Ever wondered what happens to extremely expensive boats when they run into other boats? Me too. I’ve collected some great collision footage and stuck it right here for you to enjoy. I’ve also included my personal experience in boat disasters.
I’ve seen one or two major collisions in my time. One recently happened near my sloop. I had to pull it out of the way so a trawler would miss it. The thirty-tonne trawler had lost power and silently glided through the water until it hit something. Nothing happened fast. It was as if everything was in slow motion. It may have been going a mere two knots, but I knew it’d take a significant force to stop it. It missed my yacht but not the next one on the marina. The unmistakable pops, cracks, crunches, and pings could be heard as it ploughed into six yachts beyond mine. None of them sank, but bowsprits were ripped off each of those yachts, and rigging came down. It was a mess.
The above video footage will have you reaching for your caulking gun!
Power loss is one thing, but gadgets usually cause many boat collisions on the open water. Automatic steering (also known as autohelm) is a well-known culprit behind the bulk of them. A way-point is plotted into the autohelm’s computer by an overly confident but naive skipper who opens the throttle and walks away from the wheel to socialise with passengers. The boat is then expected to operate autonomously. The decision not to watch ahead of the boat sometimes causes it to track right into a navigational marker at speed. Skipperless boats have even been known to run over anchored boats, piles, divers, sandbars, jetties, tethers, oyster beds, etc.
Other accidents happen during the short game. They occur at low speeds while navigating smaller areas like marinas, anchorages and boat ramps. The trawler that took out the yachts beside mine was inside our port, moving at two knots. Slow boats are caught by current drift or the wind, causing them to bump into other boats, posts, and rocks and run aground. More accidents occur during the short game than at any other time.
My new novel includes a watery disaster or two. It’s sexy, dangerous and realistic. You don’t need to be a sailor to appreciate the story — and it’s not built on disasters anyway. There’s an adventure and blissful sunsets — quite a few dark elements, too. There are plenty of secrets to know about the sea and the people who live in marinas. Nothing is as it seems to those who walk by them and see paradise. There’s more than enough to keep any reader turning the pages to discover what happens next.
You won’t be disappointed!
-Michael Forman (Author of Dark Fiction)
Discover more from Michael Forman – Author of Dark Fiction & Drama
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