fishing cork harbour in an inflatable

never seen a yak gettin a puncture,personaly i dont
give a dam.just hate the thought of money wasted on
land&sea rescues, after all the dam good advice

from a post on this site:

Search for two men missing off Waterford
Sunday, 23 May 2010 22:08
A search is under way for two men reported missing off the Waterford coast.

They had been seen angling for mackerel from a dinghy sometime before 5pm.

It is understood they drove to the area earlier in the day, possibly from south Tipperary.

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Two lifejackets were found in the dingy but there was no sign of either man.

RNLI crews from Helvick Head and Youghal have been taking part in the search, as well as a number of local fishing boats and the Search and Rescue Helicopter from Waterford.

Weather conditions were said to be very calm at the time.

Meanwhile, a search in under way in the North for a man who went missing while swimming with friends in Lough Erne.

The man was last seen in the water at Castle Archdale Country Park in Co Fermanagh this afternoon.

why not just buy 2 lilos and A PADDLE EACH THOSE INFLATABLES BLOW ALONG THE TOP OF THE WATER AND YOU WILL BE TAKEN WITH IT. HAVE SEEN A GUY RESCUED 3 TIMES BY THE LIFEBOAT AFTER GETTING CAUGHT BY THE WIND YOU THINK HE WOULD HAVE LEARNED THE FIRST TIME IN CASE YOU DID NOT KNOW MOST ACCIDENTS HAPPEN IN THE HARBOUR NOT OUT IN OPEN SEA

Best advice so far it seems. Humorous thread if not so serious....

I just looked at one of these in lidl and I could not belive what they were claiming for it
on the side of the box it states, Category C near coastal use, up to force 6 wind conditions and wait for it
2m waves. Personaly speaking I think this is misleading in the extreme actually it is dangerously misleading
possibly giving false confidence to some.

I just looked at one of these in lidl and I could not belive what they were claiming for it
on the side of the box it states, Category C near coastal use, up to force 6 wind conditions and wait for it
2m waves. Personaly speaking I think this is misleading in the extreme actually it is dangerously misleading
possibly giving false confidence to some.

Force 6 wind with a 2m wave height would see our entire charter fleet inside the harbour seeking shelter even big cats

Thats what is printed on the box
maybe 2m waves are shorter where lidl buy them
and force 6 winds are lighter there

Yup those claims are astonishing

Cork Harbour's entrance and out off the harbour has a short steep swell that one of those balloons definitely could not handle even in F2-3 wind against tide look at the photo of the warrior in this thread that is only out over the turbot bank


The two lads missing off Helvic had a similar sized dinghy so I'm sure the Marine Survey Office and the MCIB will now stick their oar in to the sale of these death traps...

To my total disbelief I counted 4 of them in the outer harbour yesterday fitted with outboards and one even had 4 people on board

There's an old saying round these parts "Those that know not, fear not!"

How did the dinghy cause the 2 men to die?
Seriously If you don't wear a life jacket and are not clipped in the consequences are just as lethal going in the water from any boat.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0524/waterford.html reports the dinghy wasn't capsized and other reports said the life jackets were attached to the dinghy.

There is a world of difference between a pool toy and a CE certified boat. and thats exactly what the certification is for to ensure a minimum standard of safety. Is the CE certification a made up standard?

This thread has been informative and unfortunately the tragic accident at the weekend has underlined the need for safety at sea. something we all should be thinking about.

How did the dinghy cause the 2 men to die?
Seriously If you don't wear a life jacket and are not clipped in the consequences are just as lethal going in the water from any boat.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0524/waterford.html reports the dinghy wasn't capsized and other reports said the life jackets were attached to the dinghy.

There is a world of difference between a pool toy and a CE certified boat. and thats exactly what the certification is for to ensure a minimum standard of safety. Is the CE certification a made up standard?

This thread has been informative and unfortunately the tragic accident at the weekend has underlined the need for safety at sea. something we all should be thinking about.

blackest those dinghys are not fishing boats. call them what you like. and if you ask any member of the coast guard or life boat squads are these dinghys seaworthy to go fishing in. they will tell you under no circumstances there not.
but this tradegy the weekend just confirmed what every poster on this forum told you when you asked the question. is this lidl dinghy suitable to fish cork harbour.? the answer is still no its not

Those lidl inflatables would be just as lethal on a lake, any of the large lakes
can kick up an almighty swell, traditional lake boats are 19 foot long and for
a good reason, the lidl inflatables are tenders for use in enclosed areas,
try and get someone to take you for a spin in force 4 conditions
in a suitable boat and you will get the message.

I contacted the RNLI to see what their view point is.

"Many thanks for your enquiry. As you allude to, many different craft can be used in a variety of ways and it is normally the crew that breaks first rather than the boat. Training and appropriate equipment are essential to ensuring you make the most out of your boating and we would always advocate that even if a boat is capable of going out in adverse conditions it really comes down to the ability of the crew to handle that situation and how prepared they are to deal with unexpected conditions."

thats coming from the RNLI.


Maritime Safety Directorate. (Ireland)
Code of Practice for:
THE SAFE OPERATION OF RECREATIONAL CRAFT

http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/9650-0.pdf

A very informative and interesting read.
if you read about weather conditions its number one focus is on the skill of the crew and their ability to handle the conditions, the boat isn't the issue.

The boat is tested to CE standards and category C, I'm not skilled enough to cope with anything like force 6 and 2 meter waves and I know it. It really is experience and training that matters my background is from sailing dinghies in lakes and rivers (not in the sea) since I was a little kid.
I wouldn't rate myself above a novice and i'd still be a novice in a bigger boat too.

A further point from the RNLI
" Our FREE service, SEA Check, is the best piece of advice we can offer. A volunteer will meet you at a convenient time and place and have a confidential chat about all aspects of equipment you should carry relative to the area you go boating in. The chat is NOT an inspection, is non judgemental and offers real practical advice that we know boaters find really useful no matter how short or long they have been boating. To book one up please call us on freefone 0800 3280600 (UK) or 1800 789589 (RoI)"

Anyone on here taken advantage of SEA check?
Also anyone recommend or know of any training providers in the cork area?

all this information is brilliant. and knowledge is a great thing .but expirence, hours at sea fishing in cork harbour every one of the guys who answered your original post have this.and advised you not to buy the dinghy for fishing cork harbour.as for the guide lines on the box force 2 to 6 ,and 2 metre waves .paper never refuses ink springs to mind. blackest when that accident accurred last weekend and the news came on that two people had been lost fishing out of a dinghy i thought it was you and thats the truth .all the lads on this site help one another espiecialy the boating section. and if one of them told me not to go out, or dont fish here, i would listen to them as they have all the expirience of fishing and boating in that area. the sea is a fickle friend and can turn on you in minutes i hope you use the dinghy but on the lake not in cork harbour regards twinkle

all this information is brilliant. and knowledge is a great thing .but expirence, hours at sea fishing in cork harbour every one of the guys who answered your original post have this.and advised you not to buy the dinghy for fishing cork harbour.as for the guide lines on the box force 2 to 6 ,and 2 metre waves .paper never refuses ink springs to mind. blackest when that accident accurred last weekend and the news came on that two people had been lost fishing out of a dinghy i thought it was you and thats the truth .all the lads on this site help one another espiecialy the boating section. and if one of them told me not to go out, or dont fish here, i would listen to them as they have all the expirience of fishing and boating in that area. the sea is a fickle friend and can turn on you in minutes i hope you use the dinghy but on the lake not in cork harbour regards twinkle

I second that!!!

Have I taken the RNLI sea check? well no I haven't as my boat is a licensed passenger boat that is 35 foot with a 400hp turbo diesel engine that is surveyed by the Marine Survey Office which is the home of the maritime safety directive believe me when I say this the MSO wouldn't think twice to "pink slip" a lidl dingy in Cork harbour that means simply that they would arrest you and detain the boat!

I have 33 years experience in Cork Harbour and know it exceptionally well as do some of the other posters! Screaming reels for example is the pilot of the rescue chopper that will be tasked at firstly finding then rescuing you or helping recovering your body!

Sooooooooooooooooooooo think long and hard, on your head be it!! but don't be stupid (or dead) and listen to the advise you were given.

I would not go out to my mooring on one of those dinghy's they are a death trap... Very large commercial ships will pass you regularly in Cork harbour at speeds of well over 20 knots throwing up a big swell over the banks that WILL capsize it on a flat calm day

This thread is quite astonishing really if only for the OPs complete unwilingness to listen to sense. I would not go out in howth harbour in one of those let alone Cork harbour. Your interpretation of the RNLI comments are way way off the mark. if you take your interpretation literally do you actually think that if "the boat isnt the issue" that if a sailor with 40 years experience goes to sea in a force ten in your little inflatable that he will be fine as he is experienced and the boat doesnt matter. Think about that its absolutely crazy.

Over the years I have had the following boat:

a 16 foot touring canoe
a 2.5 metre inflatable
a 16 foot wooden lake boat
an 8 foot fibre glass punt
an orkney strikeliner
a 12 foot sea nymph
a 14 foot dory
I still have the punt, the Orkney and the dory.

So i have owned boats of all sizes and i know how they all handle. I have been out on a lake of 1 mile in diameter in the punt and the inflatable and been almost swamped due to waves.
I sold the sea nymph as it was too small to go to sea even in close on calm days and this was a 12 foot aluminium with a 10 horse engine and electric aux. It was not big enough.
I have been out of howth with conditions lovely and done one turn around Ireland eye (a small island 1km off shore) by the time we got around and back to the slipway conditions had turned and were pushing the capabilities of a near 17 foot GRP boat with a 25 horse engine.
I would hesitate to take the dory to sea in Cork harbour and its a 14 footer with a 65 horse engine.
I have pulled a guy (lucky to survive) out of a lake, he was in an inflatable with a 4hp Johnson. He hit a sunken old wall when motoring and the boat was ripped to shreds, he got flipped over and blown out into 30 foot of water. A solid boat would have survived but the sharp edges of the rocks destroyed his boat.
If you are out in cork harbour and a swell blows up you will be in serious trouble. If you are out far you will be overpowered by the waves and flipped or swamped and stranded. If you are in close and you need to get back to a slip the breaking waves will over power you and you will end up on the rocks. Either way its not a good outcome.
To be honest I would not take an inflatable that size on the Shannon, lough Ree, Owel etc. Its just to small, its a tender thats all.
The punt i have goes on tiny waters only. You should do the same, but use an electric as it would be safer. With a petrol outboard you will have too much power and it you shred her on rock its big trouble.
One of three things will happen here i think:
1. You will see sense and not bring this tender out into Cork Harbour
2. You will take it out and you will come across a nasty situation that scares you into sense. You will get into trouble but you will get lucky and you will make it home with a new appreciation for the power of the Sea (you currently don’t have this). You wont go out again in it.
3. Is the same as 2 but this time you don’t get lucky.
Think about it. Its not worth the risk.

How did the dinghy cause the 2 men to die?

If they were in a decent sized boat they would not have fallen/got washed/knocked over like they did in that Dinghy. If you are out in a dinghy and a large container ship comes too close the wash would be enough to turn you in such a small boat so close to the water.

In a 17 foot sea boat that wouldnt happen.

Bring your inflatable toy, with the box it came in to the RBNLI, I doubt that they will stand by their statement when they see where you intend to go and in what

From all the combined years experience telling you not to, the drownings recently, and nobody agreeing with you, except the gob-shite who PM'd me, (wouldn't post on forum though).....
Either don't post or use the advice that you asked for

Problem with those little inflatables is they are just too unstable, a lean to the side and a gust of wind will flip them. Seriously, there is a world of stuff out there for an opportunistic buyer that could have you putting together a much more seaworthy package for small (tiny money) by buying right. Even spending as little as a grand if you shop around will at least give you something with a little more stability for hoofing round the harbour on a good day.

never mind going to sea in a lidl special this is in a lake

the second video would proberly see the wind catch the floor of an inflatable
on some of those waves and flip it, waves are about 2 foot but can easily reach 5 foot
if there is a couble of km for it to build up

this video is of a lake boat in force 2 conditions
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 9440454803

and force 3 maybe touching force 4
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 423176908#

Have Lidl delivered the life-jackets yet?

hi blackest,
as mentioned by mohawk, its my job to rescue people who get into trouble at sea. Mostly people are unlucky, as events go against them, but some ask for trouble and the sea often will deliver for them.
At the end of the day, its up to you what you do, theres some greta advice on this forum, but i do feel you have made up your mind.
I have done a RNLI sea check,and its very good, now i have a 22 foot boat, and there are many things for you to have on the boat, i am sure you have found out what, trouble is, if you get all this gear, theres not going to be much room left in your lidl boat for passengers.
It was flat calm when the boat came to grief of helvick, so as the RNLI stated its up to the crews experiance,of course the boat was still there its a large float!, of course As usual, if lifejackets had been worn, then the outcome could have been a lot better, and maybe, they may well have been able to get back into the boat.
As i said its up to you, but with 35 years experiance, on boats and rescuing people , i would not go out into cork harbour, in that boat, but i would use it as a tender in a sheltered marina.
Your choice, hope its a good one,
regards
screeming
ps not sure if anyone has mentioned the obvious but hooks and rubber boats definately do not go hand in hand