Brian Ingpen
The Breede River holds a fascination for me and I have written before about the small steamers that used to move far upstream to Malagas to discharge household items and to load grain for Cape Town, or even directly for Britain.
Only leisure craft now use the river for fishing, water-skiing or simply a voyage past some truly lovely scenery and vibrant bird life. Each craft must bear a registration number that is only granted after a proper survey, while her skipper must be appropriately qualified.
Therefore I am puzzled that a modified pedal boat bearing a mother and son was permitted to leave Cape Town late last week and head for South America. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) crew from Bakoven were dispatched later – in fairly rough conditions – to deliver a tracking device to the pedal boat.
On Saturday morning, the NSRI at Yzerfontein went to standby stations as the boat was feared to be adrift 10 nautical miles off the coast, and an air force aircraft was also placed on standby. On Saturday afternoon, amid heavy seas and winds that were strong enough to stop container operations in the docks, the NSRI boat from the Table Bay station dashed out following a request for assistance from the two-person crew on the pedal boat where the mum was very seasick.
Although the white-hulled pedal boat was difficult to sight amid the rough sea, the NSRI crew managed to rendezvous with her 10 nautical miles off Bokpunt. The two crew members were taken off the boat, which the NSRI launch towed to the lee of Dassen Island, and mother and son were returned to Cape Town in the wee hours of Sunday morning.
Fortunately, this incident ended with everyone back home safely, including the rescue crews, and the air force flight crew stood down. But it could have had disastrous repercussions for the two pedal boat adventurers or the volunteer NSRI crews who put their own lives at risk at every call-out.
How many single-handed yachties or other ill-advised fame-seekers have had to be plucked from the sea, often at great risk to the rescuers, be those rescue crews from a passing ship, a specially dispatched warship, or folks like our own heroic NSRI crews? And even if they make landfall on their own, can the so-called adventurers have fulfilled all the requirements of safe watchkeeping that include keeping a constant and proper lookout?
Therefore, some serious points need to be raised.
l Every vessel – from a yacht and fishing boat to a cruise ship or a vlcc – must be surveyed by her flag state and declared seaworthy. That seaworthiness encompasses many aspects, including the vessel’s navigation, safety and communications equipment, her crew’s competence and appropriate qualifications, navigation lights, and many other requirements.
One hopes that the pedal boat had been issued with all the relevant certificates and clearances for such a trans-Atlantic voyage through some of the worst possible seas and through the tropics, where dehydration is a real danger for small craft crews.
l Was the skipper (mum or son) properly qualified and experienced for a trans-ocean voyage?
l Did the pedal boat carry adequate insurance to cover third parties?
Perhaps this unusual vessel met all the requirements, but was it wise to allow her to embark on such a potentially hazardous voyage? At this time of the year, the intrepid NSRI crews are at full stretch responding to calls to rescue swimmers, canoeists, surfers, fishermen and many others in difficulties. They should not have to rush out – at considerable risk and cost – to find ill-advised adventurers!