Nonstop Solo Circumnavigation from Long Beach, CA

[Chuck]

Some interesting tidbits about Ken Barnes

Here's a link to an interesting article. I haven't seen anything to say if the boat was left to drift or if it was scuttled."Now the man who gave up nearly everything in his quest to sail around the world has lost both his boat and his best chance of realizing his dream.Barnes, 47, was rescued early Friday about 500 miles off South America's turbulent southern tip after three days adrift in his storm-shattered boat. He told relatives in a brief satellite phone call Thursday that his 44-foot steel-hulled ketch, the Privateer, was a total loss and would be left at sea."

 

[Chuck]

Scuttled

Actually, LA Times is reporting that the $250,000 boat was scuttled."He scuttled his boat, The Privateer, so that it would not present a hazard to other vessels."

 

[Moody Buccaneer]

Fair enough dry boots, no pardon

I didn't want list details and be accused of ragging on Ken.My experience is that successful ocean sailors have some traits that I do not see in the information that is presented on Ken's website. I count several successful sailors as personal friends. None of them will set out on a voyage of that magnitude unless they had enough time in the boat to know her ways.I don't think Ken knew his boat very well. He picked a boat known to be designed for heavy air and seemed frustrated and surprised by it's light air performance. If he knew his boat, he would not have planned and provisioned for a 270 day sail, then spent 2 months at a 375 day pace.Ken was surprised by the chafe. Chafe points would/could/should have been identified during shakedown cruises and eliminated. They should not be discovered less than 60 days into what has turned into a 375 day voyage.Ken finds time to explain why he doesn't fish. Ken never seems concerned that he is going to be 100 days short on food unless he starts making time.Ken never seems concerned about making up the time, he finds time to read while wearing earmuffs because the sails are making too much noise. As Ross pointed out, sailboats are normally very quiet if the sails and rig are well trimmed and tuned. The logical assumption is that Ken's sails were not well trimmed.I'm a numbers geek:Historically, heavy displacement boats like Kens sailed by racing crews have averaged passage speeds that are between .7 and .9 times the square root of their waterline length (the number is called the S/L ratio). Ken's boat has a 38 foot waterline (IIRC). Thus we can expect a crewed boat of that type racing across an ocean to average between 4.3 and 5.5 knots. That is between 103 and 132 miles a day. Ken planned the whole voyage at speeds that full racing crews attain. 100-150 miles a day.Is that an error in judgement that stands out as obvious to anyone else?His 80 miles a day is 3.33 knots ... .54 times the square root of LWL. .54 is 77% of .7 and 60% of .9 ... Is 60-77% of the speed of a racing crew about right for a single-hander? Maybe. I know that I can average 1.0 S/L for 24 hours while racing single-handed. I could not do it for 270 straight days. I would expect a combination of active trimming and steering and rest time while the autopilot drives to net somewhere in the .6-.7 range for a passage. Planning for 88 to 103 miles a day gives me 291 to 340 days as a reasonable target range. Ken says, "I anticipate an average 24 hour run of between 100-150 miles per day so the total time of the trip should be no longer than 6-8 months. Arriving home sometime between April and June. My hope is to beat that time (always a racer at heart)."How reasonable is his goal?Does his Log or track indicate that he had any idea of what performance to expect from the boat or himself?Could he have spent any time at sea in that boat and still have those expectations?Those are some of the things I saw that concerned me and lead to my conclusion.Not dissing Ken, just making observations. I think that the failure of the voyage was likely and predictable.

 

[Old Salt]

Moody - Amen

and well said

 

[dry boots drew]

Outstanding Moody

I would not suggest for a moment that I am any kind of salt, but as an engineer specializing in fluid and thermodynamics, I am aware that maximum (non-planing) boat speeds are proportional to length of waterline... and I have to say that with your latest post, you now you have my undivided attention. It is an exceptionally informative piece supported with facts and data! Remember, numbers don't lie, statistics can in the right hands. I want to thank you for taking the time to submit your thoughts in a structured and logical argument. All of the sudden you sound like the kind of guy I could learn a good deal from. I'm sure there are others on this post that will appreciate your comments and insights.In all honesty, my impression was that Ken was not seasoned or prepared, though he had the desire and the will to make it happen. Of course inexperience combined with exuberance can be a fateful combination.With regard to some of the chatter about Ken irresponsibly causing rescue personnel to be exposed to danger... well, by prior experience I feel qualified to offer an opinion on that. Professionals in a variety of fields such as firemen, police, soldiers, pilots, sailors choose employment that involve risk to self. At times the task at hand requires they put themselves in harm's way, that is what they signed up for. It was their choice and most such professionals relish the opportunity to even choose such a calling. It was my choice once and I enjoyed it immensely. In fact, the risk seemed to enhance the experience, to raise the stakes, to bring out one's best performance.If Ken plied himself into a position that required that these professionals exercise their skills and take some risk, so be it. They chose that profession and I don't think many chose it with the hopes that they would just hang around the base/station and collect a paycheck without ever being called to duty. If anything, Ken gave them a chance to exercise their capabilities, to hone their trade, to better learn their equipment and craft. For all we know someone involved in Ken's experience learned something that is going to help him save his or some other's life the next time he/she is called to duty. The world is a complicated place, the combinations and permutations are beyond comprehension, but we should all keep an open mind.

 

[Paul]

Get a Lawyer

Miss Barnes: You have a great looking family there and, of course, a great screenplay; as any southern Californian knows.Wait for the solid performers to make an offer for your story, keep your cloths on, get good advice.Glad your dad made it!

 

[Franklin]

Moody

I have a feeling he expected that many miles a day because that is about what is generally said from others that they did. I do think it's inexperienced to think that one is going to do that every day though, especially in a heavy weather boat.As for him going on this journey...well...he just didn't know any better. It's not foolish, it's ignorant. Foolish would suggest he knew better but didn't care. It's not like we are born natual sailors or not. If there is anybody to blame for this, it's those who have taught him what he knows. They didn't teach him that he was too inexperienced AND, most importantly, not educated enough about sailing and boats.I know that I was terribily uneducated when I got back into sailing 2 years ago. I was forunate that I had some to explain to me that it takes a while to not only get the experience, but to also become educated enough so that when you are getting the experience, you will not kill yourself.So please stop with the bashing of Ken. Ken is just like many of us who think we can do anything if we try and wasn't educated enough by peers and the boating industry. In otherwords, a blind baby never learns he is blind until somebody tells him. He knows he can't see but thinks that's normal.So if you want to put an end to dangerous boating like this, do your part to educate the sailors around you and look for the dreamers like me and Ken so you can help them out. Lets all band together and help each other out. Maybe our insurance rates will go down In the meantime, lets learn from each of these stories and not be so attackful.

 

[Bruce, S/V Aprendizaje]

Learning Curve

You might say that the greatest sailing experience that Ken has ever had, just happened to him. Going through what he has and having to scuttle his boat will stick with him for the rest of his life. It's a shame that he couldn't have managed to get his boat towed back to port. Been able to repair it, and continue on with his life's dream. My heart goes out to him. Can any of us imagine the heart ache he is going through? Can any of us imagine what his life will be like from now on? God, my heart goes out to him.Several years ago, I came around Cape Horn, going the other direction. I was on my way home on a solo circumnavigation. When I past that Cape, I said my little prayers thanking God for letting me get by that one. Then I let myself be proud. Thinking that it was just a little longer and I would have made it. WRONG!Off the coast of Brazil, and after one storm after another, I found myself in a boat that had no power, no mast, no fuel, and, and. I had been demasted, my fuel was fouled, batteries dead, and my heart was, oh so saddened. Something in side of me would not let me set off my EPRIB. I just couldn't bring myself to it. God, how dumb. I floated around for 7 days. Not to worry, I had lots of groceries, and I kept inventing new ways to try and get my lil darling going. A 44' Tayana. Then along came a Portugese/Brazilian fishing trawler. Between my poor Spanish and their no English, but such wonderful hearts, we managed to long line tow my boat into Recife.During the two months plus of repairing I learned some very wonderful sailing lessons. And I thought I had a good knowledge of sailing. After all I'd been sailing off shore for 30 plus years. Believe me, when repairmen, technicians and the like start looking at a boat, they can pretty much tell you what you did wrong. As in my case, the learning process put me in front of some very critical and truthful knoweldgable sailors. I attened some of the most embarassing learing lessons in my life. Reasons why my mast broke, why the fuel was fouled, why this, why that, and, and.Remember, I had sailed damn near around the world by myself. Had been in and out of some hairy ass storms and weather. I was guilty, in the end, of making some wrong decisions. Wrong decisions that cost me my solo "hash mark" if you will. All of the issues that I had encountered before those storms of Brazil didn't count anymore. Cuz they were in the past. And the decisions that I had made during them didn't count. What did count is, the decision I made in February of 2000 were wrong. I ended up demasted and dead in the water. And that is the FACT. None of the issues that happened before counted. The fact that I had to be with my towed boat and bring her back to life now counted. I floated around out there for 7 days, trying anything I could. Hell, I had all kinds of food. Made water by boiling it. I still had propane and a stove. The decisions I made during the bad weather was what put me where I was. Wrong decisions!I still sail today. In fact I deliver boats for owners when ever asked. I've only once solo sailed since that time. Once I did a solo from California to Spain. Solo sailing is for special people. There is nothing so wonderful as another person's mind, another person's help when you are out there. Solo sailors are a unique breed. A unique breed that God creatates. After all they are God's creatures. It's just that they put themselves up against some of the most dangerous elements known to man the OCEAN AND WEATHER.My heart goes out to Ken Barnes for where he is at today, and for the rest of his life. How many questions that he will never be able to answer. How many hours he will lie awake before falling off to sleep thinking of every moment, every incident of what he has been through. What started out as a great dream has now turned into one hell of life lesson. What a learning curve.I guess you might say, the difference between Kan and I was the fact that I wasn't going to give up my boat. I would have rather died on her rather than set off my Emergency Beacon. What dumb pride eh? Ken on the other hand get saved, get ashore and gets home. Me, like a dummy, I stayed with my boat, and went through the learning lessons while I repaired her. Some of those lessons were very critical, to say the least. Expecially to my ego!You know the other thing, Ken has a wonderful loving family that is fighting for him. Waiting to love and welcome him. Me, I thought that if I couldn't finish what I had undertaken that my family would be ashamed of me. I never gave them the chance to be family. Like I say, my heart goes out to you Ken Barnes. And God bless his family for be what they are. Right or wrong, good or bad, hero or just plain sailor they stood up for the man they love. Ken, what ever you do in life, you've done one thing to perfection. You've empowered your family to be there for you. You are loved by God, and your job is not done on this earth. You just managed to get a few more tools to deal with when you need them.In my life today, when ever I hear all of those off-shore sailors get together and start comparing "horror stories," I usually continue my way. And when ever a fellow sailor asks me about my sailing, I remember to tell him how wonderful sailing is. Telling him of all the great days and times I've had out on the ocean all of my life. Telling people of all the terrible times, to me, does no good. Not to my thinking. Tell the world of our wonderful little coves, of the wonderful meals, with the salt air, with wonderful friends, tell everybody about those times. That's what sailing is about. Share with the world our journey, what it's like to be underway with the silence of the air. Share those times!As a writer's note: "Right now I looking to buy a new Oyster, their 655. God willing I will continue sailing for the rest of my able years. But, I doubt that any serious sailing will ever be done SOLO again. My year solo'ng was enough for me.Be well,Bruce

 

[Dave]

Would you have fared better than Barnes...?

'On Tuesday, a storm with winds of 108 knots and 45-foot waves snapped the Privateer's masts and sent chilly (3 feet of) ocean water into the boat's cabin and engine, destroying the electrical and steering systems.'"The climate was very, very bad, some of the worst we've ever seen," Valenzuela said. Barnes "encountered the perfect storm. That's the only problem he had."

 

[Franklin]

Dave

Ken says he had 35-45 knots of wind. There was a low pressure of 955 mdbs so I don't argue that there were conditions like that out there, but Ken was not in it. He says he broached and then rolled when a gust of 50 knots came. The strange thing I heard from his interview was that he had a drogue out after he lost his mast.I'm under the impression that he was concerned about making good time to round the cape and didn't have that drogue out before the broach because that drogue should have prevented the broach. I think he should have also only had one sail up, if any at all, and had the sheet to that sail in his hand so he could dump it if necessary. If he did those two things, he wouldn't have broached. He would have stayed out there longer so maybe the rest of the storm could have caught up with him and then he could have put out a sea anchor and survived that.This is why the Panama Canal was created

 

[Peter]

but many saw disaster was imminent

Despite the treacherous storm he faced, many apprehensions arising from his blog revealing a serious lack of knowledge in several respects were voiced on this board since it was first posted that he was attempting the circumnavigation. Among these, serious storms are to be expected and prepared for. It seems he haphazardly navigated his way into this storm, and it seems he chose the boat to endure such weather on its own. Of course, every situation presents an opportunity to learn something, and I am very glad that he'll be able to apply whatever lessons he has learned tomorrow if he chooses.

 

[NautiDuck]

Ridiculous

The notion that a person cannot be criticized because he didn't know any better is ridiculous. This is an online forum for crying out loud. We're here to express our opinions. If you don't like criticism of this guy then you should stop reading this thread.

 

[camaraderie]

You know Moody & Old Salt...

I've been reluctant to be too harsh on Ken especially while the rescue was under way and until we heard from him. But based on his own comments yesterday and the logbook entries...I think I'm coming around to your points of view in terms of preparedness and ego. At least I think he now has to prove he wasn't an idiot instead of being given the benefit of the doubt. How can you get rolled in conditions AS DESCRIBED BY HIM that are to be EXPECTED in that part of the world as a regular part of the weather if you have prepared the boat and YOURSELF??Not...that there aren't lots of other "idiots" who have made successful voyages...Like Tanya Aebi....for instance. An occasional success doesn't make that the new "gold standard"...any more than that 14 year old kid in the souped up Macgregor should be our model! So now Ken Barnes must speak to the sailing community and let us know what the hell he was doing out there and how it all went wrong. Unfortunately, I think we may have to pay $22.95 for the book before we get the answers....at least if his ego is as big as I'm beginning to thin it is.

 

[Franklin]

Book

Gotta pay for that $250,000 he just lost at sea

 

[sailortonyb Allied Mis]

I dont read much............

I dont read much about what most solo voyagers use for their rigging configuration but I can tell you this....A ketch or a yawl is much easier for a single handler especially when the weather goes bad. Their are much more options for your sail plans and much easier to balance the boat. Since you have more sails and masts, the individual sail square footage per sail is much less than a sloop. Since there is less square footage, the sails are much easier to handle. The mizzen adds tremendously to steerage. But I guess you experts here know much more about boat designs than guys like John Cherubibi, Hunter's major designer of the older Hunter Boats. Other famous naval architects also prefer the ketch rig, but what the hell do they know, they dont ever read about all of your experiences on here. I think most of you on here lack the guts and ambition that Ken has, so rather than admire him, you elect to feel superior by your great wisdom. Kinda like...he aint got guts, he is stupid. I on the other hand am much smarter, thats why i wont do it. If the young lad that just made the Atlantic crossing had gone through the weather than Ken did and had an unfortunate ending, would you be condeming his dad for letting his son go on a suicide mission in a 28 footer? If someone were to prepare properly for a trip like this magnitude, anything under 50 ft would sink from the weight.I guess if you never venture far from your dock, you will always be safe and continue to criticize others that are the "doers" of this world. What would all of you great knowledgeable sailors have told Columbus? Hey Chris, you dont have enough food, those are unchartered waters, you dont know if there is a compass deviation, you dont know that the world is slightly larger than you think, how do u know your voyage will not be successful because there might be another land mass in your way, and the list goes on and on.Columbus, magellan, and all other pioneers were under prepared. Would you have told the Wright Bros that their airplane was too flimsy?If adventurers like Ken die at a young age, their life will have been more fulfilling than the meager lives of those that sit, dream and criticize.Its OK to look back at Kens unfortunate experience and gather facts to learn from his experience, but not OK to cut him to ribbons because he did something you will never come close to even in your dreams. Sounds like extreme jealousy.

 

[Tom h]

where's Cleveland Dave

Dave, do you belong to any Marina's? If so, invite me over for a brewski or two.This weather has been so awesome, i am sorry I took the boat out of the water. As bad as October was, who'd a thunk it. I am going to get the 20'er out and maybe go out next weekend to celebrate my birthday of 55!! Yikes!

 

[Old Salt]

William from Cape Cod

I don't know where you get your experience from saying:"Taking a steel ketch or yawl is not an easy task, especially a small one, most solo voyagers would take a more practical rig like a cutter or sloop, easier to handle for one person."Harry Pidgeon & Francis Chichester had a Yawl, Dumas, Moitessier & Robin Knox-Johnston had a Ketch. Etc Etc Etc . In fact almost half of the Solo Circumnavigators listed in the "Slocum Society" (single handed circumnavigators) have sailed it in a Ketch or a YawlI do agree with very much, that a transpac or atlantic circle for practice would have made all the world of difference between success and failure. It appears that Ken was trying to take a "shortcut" by not trying to really learn his boat and seamanship with her in rough weather and instead just "took off".ps. Florida Sailor that comment about Kens daughter is so cheesy and a bit offensive - come on. Plus thats peroxide blonde anyway

 

[NautiDuck]

Yes, I would

Tony:"If the young lad that just made the Atlantic crossing had gone through the weather than Ken did and had an unfortunate ending, would you be condeming his dad for letting his son go on a suicide mission in a 28 footer? "Yes, in fact I will criticize the publicity seeking dad without such a tragedy. This and the Barnes trip were driven by ego. It is not some big noble deal to "live your dreams" without knowing what the hell you are doing. Anyone can by a boat and set sail. Does that make him/her someone to be admired? Hell no.Looking for someone to admire? How about someone who does his homework and then sails off without a big to-do and web site.Florida Sailor:Yes, those two could give Boat Babe a run for her money. ;-)

 

[Moody Buccaneer]

" ... as I slept I wandered right into it ."

"If the young lad that just made the Atlantic crossing had gone through the weather than Ken did and had an unfortunate ending, would you be condeming his dad for letting his son go on a suicide mission in a 28 footer?"Very good point. It shows that picking your boat and picking your route based on the expected weather on your route is an important factor in safe and successful passages.We have a 14 year old boy in a 28ft? boat.We have a 40ish woman in a 28 ft boat.We have a 47 year old man in 44 ft boat.Of the three, who did their home work and who didn't?The woman in the 28 footer was in the same ocean, same area, at the same time as Ken. Yet she managed not to get caught in the worst of the storm.IMO that is not just luck.Ken: "Well I’ve spent the last 4 days in a storm. It started on Dec. 23 when I was sailing along in 20 kts and went to sleep. At around 2am (why always at night) on the 24th I noticed the wind generators were making a lot of noise and I was no longer sleeping in the traditional horizontal position. It seems that as I slept the wind took the opportunity to increase to 35 kts. Well after trying for a while, in my muttled condition, to figure out which way to turn the autopilot to head downwind I finally started to get things sorted out, in my head, now for the boat. First of all I knew there was a large low pressure system ahead of me when I went to sleep but I had been watching these lows and they all seemed to pass by rather quickly, usually in about 24 hours so my thinking was this one will pass and I will get in behind it, I thought wrong. This low decided to camp out for 3 days and as I slept I wandered right into it."When newbs post questions like "What way do I turn the autopilot to head downwind." on this site ... someone is likely to roast them.How is roasting Ken any different?

 

[Monday Morning Quarteback]

Naysayers, Know-it-alls, Armchair Sailors and ...

Other Assorted Character TypesIn the movie of the week, they will be looking to fill up the 2 hrs. with all of you.