Rescue Boat Failure

Letter Text:

Perhaps as an ex Chief Engineer, I might be permitted to comment on the “Rescue Boat Failure” on page 25 of Maritime Feedback 24?

Although the proximate cause of the incident would appear to have been correctly ascertained examination of the photographs would seem to show the following additional factors that should be checked on all similar boat attachments:

1)  The shackle pin would appear to have been replaced with a fully threaded stainless steel bolt, as well as not being a snug fit in the holes in the shackle bow there would be a risk of vibration causing the threads of the bolt to wear the lifting eye. There also remains the question of if the bolt would be as strong in shear as the correct shackle pin, certainly if this is an unauthorised substitution it would render the shackle outside it’s original certification.

2)  I believe that the doubling plate under the detached eye is too small, I would expect it to have an area of at least 4 times that of the top plate.

3)  I was surprised that the fibreglass does not appear to have been locally thickened in this region.

Can I close by congratulating you on an excellent, readable publication, I regularly draw the members of my yacht clubs notice to the incidents involving sailing and other leisure craft.