Tragic day for "Anabelle"

[Simi 60]

The much admired 78 ft timber Norman Wright built Annabelle met a tragic end on Platypus Rock, Shaw Is. Whitsundays.

No further details but a cardinal mark is clearly seen in one of those pics.

 

[Rhinoc]

Such a tragic scene. I also saw it on the FB group and the mind immediately swings to the 'How' questions. I note those involved are physically safe and well which is the most important thing but I can't even imagine what they are going through now.

Ryan

 

[Boat]

Tragedy is an understatement. What were they thinking? Where was the point of no return? Who or what was navigating?

Could be a triple tragedy. The watch may have ended with a medical emergency and the pilot was not conscious.

Pure conjecture but I think it's the autopilot and the smart phone. We have outsmarted ourselves with smartphones. We have grown complacent, lackadaisical. "It's all good" "My cell phone will call me if there's a problem" "The autopilot has my back"

During my all too brief experience as captain I always woke up wondering: "Where is the boat?" "Are the boat and the crew safe"? It was a survey boat and we lived to stay safe and map the bottom of the ocean. 110 foot, steel hull, converted supply vessel drawing about 10 feet and with a crew of nine. A "party boat".

The map table was right behind the helm and the wheelman was between. We were a system. Now we have a system and a network.

One time the head Geologist/Geographer/Navigator stressed out severely over an issue with location and got off the boat for a break as a result. We had LORAN back then. We used triangulation with UHF radios to position within one meter. The two systems didn't agree and it took a while to notice that the LORAN unit was "cycling". We took this stuff seriously, it was life or death.


Modern conveniences are great until they kill someone.

 

[BrisHamish]

Such a pity, I know that boat. It was in stellar condition. Used to berth near us at RQYS, it had been up for sale relatively recently.

Glad to hear all aboard were safe.

 

[Genecop]

Looks like the only rock for miles around....what a beautiful boat, what a tragic end...

 

[Shrew]

Looks like a Green Buoy (Lateral Marking). With only one marker in the picture and not sure which direction is 'returning'..... it's hard to tell what happened here. My general guess is if you're on a rock, you're on the wrong side of the marker. Not sure if the pictures sufficiently show whether it is an isolated hazard.

 

[McGillicuddy]

Tragedy is an understatement. What were they thinking? Where was the point of no return? Who or what was navigating?

Could be a triple tragedy. The watch may have ended with a medical emergency and the pilot was not conscious.

Pure conjecture but I think it's the autopilot and the smart phone. We have outsmarted ourselves with smartphones. We have grown complacent, lackadaisical. "It's all good" "My cell phone will call me if there's a problem" "The autopilot has my back"

During my all too brief experience as captain I always woke up wondering: "Where is the boat?" "Are the boat and the crew safe"? It was a survey boat and we lived to stay safe and map the bottom of the ocean. 110 foot, steel hull, converted supply vessel drawing about 10 feet and with a crew of nine. A "party boat".

The map table was right behind the helm and the wheelman was between. We were a system. Now we have a system and a network.

One time the head Geologist/Geographer/Navigator stressed out severely over an issue with location and got off the boat for a break as a result. We had LORAN back then. We used triangulation with UHF radios to position within one meter. The two systems didn't agree and it took a while to notice that the LORAN unit was "cycling". We took this stuff seriously, it was life or death.


Modern conveniences are great until they kill someone.

I’m afraid many boats were lost in the days before cell phones and autopilots. Statistically, probably at a higher rate than today, but that’s just my gut and not supported by any facts known to me. Humans have always found novel ways to screw up, with or without technology.

Glad all are safe.

Sad at loss of a pretty boat. But a boat is just a thing. Another pretty boat can be built to replace it.

 

[dhays]

Oh, that is really sad. It appears that the hull damage was too great for any type of emergency repair? Beautiful boat.

 

[Ski in NC]

Seems like some plywood, drywall screws and spray foam could have saved the boat.

 

[dhays]

Seems like some plywood, drywall screws and spray foam could have saved the boat.

Yeah, even a tarp screwed to the outside of the hull. Pretty hard to tell from the pics though and I'm sure the owners would have tried everything available.

 

[Aquabelle]

perhaps she flooded over her stern as the tide came in. where exactly did this take place ?

 

[Simi 60]

. where exactly did this take place ?

First post.
Platypus rock, shaw island, Whitsundays.

Damage visible in pic is the stabiliser torn off.
Apparently there was a major hole back at the rock so patching would have not been possible.

 

[twistedtree]

Tragedy is an understatement. What were they thinking? Where was the point of no return? Who or what was navigating?

Could be a triple tragedy. The watch may have ended with a medical emergency and the pilot was not conscious.

Pure conjecture but I think it's the autopilot and the smart phone. We have outsmarted ourselves with smartphones. We have grown complacent, lackadaisical. "It's all good" "My cell phone will call me if there's a problem" "The autopilot has my back"

During my all too brief experience as captain I always woke up wondering: "Where is the boat?" "Are the boat and the crew safe"? It was a survey boat and we lived to stay safe and map the bottom of the ocean. 110 foot, steel hull, converted supply vessel drawing about 10 feet and with a crew of nine. A "party boat".

The map table was right behind the helm and the wheelman was between. We were a system. Now we have a system and a network.

One time the head Geologist/Geographer/Navigator stressed out severely over an issue with location and got off the boat for a break as a result. We had LORAN back then. We used triangulation with UHF radios to position within one meter. The two systems didn't agree and it took a while to notice that the LORAN unit was "cycling". We took this stuff seriously, it was life or death.


Modern conveniences are great until they kill someone.

OK, but let's not make up what "might" have happened here without at least some basis in facts.

 

[BrisHamish]

Its a timber hull boat, I am told there was a hole 1.5m x 1.5m torn in it, plus you can see the starboard stabiliser sheered and a nasty looking bump/dent in the bow forward of the thruster.

H.

 

[MurrayM]

Can't imagine the sense of loss.

My guess is they had 'zoomed out' the display on their electronic navigation device, maybe to plan the route for the day, and the rock wasn't shown anymore. This might also explain why the rising depth sounder readings were missed as well.

Note to Self: When in unfamiliar or poorly charted waters, set depth sounder alarm so as to give early warning of obstacles rising from the depths.

 

[twistedtree]

Its a timber hull boat, I am told there was a hole 1.5m x 1.5m torn in it, plus you can see the starboard stabiliser sheered and a nasty looking bump/dent in the bow forward of the thruster.

H.

It's hard to tell for sure, but it looks to me like the stabilizer fin shattered, but the shaft survived.

 

[gaston]

Tragedy is an understatement. What were they thinking? Where was the point of no return? Who or what was navigating?

Could be a triple tragedy. The watch may have ended with a medical emergency and the pilot was not conscious.

Pure conjecture but I think it's the autopilot and the smart phone. We have outsmarted ourselves with smartphones. We have grown complacent, lackadaisical. "It's all good" "My cell phone will call me if there's a problem" "The autopilot has my back"

During my all too brief experience as captain I always woke up wondering: "Where is the boat?" "Are the boat and the crew safe"? It was a survey boat and we lived to stay safe and map the bottom of the ocean. 110 foot, steel hull, converted supply vessel drawing about 10 feet and with a crew of nine. A "party boat".

The map table was right behind the helm and the wheelman was between. We were a system. Now we have a system and a network.

One time the head Geologist/Geographer/Navigator stressed out severely over an issue with location and got off the boat for a break as a result. We had LORAN back then. We used triangulation with UHF radios to position within one meter. The two systems didn't agree and it took a while to notice that the LORAN unit was "cycling". We took this stuff seriously, it was life or death.


Modern conveniences are great until they kill someone.

What utter crap

 

[Simi 60]

.

Note to Self: When in unfamiliar or poorly charted waters, set depth sounder alarm so as to give early warning of obstacles rising from the depths.

Back off speed and sharp eyes as well.
Check paper, it may have details electronics dont

In this instance the mark should have been clearly visible but if the mark was not there a sounder may not have helped as it goes from great depth to shallow fast.

Same all out through the reef, 100ft to dry in a boat length.

 

[Boat]

A half-intelligent, part-time thinking individual might ask "Based on what?"

https://safety4sea.com/?s=distracted+accident


A total dumbass would ignore the inevitable, solid as a rock, and possibly even park a yacht on it. High and dry.


We have deaths from people playing video games on watch and running down innocents. It's real.

 

[McGillicuddy]

This half intelligent full time thinking individual investigated numerous really serious incidents where boat pilots found other ways to become distracted without the electronics. Like the guy who towed a barge through an offshore oil and gas platform at 2 pm on a beautiful cloudless day. He was reading a paperback novel while his deckhand, who had been out on deck painting, was banging on the window and pointing frantically. Over $10mm in damages and a ton of pollution. Nowadays he would be playing video games. Take the video game consul away and he would go back to reading a paperback. Stupid is as stupid does.
Nothing to do with this incident. I haven’t seen any info on why this happened. But you can bet your boots human error was in play somewhere in the chain of events.

 

[SoWhat]

Not unusual to select a buoy as a waypoint. Autopilot will head right for it. Note that Garmin states their receivers are accurate to 15M (49 ft) 95% of the time. Nothing said about the other 5%.

 

[Boat]

Your paperback reader was on autopilot just like my post says. I doubt you even read my post. If you didn't like it, WGAS? Mostly just reminiscing while I drank my coffee this morning.

Sounds like you have an interesting background anyway.

 

[Insequent]

I've been around Platypus rock a few times. I am surprised, and saddened, that Annabelle hit the rock.

There is often current across your heading when rounding SW ends of the islands in the Whitsunday's, although I don't recall whether that area has strong current or not. But I would make the point that if you use your AP to follow a heading, rather than navigate a course, then currents can easily shift you off course even while maintaining heading. A good watch solves that problem. Hopefully the facts will emerge and clarify what actually happened.

 

[Wxx3]

A half-intelligent, part-time thinking individual might ask "Based on what?"

https://safety4sea.com/?s=distracted+accident


A total dumbass would ignore the inevitable, solid as a rock, and possibly even park a yacht on it. High and dry.


We have deaths from people playing video games on watch and running down innocents. It's real.

I had my first motorbike accident in a 18 months of driving here in Vietnam last week because I was looking at my map on my cell.
I'm limping a bit, but cell needs new display.

Could have been worse; much worse.

Distracted driving is now more of a problem the driving while intoxicated.

 

[dhmeissner]

My condolences to Annabelle and her crew. Sad to lose such a classic.

 

[Simi 60]

She lives.......

Refloated and under tow this morning

 

[dhays]

She lives.......

Refloated and under tow this morning

Nice!



I wonder how they did it. Bladders?

 

[BruceK]

Here`s hoping for a good outcome. Plenty of $ in that boat for an insurer to attempt salvage and repair. Perhaps we`ll see pics of the boat on the hard soon. Hope so, too nice a boat to lose.

 

[Insequent]

Here`s hoping for a good outcome. Plenty of $ in that boat for an insurer to attempt salvage and repair. Perhaps we`ll see pics of the boat on the hard soon. Hope so, too nice a boat to lose.

Its a long road back after being submerged. Lots of time and $$$$$$. You would need to be deeply in love with it. I cannot see it making sense financially.

 

[Simi 60]

Last listing had her for sale at $1.8 mill
Guessing they reckon she can be saved for less.