows how to motivate beach boys) .. After trying to get him to agree to a token payment and him saying no they told him '**** ya then' and left him alone..

After that is when the price keeps rising.. all the beach boys now think hes an ###### and deserves all he gets and he wont get any help from them without 100k or some other big big mega payment now.

I am told hes since then lost his rudder so even if he refloats getting to to a marina and repairs will be very costly and hard to do..

Now I should say I dont 100% believe the side of the story.. I am sure they pushed him harder than just 'a couple of beers'.. However I am 99% sure than for 10 cases a beer, a few 1000 baht notes to guys with speedboats and petrol costs and a good attitude he could have got those guys to help him.. He would be afloat again and sure it might have cost him even 10k baht but due to having an attitude and not just getting it done its likely he will lose the lot.

As the story has unfolded over the last days I reckon this hold more and more truth.. The guy was immediate in his blame of Thais cutting his anchor.. He has copped an attitude with them almost non stop.. He feels he shoud be getting free assistance for his mistake (weak chain, poor choice of morring, no movement alarms, etc etc) and really doesnt seem to have much social skills at appealing to any charitable offers.

Interesting question is whats the salvage rights on vessels not in international waters ?? He might regreat requesting assistance if he finds someone does and claims endangerment or abandonment !!

Yes and it is interesting to compare the views in the two different 'places' where you have posted. Far more robust views about this gentleman in the other 'place' and I tend to agree with them.

[Sir Burr]

How far are Phuketeers willing to go to help this guy out?

The word you're searching for is Phuketians, I believe.

[LivinLOS]

Yes and it is interesting to compare the views in the two different 'places' where you have posted. Far more robust views about this gentleman in the other 'place' and I tend to agree with them.

Not sure quite what you mean by 'robust' in this context.. If you mean stronger views on the guy then I think pretty much the same thing has been expressed here (tho the other forum is by nature perhaps a little bit more blunt).. Also the other forum has restricted areas and theres even blunter comments on a thread within those.

Initially I thought manpower would shift it at high tide.. One suggestion to get the Hash House Harriers involved made some sense.. But a combination of failed half attempts, lack of resources, and a poor attitude seems to have put a hex on that.

One thing is the beach boys assume anyone with a yacht is a millionaire (to them perhaps in relative terms etc) one used a line like "he says he has no money and he travelling around the world on a > 7m baht yacht".. Well I can say that its of a value nothing like that, that impression, however incorrect, has also probably hampered his efforts.

Seems to me looking at it that if he cant afford a tug, at least partial refloating could be attempted by creating a fixed anchor point (whether a VERY well secured large / multiple anchor would even hold) and then using pulleys to increase the pull power from land. This could easily be combines with a 4x4 or stronger on the land at a cost far less than a tug. Of course one the pulley point may not hold up and two if he really has lost his rudder and cannot jury rig something he wont get it to dry dock anyway.

Comment on a Lloyds open cert is true.. I mean if someone was to salvage it would it not become thiers ??

[LivinginKata]

LivinLOS,

Apparantly the rudder hydraulics got broke in the first float attempt ?? He has rigged up an emergency (direct) tiller, way down in the aft cabin. And he says he has secured the hydraulic fittings to effect the wheel/helm repairs out at anchor.

I don't see any way he can secure a fixed anchor point, say at the lowest water line. A heavy steel anchor was fabricated last week and set at low tide. I was easily pulled out by the incoming tide/surf. Would need a biggish tracked digger to bring in some big concrete blocks (with securing points) to effect a secure anchor, and I just don't see that happening as those sort of resources are not immediately at hand. And the Tesiban ain't going to incurr any costs, other than (maybe ??) plant/equipment they already have on hand.

So the idea of pulleys etc is just a non starter, IMO .... was a good idea, just can't see it happening.

Edited June 26, 2007 by LivinginKata

[Ping]

From all the comments about his anti-social conduct, I am surprised that anyone is bothering to help him at all. Let him walk away (the boat boys will have it salvaged in minutes)...

[chinthee]

Well, I for one, would like to know the final disposition. I made some early jokes because I saw a pattern emerging that we've all seen before. Livinginkata defended this as a boatbum, and I respect his view and agree each should be left to enjoy his life, boatbum or beachbum.

However, if the final disposition is that this guy has inconvenienced a lot of decent folk, has mooched off the good intentions of others, and has been a general prat, we should censure him.

What do the rest of you feel?

[thaigerd]

As earlier mentioned I did contact Rolly Tasker with a link to this story here and asked if he (his company) could offer any help.

We exchanged some friendly mails but he never said someting about "our sailor"............

Guess why...?!

I think our sailor made a lot of mistakes here in Phuket and it will cost him a lot at the end, may be even his boat.

Gerd

[Mid]

this guy doesn't know what trouble is ,

show him this

[goldfish]

Another photo for you. I just liked the perspective

[Tony Clifton]

One tsunami later, the local authorities response is despicable. They probably are laughing at the office and have already set up a pool to see who guesses which day the farang boat will make it back to the water.

[sibeymai]

Nothing short of excavation, a very high tide and a long tow rope will help this guy out. Might as well sit tight for now until the next spring high tide. Sounds like the skipper could take the opportunity to do some maintenance work while he's "on the hard".

Agree it seems the anchor chain probably broke. Nothing wrong with anchoring on a lee shore such as Patong provided the right precautions and safeguards are observed. However, it seems the skipper's judgment was not the best: only one anchor laid, insufficient watchkeeping and perhaps no means to recover should the anchor break or drag, assuming that such an event would be discovered.

Best seamanship would have been to arrive in daylight with plenty of sleep. Really not too difficult to do with a bit of planning as other posters have already said.

The last port of call was Sri Lanka. Having spent some time there I can underdstand why the skipper might have been in a hurry to reach Phuket.

[geriatrickid]

Pick an Act any Act and there are grounds by which the local government can seize the vessel . For openers, consider the; i) Natural Environmental Quality Act of 1992 or ii) Public Health Act 1992 or iii) Cleanliness and Orderliness of the Country Act 1992

The boat cannot be left to rot on the beach. Where has or is the vessel waste being dumped? Are the batteries leaking? Are there any toxic substance associated with the boat that present a risk? Is there a chance there are foreign pests on board? These are some of the questions a gov't agent can ask. One bad answer, and the boat can be impounded. As it is now beached it can be argued to be a danger to the beach ecosystem. (Yea it's a stretch, but I doubt he has the baht to argue against that.) If Captain Wingnut wants to keep that unsafe vessel, he better pay for the salvage costs fast or he could face a hefty environmental hazard remediation bill. (As he is foreign, it should make for an easy demonstration that the environmental protection authorities care, just like they do in the movies about protecting the environment.)

- a landlubber-

Edited June 26, 2007 by geriatrickid

[paulie2277]

i am in oz following this better than paris hilton

[donna]

im currently in bangkok, but will be back in phuket early next week. i fully expect the boat to be stuck on the beach when i return. im not a sailor, but i suspect that the longer it is there the more difficult it will be to get it out again.

still, it makes for good reading!

[chinthee]

Yes, Please somebody give us the current report! I'm also stuck in Bangkok or would drive by.

[davidsajem]

Well the high and dry sailor (Mike from England) is going to wait. The next full moon is Sat, but he is going to try to get it off Fri. morning about 0900. That will give him time to maybe organize some mechanical assistance, and spread the word for plenty of pushers. When I previously mentioned he needed any kind of help, including food, it was not because he could not afford it. It was because he was a little too busy to go out, and it I thought it difficult to cook on a 45 degree angle. By the way Bino, you sound like you really know your stuff

[davidsajem]

what a shame mikes boat got blown onto your beach after the long trip from spain through the med to see your country 15 months of sailing alone planning each part of the juerny and sailing good seas and bad he came on holiday 2 xmas ago and liked phuket and loved the people i am surprised i have read some negative comments on this forum

[khall64au]

Well the high and dry sailor (Mike from England) is going to wait. The next full moon is Sat, but he is going to try to get it off Fri. morning about 0900. That will give him time to maybe organize some mechanical assistance, and spread the word for plenty of pushers. When I previously mentioned he needed any kind of help, including food, it was not because he could not afford it. It was because he was a little too busy to go out, and it I thought it difficult to cook on a 45 degree angle. By the way Bino, you sound like you really know your stuff

Is it possible that we have some Thaivisa members - earlybirds with muscle - free Friday at 0900

who can get down to Patong beach wearing their Thaivisa.com t-shirts?

[thaigerd]

Well the high and dry sailor (Mike from England) is going to wait. The next full moon is Sat, but he is going to try to get it off Fri. morning about 0900. That will give him time to maybe organize some mechanical assistance, and spread the word for plenty of pushers. When I previously mentioned he needed any kind of help, including food, it was not because he could not afford it. It was because he was a little too busy to go out, and it I thought it difficult to cook on a 45 degree angle. By the way Bino, you sound like you really know your stuff

Is it possible that we have some Thaivisa members - earlybirds with muscle - free Friday at 0900

who can get down to Patong beach wearing their Thaivisa.com t-shirts?

2 members with a ThaiVisaT-shirt turned up..............

Thai marine promised to come and helped two days already but never came, fishing boat offered help to take him out during high tide but price went up every 3 minutes.

Just came back from Patong, boat still in the same position, pics from this mornig:

[attac

ment=35865:IMG_2294.JPG]farang_affairs_No2_2.pdf

Gerd