Navy rescues British-Thai couple adrift at sea

[Dumbastheycome]

Silly old bugger taking out a boat unprepared.

Yes, yes. No back up boat in tow. Just a liferaft with appropriate etc's !

And be sure of yourself....buy fresh condoms!

[billd766]

Silly old bugger taking out a boat unprepared.

In one way I agree with you but every journey to a new destination is different.

He did have a life raft, life preservers, presumably a GPS and a radio as he gave his position to the RTN.

As to whether he had up to date charts and even if the charts showed rocks etc was not mentioned in the article.

Given the circumstances, they did all the rights things and kudos to the Navy for rescuing them. I don't suppose Thailand has anything like the RNLI in the UK.

Charts and proper equipment aboard are required. His error was not reading the charts, and going on luck. Depths and obstructions (large rocks) would be on the chart. Tide schedules are also critical, if sailing by your britches. He would still have his boat, if he took precautions.

He had the equipment...but failed to read his chart....which I have often neglected to do (and paid the price in keel damages).

Cost him an expensive yacht....a pretty grievous error.

Were you on the boat with him at the time or are you just guessing at what happened?

I would say that the margin for error was about 5 metres. If he went 5 metres either side he may have missed the rock completely.

[Dumbastheycome]

Silly old bugger taking out a boat unprepared.

he was prepared he had a dingy not everyone bothers with a dingy as they think they will never sink. I had a boat so I know

He should have had a life raft , the dinghy was probably only with him as a means to get ashore when at anchor , I think more luck than planning

The inflatable is a form of life boat. A dinghy is a generally a solid hull and not usually for stowage or emergency. You expect a small yacht or similar to have the same as a cruise liner????

Never mind. Feel secure with a rubber duck in your bath tub !

[rumbo1]

Silly old bugger taking out a boat unprepared.

he was prepared he had a dingy not everyone bothers with a dingy as they think they will never sink. I had a boat so I know

He should have had a life raft , the dinghy was probably only with him as a means to get ashore when at anchor , I think more luck than planning

The inflatable is a form of life boat. A dinghy is a generally a solid hull and not usually for stowage or emergency. You expect a small yacht or similar to have the same as a cruise liner????

Never mind. Feel secure with a rubber duck in your bath tub !

Modern life rafts are very compact and relatively cheap so all sea going craft should carry one .

I had a 25 foot sports fishing and always carried a 6 man automatic life raft .

A dinghy/inflatable is better than nothing but not a substitute for a proper life raft

[soihok]

It must have been a very sad sight watching their boat sink.

Well done RTN and I am sure that this couple are very grateful to them for saving their lives.

[Sooo Upto Me]

I know its 50-50 risking your life on a Thai bus but you should have gone by bus mate

Would like to see u try an take the Bus from Pattaya to Koh Samet, Bit impossible if u ask me.

[Sooo Upto Me]

Silly old bugger taking out a boat unprepared.

he was prepared he had a dingy not everyone bothers with a dingy as they think they will never sink. I had a boat so I know

You don't hav to hav a boat to know that, it's called common sense.

[Sooo Upto Me]

Officially in Thailand you have to employ a Thai captain.....

No, officially you don't.

Nothing's official in this country, So don't worry bout it.

[Robm579]

I really wish some posters would take the trouble to read the articles before posting their comments...

Are there so many ex Daily Mail reporters here that seem to think it's perfectly fine to just make them up?

The guy and his wife do not look like "Dozy old buggers "... His age is immaterial, I know of a few dozy old 50 year old... I know of some incredible 75 yr olds too...!

Sailing is like Skiing ... There comes a time when you know you have had enough and cannot sensibly do it anymore...

Where in the articles does it say he had no charts?

Where does it say he had no GPS ?

Where does it say luxury yacht?

Where does it say he was kicked off his "anchorage" by the Thai Navy and forced to put to sea?

Where does it say he had no life raft..? An inflatable dinghy with an outboard would seem a sensible option to me for a limited period awaiting rescue in coastal waters... Having broadcast his postion to the appropriate people...

All charts in all waters are not 100%...

Sh*t happens ... Sometimes at sea too!

[petermik]

Darn...I was looking for a story of a couple trying to escape Thailand...wait...maybe they were...

What a romantic gentleman.

Guys wouldn,t we ALL love to sail off into the sunset alone with our sweethearts

Well done to the 75 year old gent but next time try to avoid the rocks

[balford]

More 20/20 hindsight and smart-arsed comments from the barstool commandos.

Glad they're both OK and well done the navy...

Bob A. Relaxed in Lampang

[Cabra]

Silly old bugger taking out a boat unprepared.

Right again.......Couch Potato......

[Jackin1960]

Captain husband!! Well I guess he thought he was captain but I wonder what qualifications he had to take the boat out? Fact is the boat sank and that came about due to not knowing that he was in danger. Local knowledge is very important that why real captains have to take on Pilots or at least make sure they get notes to mariners and updated charts. He was lucky and I guess he won't be doing that again soon.

[cumgranosalum]

If it came to being on a sailboat late at night with poor weather and rocks, I know who I'd rather be crewing for............certainly not the kind of person who makes judgments without knowing the full facts....give me a 75-year-old tar anytime.

[cumgranosalum]

do you think Colinniell has got the message?

[thaidrew]

Captain husband!! Well I guess he thought he was captain but I wonder what qualifications he had to take the boat out? Fact is the boat sank and that came about due to not knowing that he was in danger. Local knowledge is very important that why real captains have to take on Pilots or at least make sure they get notes to mariners and updated charts. He was lucky and I guess he won't be doing that again soon.

I am not sure about here but in Australia a license is not necessary, or wasn't when I was sailing, unless the yacht can exceed 10knots under power, as in mechanical power. The size of the vessel being immaterial. As to his age l suppose it depends on the person, a couple of friends of mine lived on and sailed up and down the Australian coast for many years, last l heard they still were, she is 78, he 80, and the yacht was a trimaran, which is considerably more difficult to control than a monohull, assuming that is what it was. We are all guilty of not taking enough precautions at some time or other, l was stupid enough to get caught with a full main, in 9 metre seas and 40knots, without wearing a life vest, and had a female screaming in terror saying we were both going to die. She was so scared her only thought was to cling on, never mind grab a life jacket. Personally I had my handsful handling the boat, so my fault was not to be prepared, fortunately it all ended well. But there for the grace of God, could have been us.

[cumgranosalum]

Captain husband!! Well I guess he thought he was captain but I wonder what qualifications he had to take the boat out? Fact is the boat sank and that came about due to not knowing that he was in danger. Local knowledge is very important that why real captains have to take on Pilots or at least make sure they get notes to mariners and updated charts. He was lucky and I guess he won't be doing that again soon.

Don't think I'd go sailing with you either....

[JulianLS]

I wish I had a yacht. And now he does too

Joking aside, glad they got to dry land safely and credit to the rescuers.

[Boatfreak]

Silly old bugger taking out a boat unprepared.

The only thing the poor old man was unprepared for is to be chasen away from his quite anchorage place in the middle of the night resulting in a rescue by the same navy a few hours later. What could an old 70 year old man at anchor do wrong? Well done navy indeed :-(

Huh?

The story is a week old, and assumedly boatfreak has some prior knowledge regards the back ground circumstances.

If correct, it's a real worry, with the Thai navy showing indifference to an old man, which could have resulted with the death of the couple.

Yes indeed as usual the press tells you only part of the story and all our TV readers being very qualified sailors Know exactly how it should be done. The reality is that the poor old man was chased away by the navy in the middle of the night and had no choice but to anchor in an unsheltered place.

[onemorechang]

The only thing the poor old man was unprepared for is to be chasen away from his quite anchorage place in the middle of the night resulting in a rescue by the same navy a few hours later. What could an old 70 year old man at anchor do wrong? Well done navy indeed :-(

Can you tell us where this information come from ?