* Report of the Newhaven RNLI into our mayday incident

(Please note: Explanatory notes are in red.)

13th December 2008.
“An 11m (metre) sail training vessel with 7 PoB (persons on board)on a Yachtmaster course had left Eastbourne marina bound for Gosport in the morning (correct time was about 2pm) in what may be considered inappropriate weather conditions (SE 45 – 50 knots)(Winds had been Gale Force 9 or 10, 41-55 knots, in the morning but we estimated had diminished to Force 8, 35-40 knots by early afternoon).

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* Mayday Mayday Mayday

Severn class lifeboat of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute - the same type that came to rescue us.

What probably happened is that we hit something hard as we fell off a big wave — maybe a length of stout timber or a log.  We soon realized there was more water in the boat than had come down the companionway and that it was still coming in.

We started bailing and looking for a broken hose or other source of the cold sea water. It was already night, the seas were big, the wind strong and the air cold. With four strong men bailing continuously with a bucket and a big saucepan we seemed to be keeping up with the water coming into the boat. But with the boat rolling as she was lifted on each wave, sea water soon flooded our batteries. At any moment we might lose all electrical power – lights, radio, navigation equipment and our ability to start the diesel engine. So we immediately started the engine –while we still could. Once running, diesel engines need no spark.

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