I just saw on facebook that one of the large MarineMax powercats is hard up on Mosquito Rock... Visar on the scene.

Wow ... and on a beautiful clear day with channel markers in clear sight. Wonder if they had engine problems or perhaps a serious illness prevented the captain from steering clear?

If VISAR is on the scene (versus anyone else), it is likely that someone was hurt or otherwise incapacitated. Not good at all. I hope that everyone is OK.

Autopilot???
You see strange things in the BVI. I once had to change course sailing to pass behind a catamaran under power and avoid a collision. I passed just behind them to realize everyone was having lunch in the cockpit and no one was at the helm. One of them yelled we were to close!!
G

Where is Mosquito Rock? Is it rock at outer edge of the channel leading into the North Sound?

We passed this AM. Boat appeared to be under power when it went aground based on position on the rock. It did not appear that the boat just drifted on to the rock as would be the case with loss of propulsion.

[img]https://app.box.com/s/hfi90nrem3wv96gwv6z1asjkp467g4on[/img]

Yes, it is the rock formation before the chanel right in front of Sir Richard's family compound.

It's the NW corner of Calhoun reef.

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" /> Wow!

I really hope we find out what happened.

My Grandfather taught me boating at a very young age in a rock strewn environment with these words of wisdom.
"I don't know where every rock is but I will show you where they are not"

You are right there ... there was certainly no loss of propulsion to be that far up on the rock. A stop that abrupt would very likely cause some injuries aboard. I hope all are well.

It appears he is on the wrong side (starboard side) of the rock heading into the North Sound [color:"red"]if[/color] that is Leverick Bay on the far left of the rock in the background. If that is the case, then autopilot could very well have been involved.

If it wasn't autopilot, it really makes you wonder what on Earth could have happened. Sudden heart attack, a very sudden steering malfunction ... was the captain looking in some other direction and just not paying attention?

What a shame. I feel for the owner. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the photo.

Hey Nick..any ideas what happened?

Any chance this was someone coming in after dark??

Must have been going fast as the boat was almost high and dry. Lots of rumours going around. If I hear anything I believe, will let you all know

It was a beautiful afternoon, the autopilot was on, she looked great, he looked great, they were alone at the upper helm station, their eyes locked and one thing lead to another. The climax I hear was a truly spectacular event!
G

I suspect ISIS.

I still haven't heard what happened, but I was driving through Nanny Cay today and caught a quick glimpse of a what I am pretty sure is a MarineMax 382 powercat in the yard not far from the travel lift.

It has extensive damage to the port pontoon. It is basically ripped clean off from the bow (along the waterline) and extends aft approximately 1/3 the length of the hull ... maybe 10' to 12'. It was hard to tell from the road as I was driving by.

Part of the the white plastic plumbing was hanging out through the bottom of the yacht, which I assume was for the port side toilet.

I really didn't see much else as I didn't have time to stop and take a good look. From my vantage point, the starboard hull looked OK.

There was another go fast boat sitting beside it with similar (but not as quite as extensive) damage to it as well.

Sad.

Heap big screw up....!!

The boat on the rocks appears to be a 484 so that must be another accident. On my last two trips down I have witnessed several examples of power cats behaving poorly. I think that advent of power cats has led to even less qualified people chartering. I keep waiting for the "so easy even a caveman can do it ads". Perhaps all the charter companies need to rethink the minimum qualifications. The big losers are the owners as their boats just took a huge hit in resale value. I cring at how often I see boats out on charter where the skipper has never anchored anything larger then a ski boat.
G

I could be wrong about the model George, as I noted, it was a "glimpse" as I was driving by. I really [color:"red"]HOPE[/color] there aren't two of them!

George, we saw the same thing. Almost like, "I don't know how to sail, but all you need to know on a power cat is how to turn it on." In our three months on island last winter, we saw lots of power cats whose captains had no idea how to moor, anchor or even navigate a mooring field. IMHO, they are an unfortunate development.

To be sure, not a fair indictment of all at the helm of a powercat, but probably generally not too far off base.

Last Tuesday I watched the scrub island ferry pull a large Sunsail cat off the rocks where it had grounded itself just north of scrub.

On Saturday I watched a boat pull into the the mooring field at GH Peter about 8:30 in the pitch dark and spend about the next hour trying to get moored. Took a look in the morning and it was another Sunsail cat.

Plenty of stupid people to go around.

I'm amazed at how irresponsible some people can be with someone elses VERY expensive property. I'm also still amazed at some of the boats we've been able to charter, but we've also brought them back in better condition then some paid captains have..

I don't think the charterers are irresponsible. Most are doing the best they can with their limited knowledge and ability. If you want to place blame look to the charter companies that have almost no standards for competence. When you rent a 40' or larger powercat to someone who regularly boats a 24' bowrider you know there is a good chance the boat will sustain damage.

Sorry, but I think there's a lot of irresponsibility. Our first charter, we took out a 47' Cat. Largest boat I had handled prior was 27' (both motor and sail). A friend was signed on as co-captain which is what allowed us to get the 47' (otherwise I was only qualified for the 43') but I did all the skippering. I knew my limits and stayed within them. We bailed on trying to go to White Bay our first day. We bailed on trying to dock at Soper's our 2nd. I think too many try to do things that are beyond their comfort level and that is when you get in to trouble. I knew my limits and stayed within them. Charter companies could probably do better in making sure charterers are qualified, but charterers also need to know their limits and be responsible as well.

And no matter how small a boat someone might have skippered previously or how limited their ability there's no excuse for hitting a rock as visible as mosquito rock.

I disagree. There is no excuse for hitting a submerged rock (or reef or sandbar), let alone a "rock as visible as mosquito rock." Only bad seamanship.

"$h!t happens" is not an excuse.

Glad to see the conversation is turning towards ALL sailors in general and not just power cat sailors. Plenty of sail boaters are chartering the power cats for the added comfort, convenience and space. Qualifications are the same at most of the companies I've looked at. I've been on bigger boats but this will be my first and largest (43 pc) on my own. I know I will be damn careful and do not plan on putting a scratch on this boat. Some people take care of things no matter what they are and some don't. What was the issue with going to White Bay? Entering and exiting? Too crowded for comfort? Swells? I'm curious since I really want to include it on my itinerary.

Um, I think that's a little harsh. I do wish "some" companies would be more careful about vetting clients, but the companies I represent do a pretty good job of it. The odd one slips through the cracks from time to time, but it sure doesn't happen that often and when it does, it almost always turns out that the person stretched the truth (more than just a little bit) on their sailing resume.

Having said that, there are plenty of irresponsible charterers out there. Many of them will shop around until they are able to find someone who will charter them a yacht without a captain. I can't tell you how many charters I have turned away of the years due to insufficient experience. I like to be able to sleep at night.

I could tell you stories that would raise the hair on the back of your neck about charterers who believe there is very little to boating and that they will be just fine.

Just last Monday I had a guy who wanted to charter a Helia 44' cat. I asked if he had cat sailing experience. In a very condescending tone, he said (and I quote) ... "Honey, I have been sailing all my life, and probably longer than you've been alive. I am also the vice-commodore of our yacht club"

My reply was, "If you've been sailing longer than I've been alive, you should have more than enough experience!" (I'll be 62 in September)

I told him I would put the yacht on hold for him and send his paperwork within the hour. When he sent the completed paperwork back, on Thursday, it turned out that he was 36 years old and the largest sailboat he had ever sailed was a 26' monohull day-tripper (no auxiliary engine) but most of the time, he sailed a 16' Hobie Cat on Lake Michigan.

The point is that some people really do not know their own limitations and feel entitled to do as they please with someone else's very expensive property.

I didn't even bother sending the paperwork to the charter company. There was no point wasting their time as well as mine.

He was quite annoyed when I told him he would have to hire a captain for the duration of his charter. When I suggested that perhaps he could make it a fun family thing if he hired an instructor and everyone could learn to sail a larger yacht together (instead of just hiring a regular captain) ... he hung up on me.

I assure you I was in no way rude or condescending to him. I went out of my way to explain insurance requirements, safety standards, etc. He was having none of it.

This sort of thing happens far more frequently than you might think. I probably get three or four inquiries a week from people with similar requests and similar sailing experience who truly believe they have sufficient experience to charter something that is far beyond their capabilities.

But in the case of the MarineMax powercat, I'll wait to hear what actually happened. I am reluctant to condemn either the company or the skipper. A heart attack, seizure or other sudden onset illness are still within the realm of possibility until we hear otherwise.

It was crowded at the time we went, requiring us to anchor and being my first day handling a boat the size of my house, it was out of my comfort zone.

I'm still not a big fan of it when crowded as it is tight and shallow in spots.

I think to know your skills and limits is very important. And of course to navigate on paper Charts. No excuse for sitting on a rock or reef.
Next year will be our fifth trip to the BVI. 3dt time on a Lagoon 400, which make it easier to handle because we know the boat a Little more from trip to trip
Regards
Lars

Looked at the power cat on the hard at Nanny Cay today..lot and lots of damage to one hull..this was not a simple "bump" but a full speed run onto rocks..

A few years ago one morning we were going up the drake and a boat in the same charter Co where ours was located was being towed. Still had t shirts and swim suits flapping on the back deck. A few days later when turning in our boat we got the story. It seems someone recognizing the boat on the Colloquin reef up by Mosquito rock recognized the boat and called the Charter Co. They had ran aground the night before and simply enjoyed the night on the reef and never turned in the problem until the chase boat arrived, soon after Husky. When back at the base the skipper's first question was.."how long until another boat is ready? ". The base manager replied. "Your charter is over!"
Another time waiting at EIS to come home I overheard a member of a group, proudly and laughingly say "we tore the sh** out of that boat". The others seemed to share the humor. Unfortunately there is a reason for the saying "treated it like a rented mule". Certainly not most chartering are reckless, but ever look at all the dings dents and scratches on a late model rental vehicle in the BVI? Not as well cared for as a private vehicle by a long shot. Same with charter boats. I believe George gave someone some good advice to not fall in love with a charter boat as a possession, see it as a way to charter more frequently. The abuse will break your heart..roller bags across the teak and Holly floors is just the start. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

What I heard today about this incident was not good. It may not have been a charterer, experienced or experienced after all, but rather something inside and local..... let's see if the news eventually comes out.......

Let's hope so. Based on my observations the day and night before I have suspicions. Would really like to know the real deal though.

As we were pulling into the channel out of NS 2 identical PC's went blowing by us at much closer range than necessary. As we get further into the channel my wife sees the grounded boat and says geez, I hope those folks aren't trying to snorkel THERE. When we turned the corner it was apparent they were not snorkeling.

Still waiting to hear more!

We watched a 474PC crash into the dock at Leverick. Hard enough to rip one of the dock stations off.

And they just laughed about it.

I think the sailing industry is not keeping up with necessary technology. If a tesla can drive itself why not a power cat. If auto driving cars are supposed to cut down on accidents why not rental boats? I sail because I like to sail, trim sails, ect. If you drive a power cat you just want to get 'there'. If any of you entrepreneurs want to get this going just PM me. NOT. But think of the idea. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

They can! It all comes down to costs and complexity. A Tesla is on the order of 4 times the cost of other 4 seat cars. Add the marine environment and the cost would be extraordinary. Planes fly themselves, Cars operate themselves... that still requires human eyes, minds, and skills to oversee that auto operate mode.

Poor docking skills are not limited to PCs.

Last September, I watched a newer looking Sunsail 38 mono crash into the fuel dock at Leverick. The helmsman was at full throttle until a boat length from the dock and then went to neutral. They were surprised that the dock hands did not stop the boat for them. Never went to reverse and almost crashed into the stern of a beautiful wooden sailing vessel on the dock.

Huge scratch thru the gelcoat about 6 feet long. Gave it a quick rub with a towel and went on their way!

Back on topic - any updates on what happened with the 484? Operator error, medical issue, mechanical problem?