29.03.2006
www.sail-world.com
True Movistar Bravery - Stranger than Fiction
Die Rettungsaktion der sinkenden Movistar
'Chris Nicholson at the helm of movistar' Volvo Ocean Race
If you watched it in a movie, Sylvester Stallone would play the part and you'd have to employ a lot of 'suspension of disbelief' to get through. Yet the story of Chris Nicholson's heroic effort to save his boat from sinking is better than any such fiction
As reported previously on Sail-World, the Australian's heroic actions aboard racing yacht Movistar have already led to him being honoured with the Volvo Ocean Race's supreme seamanship award - but the detail of his story is extraordinary.
Nicholson, a watch captain on the boat, had to continually dive into icy
water off Cape Horn in darkness and attach cables to the batteries so the
emergency pumps would start, to save the boat from sinking. At that latitude, the ability of a human being to survive immersed in ocean water for more than a few seconds is doubtful.
In addition, each time he made contact with the battery terminals a 24-volt shock went through his body. But he persisted and got the pumps operating when the 21-metre yacht was just centimetres from being overwhelmed.
While Nicholson was desperately trying to start the pumps, other members
of the 10-man crew were on deck readying the life rafts to 'abandon ship'
status.
An emergency radio call also went out to other race yachts in the area
calling for them to stand-by in case they were needed for a rescue effort.
It was 3am and a 35-knot gale was blowing.
A fairing around the keel had ripped away and a torrent of water burst into
the hull through the large hole. Nicholson, who trained as an electrician
in Hunter Valley coalmines before becoming a professional racing sailor,
said he was in his bunk when he heard the frantic call, 'we're sinking!
Everyone up'.
'When I jumped out of my bunk into waist-deep water I knew that we had to
get the pumps going immediately,' Nicholson said. 'But with the electrics
already flooded there was no way they were going to start.
'I then realised there was only one thing to do - wire the pumps directly
to the battery terminals so they would start and not stop running. The
batteries were underwater in watertight bags, so each time I dived to find
the terminals and try to secure the cables to them I was saying to myself,
'oh dear, I know what's coming here, a bloody great whack'.
'There were a few arcs and sparks and plenty of bad words from me each
time I copped a boot.'
Nicholson said that when he succeeded in getting the pumps started the
water level in the cabin was only 50cm from where the yacht would have had
to be abandoned.
Once the water was lowered to a safe level movistar was sailed to Ushuaia,
in Argentina, where it was repaired before continuing on to Rio and the
finish of the 6700nm leg from Wellington.
by Sail-World Cruising/Rob Mundle
zum Senden an Freunde:
www.sail-world.com
|
