A DAY IN THE LIFE OF TIMONEER!
Well, its been an interesting start to the trip on the French Rivera. On the second day after we left Marseille, we motor-sailed to the next anchorage. During the passage the owner’s wife fell over in the Deck salon and hit her face on the 3-seat chair in there. It was all go, the general alarm the works, she was ok, just down and out for a while. We motored into the Anchorage, and the main engine over heated! This in turn caused the prop pitch to stop working the boat to be im-moveable. The 1st mate was in the just launched tender, so I dropped the Pick and we sat ok for now. The owner’s wife went ashore after a hairy step into the tender from the side ladder, she saw the doctor and had X-rays and all was ok. It wasn't over yet, at about 2230, the general alarm went off again. The owner had fallen in the shower and cut his head quite badly, we butterfly stitched it up, and made sure he was all ok. They both look as if they had been in a bare knuckle-fighting match, Crazy! The next day (it was St.Tropez) the owner’s wife needed to be at the Doctor at 1430, and Timoneer needed to be in Nice to pick up the owners guests for the next day. So the 1st Mate and Stewardess took the owner’s wife to the doctor, and would come up to Nice later in a hire car. The rest of us took the yacht up the coast. It was a nice trip, no wind and I had plenty of time to prepare for going alongside the dock there, little did I know, you shouldn’t-look-a-gif
t-horse-in-the-mouth! It was a full-blown commercial dock, with huge rubber fenders that the ferries or cruise liners could push up against. The normal system of docking wouldn’t work, so it was out with the side-boarding ramp (a flat ramp with stanchions on, and wheels which sit on the dock). The problem was that it was buried deep in the bowels of the boat. So, out comes the Spinnaker, Mizzen Staysail, and a few other bits and pieces. On with the ramp as the hire car pulls up with the owner’s wife and crew, sorted... A new day dawns and all going well till 8am. The Mate is off again in the hire car to pick up guests from the airport. The Captain tells me that the dock is to be used by a cruise ship and we have to get out by 10am. Off the dock we go, and stern-to another slip close by. Shift all the fenders and all the dock lines, side ramp away, stern passerail out, anchor standing by. We literally squeezed our self into this berth; we didn't even need to tie up! The guests arrived with the Mate, and we were off again before lunch, this time to Ville Franch. The Mate had to bring the car around, so it was just Engineer and I again. Anchoring was all ok but the wind built, and made the tender launch off the fore deck slightly scar
y! A quick shore pick up of the mate just before 1300. Lunch over now and the Mate and Head Stewardess are taken ashore to get the last guests from the Airport. The Captain decided that with the wind gusting over 25 knots and a lee shore, we should move, so up and off again. We moved 5 miles around to the East into a calmer anchorage, and dropped 2 picks. Just as we had done this and I was squaring up on the bow, when I noticed a 100-foot yacht drifting down on us. They yelled out, “our engine is stuffed and the anchor won’t hold”. The yacht was drifting with 20knots of breeze to power them. Launch the tender and go and help. The Captain came with me, and we rafted our tender off the yacht and tried to regain some control. We narrowly missed a few powerboats in the anchorage, and we drifting towards the larger ones further out. With the power from our tender and the yachts dinghy we were able to drive up through the anchored yachts (Timoneers Captain on the helm, how many yachts does he want to skipper!) Time to try and anchor her again in shallow water. It was useless, small anchors and bad holding! Next thing, the guests have arrived, and need a pick up. I tell the Mate that we are a tad busy with a hectic salvage operation, and need a h
and. The Captain decided that we will just hang them off the stern of Timoneer. The towline was run out and the Mate, who convinced a guy on the dock to give us a hand, raced out in a dinghy and took the line to the bow of the stricken yacht. Many narrow misses and allot of sunburn!So, now there is a 100 footer hanging off the stern! The owner couldn't help with organizing a tow, and after not being able to fix the engine, the Captain and Mate took the yacht up closer and threw 2 anchors over and she held fast, out of our hands. I was meanwhile clearing the foredeck ready to crane the tender on for the night; I had just sat down and noticed a 100 foot motor yacht within 30 feet of our bow. I yelled out and got the attention of the guests, who promptly found the captain. Within 20 feet now, crikey! The engine started and they took off 2 another anchorage. Flags down now, and dinner in my empty belly. Enjoying a few pages from the latest book, when the wind changed, and we swung very close the boat next to us. Up anchor and 
move out. I dropped the pick, and told to put out 450 feet, we have 500 feet onboard total. 400 foot mark flew past in the dark, I jammed on the brake with 450 on deck. Winch in to 400 feet the captain said, and put the snubber on, ok, no worries! Yer right!! The bitter end (a line from the last link of chain to the anchor locker) has snapped. I was 10 feet short of losing the whole lot over the side, man what is going on here... We tried to fix it, but at 1am it was to late and to dark, sort it out the next day. What a day, really earned my wages with this one! Time for sleep, hoping not to have a repeat tomorrow...
Well, its been an interesting start to the trip on the French Rivera. On the second day after we left Marseille, we motor-sailed to the next anchorage. During the passage the owner’s wife fell over in the Deck salon and hit her face on the 3-seat chair in there. It was all go, the general alarm the works, she was ok, just down and out for a while. We motored into the Anchorage, and the main engine over heated! This in turn caused the prop pitch to stop working the boat to be im-moveable. The 1st mate was in the just launched tender, so I dropped the Pick and we sat ok for now. The owner’s wife went ashore after a hairy step into the tender from the side ladder, she saw the doctor and had X-rays and all was ok. It wasn't over yet, at about 2230, the general alarm went off again. The owner had fallen in the shower and cut his head quite badly, we butterfly stitched it up, and made sure he was all ok. They both look as if they had been in a bare knuckle-fighting match, Crazy! The next day (it was St.Tropez) the owner’s wife needed to be at the Doctor at 1430, and Timoneer needed to be in Nice to pick up the owners guests for the next day. So the 1st Mate and Stewardess took the owner’s wife to the doctor, and would come up to Nice later in a hire car. The rest of us took the yacht up the coast. It was a nice trip, no wind and I had plenty of time to prepare for going alongside the dock there, little did I know, you shouldn’t-look-a-gif
t-horse-in-the-mouth! It was a full-blown commercial dock, with huge rubber fenders that the ferries or cruise liners could push up against. The normal system of docking wouldn’t work, so it was out with the side-boarding ramp (a flat ramp with stanchions on, and wheels which sit on the dock). The problem was that it was buried deep in the bowels of the boat. So, out comes the Spinnaker, Mizzen Staysail, and a few other bits and pieces. On with the ramp as the hire car pulls up with the owner’s wife and crew, sorted... A new day dawns and all going well till 8am. The Mate is off again in the hire car to pick up guests from the airport. The Captain tells me that the dock is to be used by a cruise ship and we have to get out by 10am. Off the dock we go, and stern-to another slip close by. Shift all the fenders and all the dock lines, side ramp away, stern passerail out, anchor standing by. We literally squeezed our self into this berth; we didn't even need to tie up! The guests arrived with the Mate, and we were off again before lunch, this time to Ville Franch. The Mate had to bring the car around, so it was just Engineer and I again. Anchoring was all ok but the wind built, and made the tender launch off the fore deck slightly scar
y! A quick shore pick up of the mate just before 1300. Lunch over now and the Mate and Head Stewardess are taken ashore to get the last guests from the Airport. The Captain decided that with the wind gusting over 25 knots and a lee shore, we should move, so up and off again. We moved 5 miles around to the East into a calmer anchorage, and dropped 2 picks. Just as we had done this and I was squaring up on the bow, when I noticed a 100-foot yacht drifting down on us. They yelled out, “our engine is stuffed and the anchor won’t hold”. The yacht was drifting with 20knots of breeze to power them. Launch the tender and go and help. The Captain came with me, and we rafted our tender off the yacht and tried to regain some control. We narrowly missed a few powerboats in the anchorage, and we drifting towards the larger ones further out. With the power from our tender and the yachts dinghy we were able to drive up through the anchored yachts (Timoneers Captain on the helm, how many yachts does he want to skipper!) Time to try and anchor her again in shallow water. It was useless, small anchors and bad holding! Next thing, the guests have arrived, and need a pick up. I tell the Mate that we are a tad busy with a hectic salvage operation, and need a h
and. The Captain decided that we will just hang them off the stern of Timoneer. The towline was run out and the Mate, who convinced a guy on the dock to give us a hand, raced out in a dinghy and took the line to the bow of the stricken yacht. Many narrow misses and allot of sunburn!So, now there is a 100 footer hanging off the stern! The owner couldn't help with organizing a tow, and after not being able to fix the engine, the Captain and Mate took the yacht up closer and threw 2 anchors over and she held fast, out of our hands. I was meanwhile clearing the foredeck ready to crane the tender on for the night; I had just sat down and noticed a 100 foot motor yacht within 30 feet of our bow. I yelled out and got the attention of the guests, who promptly found the captain. Within 20 feet now, crikey! The engine started and they took off 2 another anchorage. Flags down now, and dinner in my empty belly. Enjoying a few pages from the latest book, when the wind changed, and we swung very close the boat next to us. Up anchor and 
move out. I dropped the pick, and told to put out 450 feet, we have 500 feet onboard total. 400 foot mark flew past in the dark, I jammed on the brake with 450 on deck. Winch in to 400 feet the captain said, and put the snubber on, ok, no worries! Yer right!! The bitter end (a line from the last link of chain to the anchor locker) has snapped. I was 10 feet short of losing the whole lot over the side, man what is going on here... We tried to fix it, but at 1am it was to late and to dark, sort it out the next day. What a day, really earned my wages with this one! Time for sleep, hoping not to have a repeat tomorrow...
posted by Traveling Bev at 12:00 PM
0 comments
