Checking backing

Sad to see the result of a reverse thrust failure, but.... the vessel couldn't have been more aptly named.

I thought the oblivious elder lady walking by might end up a figurehead.
 
How do you know he didn't? Failure can happen after coming in the harbor and checking.

A few years ago, I lost an engine control just before docking (glitch on morse electronic control) at Fairhaven. Had worked fine coming the marina and turning the boat around then nothing, except the 200db alarm

I hope we learn what happen. I woudl imagine that a boat that size doesn't have cable controls but either pneumatic or hydraulic.
 
How do you know he didn't? Failure can happen after coming in the harbor and checking.

A few years ago, I lost an engine control just before docking (glitch on morse electronic control) at Fairhaven. Had worked fine coming the marina and turning the boat around then nothing, except the 200db alarm

I hope we learn what happen. I woudl imagine that a boat that size doesn't have cable controls but either pneumatic or hydraulic.
 
quote:
Originally posted by PascalG

How do you know he didn't? Failure can happen after coming in the harbor and checking.

A few years ago, I lost an engine control just before docking (glitch on morse electronic control) at Fairhaven. Had worked fine coming the marina and turning the boat around then nothing, except the 200db alarm

I hope we learn what happen. I woudl imagine that a boat that size doesn't have cable controls but either pneumatic or hydraulic.

Click to expand...


Fair point. I could see that happening. He's coming in fairly hot in the video, so I assumed he was just carrying headway and planning to back hard to check headway and give a little leeway to bring her up alongside - kind of a shallow power slide maneuver. Same thing most of us wouldn't think twice about doing, except for that nagging concern that if you don't have reverse when you go to dump it astern - it ends like in that video.

But that is fair - I failed to consider he may have checked them and it failed afterwards. I'm sure it will come out eventually. PAX onboard and a few injured, so I suspect NTSB will investigate.

EDIT: Just saw this article. Nothing conclusive or reliable - it's a media report, after all - but it makes me wonder if one was stuck ahead.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/04/0...ise-boat-crashes-into-pier.html?intcmp=hplnws

This one says it was stuck in forward. I'm assuming that boat would have two mains - even shutting that one down and backing hard on the other is about all you could do at that point. Wondering if that's what happened. If there was only one main - nothing to do but e-stop it, hit the alarms, and brace. Looking forward to more details coming out.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/mar/31/hornblower-crash-pier-san-diego/
 
Engine controls are most likely air (pneumatic) or possible electric. No one is visible in the pilot house, there appears to be an operator at the starboard wing controls. Did the operator forget to switch the engine control when he moved to the wing? Wouldn't be the first time. At least the operator had the presence of mind to sound the danger signal several times before striking the dock.
 
My wife and I had a good laugh as we were on that very boat at that dock and let me say, that dock area is very substantial! So the she (both the boat and Captain as the Captain is a she) hit very hard to do the damage in the video. That all said, like an airplane, before I depart the dock, I do a control check, steering and shifting however, things can happen enroute. The other day I lost the throttle cable to my airplane despite a very thorough check before departure. Fortunately it was at cruise power! Chit happens man.
 
quote:
Originally posted by L. Keith

Engine controls are most likely air (pneumatic) or possible electric. No one is visible in the pilot house, there appears to be an operator at the starboard wing controls. Did the operator forget to switch the engine control when he moved to the wing? Wouldn't be the first time. At least the operator had the presence of mind to sound the danger signal several times before striking the dock.

Click to expand...


I've lost backing bells with electronic controls. Fortunately I noticed it when I checked backing before I was committed - first on one main, used the other to check my headway, then when I tried to maneuver again with that one, wouldn't go into gear either way. I didn't consider forgetting to shift stations, but I can't imagine that wouldn't be an initial reaction, to make sure that station was active.
 
quote:
Originally posted by GeeBee

My wife and I had a good laugh as we were on that very boat at that dock and let me say, that dock area is very substantial! So the she (both the boat and Captain as the Captain is a she) hit very hard to do the damage in the video. That all said, like an airplane, before I depart the dock, I do a control check, steering and shifting however, things can happen enroute. The other day I lost the throttle cable to my airplane despite a very thorough check before departure. Fortunately it was at cruise power! Chit happens man.

Click to expand...


Chit sure does happen. I made an unfounded assumption the operator hadn't checked backing before committing to the approach, but Pascal made a very good point - what's to say he didn't, and then lost command of his gears afterwards. Losing pneumatics or electronics happens. One of the many reasons I'm not entirely comfortable with electronic controls. They seem to have a fairly good track records, they certainly have a lot of advantages, but I just don't feel 100% comfortable with them - especially having had them fail me before because of a faulty crimp in a connector pack that sent the computers haywire. Lucked out and no damage resulted except to my blood pressure.
 
I like how ole fashioned cables will give you a warning that they're about to go kabom.. But obviously that doesn't work when you get over 60/70'

Pneumatic can fail too, even after being tested. 4 or 5 years ago I got on a 74 footer ( I think) just purchased by a BE member... He spent quite a bit of money fixing things after survey. Great boat, aluminum, built by a commercial yard. First turn outside the marine and I loose one of the pneumatic control... Second turn and oh chit the other side goes limp... Now we re drifting in a narrow channel with a stiff breeze heading straight for a channel marker ...

Luckily the owner and BE member was handy enough to go to the ER and manually zip tie the trannies in fwd to regain control ...

So yeah chit happens even after you check everything
 
Curious NC - when would be appropriate during a transit to check backing? Assuming that at departure from "Point A" a backing bell was utilized at some point, then an ahead bell transit of "X" timeframe, now setting up for approach to "Point B" . . ..
 
The reality is, the check is only a check that it works now. Not saying you should not check as a "here and now check" is better than nothing, but it is like checking the bulb in your fridge. It can fail on the next operation attempt.
 
GeeBee, that would be my feeling as well. I'm just curious if there's a procedural/accepted practice thing in "T" or "K" boats that would, at some point, include test of backing bells.
 
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