Ken Barns...

[tom]

Storm Tactics depend upon the Boat

If you have a heavy canoe stern full keel boat your tactics would be much different than if you had a Beneteau scoop stern, fin keel, spade rudder. Some boats will take care of themselves pretty well and others have to be actively controlled. Most boats are probably somewhere in between. Ideally the captain has experience with the boat and knows what works with his boat. That experience hopefully comes gradually not suddenly finding oneself in a survival situation in a strange boat. As I understand the situation Ken had very little experience with this boat before setting off around the world. Near the tip of South America doesn't seem like a good place to become familar with a new boat!!!! Chicken that I am I became familar with my new boat in Choctawhatchee Bay before heading into the gulf of mexico. Sailed the boat for almost a year in Mobile Bay before doing a 40 mile passage in the gulf. If I ever get the chance to sail around the world I won't head straight to the southern capes. Not much adrenaline that way...but maybe I'd make it around.

 

[Arturo]

Ross

Just joshin' with you Ross. After all that has been said I toowould like to hear what the person involved has to say himself. Maybe we could all learn something.Arturo.

 

[Ross]

Arturo, That's cool!

D:

 

[Brian D]

But it is only his word...

His account of what happened. Unfortunately, there is only one side of the story.

 

[Ross]

Pick up a stick this horse ain't dead yet!

I have been considering the priorities involved in a circumnavigation.At the top of the list must be constant boat care.Next must be the care of the crew. Storm tactics must get a place of importance.Navigation is so obvious that we might not place a high emphasis there.A damage control plan and damage control equipment. Considerable experience must be had in making safe approaches to land.I suppose that some of these should be number one.perhaps the lowest line item should be the pursuit of some "He done it first" record.I saw a movie about stock car racing and the question about the most important thing to do in an auto race. The answer was and is finishing.I have been looking for places close to home that would be challenging in terms of making safe approaches to land. Rounding Cape Horn is not to be compared with rounding Florida. Perhaps more like sailing from Long Island sound to all of the way around Manhatten Island and Staten Island to New Jersey. Lets play with this idea for a while.

 

[Brian D]

I want to circumnavigate...

Catalina Island. Solo. Single handed. Wonder if I can get a record for being the oldest to do that. Maybe get some news coverage if I dismast. Really though, Ross, You might want to try rounding Florida during a hurricane. That might be almost equivalent to rounding the horn, just not as cold.And, I'm serious about circumnavigating Catalina Island. Want to do that and several other islands to get more experience sailing.

 

[Ross]

BrianD, How many channel islands

are there? Has anyone circumnavigated all of them clockwise and then counter-clockwise? We have a milestone sailing goal here in the Chesapeake area. That is to circumnavigate Delmarva peninsula. The usual route is out the Delaware bay past Cape Henlopen then south to Cape Charles and north up the bay to home. The prize is the personal satisfaction of having done it.

 

[Brian D]

There are seven, Ross...

Four off Long Beach/L.A in the San Pedro Channel and three to the north-west of them in the Santa Barbra Channel.

 

[Ross]

There ya go. Circumnavigate them

individually. That's good for seven trips. Be carefull here you could start something.

 

[camaraderie]

Ken Barnes new post...

Barnes has just updated his website with his complete account about what happened. Quite a bit of detail and corrected some misinformation from earlier posts. Here it is:http://www.kensolo.com/kenstatus.htm

 

[Ross]

He still leaves more questions than answers.

I wasn't there so I can't know his circunstance or his mind. I find it sad that it ended this way.