The weather here locally has been dismal the last days, so no, no kayaks or canoes for me! An example: A local company, called Swedish Action RIB, that takes groups on trips in the local archipelago at breakneck speed (>60 knots) in their glorious RIBs, powered by 350 hp Mercurys, had a bad day yesterday in the wind and rain. As usual they were taking some executives for a thrill they late will forget, only this time it became truer than usual. Anyway, yesterday one of Swedish Action RIB was hurrying around as usual with a small load of premium-paying passengers when a big wave (mini-rouge?!) suddenly filled the boat with water, swamping the engine in the process (no back-up!!!). The six passengers, while being well dressed up in their survival suits, were sitting pretty waist-deep in cold water, while the crewmen called for help on the VHF. The boat had drifted quite a distance in the 40 knot wind, before a naval unit came to their assistance, but the available ropes proved to be too weak, so they snapped when the fighting vessel applied power. A big RIB filled with water must weigh a ton, at least, so not surprising the ropes broke! Again, the boat was adrift, bobbing and rolling along, the rain really pouring, and the wind pretty fierce, as mentioned above. The passengers were still onboard - transfers having proved impossible in the heavy seas. By now they were becoming increasingly cold (their survival suits had started to leak), and seasick. Not the happiest execs around, in short. Eventually a life boat arrived - the RIB had by then drifted further down-wind, and had collided with a harbour lighthouse - but the volunteer life boat crew got the boat on tow, and eventually the boat to a jetty on a nearby island, the hapless passengers got off and the RIB pumped dry. The passengers were not interested in going back to base by RIB, by the way, preferring a cab! So not quite canoe weather :-)! -- An Excellent Credit Score is 750 See Yours in Just 2 Easy Steps! *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
RIB = Rigid Inflatable Boat - those rubber boats with a rigid hull that are so popular nowadays :-)! First popular with life boat services, not least on board oil rigs, but now often used by private persons ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bradford R. Crain" To: "Tord S. Eriksson" Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] RIB in trouble (Re; Everybodys underway somewhere?) Date: Sat, 05 Sep 2009 08:21:06 -0700 Tord: What does "RIB" mean? Brad Quoting "Tord S. Eriksson" : > The weather here locally has been dismal the last days, so > no, no kayaks or canoes for me! An example: > > A local company, called Swedish Action RIB, that takes groups on > trips in the local archipelago at breakneck speed (>60 knots) > in their glorious RIBs, powered by 350 hp Mercurys, had a bad > day yesterday in the wind and rain. As usual they were taking > some executives for a thrill they late will forget, only this > time it became truer than usual. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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