SAFETY ALERT: A SAILBOAT HITS A REEF IN FIJI: LESSONS LEARNED
SAFETY ALERT: A SAILBOAT HITS A REEF IN FIJI
*LESSONS LEARNED*
Some people say that sailing in Fiji is so difficult that the longer one sails there hitting a reef at some point is unavoidable. And then, some people say that with careful planning, constant vigilance, sticking to vetted tracks on Open CPN, and a conservative eye on the weather, one can safely navigate in Fiji. AND, Anywhere on this continuum accidents can and do happen.
Last week a singlehanded sailor hit a reef in Fiji. Below we will be careful to only look at the facts for lessons to be learned and avoid armchair judgements. As mariners we want to know what went wrong and what lessons can be learned so that we can all be safer in the future.
Here is what we know happened:
- A single-handed sailor planned to sail from a marina in Fiji to an atoll. This requires entering the atoll through a clear passage in the reef. There is current to contend with and timing through the pass is very important.
- The route was pre-planned, and the timing was taken into consideration.
- Open CPN was up to date with a vetted track loaded to follow.
- A GPS dongle is used as a locating device for Open CPN on the computer.
- Navionics onboard as well.
- The morning of departure was cloudy and rainy so the computer with Open CPN had to be kept down below.
- A few miles out of the marina, the GPS was not tracking & Open CPN showed the boat still in the slip in the marina
- Sailor decides to use and follow waypoints on Navionics and continue as planned.
(NOTE: the waypoints used are unknown)
- When the sailor approached the reef, the weather was bad and there were whitecaps everywhere.
- The sailor could not see the reef in the whitecaps under the cloudy sky.
- The boat hit the reef outside entrance channel and off planned course to entrance.
Tracks showing routes entering pass and boat (red) off course pinned on a reef
Thankfully, with local help, the boat was freed of the reef, the boat is still afloat, and the captain is safe.
Take Aways from SV MONSOON:
- The boat is an old, stout, and thick fiberglass vessel: The Thickness of the hull was probably a saving grace.
- If the day dawns cloudy or stormy, consider waiting for better weather.
- Travelling through passages in reefs are best done under clear sunny skies mid-day for best visibility.
- Open CPN with up to date satellite charts and previously use tracks by similar boats are the best navigational aides in FIJI.
- If the GPS is not tracking, trouble shoot before continuing.
- No matter how many miles one has sailed, there is no room for complacency in Fiji.
Additional take away from SV AVANT
- Patience is often a mariners second best friend (with luck always being the first and best).
WHAT IS ZULIP AND HOW THE POSSE USES IT
WHAT IS ZULIP & HOW THE POSSE USES IT
What is Zulip?
Zulip is a communication platform that the Posse began using in Season 7. This post is a refresher on what Zulip is and how to use it.
Zulip is an open-source group chat app that organizes conversations by topic. This structure makes it easy to follow discussions and read one conversation at a time without the chaos of traditional chat tools. It allows multiple conversations to happen simultaneously in an organized way and spreads them over time.
How to Log In
If you're an Ocean Posse member and need a Zulip account, email chat@oceanposse.com to request an invitation. Once you have your login:
- On a web browser, go to https://chat.oceanposse.com and log in.
- Download the desktop application for your PC.
- On mobile (Apple/Android), download the Zulip app from your app store, register chat.oceanposse.com as your server, and log in with your username and password.
Main Concepts: Topics and Streams
Zulip organizes conversations with topics, like lightweight email subjects. All messages with the same topic are shown as conversation threads, making it easy to follow one conversation at a time. Topics allow for multiple conversations to happen simultaneously without interruptions, and everyone can respond at their own pace.
Streams are groupings of topics that define who sees a message. You need to subscribe to a stream to see its conversations by clicking the plus sign at the bottom of the stream list and selecting the ones that interest you. Our streams are divided into:
- Location-based: For countries and regions, such as Mexico-Pacific, Columbia, Panama, Jamaica, etc.
- Subject-based: For example, Weather, Boats with Kids, Awards, etc.
- General-purpose: VHF16 for important, time-sensitive updates, and VHF68 for general conversation and non-critical information sharing.
Navigating Conversations
To find posts of interest, you can:
- Click on 'Recent Conversations' in the left navigation panel to see all topics across your subscribed streams.
- Click on a stream name to see all conversations in that stream or select individual topics.
- Use the search icon to find specific posts, filtering by stream and topic name if needed.
How to Post
To write a post:
- Choose the stream your message should go to (e.g., a geographical region like Columbia or a subject-specific stream like Weather). If unsure, use the VHF68 stream.
- Pick an existing topic name or type in a new one. You can post a message without a topic.
- Type your message and press 'Send'.
Don't worry about mistakes; messages can be moved between topics and streams if needed.
More info
- Please at least read this documentation page from Zulip: Getting started with Zulip | Zulip help enter
- Last season we recorded an overview of how to use Zulip: PANAMA POSSE - the inner workings of ZULIP
- Zulip for communities
THANK YOU MACIEK FOR DETAILING ZULIP SO MORE MEMBERS CAN USE IT WELL!
SY QUE VENDRA 🇺🇸 Olena & Maciek – Outbound 46’
BOCAS DEL TORO BEACH CLEAN UP
BOCAS DEL TORO BEACH CLEAN UP
Report from Maison de Sante:
We had a nice group of Posse boats and local residents here in Bocas Del Toro, Panama who came out this morning for clean up on Red Frog beach. Many pounds of plastic garbage was collected 😊. The strangest items collected included a bicycle mud flap, a scuba purge valve, and a diaper🤢. Some people had to leave early so not everyone is pictured. Stay tuned for a future date where we can ALL participate in beach clean up wherever you are located!
SY BISOU 🇦🇺 Robin and Tad - Fountaine Pajot 44′ & SY MAISON DE SANTÉ 🇺🇸 Nicole & Keenan - Cal 46'
THANK YOU FOR BEING STEWARDS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT!
POSSE PERK: UP TO DATE AND VERIFIED INFORMATION BY FELLOW YACHTS
POSSE PERK: UP TO DATE &
VERIFIED INFORMATION BY FELLOW YACHTS
Ocean Posse members share a chat group where members ask questions, share informations, and pictures. Members appreciate the 'Up to Date & Verified Information' shared in the group chats.
Recently, Lyle on MV ALGONQUIN asked:
Hello. For those in the know could we get some information on how far out we should be contacting the agent to schedule our canal transit? Rough plan at this point is late December early January transit west to east.
Currently boat less in Canada Vancouver Island preparing the house for rental and disposing excess land assets in preparation for full time live aboard. Returning to the boat in PE mid September.
SV MAISON DE SANTE answered from their experience going through the Panama Canal last season:
I don’t think any time is too early to connect to an agent because you can reach out and get the list of info they will need like photos and measurements for the boat and just be that much more prepared. South to North didn’t start getting busy until mid January last season so picking a transit date would probably be important to do by November. They don’t like changing dates so try to firm it up when you’re closer and pretty certain on a date.
I’ll reach out to Erick Galvez.
.....After Reaching out to Ocean Posse Canal Agent Erick Galvez.....
🇵🇦PANAMÁ CANAL🇵🇦
You must be near the Panamá Canal with a verified arrival either with AIS validation or a photo of your vessel anchored near the canal or at a nearby marina. If anchored, they will visually look for your vessel.
Last season, you were allowed to request a transit date prior to arriving in Panamá and it created too many issues, according to Erick Galvez.
You are allowed to leave once you have your date confirmed. The furthest out you can request your transit date is 2 months.
The average wait time for the earliest transit date is as follows, according to Erick.
December and prior: 3-4 days
January: 5-10 days
February: 10-20 days
March: 20-30 days
THANK YOU FOR ASKING QUESTIONS,
SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCE AND USEFUL INFORMATION
GET ADDED TO THE LINE GROUP CHAT
To get added to the latest Ocean Posse line group follow these steps
1) you will need a mobile phone with a real sim card ( once ) to install it - do not try it without a real SIM it will not work.
2) verify your account with Google / Face book or Apple ID
3) once you have it installed follow these steps
ACTION ITEM Install the LINE app for your mobile device or PC or MAC and get it from https://line.me/D
ACTION ITEM Use your VESSEL name as your username followed by your first name(s).
VESSEL NAME - FirstName
LINE SETUP INSTRUCTIONS
Here is how you can share your QR code with registration to be added to the group
LAUNCH LINE ON YOUR MOBILE PHONE
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2)
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SEND YOUR CODE VIA EMAIL TO REGISTRATION@OCEANPOSSE.COM
PP ZULIP
AHOY !
... join the Ocean Posse to gain access to THIS AND OTHER information >>
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The Ocean Posse offers many saving benefits in addition to validate information by fellow yacht owners >>
BENEFITS OF of joining the Ocean Posse
SAVE TIME - SAVE MONEY - and get the best and most up to date INFORMATION !
| BENEFITS FOR YOU, YOUR YACHT & YOUR CREW |
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| PRE SEASON | IN SEASON | |
| ✔️ Up to date and verified information by fellow yachts | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| 📊 Communications focused on facts, not opinions or unsolicited advice | ✔️ | |
| 💰 Save real money at 70+ Marinas with discounts * | ✔️ ( June ) | ✔️ |
| 🛰️ Free vessel and fleet tracking courtesy of Predict Wind | ✔️ | |
| 🚩 Free Burgee | ✔️ | |
| 💰 Save with service providers and chandleries | ✔️ ( June ish ) | ✔️ |
| 🕵️ dedicated, experienced and discounted Canal and clearing in agents | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| 🗺️ Free aid to navigation 150 Gb OpenCPN satellite charts (mac/pc/android) | ✔️ immediately | ✔️ |
| 💰 Save Money on parts with a Westmarine Pro Discount | ✔️ | |
| 💰 Save Money with a Predict Wind Pro Discount | ✔️ | |
| 🗺️ Free Printable Reference Charts emergency backup to your electronics | ✔️ immediately | ✔️ |
| 📹 Free Video Seminars on destinations from those who are there | ✔️ immediately | ✔️ |
| 🌩️ Top weather routing avail by Marine Weather Center Chris Parker | ✔️ | |
| ⛵ Community of voyagers all are welcome, kids, single-handers, pets | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| ⚓ Peer support in emergencies with escalation procedures | ✔️ | |
| 🛈 Fleet Updates via email – free | ✔️ Prior Fleet immediately | ✔️ |
| 🏆 Fun Award Categories | ✔️ | |
| 📍 Free access to GOOD NAUTICAL Anchorage reports | ✔immediately | ✔️ |
| ☎️ Free Weekly live calls on Mondays via dedicated LINE.me group | ✔️ | |
| 💬 Free 24/7 LINE group channel | ✔️end of June | ✔️ |
| 🌊 Benefit from the latest information and prior experience participants | ✔️ | |
| 🔭 Be part of a fleet of sensor for those who come behind you or meet | ✔️ | |
| 🚷 Always priority traffic – for participants by participants | ✔️ |
- (* as long as you do not have prior contracts or reservations in place and of course subject to a marina’s availability the longer you stay the more discount the marina may give you )
