Fatal Anchor Failure Onboard 460ft MegaYacht

[@paulkersey2179]

I had the unfortunate experience to witness a brake failure of the windlass on a container ship, when this one "went" smoke, flames and sparks were flying everywhere, including pieces of the brakes. Its is a sight to behold. As directed, I ran to safety behind a bulkhead, but the sound of that chain coming lose and going overboard is something I will never forget. Again, good video SYC and thank you.

[@FISHGEEK305]

I have also been there on an ATB and it is horrifying

[@nigeldewallens1115]

I am glad you are alive! I do not wish to sound rude, but well done to you for doing the necessary to stay alive! To say that must have been scary is a understatement frankly!

[@nigeldewallens1115]

@@FISHGEEK305 I am glad you are still alive too! :)

[@RadDadisRad]

Yep, when that happens don’t try to save it. It’s not worth it. Just GTFO and let the chain break away. You can always buy more chain and another anchor.

[@cristinapais8172]

As always, a very pedagogical and didactic captain, concerned not only with navigation, but also with knowing and understanding how everything on a boat works, and also making it easy for those of us who are not dedicated to sailing to understand it. Thank you for everything, your enthusiasm is contagious!!!

[@mjkulikow]

Is this what happens when a "word of the day" calendar is used for like a decade? This reads like someone who replaces words using a Thesaurus :) No ill will intended, just strikes me as very odd....

[@jackkraft1954]

As a crew member aboard a large US Coast Guard cutter, we would run anchor drills. My billet was at the bow of the ship during release of the anchor. We were instructed in the event of a runaway chain mishap, to jump over the side to avoid being killed by the chain. Thankfully such an event never occurred.

[@patrickaquia2125]

That video looks like the one they show at Cape May.

[@rp1645]

Jack Thank you for being a Coastey. You go out when everyone else is coming in. YES those Drills are so important. I got to go to commission of Bouy tender in Everett WA. The new control station for boom was inside below the pilot House, with stairs leading up to Bridge.

[@SuperGemma2010]

always a concise explanation with no bias from you Tristin, i always enjoy your content, have for many years, thank you

[@rcoleman6118]

Tristan thank you for sharing this story and for giving us your personal thoughts and experience, and thanks so much to the other posters sharing there knowledge and experience. A terrible accident that I hope wont happen again.

[@SimonKuijper]

Dear Tristan. Thank you for putting this event together. I have watched this video with great interest and in my opinion you have articulated and explained very well how such an accident can happen and what to do to prevent it if such a situation ever happened again.

[@howardwhite5131]

When I was in the US Navy, I was observing an anchor drop for qualifications when the brakes failed. When the 10th of 12 shots hit the deck, the Chief in charge the anchor yelled "Run!" We did. Luckily the bitter end held, but 40,000 tons of ship shuttered for several minutes. No one was injured. Good story.

[@ralphholiman7401]

That's what experience is. Knowing there is nothing left to do but get the hell out of there!

[@neilharrison7555]

Thank you for a concise account of a terrible event, which even from a preliminary report should not have happened. I served in the Merchant Navy as a Radio Officer, then Electro-Technical Officer for 43 years. During that time I witnessed only one loss of anchor, chain and failure of (as it is designed to do in such a scenario) of the Bitter End. We had left an oil jetty and were anchoring in quite deep water - exactly how deep I cannot remember. This was on a large OBO, partly loaded with crude oil. There was a stiff breeze. The 2nd Officer and 3 crew went for'd to anchor stations. The Master asked for the anchor to be walked out, to just above the water, which the anchoring party did. When there was no way on, the Master instructed for'd to let go, The anchor was let go, with the usual large cloud of rust/noise etc, and almost immediately the 2nd Officer reported "problems with the brake, it's not holding". Thankfully the Master replied immediately "if it's not holding, just let it run and get the f off the focsle". They immediately ran from the focsle, and about 15 seconds later through the cloud of rust and sparks you could see the bitter end come clear of the spurling pipe, flailing around like an angry snake then disappear down the hause pipe. Frightening enough for me standing under the Bridge Wing, the 2nd Officer later said it was about the most frightening thing he'd seen in over 10 years at sea. Cause was a part of the brake assembly having fractured. Can't remember the exact circumstances, but possibly many layers of paint were covering a hair-line fracture. Regarding the Ocean Victory incident, it seems almost inconceivable that a cap nut ONLYwas used on the end of the brake rod assembly. I would have thought at the very least TWO nuts would have been used, with the second nut being a CASTLEATED type, with the end of the rod being drilled through so that a split-pin could be fitted through the nut and rod, thus preventing the nut from slackening off Frankly, whoever designed that system didn't do so with the harsh marine environment in mind, nor the effects of vibration slackening off the cap nut. As you said, if you find something on your ship that doesn't seem right, question it, on the basis of "is it man enough for the job" and "what if."....... Regarding the inability of a medevac, I am very surprised. Despite there already being (I assume) the ship's own heleicopter on the foredeck, a "hi-line in the hover lift" was surely eminently do - able?? Surely there was a suitable helicopter asset in the area ?? I'm also speculating the language barriers increased getting across to the authorities the seriousness of the situation ?? I am sure not having direct comms with either the Navy or Air Force also played a part. Anyone suffering a severe injury needs to be airlifted to a suitable medical facility asap. I reckon using Ocean Victory's fastest tender was the best method of trying to get the 3/O the medical treatment he urgently required. All very sad. My condolenses to the family of the 3/O.

[@jimmiller5600]

"If it can come loose, it will" + "if it comes loose it will be costly" = put a safety on it. Also -- your story included an experienced, engaged Captain who instantly responded appropriately. Sometimes gung ho crew want to "fix" a bad situation and don't have enough experience to understand when to simply run.

[@lbb101]

I think the Thai Navy has Sikorsky S-76 assigned for SAR, and they provide the air support. They have a rotor diameter and length of rough 13-14 meter. I can't exactly identify from the few pictures/video Ocean Victories helicpoter, but from the tail I'd tip an light H-series Airbus series, then rotor diameter/length is about 10m. in short helipad doesn't equal helipad. If my suspicion is right an S-76 is a different beats. However, they should be able to airlift without landing.

[@neilharrison7555]

@@lbb101 Even the largest passenger ships don't support a rescue helicopter landing on them, which is why you will see "Winch Only" written inside the "H" designated area. Had the Thai authorities launched a helicopter, no doubt they would have used the hi-line method. Of course, for whatever reason, they did not launch a helicopter.

[@lbb101]

@@neilharrison7555 Thanks. I actually didn't know that, well think about it. It totally makes sense. The Thai Royal Navy has 5 S-76 plus crews designated to SAR, which is not that much considering 3,000 km coastline. But we are speculating on why they didn't deploy, can be everything from being on another mission to miscommunication ...

[@woodiicarr7423]

You are incredibly competent! As a World Class Sailor on sailing vessels, Americas Cup, ecct, We learn not to stand in the bite. as we practiced catastrophic evac, my questions are the same as yours. Keep up the good work.

[@jefferyholland]

I would have thought that a castle nut would be installed on a critical part of the windless like that. Such a terrible tragedy and my heart goes out to those aboard and the 3rd officers family.

[@FISHGEEK305]

I think the biggest mistake made here was not loading him in the tender which is much faster by far than the ship

[@velianlodestone1249]

@@FISHGEEK305 No, that's unlikely to have been a mistake. I lack the explanation but this kind of thing is not an oversight. Perhaps someone else can shed light on this?

[@railroad9000]

And with a cotter key as well,

[@Canopus68]

It did look like a Nylock nut in the photo. It's clear that PMS--"Planned Maintenance Service" was not carried out the way it should have been. That brake should have been tested every time they dropped the hook. It wasn't practical to put in a cotter pin as the nut had to be turned on the shaft for adjustment of the brake. They should have used two nuts and locked them together. I spent US 4yrs in the US Navy, on a ship. This would have been my departments job to make sure it worked right.

[@dasaniman1]

from the investigation “ the cat nut spacer, and Allen boat were recovered after the accident, and, rather than a failure of any single component, it was found that the cat nut had unscrewed from the Allen Bolt.” Typical this type of nut/bolt design should have had a locking nut device such as safety wire. This appears to have been poorly designed. I would have thought there’s some legal liability involved. How often was it to be inspected? When was it last inspected?

[@FatGuyInaTruck]

If the chain starts running, you should already be running the opposite direction. That's what a Navy friend of mine has always said.

[@1320fastback]

I work constitution and I tell my guys don't try and be a hero. Certain things are not worth dying over.

[@Me-xu4kb]

Thats exactly what we were taught. Clear the deck ASAP.

[@davidlagares9621]

Great reporting, Tristan. I appreciate your analysis of the incident based on the interim report that you have as a source. Some people seem to forget the serious side of the industry. I suppose most people focus on the social and pleasure aspects and not the technical side of operating a vessel like this one. My deep sympathy to the family and the fellow crew members. Keep it up, Tristan. We learn a great deal from you.

[@jaylerman7864]

Tough episode Captain. Thank you for your calm, even-handed reporting. It was an important story.

[@Donald_Shaw]

Like everyone else, I like to know what's going on with you and your career. We miss being part of your yachting life. As always, best of luck in anything you do in life.

[@marred2277]

My guess is that he's staying with AWOL's former owner to captain a new, bigger boat. Which, my guess, is probably currently being built.

[@JCrook1028]

@@marred2277 If that were the case the crew wouldn't have been fired...

[@JimmyLarsen33]

@@JCrook1028That depends on how long time before the new wessel hits the water. Can't go on paying wagers salaries for years. Then its cheaper to hire again later

[@marred2277]

@@JCrook1028 I missed where the crew was fired, can you point me to it?

[@northerndave58]

Time to unsubscribe.

[@daveadair6983]

Moral to the story never rely on search and rescue in Thailand. They could have winched him up off the deck, into the chopper. I've never seen a rescue helicopter without a winch.

[@TerryKeever]

I've seen some here in US without them. I used to do search and rescue. I haven't worked since 2009. And only helicopter work was in training and only air ambulances since late 90s. But a number of rescue choppers had to land to take on a patient.

[@shunin88]

"Don't assume, make your own assessment." Thank you for sharing...So important going from vessel to vessel.

[@rudideghelt]

This is a video that we would do without. Condolence to the whole family. Thank you Tristan for putting people's lives at the highest level. 😥😥

[@robertkeville6230]

The end nut must be inspected at regularly scheduled intervals to insure that it is tightened to specifications.

[@jroar123]

I was aboard the Serpantina when the cable that was tethering an oil tanker at the stern failed. It whipped back aboard above the hello deck. It bent metal. If anyone was close, they would have been cut in two.

[@JimmyDCarter]

Thanks for your explanation of this tragic incident. More videos of this nature would be appreciated. It helps everyone to be safer in the future.

[@ystebadvonschlegel3295]

Shocking to me that there was no mechanism other than what looked like a friction lock nut to keep that brake bolt in place. A simple cotter pin would have probably saved a life here. Your point to assess systems around you is wise and I hope engineers would do better and not give into bean counters when designing systems.

[@225degrees]

What would have also saved a life, getting out of the way when they lost control of the anchor chain. It's just steel, not worth dying over.

[@timothy4011]

@@225degrees Thanks Captain Hindsight. Do you honestly think that this person would've stayed put if they knew what the result be? 🤦🏼‍♂️

[@225degrees]

@@timothy4011 Well seeing as this guy was CREW he should have had a clue as to what happens when the anchor chain is a run away. I don't boat and I can figure out that being around any equipment that is uncontrollable is a bad idea. It's an unfortunate loss, but it likely could have been avoided by simply leaving the area as well as properly maintaining the windless brake.

[@mauriceharting5877]

It looks to me that the size of the pin as well as the lock nut was insufficient. What about a double lock nut with a cotter pin at the end?

[@225degrees]

@@mauriceharting5877 That would make it all but fail safe.

[@railroad9000]

During Vietnam we had a medical evacuation of a crewmember on the Navy minesweeper I was stationed on by helo. The helo hovered over the fantail and picked up the crew by basket hoist. Bear in mind a minesweeper is only 172 ft long and has NO place to land a chopper. That chopper did not need to land but could have hovered and picked up the injured 3rd officer and probably would have saved his life.

[@TheJagjr4450]

My dad was on an experimental minesweeper prior to it being sent to Hanoi in 1971/72. 500 ft liberty ship filled with sprayed in foam and then filled with water and 4 harbor master thrust drives on pinions running 12 71 GMC 2 stroke diesels. Once they stretched a 4" hauser till it was smoking - my dad tackled another crew member just as it popped... The OIC said he just knew he was going to have to call a couple of wives. Pilot house set on shocks and they had huge coils they pulsed to set off different frequencies. The photos are crazy with plumes of water which obscure nearly the entire ship.

[@MikeKobb]

Terrible. This reminds me of a very different accident -- the crash at Reno of the Unlimited air racer Galloping Ghost. That crash was also caused the the loss of a single nut. In that case, if memory serves, it was a "lock" nut with a nylon insert that was supposed to hold the nut on by friction, but investigators found that the nylon was worn in a way consistent with it having been installed and removed more than once. Apparently you're supposed to use a new one every time. A castle nut with a cotter pin seems like it would have been a better idea there, as here. RIP.

[@RenegadeADV]

First thing they taught us in the Navy 'Never step in or on the bite of a line' and 'Never wrap a line around your body' situations like this are the reason why that is one of the very first things they taught us. One of the others was don't use your body as a fender!

[@Eliteperson25]

It’s surprising that we still persist with this ancient brake band type of system despite so many advancements in ship design. This is prone to deterioration and accidents are waiting to happen. It’s high time some hydraulic or electrical type of braking system is made the standard on all vessels - from yachts to very large ships.

[@runswithbeer]

I've seen a ton of anchor brake failure videos, and the crew always moves out of the way at some point when it's determined it can't be controlled. Just wondering if the brake shouldn't have just been abandoned at some point?

[@mhappy01]

Lack of experience by the 3rd Mate, poor training and safety awareness. Systemic failure of leadership and delegation of duties.

[@thibault9741]

@@mhappy01 how do you know the 3rd officer didn’t have enough experience? And how do you know he didn’t have enough training either? You weren’t there. I don’t know how many shackle they had left before realizing the brake was broken but everything can go really quickly and maybe he just didn’t have time to move somewhere safe

[@mhappy01]

@@thibault9741 Because he wouldn't have been standing there when the bitter end ripped his leg off. Because as a 3rd mate he should have been looking over the bow and supervising, the crew should have been on the brake. These are basic principals learnt by a Deck cadet the first day he goes to the bow.

[@craigroosa9321]

Happy New Year Tristan ,,,,Thank you for sharing and informing us about this tragic accident . I had seen video before of this happening and it is crazy how fast it can all go bad ! Good to see you and hope for more videos in 2022 ! Cheers

[@miketee2444]

I have a feeling that a language or communication barrier or lack of local protocol resulted in the hours it took to get medical attention. This very well could've saved a life. Always considered where you are in the world and act accordingly.

[@mccoybyz1099]

Things like this really suck because they didn't have to happen but unfortunately sometimes even the best of us can fall victim to something we know how to deal with when we get caught up in the moment! I lost a friend to a similar but slightly different situation but it basically involved deploying ground tackle but on a much smaller vessel, vessels as big as Ocean Victory have massive tackle that is obviously unforgiving to say the least! I'm sure this sailor was well worth his salt and probably didn't want to be known as the guy that lost the starboard anchor, and just got sucked into arresting the windless and/or chain that was flying out of the forcastle in a deafing roar and shower of smoke, dust, and sparks! If you've never experienced a clutch / windless breaking and the gear free spooling out..... It's very intense and scary, especially if your close to it!! Anyway I love the channel, your professionalism and your way you approach the topics you discuss is appreciated and to me, a hallmark of a gentleman wise beyond his years, intelligent, and a genuinely good person, it's also great qualities to have as a captain! Safe travels & may the wind be at your back and sun on your face!! 😉👍 P. S. New subscriber just now but only because I thought I already was but wasn't, lol so despite watching many videos I just realized it and immediately re-subbed, sorry skip! 😬

[@kevinweinberger8446]

I was a maintenance crew chief in the United States Airforce. What bothers me about this chain break is regarding the nut. It unscrewed simply because of the lack of safety wire. If the nut was properly safety wired this accident would nut have happened. On aircraft all nuts and bolts are safety wired due to vibration. To me, this happened because the boat manufacturers wanted to cut costs. I think there probably many other future concerns waiting to happen on that boat and many other. You showed an example of another failure. It wouldn’t surprise me if the cause was similar. Captain if I were you I would check your boat and any future boats that you are in command of!

[@gudfarfar]

I spent a whole year in school to become a Coastal Skipper, in Norway. We was instructed to always move away if the anchor ran out because of a failure, and well before the last portion was going out. The chain can normally be recovered unless you are in a place you normally would not attempt to anchor in anyway, as it is not too deep for a diver or an ROV to hook a rope to the end of the chain. The Captain should have instructed the crew to back off, and the third officer should know better than to stand in the way of a runaway chain, but accidents will happen. Very bad luck that the help was too far away to save him.

[@frankmoore3598]

Right ! Comes a time to run like hell .

[@sdsorrentino]

I think it's important to recognize that there are certain situations that are just not survivable. We are so used to Johnny and Roy in their little red truck with the flashing lights magically appearing immediately after you've called them, but on a ship at sea that's just not going to happen. Definitive medical care is hours, sometimes days away. What does this mean? DO NOT GET INJURED. What would be a painful and embarrassing situation on the corner of 5th and Main can be a fatal event on a vessel at sea. Check your equipment. Know your job. Know what to do when things go sideways. This is the sea we're talking about here. Something is always on the verge of going sideways. Had the 3rd Officer grabbed his deckhand and evacuated as soon as he realized control was lost, they could have listened to the bitter end bounce around the anchor windlass room from a safe location. It would have been embarrassing. It might have even been career ending if it was negligent equipment maintenance or operation. But everyone involved would have walked away in one piece. Instead the whole crew, and possibly the guests, had to see a person horribly injured and then medically treat that person for hours in a futile attempt to save his life. No one needs those images in their head for the rest of their lives. Before you do something on a vessel, ask yourself "what could go wrong?" Then plan what you and your team will do when it does go wrong. This could have been a funny "do you remember when?" story. It's your job to plan ahead so that your story is something you laugh about later instead of being used as an object lesson for the next generation of sailors.

[@nemo227]

You advice can be applied to any of us working in our home workshop, working in our yard, or at our place of our employment. "Be Prepared" was our Boy Scout Motto back in 1950 and it's always been a good motto.

[@johnwright291]

I worked on tugs and barges for 30 years and have seen very similar incidents. Any experienced seaman knows in a situation like this you just get out of the way immediately. Theres absolutely no reason to stay close. Equipment can be repaired. My condolences. That break and shoe mechnizim looks way way to light.

[@gerrycrisostomo6571]

I'm quite surprised that the heavy anchor chains has only 1 brake and if it fails, it has no backup. They should redesign that system and install a backup brake that will only be used when the first or the main one fails. Also, in expensive yachts like that, there should be a way of controlling the anchor deployment remotely, or from a safe distance.

[@PFLEONARDI0906]

Thank you for this mishap report. Prayers for the 3rd Officer and his family. Stay safe everyone!

[@493913507]

Doesn't make sense to have a helicopter on board and no pilot, and a rescue helicopter with no basket for human transport, remind me never to go to Thailand, I agree with you Captain, the safety of the crew and passengers is always a top priority

[@MonkPetite]

The bitter end .. slampamper.. in Dutch. That end should stay inside the ship and not brake out. I always wonder why they do not use a brake load regulator in stead a realise system. Basically the tension is released by force and not the other way around. Thanks for sharing.

[@richardallsop5039]

Hello again, Tristan good to see you, Happy 2022. Regards, RichardA.

[@calumshaw]

Literally the bitter end! A sad, preventable death! Thanks for the information Tristan.

[@MRBRIANWM81]

Poor Worker. Never put your life in danger for the betterment of material things. It's not worth it. Well said Captain.

[@osayiner]

very sad, condolences to the family of the seaman. Tristan, it is good to remind the followers the risk with a loose chain. Thnx on behalf of the community. I had once experienced it on my 43 footer, it is really scary.

[@tomstevelt9641]

My dad sailed in the merchant marine for 17 years, started on sailing vessels in 1929. He always told us kids "One hand for the ship and one hand for yourself".

[@MrDLYouTube]

This is so sad. I don't understand why the anchor chains are always exposed and not in it's own closed channel.

[@Mrsnichols1965]

As mentioned in another comment, I too, am confused as to why the appropriate hardware to insure fail safe operation of the brake was not in place. A castle nut, a lock nut, double nut, thread locker, all literally less than $1 solutions to that problem. Proper training to get out of the way seems to have been lacking, or unobserved.

[@สุพรรษาถาวร-ฒ9ม]

Routine maintance and visual inspection of all windlass mechanicals, visual inspections prior to and after dropping the hook.An S.U.P. Sailor, steady as she goes.

[@markshutt1476]

Terrible accident. Unfortunately, most safety related rules and changes are learned in blood. There are things unique to seamen that you can go forever without ever seeing. This is 1 of those, like lines parting that can whip. We all, sailors, know what can happen even if we've never experienced it. Unfortunately, this experienced sailor got too wrapped up with trying to save the unsavable, and payed the price. My heart brakes for his shipmates, too. This leaves a hole that will remain forever, I've been there.

[@АндрейПашин-д3ч]

16 Сhannel))) In 2015, we crossed the Gulf of Thailand at night and music played on 16 Channel for 2 hours... Thailand and safety regulations are incompatible...

[@oceanaxim]

Aye aye Captain! Had an anchor slip from the brake unexpectedly in Phuket, Thailand. It was thought the brake was set, but the brake bands were out-of-round and she started running. Fortunately I was able to bring the anchor chain to a full stop before she started running wild. My heart was pounding watching that video. Each link of that anchor chain weigh some 20kg/50lbs. My sincere sympathies to the mariner's family grieving to this day.

[@gezac440]

Im an airline captain and we are always review accidents/incidents as there is always something to learn form them. Im sure its the same in the yachting world.

[@theresahs5956]

So glad that I came across your channel! You have a new subscriber! 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛

[@denisiwaszczuk1176]

Well said Check your gear . Ive had 2 fly out .. Get out the way when it happens . Sorry for the loss

[@Godofthemoon1]

As soon as they knew that chain was not slowing or stopping they should have gotten out of the area and let it continue till it was over than figure out how to fix it. Chains wires and rode are extremely dangerous they are lucky only one person was lost and injured. All captains should instruct there teams to evaluate the area under those circumstances

[@Me-xu4kb]

One thing I was taught very early into my career was if the windlass brake failed, and the chain was runaway, clear the deck, and don't even think about trying to stop it. Anchors and cables can be replaced, limbs and lives cannot.

[@ArtVanAuggie]

Unfortunately, when you navigate the third world, the "Coast Guard" is not necessarily the same service we have in a lot of the first world. You can't just crank up channel 16, or even 2182 kHz and be able to get QUALIFIED help. Sat phones are better, but you have to have the right number of someone who can help. Major injuries at sea are often fatal mostly because of time.

[@gregntammie]

Wow, what a terrible tragedy. Thank you for the informative video.

[@BrianRebec]

I'm blown away by how there aren't any failsafes for windlass' of that size. The sheer fact that crewman need to be that close to the windlass while letting-go worrying. I hope this prompts some tech improvements for large winches and windlass

[@KenDavies-qv3fs]

Thank you Captain.

[@richardgiles2484]

This is so so sad for everyone connected to the 3rd officer. As you say everyone in a work inviroment needs to do there own risk assessment at all times as things can change so quickly. Goes to show how lucky we are in UK waters to have HMC,RNLI and air sea rescue on hand 24/7

[@tarawood-bradley2119]

As a trained safety officer I agree with Tristan. If you lose control of your anchor chain then walk away. This is a well thought out video.

[@tarawood-bradley2119]

Worst case if you lose the anchor you will have some paperwork so everyone can understand what happened, it is far better than to be critically injured

[@tarawood-bradley2119]

Our thoughts need to go out to the crew and their families. these people live together, this impacts the entire operation of the vessel. A well trained crew will keep it together until the vessel is safely moured and then lose it. Some of the crew will walk off the boat and never return. Are the Captains trained in suicide prevention. If you are ever involved in a workplace incident like this watch your team and ask them "Are You OK"

[@philcliffe6909]

So sad. Condolences to his family and those on board.

[@bryanthand]

I love the onboard educational aspect of the past videos. Big fan. This new "news" format is just not that at all. I really hope he gets back at the captins wheel soon.

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Thank you for sharing this sad situation. Bless that sailor crew members life and family. Wow!! Sorry sad that this was. Again thank you for sharing and Happy New Year to you and your family.

[@tommyalund6374]

Thank you! What power do you have as a captain to make sure a pilot of a helicopter is on board? I mean what meaning of equipment that you can’t use if there is one? Tommy.

[@thibault9741]

On yachts, the helicopter pilote is most of the time on board when the guests are on board

[@AdvancedUSA]

Runaway anchors get one quick chance to be arrested. If that fails, get the heck out of the room. The amount of energy in a large chain is staggering. Take a look at runaway anchor on youtube and you'll be shocked.

[@henrycarlson7514]

A fine example of why preventive maitanance is so important. I agree my condolanses . Be safe , be wise. A question was the part in question visibile , was it accessable to repair? Thank You for sharing

[@MonkPetite]

Nice suite sir .. looks promising.

[@NSResponder]

I'm wondering if the upshot of this accident will be modificaitons to the design of anchor handling equipment to include bollards or other measures to ensure that if a brake fails, the chain can go overboard and nowhere else.

[@neiltitmus9744]

A tube for the chain to run through could minimise this surely and if it fails every one run dont try to save it

[@robertbennett6697]

I wonder how much having power astern while dropping the anchor contributed to the speed and tension on the outgoing anchor chain?

[@spencerhawkins3270]

SAR Teams should have been able to winch extract the patient, the landing area not being suitable is a poor excuse from them.

[@vincelardner330]

Condolences to the Third Officer's family, friends and crewmates, at your time of loss. Tristan is right, when the anchor chain became a runaway the area should have been cleared, but the Third Officer did what many would do and tried to salvage the situation, at personal risk. The delay getting to hospital could well have been critical, and I would be amazed if Thai SAR helicopters are equipped with a winch, as that would make them unique. I would imagine the final report would also query the failed communications, again an apparent failure of Thai SAR/Coastguard services. The sea is a dangerous workplace, to any mariners reading this take care, be safe.

[@TheJagjr4450]

Once the chain starts running you have to get the hell out... if you are not taught that, then you were ill taught.

[@romandybala]

Just had a thought. Couldnt a strong rope be fastened to the bitter end which might somewhat control the whip and subsequently allow the retrieval of the cable and anchor?

[@cdnsk12]

This a good indication of what you can expect if you had a heart attack or a stroke on one of these super yachts; especially in a remote area.

[@johnglover9935]

The unanswered question is how many times had a self locking nut been re-used? Mandatory replacement should be policy.

[@anthonymiller8989]

Susan & Tony here, Disasters like this are never one event. This is a chain of events that create these problems. I am sure we are in agreement with the 3 to 4 fault in equipment and time you have explained. Just a shame.

[@bobbiemitch]

Question - on these crewed yachts, do the crews hold regular safety drills? I was in the nuclear Navy and we drilled on a regular basis so that any envisioned failure we could darn handle in our sleep.

[@nerblebun]

I was the Electrical Superintendent for the Sacramento/Yolo Port District. One of the perks of my employment, the best perk in my opinion, was the ability to board the vessel when the River Pilot took command in San Francisco Bay, travel aboard on the 70 mile trip up the Deep Water Channel to the inland Port of Sacramento, access to any section on the vessel, and talk to the captain or crew of every ship using the Port. I've personally witnessed a brake failure of a large Cargo Ship's windless. Each individual link of the chain weighed 50 lbs. If your unfortunate enough to get hit by the last 40-50 links when it comes off the winch, your chances of living will be slim to none.

[@gmcjetpilot]

I can't fully picture the whole situation but my understanding, a runaway anchor / chain / break requires you to *RUN RUN RUN* or jump overboard and get as far away as possible. RIP to the 3rd mate.

[@tbohtwentyone]

That system should fail closed, not free open.. And why is the chain not restrained from errant motion across the deck as with a drive shaft in a tube in case of failure. There must be engineering concerns like sheer mass and kinetic energies to prevent this or it would be done. Condolences to the sailors family and all involved.

[@malcolmholder3149]

Well said regarding the importance of life being first the ship and any equipment second. The actual design did not look substantial to hold an anchor chain for such a large Yacht.

[@jimmiller5600]

Captain, have you inspected your brake system to see if it is similar?

[@MorDreadful]

couldn't split pins be used to keep the nut and bolt in position so they can't unscrew as a design feature and form of redundancy? would prevent nuts and botls that are critical from coming loose and are used on other machinery I believe.

[@robertfrost1683]

Wow - Battlefield Medical says the first hour after casualty is the " Golden Hour". If treated during this time period - changes of survival are high. The lack of response on channel 16 is very suspicious as is the lack of a hoist and rescue basket on the SAR Helicopter. If this had happened near the US or in the Med it would have been possible for treatment during the Golden Hour, and a different outcome.

[@RayMrRobert]

God bless the 3rd officers soul. Thank you for this report

[@craignolan8855]

When the handover took place in the states , the new caption gave the impression that captains that side of the pond didn’t have their heads up their bottoms like their European counterparts and this is sadly playing out with the vlogs posted by Tristan since his departure away from AWOL .

[@rms-vp6hf]

From an outsider looking in I’m wondering… 1. Are there no regular inspections of safety devices and failsafes? 2. Is there no training or SOPs for these type of situations ? 3. Do “pleasure craft” crews, typically not take seamanship seriously to understand the dangers of serving on the ships?

[@CHMichael]

How many times had they lowered the anchor before? Something you probably don't do often.

[@ronlang3435]

Everything you said is correct. The bitter end of the chain is not attached by design since the mass generated by the chain as it travels would pull the insides of the ship apart if it was attached. I spent 30 years in the US Navy and the video you showed would be from a naval vessel. Dropping the anchor on a naval vessel is a big deal and it is managed by the ships bosun and a trained crew. Each shot is painted which is clear in the video, the last shot is completely painted red. The focsule (forecastle) is cleared when the chain is out of control because as you showed the damage from the bitter end is always substantial. In a naval vessel the other issue is as the chain pays out the rust flys off and the noise completely obscures any communications within the focsule. I was on the USS John F Kennedy an aircraft carrier when we lost our anchor and chain in Sicily. It tore the focsule completely apart and required a shipyard visit. By dumb luck the anchor went into a hole in the sea bottom and weight and mass was too much for the windless brake. It took a couple of months to retrieve and required a German heavy lift vessel. Our Captain was not able to turn the command over to the new captain until the anchor was in place. Obviously the size of the chain is directly proportional to the size of the ship and on an aircraft carrier each link is massive. On your incident it seems unbelievable that there was no locking mechanism on that critical bolt assembly.

[@vadicheg]

hole in the sea bottom, was that the drain hole of the sea perhaps?

[@ronlang3435]

@@vadicheg Poor choice of words on my part.....sea floor might have been a better choice....but whatever it was it was deep enough for the anchor to not stop as was expected. We normally lay chain out 6 times the depth of the water so if the water is 50 ft deep we would lay 300 ft of chain. It is the chain that primarily keeps the ship anchored while the anchor keeps the bitter end from moving. They work together but it is the chain that does the most. We would go dead in the water, drop the anchor and then slowly back down to set the anchor flukes and once they set we would continue to back while releasing the remaining chain.

[@velianlodestone1249]

@@ronlang3435 How much does a new chain cost that such lengths are taken to recover lost chains? The recovery must cost a lot, so a new chain probably even more so?

[@ronlang3435]

@@velianlodestone1249 The chain and anchor combination costs far more than the recovery. The good news is that it rarely happens.

[@diverbob8]

It would seem, that with so much at stake, that there would be multiple ways to brake the windlass.....Also that the chain would be permanently attached together with an effective shock absorbing system to maintain control of the bitter end. There could also be an inertia based speed governor at the exit of the chain locker.

[@jimm2297]

Is there a specific reason why the bitter end is not fixed to the vessel?

[@FISHGEEK305]

There is very little as terrifying as a runaway anchor chain. I was always a bit apprehensive about anchor operations. May peace find the Officers family and ship crew. Fair Winds Sir

[@adamwhite207]

Why is the chain not securely attached to prevent this dangerous situation and the loss of the anchor and chain in the event of a brake failure?

[@JCrook1028]

It's safer to lose the anchor and chain than to have oit attached and expect the ship to withstand the force of that much weight stopping suddenly.

[@adamwhite207]

I guess that makes sense. The brake engages slowly instead of a sudden stop. I don't understand why they design these systems that allow that much chain to be exposed and potentially become a giant whip. A simple solution I can quickly think of would be to have the anchor locker alot closer without any exposed chain and no hazard to the crew. That clip Tristan showed of the runaway chain is unreal. These should definitely be designed alot safer with the technology we have today.

[@velianlodestone1249]

@@adamwhite207 Bad solution, chain is extremely heavy - so you want to keep it as close to the bottom of the ship as possible otherwise it would mess with your center of mass. That means it has to be a few decks down in ships like these.

[@rtj6874]

Sorry, was watching the part about the helicopters. So, the heli might have been to large to land safely; but, correct me if I am wrong, they can hover. They could have hovered over the on-board helideck and winched the 3rd mate off. Ahh, I see you addressed this. What kind of coast guard heli doesn't have winch capability?

[@DougsterCanada1]

God Bless his soul, and the hearts of his family, friends, and fellow crew members. R.I.P. sir!

[@alisonrahn9873]

What size/brand windlass is this? Has the company come out with a statement on the failure? Reasoning for that style nut? What does the other windlass have on it or other boats this size?

[@jobrown1485]

The allen head bolt must have been upside down Ie the head underneath. If the head had been on top when the nut unscrewed, then everything would have still stayed in place when the nut dropped way. Upside down, the bolt just drops down and out of the location - resulting in disaster.

[@dannyhorne9448]

I understand that the mooring station crew were in contact with the bridge by radio, and that the bridge crew could watch the proceedings via CCTV. What I don't understand is why the mooring crew weren't ordered to clear the area when the brake failed.

[@FISHGEEK305]

Not only a design error but i cant help but wonder why he was not loaded into the tender immediately as it was surely faster and more versitile than the ship. I had an engineer lose a hand in tow operations and we immediately weighed all response options and realized the launch was our quickest option and due to the quick reaction they were able to save the limb. Fair Winds sir and may the crew find solace

[@srb211]

I'm surprised that there is not a backup or some kind of redundancy for possible failure seeing how dangerous this is. But I am used to building Navy ships where there is a lot of redundancy.