Sailing Zephyr · video

What this video covers

The sailboat Sea Dogs ran aground on the beach at Formentera, Spain, after its windlass clutch failed while anchored.2:49 Large passenger ferries traveling between Ibiza and Formentera frequently passed the anchorage at high speeds, creating swells up to three feet.5:52 This constant, violent vertical motion caused the windlass clutch nut to loosen progressively, allowing the anchor chain to pay out continuously.6:46 As the boat drifted backward, the clutch nut failed completely, causing the remaining chain to spill rapidly into the water.7:11 The chain eventually snapped its safety line inside the chain locker, resulting in the total loss of the anchor and chain on the seafloor.7:34 The vessel drifted onto the beach before a salvage team arrived to assist.7:54 The incident highlights the risks of anchoring without a snubber in areas subject to heavy ferry-induced swell, as the lack of shock absorption places extreme, repetitive stress on windlass components.6:14

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