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Hard to believe
This is a poster child for all who advocate licensing/classroom requirements for sailing. Total lack of basic sailing knowledge, lack of backups, overconfidence/absolute reliance on electronics etc., etc.
This is a poster child for all who advocate licensing/classroom requirements for sailing. Total lack of basic sailing knowledge, lack of backups, overconfidence/absolute reliance on electronics etc., etc.
I picked up on the story on the CWBB
("Cruising World Bulletin Board" for those who are wondering). The folks there made some VERY worthwhile observations..and I'm sure there will be more. Link to the thread is below. Stories like these are becoming more and more frequent as more and more people who believe that electronics are a substitute for knowledge, skill and the experience required to attain them are taking boats offshore.
("Cruising World Bulletin Board" for those who are wondering). The folks there made some VERY worthwhile observations..and I'm sure there will be more. Link to the thread is below. Stories like these are becoming more and more frequent as more and more people who believe that electronics are a substitute for knowledge, skill and the experience required to attain them are taking boats offshore.
But, Did the Rig Come Down ??? ,
Did all this happen because he wasn't on a "Bluewater" boat?? Did the deck-hull joint fail?? Did the chain plates fail?? Did the stern hatches leak??? Was the GPS defective?? Did the boat have a correctly pitched prop?? But, most of all, will the Easter Bunny REALLY fix his boat??? Anyway, the clear moral of this story... NEVER trust a Hunter or any other production boat near the surf.. they will inevetably run themselves aground ! ! Everyone have a nice Thanksgiving !
Did all this happen because he wasn't on a "Bluewater" boat?? Did the deck-hull joint fail?? Did the chain plates fail?? Did the stern hatches leak??? Was the GPS defective?? Did the boat have a correctly pitched prop?? But, most of all, will the Easter Bunny REALLY fix his boat??? Anyway, the clear moral of this story... NEVER trust a Hunter or any other production boat near the surf.. they will inevetably run themselves aground ! ! Everyone have a nice Thanksgiving !
Someone Should Tell Him to Save His GPS Money
It would be much better spent on a Power Squadron or Coast Guard Auxiliary Class or two.
It would be much better spent on a Power Squadron or Coast Guard Auxiliary Class or two.
The line that really gets me is when he says
"I will always have two GPS units on board after this," ......Duh!....he still doesn't get it. How about learning to read a chart or something....What about getting your binoculars out and reading a navigational marker and figuring out where that puts you on a chart !?.....Unbelievable. What about knowing where you are "basically" at and then dead-reckon from there... I've had a GPS go out and was able to get home, yeah, its not as easy as with GPS and I had to constantly refer to charts and triangulate positions, but everyone should be able to do it. I could understand the mix-up if there was low visibility with rain or fog and you can't see where you are at, but really....
"I will always have two GPS units on board after this," ......Duh!....he still doesn't get it. How about learning to read a chart or something....What about getting your binoculars out and reading a navigational marker and figuring out where that puts you on a chart !?.....Unbelievable. What about knowing where you are "basically" at and then dead-reckon from there... I've had a GPS go out and was able to get home, yeah, its not as easy as with GPS and I had to constantly refer to charts and triangulate positions, but everyone should be able to do it. I could understand the mix-up if there was low visibility with rain or fog and you can't see where you are at, but really....
How about a compass?
The article says that he didn't know what direction he was headed because he didn't have a GPS. No standard equiptment such as a COMPASS?
The article says that he didn't know what direction he was headed because he didn't have a GPS. No standard equiptment such as a COMPASS?
would he have made it with enough anchor rode?
He tried to anchor in 60' of water. Do you think he would have stayed put if he had the 455 ft of anchor rode?
He tried to anchor in 60' of water. Do you think he would have stayed put if he had the 455 ft of anchor rode?
He still doesn’t get it!!
I agree with Tom, getting two GPS doesn’t address the root cause of his problem; he doesn’t know how to navigate or have a clue about basic seamanship. After losing the GPS only an hour after weighting anchor from Block Island, he should have immediately looked at his charts to find the closest safe anchorage or harbor if he didn’t know how to navigate using “Dead Reckoning”. Since he was only one hour from Block Island, he could have done a “One-Eighty” at least and back tracked to Block Island. As Paul stated earlier it’s hard to believe that he didn’t have a compass. After losing his primary navigation instrument, his GPS, he still continued to sail for seven hours without knowing how to DR using his charts. He should have called the Coast Guard earlier and requested a position fix and the course heading to the nearest safe harbor instead of waiting seven hours until he had no other option. If he had asked for help earlier, it would have saved the US taxpayer the cost of sending out the two 47-foot motor lifeboats to rescue a guy with enough money to buy a sailboat but doesn’t have the brains to learn how to sail. Fair Winds. Clyde
I agree with Tom, getting two GPS doesn’t address the root cause of his problem; he doesn’t know how to navigate or have a clue about basic seamanship. After losing the GPS only an hour after weighting anchor from Block Island, he should have immediately looked at his charts to find the closest safe anchorage or harbor if he didn’t know how to navigate using “Dead Reckoning”. Since he was only one hour from Block Island, he could have done a “One-Eighty” at least and back tracked to Block Island. As Paul stated earlier it’s hard to believe that he didn’t have a compass. After losing his primary navigation instrument, his GPS, he still continued to sail for seven hours without knowing how to DR using his charts. He should have called the Coast Guard earlier and requested a position fix and the course heading to the nearest safe harbor instead of waiting seven hours until he had no other option. If he had asked for help earlier, it would have saved the US taxpayer the cost of sending out the two 47-foot motor lifeboats to rescue a guy with enough money to buy a sailboat but doesn’t have the brains to learn how to sail. Fair Winds. Clyde
GPS, just a backup
I for one would never depend solely on any electrical devices. You must be able to, at the very least tell the general direction you are headed by stars, sun, moon, wind, landmarks (if any) and of course navigational aids. Always plan ahead. As the sun sets or weather turns foul be sure to get your bearings.
I for one would never depend solely on any electrical devices. You must be able to, at the very least tell the general direction you are headed by stars, sun, moon, wind, landmarks (if any) and of course navigational aids. Always plan ahead. As the sun sets or weather turns foul be sure to get your bearings.
Your turn is coming!
Sounds like a candidate for a power boat!
I absolutely love when a boater comes into our marina or up to our boat and asks "Do you know where we are?" or "Can you tell me how to get .....". I seem to think this is more common than we would like to think. We seem to be a group of judgmental !#@#*&#'s in here. Are we? Well, at least, very opinionated. very Happy (not to be that) Turkey Day, Mike D p.s. Remember we all get a shot at doing something stupid and extremely embarrassing every now and then!
Sounds like a candidate for a power boat!
I absolutely love when a boater comes into our marina or up to our boat and asks "Do you know where we are?" or "Can you tell me how to get .....". I seem to think this is more common than we would like to think. We seem to be a group of judgmental !#@#*&#'s in here. Are we? Well, at least, very opinionated. very Happy (not to be that) Turkey Day, Mike D p.s. Remember we all get a shot at doing something stupid and extremely embarrassing every now and then!Thanks for your mistakes
Someone once said, "Learn from the mistakes of others, because you won’t live long enough to make them all yourself." Good advice for everyone but especially sailors. Happy sails _/), MArk
Someone once said, "Learn from the mistakes of others, because you won’t live long enough to make them all yourself." Good advice for everyone but especially sailors. Happy sails _/), MArk
Sheesh, Mike!
I'm a powerboater...but even I know how to use a compass! And as long as you're pickin' on us...whyizzit that there haven't been any reports of powerboaters that had to be rescued by the CG??? Don't say it's because they can't carry enough fuel to go far enough offshore to need rescuing...there are plenty of trawlers and diesel powered stinkpots who carry enough fuel to make it all the way to Bermuda from LI Sound...or the BVI from FL. It used to BE that it sailing required skills but all a stinkpotters needed to know was how to turn the key and go...but those days are over. New hull designs, roller furler and electronics are now putting at least as many idiots on the water in sailboats as there are in powerboats. "Progress" doesn't always move in a forward direction...sometimes it causes more problems than it solves until people catch up with it and learn how to use it properly--figure out that technology is an aid, not a substiture for knowlege, skill and experience. It helps if the owners IQ is a higher number than the LOA of his boat.
I'm a powerboater...but even I know how to use a compass! And as long as you're pickin' on us...whyizzit that there haven't been any reports of powerboaters that had to be rescued by the CG??? Don't say it's because they can't carry enough fuel to go far enough offshore to need rescuing...there are plenty of trawlers and diesel powered stinkpots who carry enough fuel to make it all the way to Bermuda from LI Sound...or the BVI from FL. It used to BE that it sailing required skills but all a stinkpotters needed to know was how to turn the key and go...but those days are over. New hull designs, roller furler and electronics are now putting at least as many idiots on the water in sailboats as there are in powerboats. "Progress" doesn't always move in a forward direction...sometimes it causes more problems than it solves until people catch up with it and learn how to use it properly--figure out that technology is an aid, not a substiture for knowlege, skill and experience. It helps if the owners IQ is a higher number than the LOA of his boat.
Peggy, what are you talking about !?!
You said "whyizzit that there haven't been any reports of powerboaters that had to be rescued by the CG???" WHAT !?! I read the Sounding Magazine up here and I always read about the the CG rescuing motor boats all season long ! Its in the main articles but also in the section that has monthly CG reports. (ps.Way too many are when the stinkpotter turns on the autoilot and leaves the helm only to find themselves on the rocks somewhere). I don't even have time to list them all, but they run many multiples to every sailboat needing rescue. This story is so noteworthy because we expect more from our fellow sailors.
You said "whyizzit that there haven't been any reports of powerboaters that had to be rescued by the CG???" WHAT !?! I read the Sounding Magazine up here and I always read about the the CG rescuing motor boats all season long ! Its in the main articles but also in the section that has monthly CG reports. (ps.Way too many are when the stinkpotter turns on the autoilot and leaves the helm only to find themselves on the rocks somewhere). I don't even have time to list them all, but they run many multiples to every sailboat needing rescue. This story is so noteworthy because we expect more from our fellow sailors.
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It's absolutely amazing...
...how may clueless boaters are out there today. Stories like this really reinforce that.
...how may clueless boaters are out there today. Stories like this really reinforce that.
we'd feel better if he had a motorboat!
Tom, you're assuming he had a chart (for new york!)and maybe a compass
Tom, you're assuming he had a chart (for new york!)and maybe a compass
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