Engine overheat on a lee shore
You are skipper of a 9 m sailing yacht with three crew: one experienced, one novice, one seasick. The wind is SW 22 kn gusting 30, sea 1.5 m. You are 1.2 nm off a rocky lee shore. You have been motor-sailing at 5.5 kn with main and genoa up. The engine temperature alarm sounds and the engine smells hot. You have 30 m of chain and a 15 kg anchor. Charted depth is 6 m; freeboard is 1 m. The nearest safe harbour is 5 nm away, dead to windward. VHF and mobile phone work. The liferaft is stowed below. The crew have lifejackets but only the experienced one has worn one regularly. You have a paper chart and a GPS.
1. State your immediate actions in the first two minutes and the priority order.
Read the worked answer
Priority is to keep the yacht under control and away from the shore, then deal with the engine. Take the helm or put the experienced crew on it. Tell everyone to put lifejackets on. Reduce the engine to idle or neutral, but do not stop it immediately if you still need steerage and can monitor temperature. Check for obvious causes: coolant loss, blocked intake, impeller, steam, belt.
Prepare the sails to sail off the shore, brief the novice on a simple task, and keep the seasick crew safe and out of the way. Note the drift and distance to the shore, and make a Pan Pan if you cannot clearly keep clear. Do not go below for a long engine diagnosis while the shore is close.
2. Calculate the anchor scope for 6 m depth with 1 m freeboard at 5:1 and 7:1. Can you achieve it with 30 m of chain? Is anchoring a good option here?
Read the worked answer
Total depth from the bow roller to the seabed is about 6 + 1 = 7 m. At 5:1 you need 35 m; at 7:1 you need 49 m. With 30 m of chain the scope is only 30/7 ≈ 4.3:1.
That is less than the normal minimum in strong wind and swell. In SW 22 gusting 30 with 1.5 m sea, the anchor is likely to drag. Anchoring is therefore a last resort, not a plan. If you do anchor, add rope to increase scope, motor slowly astern to set it, keep the engine ready, and be prepared to weigh and sail. Sailing clear is preferable if the crew can handle it.
3. What radio call would you make now, and what would you include? What would change it to Mayday?
Read the worked answer
Make a Pan Pan urgency call if there is no immediate danger to life but you need assistance or standby: engine overheating, 1.2 nm off a lee shore, 5 nm from safe harbour, three persons on board, draft, position, intentions and assistance required. Say what you are doing, e.g. attempting to sail clear or prepare to anchor.
Upgrade to Mayday if the yacht is being set onto the rocks, the engine fails completely and you cannot sail clear, or there is immediate danger to life. A Mayday must include position, nature of distress, assistance required, persons on board, draft and any other relevant information.