Controller rescued at sea
 

Swanwick controller (and regular PPRuNer) Alan Moss was among the crew of 16 sailors rescued after their yacht was holed by a submerged rock near a small Indonesian island about 200 miles north-east of Java in the early hours of Thursday local time.

The 68ft Cork Clipper was competing in the 10 month/35,000 miles Clipper Round the World Race. It ran into trouble in high winds and rough seas while racing from Australia to Singapore.
The crew were forced to abandon their yacht on life rafts and were later rescued by two other competing yachts.
The Cork Clipper was in fourth place at the time. Disappointing, but all crew safely rescued which is the most important.

BBC News - Global race yacht runs aground in Java sea

Alan took a career break from NATS and self-funded the trip to fulfil a lifetime dream. He used the voyage to raise funds for Flying Scholarships for the Disabled, with which he has been involved since 1995, aiming to raise enough money to fund a complete flying scholarship.

Glad my old buddy is safe and hope he grabbed his cameras on his way out!!

I'm glad everyone was rescued safely, must've been quite scary.



What's a career break?

Seems like you can relax HD, taken from the race website

"The Cork crew's passports are already safely on board Team Finland and other valuables were collected when the boat was assessed earlier today."

:ok:

I did tell Mossy to stay away from the dangerous bits off Africa, seems he stayed away from the hard place and got too close to the rock!
Glad to hear he (and they) are all OK though.

Wonder if Mossy was at the helm at the time? :}

His official boat 'position' is (or was) bowman. Obviously wasn't looking out well enough!

Strewth - very glad to hear he's safe!

Probably no lookout posted due to staff shortages :E

Has he posted a Maritime Occurence Report (MOR):confused:

Glad to hear he's safe.

SGC

I'm told he was asleep. (Probably the Long Sleep......)
I dunno if that was in his bunk or on the helm.......

Maybe bandboxed on deck......... :eek:

Sailor forced to flee yacht after it crashes into reef - Portsmouth Today

My dear chums
 

NO! I wasn't driving at the time... Or navigating, before you ask!!! :ugh:

I had been of watch approaching the end of my 4 hours off. It had been a squally night in the tropics, when I left the helm some 3 hours before, and we were 30 miles from the waypoint. The wind had gusted 58 kts+ and there was no ambient light and heavy rain. Driving a 30 tonne yacht at 15 knots in these conditions, with heavy seas is the closest I will ever get to flying IFR !!:ok:

Yes, Bren, I have hundreds of pictures but unable to publish them yet.

As the boat was on the Jersey register it will be subject to an enquiry from the MCA and the underwriters.

As for now, I am in Batam, Indonesia and transferring to Singapore on Friday.

I sustained some whip lash style injuries at the time of the impact as the boat heeled over and bounced on the coral reef. Back to hospital tomorrow.

All in all not the best way to end a trip. Still managed to get 17000miles under my belt though!

So if anyone knows of any ATC jobs feel free to drop me a line!

Thanks again for the many messgaes of support on Facebook etc.

I now need to find another way of raising enough money for the Flying Scholarships for the Disabled charity.:D

Welcome back to PPRuNe, Mossy! Maybe the posters will take you a bit more seriously from now on!

I'm very pleased that my 'first choice First Mate' and 'first choice co-pilot' is safe and well, and look forward to our next night-stop!

Checks complete, Ready about, Old Buddy!

Sponsored cycle from Singapore back to Blighty?:}
At least yer in one piece and the Great White population have been saved from indigestion!:D

BTW, looks like the Exiles might meet the Ulstermen again........in the Challenge Cup, s'not going well, losing to the Scarlets, come on, even we can beat them!