YachtForums.Com - View Single Post - anchor lost

Capt J · 05-11-2008, 07:28 PM

I am a Captain. In my point of view, if the engineer saw an issue with how the chain is secured. I think the engineer should have modified the devil's claw or replaced it with a better way to secure the anchor or remedied the situation. An engineer is there to engineer things as well as fix what has broken IMO. Theoretically if a vessel has an engineer, it shouldn't be the Captain's duty to secure an anchor. Just as it is not the Captain's duty to wash the boat down if you have a deckhand or mate. If the Captain wishes to in order to speed things up that is his perogative, but not his duty.

However, I as Captain would have looked at it and secured it before doing a crossing as well as looking at everything else, bilges, engine room etc. . I also would have added an additional way to secure it as well. Because this could've been disasterous if it had entangled in the propellor(s) in rough seas. However, the mate should have checked it as well. It is the mate's responsibility to clear the deck after leaving the dock as well as making sure everything on the exterior has been secured properly for a crossing.

As for who is responsible to replace it. That would be the owner. Accidents happen, things break, and well as good of a job of prevention a crew can do. Things can and will happen. The crew should never come out of pocket to fix something or replace something. A captain's job is to maintain the safety of the crew, owners/guests, and vessel. A Captain also has a lot of other work that crew usually do not see that ties up a lot of time. Logistics, phone calls between owners, repair facilities, marina's, checking weather, plotting courses, budgeting, captaining the vessel, as well as babysitting employees and overseeing all aspects of the vessel. I am basically saying that as a Captain, somewhere (depending on your crew size) you have to draw the line on what you do and don't do.

I also agree with Marmouth, and the chain of command is not there. It also does not seem like it is clear on the vessel, exactly where each person's duty lies. The statement "chill out" it's just this type of vessel irks me. This situation would or could have been disasterous had you had been in those type of seas and the chain wrapped around the propellor leaving the vessel dead in the water. Which then could have caused the vessel to broach and sink leaving crew swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. Or, possibly put someone's life in danger if they were able to swim down and free the propellor. All it takes is one little issue, that was mishandled to cause an entire vessel to sink. There is no room for error on any vessel and any sea state because you never know what may happen next.

05-11-2008, 07:28 PM	#29
Capt J Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Belize Posts: 109	I am a Captain. In my point of view, if the engineer saw an issue with how the chain is secured. I think the engineer should have modified the devil's claw or replaced it with a better way to secure the anchor or remedied the situation. An engineer is there to engineer things as well as fix what has broken IMO. Theoretically if a vessel has an engineer, it shouldn't be the Captain's duty to secure an anchor. Just as it is not the Captain's duty to wash the boat down if you have a deckhand or mate. If the Captain wishes to in order to speed things up that is his perogative, but not his duty. However, I as Captain would have looked at it and secured it before doing a crossing as well as looking at everything else, bilges, engine room etc. . I also would have added an additional way to secure it as well. Because this could've been disasterous if it had entangled in the propellor(s) in rough seas. However, the mate should have checked it as well. It is the mate's responsibility to clear the deck after leaving the dock as well as making sure everything on the exterior has been secured properly for a crossing. As for who is responsible to replace it. That would be the owner. Accidents happen, things break, and well as good of a job of prevention a crew can do. Things can and will happen. The crew should never come out of pocket to fix something or replace something. A captain's job is to maintain the safety of the crew, owners/guests, and vessel. A Captain also has a lot of other work that crew usually do not see that ties up a lot of time. Logistics, phone calls between owners, repair facilities, marina's, checking weather, plotting courses, budgeting, captaining the vessel, as well as babysitting employees and overseeing all aspects of the vessel. I am basically saying that as a Captain, somewhere (depending on your crew size) you have to draw the line on what you do and don't do. I also agree with Marmouth, and the chain of command is not there. It also does not seem like it is clear on the vessel, exactly where each person's duty lies. The statement "chill out" it's just this type of vessel irks me. This situation would or could have been disasterous had you had been in those type of seas and the chain wrapped around the propellor leaving the vessel dead in the water. Which then could have caused the vessel to broach and sink leaving crew swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. Or, possibly put someone's life in danger if they were able to swim down and free the propellor. All it takes is one little issue, that was mishandled to cause an entire vessel to sink. There is no room for error on any vessel and any sea state because you never know what may happen next.