Lessons learned: the Elfida incident

Steve Leniston, Skills Director, writes…

Following on from Ron’s safety-focused update, Lessons from the sea: Elfida’s close call and the Swiss Cheese Effect, I wanted to share a few of my own thoughts, as Head of Training, about what we can all learn from the event. First thing to say is that I was on the crew!

Situational awareness is key

We were a very experienced crew, but still fell into the “Swiss cheese” trap that Ron referred to. Very few incidents or accidents have one simple cause: they are nearly always due to a combination of factors and events; stopping any one of which would prevent the accident. This could happen to anyone!

We are usually pretty good at advising the helm of a potential collision risk from a converging vessel. This applies equally to static hazards such as buoys, particularly when sailing in a strong tide. In our case, a very strong west-going flood tide off Cowes made this particularly relevant. We shouldn’t let on-board tasks distract from the need for a constant look out. We had just finished shaking out a reef.

Communication and preparedness matter

Don’t assume that because you’ve spotted a hazard, the helm has too. Communication is crucial. And if you’re skippering a yacht that you haven’t been on for a while, take time to reacquaint yourself with the handling characteristics of that particular yacht. Our yachts are all quite different, not just in handling but engine starting too. It’s important to know how to start the engine quickly should a situation develop requiring rapid manoeuvring.

Report incidents – it helps everyone

If you are involved in an incident on a Tops’l yacht, there is inevitably a sense of embarrassment about telling anyone about it. Don’t worry, if it’s happened to you, it’s probably happened to them!

Reporting is essential – not just for transparency, but for safety. It is really important to, firstly, advise the board and the bosun of the incident. It may be that there is no apparent or visible damage, particularly in the case of a grounding. There may be significant damage to the integrity of the hull, which may lead to a more serious incident for a subsequent crew, or even catastrophic failure.

Use the onboard incident reporting forms and follow the included guidance. Nobody will sit in judgement of you unless there has been a clear case of negligence: that is far more likely to happen if you have done something and haven’t told anyone!

If you’ve experienced an incident onboard, however minor, please report it – your insight helps keep everyone safe.