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PARI Aground in France

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by K1W1, Jun 2, 2009.

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  1. AffrayedKnot, Jul 5, 2009
    #41
    AffrayedKnot

    AffrayedKnot Senior Member

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    Now you see them - Now you Don't - Now you see them...

    Probably just my browser; technology can be challenging :) - I apologize for my apprehension .
  2. bluevasco, Jul 6, 2009
    #42
    bluevasco

    bluevasco New Member

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    Terrible night

    The area is called Beaulieu sur Mer. I was there that night anchored a few cables off M.Y. Pari. We got the May Day just after 0400 and launched one of our tenders and evacuated the boss and his wife in the height of the storm.

    Its all good and well for people to write about what they would have done in that situation from the comfort of their laptop but I can assure that the night in question was a nightmare.

    The Wx forecast was for 15kts-20kts and it was quite as a mouse up until 03:00 then all hell broke loose. Gusts of 40-50kts funnelled down the mountain and the swell kicked up in a matter of minutes. Every boat in the anchorage dragged ourselves included.

    We picked up our hook and went hove to a mile or so out. Myself and two other crew went to M.Y. Pari assistance in our tender. We managed to disembark the boss and his wife and stood by until the French navy arrived and then we left them to it. Dropped off the shaken boss at the marina.

    I think to criticize the crew of M.Y. Pari is unfair. They did the best they could and this type of incident could happen to any of us (like it or not). In an ideal world everything would always run smoothly but the sea is a very unforgiving master.
  3. K1W1, Jul 7, 2009
    #43
    K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    If the wind came down from the mountain behind Bealieu sur Mer then wouldn't it have blown from the shore to sea not the other way round?

    The fact that you wrote you had to go a mile or so out to hove to lends credibility to the fact that the wind was actually onshore.

    As a previous poster wrote holding here is not good owing to the weed on the bottom, this is especially obvious to small light weight boats with light ground tackle that tend to sail around the anchor a lot thereby reducing the chances of it holding properly in the first place.

    There are many places in the Med where this weed problem makes anchoring a very trying affair at times.
  4. bluevasco, Jul 7, 2009
    #44
    bluevasco

    bluevasco New Member

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    Of course it was an onshore wind. How else would M.Y. Pari have ended up on the rocks? The wind did not come down the mountain from behind Beaulieu sur mer if came along the coast from the East. If you are familiar with the area you will know that the coast from Beaulieu to Monaco is quite steep and the wind gets funnelled down the coast with the fetch culminating in the baie de Beaulieu.
  5. Captcruz, Jul 7, 2009
    #45
    Captcruz

    Captcruz New Member

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    Just curious, was anyone on watch, were two anchors deployed??.

    Thanks
  6. Pascal, Jul 7, 2009
    #46
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    "comfort of a laptop"

    I think many of the regulars here are posting from onboard some vessel...

    "I think to criticize the crew of M.Y. Pari is unfair."

    true if they suffered some kind of mechanical failure like being unable to start their engines. If the boat ended up on the rocks because nobody was on watch, it's a little harder to excuse. Other boats, yours included, did not end up on the rocks, there is a reason for that. Some crews were ready, others were not.
  7. Captcruz, Jul 7, 2009
    #47
    Captcruz

    Captcruz New Member

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    Thank you Pascal. no intent to criticize anyone just a simple question looking for an answer if anyone knows for certain.

    Cheers
  8. bluevasco, Jul 8, 2009
    #48
    bluevasco

    bluevasco New Member

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    No, I don't know if they had anybody on watch or if they suffered any mechanical failures. That is the point; I feel it is unfair to make assumptions on their level of professionalism without knowing the full facts.

    Anyway, I have no wish to argue with anybody on this site. I was just giving some input from someone who was on scene.

    Ironically, we have just dropped our hook in the same spot to-night..... Fingers crossed!!!
  9. K1W1, Jul 8, 2009
    #49
    K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    You wrote in Post No 42 that it funnelled down the mountain.

    I have an idea what Beaulieu is all about as I own a house in Antibes and have spent several seasons in that very bay.
  10. ancora 1, Jul 11, 2009
    #50
    ancora 1

    ancora 1 New Member

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    The problem is that a boat must not be anchored so close to the seaside whatever the weather forecasts or crew skills are. Local people don't stop asserting that this kind of accident had to occur one day or another one "again". Just trust them !
    I remind that roughly one year earlier, a small sail-boat ended up on the rocks too, near Paloma Beach (St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat) half mile away from PARI wreckage place.

    PS: if you wanna spend the night near the beach, just buy a camping-car.
  11. Hartman, Sep 1, 2010
    #51
    Hartman

    Hartman New Member

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    Have we heard anything about the Pari, Refit/Repair/Ect ?
  12. NYCAP123, Oct 22, 2010
    #52
    NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Let us never forget that the only time that matters is this time.
  13. CJB, May 6, 2012
    #53
    CJB

    CJB New Member

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    M/y pari

    What ever happened to M/Y Pari after her tragic grounding?

    Was she saved or lost?
  14. Old Phart, May 6, 2012
    #54
    Old Phart

    Old Phart Senior Member

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    I dunno
  15. RT46, May 6, 2012
    #55
    RT46

    RT46 Senior Member

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    I can put my chart plotter picture on my TV, it is very cool.

    That way when the alarm goes off, or when i wake up for whatever reason, I can just go to ch3 to see where the GPS is reporting my positoin.

    I also take a handheld GPS in my cabin at night when on the hook.

    But, when on the hook, I am constantly up checking positon up on deck as well as relying on the 2 GPSs.

    It is unfortunate that a 39m yacht did not have a proper watch and was unable to avoid this grounding.
  16. Old Phart, May 7, 2012
    #56
    Old Phart

    Old Phart Senior Member

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    I dunno
    It is more unfortunate that another hook was not dropped.
  17. dennismc, May 7, 2012
    #57
    dennismc

    dennismc Senior Member

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    If the Captain had been "familiar with that location then the old adage applies " one of the most dangerous things about navigation is local knowledge"
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