Foiling Moth sailor rescued

Ok ... here are some tips for staying safe solo sailing ...

1) Tell someone what you are up to and what time you will be back and that you will confirm your safe return at this time; and tell them if they don't hear from you to raise the alarm
2) Carry some form of communication VHF or mobile
3) Flares (but I don't like this option)
4) Check your kit and carry a few spare bits of rope and a knife
5) Check the forecast and tide
6) Be realistic about the risks, your ability and the what ifs

1) is the most important and no-one regardless of ability should be beyond this.

These days you can get an app for your GPS enabled smartphone that will update your current position to a website every 2 minutes ... this means the person you notified in point 1) can just look on-line for your location. These apps are excellent saftey options for any solo outdoor sport and the cost is almost zero.

Don't be the next Darwin award case ... use yer noggin ... it's not uncool to be safe ... it is uncool to be dead.

Originally posted by aardvark_issues Or it proves that this sort of thing can happen to anyone and don't take anything for granted.

This sounds like a fairly major failure and moth or any other boat, they are all friggin useless if something major like a mast goes and you are sitting in 4 knots of sluicing tide. He is a very good sailor and so he wasn't out in something he wasn't capable of sailing or didn't know how to control, which is a cause of many of these types of incidents. 

Originally posted by aardvark_issues Thankfully not one of mine. My heart skipped a few when I saw the story and went to check. I'm not naming and shaming as it could have been any component on anyone's boat. Originally posted by rogue Originally posted by aardvark_issues Or it proves that this sort of thing can happen to anyone and don't take anything for granted. out of interest- which manufacturer made the mast that fell down on that boat in the first place?

Originally posted by aardvark_issues Thankfully not one of mine. My heart skipped a few when I saw the story and went to check. I'm not naming and shaming as it could have been any component on anyone's boat.

+1.
And the fault could have been any component maybe the mast tube itself, maybe a wire, maybe the sticky tape protecting the split ring.
It could be that part was not as good as it could have been or maybe age and damage took its toll.

To be honest, I have no criticism of the sailor, he could fairly say my bike is more dangerous.
You are rarely alone in the Solent, even this time of year, close to Lymington platform there is a car ferry every 15 minutes and a lot of sailing school traffic.
I will charitably assume the yacht(s) that saw him called the lifeboat who could reach him quicker as it's only 3M away and does 40knots.

Personally I tend to carry a marine VHF and/or a phone in an aquapac when sailing with iffy/no safety boat cover. Oh, and top tip is have some good numbers in the phone memory: Club, Harbourmaster, mates with RIBs, Solent CG...

By the way, the RNLI, like all rescue boat operators, do sometimes seem to present incidents in the way which makes them look indispensable, it helps with the donations. It's sensible for us not to fight that though, as we value their presence.