Going to the Wrong Buoy
2,853 views | July 2nd, 2013
When coming into the river Crouch a young man was told by a yachtmaster candidate to steer a course of 245 degrees and to follow the buoyed channel. Because the boat was on the starboard tack and the wind from the north the student could not see the red channel marks and so followed the green ones. It all looks so easy down at the chart table. Just follow the buoys no pilotage sketch needed!
The attached screen picture from the chart plotter shows how close they came to disaster. The instructor on board asked on a number of occasions whether the student was happy with the course and depth. In the end the instructor had to suggest a change of course in order to avoid a grounding. The east coast has some fantastic challenges for the navigator and this shows how easy it is to aim for the wrong buoy and end up on a sandbank. This is why we undertake sail training and why this student, now a yachtmaster, is unlikely to make the same mistake again.
Posted by: firstclass
