Question 1

Despite watching, the dinghy drifts behind some moored boats and cannot be seen any more. What should the crew do now?

Accepted Answer

Note the last known position, direction of drift, and roughly how long ago it was last seen — this information will help enormously whether searching yourselves or, if needed, asking others (harbour master, other boats, Coastguard) to help look for it Even once something is out of sight, the last known position, time, and direction of drift are extremely useful — this is exactly the kind of basic information search-and-rescue type thinking relies on, whether it is a missing dinghy or something more serious. Moving towards the last known direction (while staying safe) gives a much better chance of relocating it than staying still.

Question 2

SUNBEAM is anchored in a bay. Two cadets row the dinghy ashore for a walk, leaving it pulled up on the beach. Later, someone notices the dinghy has drifted off and is floating away on its own. What is the first thing to check?

Accepted Answer

Check that no one is in or near the dinghy and that it is genuinely empty and adrift, not just out of sight behind something — then keep watching its position closely so it is not lost track of completely The very first concern with any adrift boat is whether anyone could be in danger because of it — confirming it is empty matters most. After that, keeping a continuous eye on its position is important, because a drifting dinghy can move out of sight surprisingly quickly with wind or current, making it much harder to recover later.

Question 3

It turns out the dinghy was not properly tied up or pulled high enough up the beach, and the tide rising lifted it free. What does this tell the crew?

Accepted Answer

A rising tide can lift and float away a dinghy that seemed safely beached only a short time before — dinghies should always be tied to something secure on shore, or pulled up well above the expected high water line, not just left resting on the sand A classic and very common mistake is leaving a small boat just resting on a beach without considering how much the tide will rise while it is left there — what looks like a safe distance from the water can disappear within an hour or two on a rising tide. Tying off to something fixed ashore, or genuinely pulling it well clear of the expected high water mark, prevents this.