Ok be prepared I am going to start a Rant on Ken, the ill prepared solo sailor and his ego driven folly. Yes I am calling it what it is. First let me say that I truly hope he gets home safe ! I REALLY mean that. Second thing I hope happens is he gets a bill from the Chilean gov't or whatever local agency is going to spend $10,000 or $100,000 trying to rescue him. Nothing wrong with personal ego driven folly's God Bless them ! Though I draw the line when I hear that it will cost the "common man" to pay for this "singular ego driven folly" This is a bad message to other "potential" world cruisers. All you need is an EPIRB and when you get your behind in trouble just call "mommy" and some government will spend $$$ and get you home and safe and tucked in some warm bed. NOW LETS PUT SOME PARAMETERS AROUND THIS - NOT ALL RESCUES WOULD FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY. Remember this is not some merchant marine doing his job or some fisherman or cruising family trying to avoid harms way and got caught in a bad spot. This is a guy that deliberately sailed into "harms way" - Heck this isn't even some professional sailor like the Volvo Ocean series that really know what they are doing. This guy is a sailor that has done local cruising and races off the coast of So Cal. That is it. I saw this coming from the start, here was someone ill prepared to do a Solo Circumnavigation (NON - STOP MIND YOU !) as his first open ocean blue water transit. It had failure written all over it. Sure I suspected it could be accomplished. There are favorable weather windows all the time, but I had a sneaking suspicion that if he hit any real nasty weather for any length of time he'd be bailing out. As it is the weather is nasty to be sure (40 knot winds 10-20 foot seas), but nothing you shouldn't expect and be ready for if you were planning on going around Cape Horn or Cape Good Hope. He didn't even make it through the first extended bad weather window. I love when I see people doing tremendous personal accomplishments such as Solo Sail around the world non-stop, but that is when people build up a series of experiences that culminate in a triumphant event. Bernard Moitessier took half his life sailing alone in the far east and Africa, etc before he attempted a solo single handed circumnavigation (and he wrecked a few boats before he had enough experience !!) This guy Ken was trying to do it all the easy way, on the first try, without earning the experience. Now don't get me wrong it is a lot more than I have done or will do, but that's because I know what I can and can't do with the skills and experience I have now and whenever I push the envelope of what I want to try I go in small incremental steps. His Southern California feel good ego was leaps and bounds beyond his skills and experience. He never even tried one sail to Hawaii first He just went straight for "AROUND THE WORLD/NON STOP/SOLO". That typical "feel good" "knee jerk" desire was foolish and ego driven. Yes he has "desire" but he doesn't seem to back that up with the "will" nor the mental fortitude. A quote from his girlfreind after speaking to him showed him to be "losing it a bit" and not handling the stress that well, even though he is in communication with multiple and in a boat that is still floating and stable. The big ironic twist is it looks like he might be rescued by a woman (Donna Lange) who is doing a circumnavigation herself, but it seems like she is taking her time, doing it the right way, has a lot more sea time under her belt and also not doing it with a lot of fan fair. Good for her !
:( RANT about ill prepared solo sailor
- Thread starter Old Salt
- Start date
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Governments around the world waste billions around
the world every day. In my book, any money spent on this rescue would be the best money spent. And Old Salt, your RANT sounds like a WHINE of a know-it-all to me. I will leave it to others to expose the fallacy of your argument but I will focus on a couple of your statements. "Now don't get me wrong it is a lot more than I have done or will do, but that's because I know what I can and can't do with the skills and experience I have now..." You're correct: Ken's done more than you have done or will ever do. You're also to be commended for knowing what you can and can't do. But some of the greatest advances in the world have happened when people refused to be told what can or can't be done. It will be a far poorer world to live in if men never tried what can't be done or always did only what can be done. If a man is willing to put everything he's got on the line for something he believes in (Ken Barnes certainly did), more power to him. If it turns out he has made a mistake, let society do what it can to get him back on his feet. Even if hundreds of Ken Barnes turn out to be wrong for one Ken Barnes who turns out to be correct, society is paid back a million fold. Everyone wins if you make it possible for the next Ken Barnes to follow his passion wherever it may lead him.
the world every day. In my book, any money spent on this rescue would be the best money spent. And Old Salt, your RANT sounds like a WHINE of a know-it-all to me. I will leave it to others to expose the fallacy of your argument but I will focus on a couple of your statements. "Now don't get me wrong it is a lot more than I have done or will do, but that's because I know what I can and can't do with the skills and experience I have now..." You're correct: Ken's done more than you have done or will ever do. You're also to be commended for knowing what you can and can't do. But some of the greatest advances in the world have happened when people refused to be told what can or can't be done. It will be a far poorer world to live in if men never tried what can't be done or always did only what can be done. If a man is willing to put everything he's got on the line for something he believes in (Ken Barnes certainly did), more power to him. If it turns out he has made a mistake, let society do what it can to get him back on his feet. Even if hundreds of Ken Barnes turn out to be wrong for one Ken Barnes who turns out to be correct, society is paid back a million fold. Everyone wins if you make it possible for the next Ken Barnes to follow his passion wherever it may lead him.
Oh please ...
Read what Ken wrote during his passage. Read the journal of any successful solo passage maker. Make a list of similarities on one side of the paper and a list of things that seem odd or just wrong on the other. If you were to set a goal with the intention of actually completing it, wouldn't you make darn sure you were prepared? If you were going to something as simple a run a marathon, would you jog daily and runs some shorter races before making the marathon try? Or would you just crush out your smoke that morning, strip down to your shorts and start running? A 400 mile offshore shake down and a solo trip to Hawaii might have allowed Ken to have his boat sorted out and see if he really wants to spend 9 months at sea. From the information available to us, it does not look like he spent very much time at sea in the boat before setting off around the world. Its like he always wanted to run the marathon, bought some shoes and took off with no prior training or conditioning. Is it really a shock to hear he didn't make it? Dreamers may be valuable to you, but this attempt was poorly thought out. It will make getting support that much harder for the next guy that wants to try. If some poor Chilean enlisted man looses his life in an effort to rescue Ken, what light does that put his lack of preparation in?
Read what Ken wrote during his passage. Read the journal of any successful solo passage maker. Make a list of similarities on one side of the paper and a list of things that seem odd or just wrong on the other. If you were to set a goal with the intention of actually completing it, wouldn't you make darn sure you were prepared? If you were going to something as simple a run a marathon, would you jog daily and runs some shorter races before making the marathon try? Or would you just crush out your smoke that morning, strip down to your shorts and start running? A 400 mile offshore shake down and a solo trip to Hawaii might have allowed Ken to have his boat sorted out and see if he really wants to spend 9 months at sea. From the information available to us, it does not look like he spent very much time at sea in the boat before setting off around the world. Its like he always wanted to run the marathon, bought some shoes and took off with no prior training or conditioning. Is it really a shock to hear he didn't make it? Dreamers may be valuable to you, but this attempt was poorly thought out. It will make getting support that much harder for the next guy that wants to try. If some poor Chilean enlisted man looses his life in an effort to rescue Ken, what light does that put his lack of preparation in?
He did seem unprepaired
His web site indicated that when he was looking for a boat he thought to go with a fast boat to "drive around the storms" or a metal one "built to take the most extreme weather". Neither approach IMHO is the right one. He appears to be analyzing it from the "the boat will save me" point of view and not the "my actions will save me" one. Lots of boats have made this trip so the type of boat is not really the issue is it? I suspect only one type of sailor has made it though, one that knows what he is doing. Of course this is how some folks learn. I personally prefer the crawl-walk-run approach and not the crawl-go for broke approach as it tends to cost less money. Lets all keep Ken in our prayers.
His web site indicated that when he was looking for a boat he thought to go with a fast boat to "drive around the storms" or a metal one "built to take the most extreme weather". Neither approach IMHO is the right one. He appears to be analyzing it from the "the boat will save me" point of view and not the "my actions will save me" one. Lots of boats have made this trip so the type of boat is not really the issue is it? I suspect only one type of sailor has made it though, one that knows what he is doing. Of course this is how some folks learn. I personally prefer the crawl-walk-run approach and not the crawl-go for broke approach as it tends to cost less money. Lets all keep Ken in our prayers.
Ridiculous...
"Ego driven Folly" c'mon now millions of taxpayers throughout the world pay trillions on "ego driven folly's" every day. Is it not an ego driven folly for the "rocket scientists" to spend billions on their "ego driven folly"? Is it not an ego driven folly for egocentric scientists to spend BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars trying to prove or disprove global warming? Was it not an ego driven folly that drove Ben Franklin to fly a kite during a lightning storm? What is the cost to local governments like NH's to rescue all the ego driven folks that require rescues in the White Mountains every year? Was it his ego that caused James Kim to attempt to drive over a mountain pass, during a storm, to take a "shortcut". This folly wond up costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in search and rescue? He was ill prepared to be driving a two wheel drive car in the mountains of Oregon in the winter! Is it not an ego driven folly for a 70 year old man to bed, a 40 year old woman, have a heart attack and wind up in the ER with no insurance? Is it not an ego driven folly for ANY sailor to be out on the ocean? Any sailor at any time could get into trouble and require rescue. How many cruising boats seek rescue every year? Lots! Just read the coast guard logs. Is it not an ego driven folly for a couple of rednecks to head out of a rough inlet, to find Tarpon or Snook, in a 14 foot Miro Craft and then require rescue? C'mon where do you draw the line? We can't legislate stupidity so until we can or we can force everyone to prove they are prepared we face the consequences as a society. I for one don't want to be the one sitting across the desk, from the 70 year old, telling him he is not prepared, healthy enough or that he does not have enough insurance to be allowed by the government to have sex!! When your boat is holed by a partially submerged object I hope you plan on treading water for a while. This would give you time to contemplate how your own "ego driven folly", to venture out in the ocean, ill prepared, to hit a submerged object impacted others. How would your "folly" impact taxpayers, your family and the impact on the environment caused by the spilled diesel and other chemicals dispersed by your sunken vessel? If we follow your logic Magellan, Columbus, Alan Sheperd, Shackelton and others should have be banned form setting out on "potentially dangerous" pursuits.... LIGHTEN UP!!
"Ego driven Folly" c'mon now millions of taxpayers throughout the world pay trillions on "ego driven folly's" every day. Is it not an ego driven folly for the "rocket scientists" to spend billions on their "ego driven folly"? Is it not an ego driven folly for egocentric scientists to spend BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars trying to prove or disprove global warming? Was it not an ego driven folly that drove Ben Franklin to fly a kite during a lightning storm? What is the cost to local governments like NH's to rescue all the ego driven folks that require rescues in the White Mountains every year? Was it his ego that caused James Kim to attempt to drive over a mountain pass, during a storm, to take a "shortcut". This folly wond up costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in search and rescue? He was ill prepared to be driving a two wheel drive car in the mountains of Oregon in the winter! Is it not an ego driven folly for a 70 year old man to bed, a 40 year old woman, have a heart attack and wind up in the ER with no insurance? Is it not an ego driven folly for ANY sailor to be out on the ocean? Any sailor at any time could get into trouble and require rescue. How many cruising boats seek rescue every year? Lots! Just read the coast guard logs. Is it not an ego driven folly for a couple of rednecks to head out of a rough inlet, to find Tarpon or Snook, in a 14 foot Miro Craft and then require rescue? C'mon where do you draw the line? We can't legislate stupidity so until we can or we can force everyone to prove they are prepared we face the consequences as a society. I for one don't want to be the one sitting across the desk, from the 70 year old, telling him he is not prepared, healthy enough or that he does not have enough insurance to be allowed by the government to have sex!! When your boat is holed by a partially submerged object I hope you plan on treading water for a while. This would give you time to contemplate how your own "ego driven folly", to venture out in the ocean, ill prepared, to hit a submerged object impacted others. How would your "folly" impact taxpayers, your family and the impact on the environment caused by the spilled diesel and other chemicals dispersed by your sunken vessel? If we follow your logic Magellan, Columbus, Alan Sheperd, Shackelton and others should have be banned form setting out on "potentially dangerous" pursuits.... LIGHTEN UP!!
One way to look at it
World wide, the boating industry represents a substantial contribution to the economies of many countries. This brings jobs to many. Those who use boats, as a group, pour a lot of money into world economies as tourists. This is the good side of the "coin". The bad side is that sometimes boaters need help and some of them have done stupid things to get into their situation. I think the benefit from boaters outweighs a few incidences like this, and, if we want the benefits we have to live with the drawbacks.
World wide, the boating industry represents a substantial contribution to the economies of many countries. This brings jobs to many. Those who use boats, as a group, pour a lot of money into world economies as tourists. This is the good side of the "coin". The bad side is that sometimes boaters need help and some of them have done stupid things to get into their situation. I think the benefit from boaters outweighs a few incidences like this, and, if we want the benefits we have to live with the drawbacks.
I have mentioed in other posts about Ken Barnes
That I thought he was missing several key ingredients that make a successful adventurer. First and foremost I didn't see any sign of grim determination. What I saw was cock-eyed optimism. He confessed that he didn't, couldn't and wouldn't cook. That speaks of some perceived division of labor within a group. When you are alone you are the entire group. He never made any mention of sea-trials for his bost, no shake down cruise, and no mention of storm tactics. I have a boat that is ocean capable but I am not at this time of my life going to set sail for the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean alone. I like people too much and it is fun to call to someone to look at the sunrise or the sunset. I hope Ken is rescued. I hope that he learns from this experience. His boat has TWO masts. There is no mention of any effort to continue with a jury rig. Many boats have been dismasted, jury rigged a sail and continued to a safe harbor for repairs. He lost his steering. Auto pilot or a disconnect between the wheel and the rudder? Did he loose the rudder? We just don't know because he called for help and has made no report of attempts at damage control or repair. I wonder if he would have considered this venture if rescue WASN'T "just a phone call away". Accidents and just plain bad luck always play a role but the effects of them can be mitigated with good planning, skills, and experience. You can say that the only way to experience sailing around the world is by doing it but we routinely sail around a little bit of it everytime we go out in our boats. Leave early one morning and sail out to sea until midnight and then sail back. You will get 36 hours of off shore experience without going anywhere When you have done that 61 times you will have 3 months of off shore experience. But if you should find that you don't have what it will take for such an effort then take a companion with you.
That I thought he was missing several key ingredients that make a successful adventurer. First and foremost I didn't see any sign of grim determination. What I saw was cock-eyed optimism. He confessed that he didn't, couldn't and wouldn't cook. That speaks of some perceived division of labor within a group. When you are alone you are the entire group. He never made any mention of sea-trials for his bost, no shake down cruise, and no mention of storm tactics. I have a boat that is ocean capable but I am not at this time of my life going to set sail for the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean alone. I like people too much and it is fun to call to someone to look at the sunrise or the sunset. I hope Ken is rescued. I hope that he learns from this experience. His boat has TWO masts. There is no mention of any effort to continue with a jury rig. Many boats have been dismasted, jury rigged a sail and continued to a safe harbor for repairs. He lost his steering. Auto pilot or a disconnect between the wheel and the rudder? Did he loose the rudder? We just don't know because he called for help and has made no report of attempts at damage control or repair. I wonder if he would have considered this venture if rescue WASN'T "just a phone call away". Accidents and just plain bad luck always play a role but the effects of them can be mitigated with good planning, skills, and experience. You can say that the only way to experience sailing around the world is by doing it but we routinely sail around a little bit of it everytime we go out in our boats. Leave early one morning and sail out to sea until midnight and then sail back. You will get 36 hours of off shore experience without going anywhere When you have done that 61 times you will have 3 months of off shore experience. But if you should find that you don't have what it will take for such an effort then take a companion with you.
rant response
I mostly agree with old salt. When I first read about Ken, before any trouble arose, I wondered how well prepared he was. His not knowing how long a nautical mile is in his log did not augur well for his navigation. His willingness to throw out fresh food because he did not want to cook it after a relatively short time at sea made me wonder how he would do 90 or 100 days out. And his log entries seemed to how a certain listlessness almost from the beginning. His relatively low miles per day were less surprising than his being surprised by them. If he was well prepared with his vessel, he would not be surprised by its performance because he would have tried it in a wide variety of conditions and should have known what to expect. I don't think you necessarily need to spend half your life preparing for a circumnavigation, but you surely need more preparation than Ken had. On the other hand, I still think it is reasonable to try to rescue even blunderers. I am not ready for some landlubbers to say that I should be on my own when I day sail in Long Island because I am taking a stupid chance ever going to sea. And the line drawing is hard and depends on who is doing the drawing. The hardest part is risking the lives of some good Coasties who are in the business of rescuing fools or others who are asked to help. Fortunately conditions don;t seem so bad that the risk is that high this time.
I mostly agree with old salt. When I first read about Ken, before any trouble arose, I wondered how well prepared he was. His not knowing how long a nautical mile is in his log did not augur well for his navigation. His willingness to throw out fresh food because he did not want to cook it after a relatively short time at sea made me wonder how he would do 90 or 100 days out. And his log entries seemed to how a certain listlessness almost from the beginning. His relatively low miles per day were less surprising than his being surprised by them. If he was well prepared with his vessel, he would not be surprised by its performance because he would have tried it in a wide variety of conditions and should have known what to expect. I don't think you necessarily need to spend half your life preparing for a circumnavigation, but you surely need more preparation than Ken had. On the other hand, I still think it is reasonable to try to rescue even blunderers. I am not ready for some landlubbers to say that I should be on my own when I day sail in Long Island because I am taking a stupid chance ever going to sea. And the line drawing is hard and depends on who is doing the drawing. The hardest part is risking the lives of some good Coasties who are in the business of rescuing fools or others who are asked to help. Fortunately conditions don;t seem so bad that the risk is that high this time.
A Voyage For (a) Madman
Ken's effort is just a slight twist on the book entitled: A Voyage For Madmen. Facinating reading and a good counter-part to Ken's modern day effort. The seas and threats are the same, the difference is that we get to 'follow along' Ken's voyage and resuce in virtual 'real time' via screen/keyboard/mouse. As Ross indicated, 'grim determination' is a key component to this journey, along with being just a bit crazy... Finally, wouldn't finding a "survival suit full of bones washed up on shore" be a great way for an adventure movie to begin?
Ken's effort is just a slight twist on the book entitled: A Voyage For Madmen. Facinating reading and a good counter-part to Ken's modern day effort. The seas and threats are the same, the difference is that we get to 'follow along' Ken's voyage and resuce in virtual 'real time' via screen/keyboard/mouse. As Ross indicated, 'grim determination' is a key component to this journey, along with being just a bit crazy... Finally, wouldn't finding a "survival suit full of bones washed up on shore" be a great way for an adventure movie to begin?
Right Senses
No one in his right senses, or who knew what he was doing, would make a solotransoceanic pasage, let along a circumnavigation, his firt major offshore voyage. No one! Right senses, and knowing what he is doing, are the operative words here. Preparation and experience is to ocean sailing like location is to Real Estate. There is no substitute! A shakedown trip is to an ocean voyage what foreplay is to sex, what courtship is to marriage. A shakedown trip out to Hawaii, or down to Mexico, at least, might have provided enough information the boat, and enough experience for the sailor, to have prevented his problems... "might have," I say... for shit do happen to even the best. But, there is no sense in blindly inviting it by popping an idea or a dream out of the box and heading off around the world. Josh Slocumb did not just "build a pissy little boat," and "just" go sailing, you know. No, I've never sailed around the world. I never intended to, and hardly ever knew where I was going, one day to the next, for the past twenty years and more than 80,000 nautical miles it took just to get half-way around. And, I'm still not sure I knew what I was doing. Every day was a new day in the school of the sea. You'd be surprised at how much you chave learned at the end of the voyage. Enough to make you wonder how much there is left to learn! Sure, there somes a time when you want to end the foreplay and get it on. But, isn't that a good part of the trip? And, didn't even a little experience before the main event make it all the more richer? Ken's gonna be OK; he is not the first one to drop a mast down there, or whatever went wrong, and la Armada Marine Chileno is good; they've done this before. They'll bring him in and, perhaps he will be a bit wiser, and better prepared for the next trip. Good luck, Ken. Sirius99
No one in his right senses, or who knew what he was doing, would make a solotransoceanic pasage, let along a circumnavigation, his firt major offshore voyage. No one! Right senses, and knowing what he is doing, are the operative words here. Preparation and experience is to ocean sailing like location is to Real Estate. There is no substitute! A shakedown trip is to an ocean voyage what foreplay is to sex, what courtship is to marriage. A shakedown trip out to Hawaii, or down to Mexico, at least, might have provided enough information the boat, and enough experience for the sailor, to have prevented his problems... "might have," I say... for shit do happen to even the best. But, there is no sense in blindly inviting it by popping an idea or a dream out of the box and heading off around the world. Josh Slocumb did not just "build a pissy little boat," and "just" go sailing, you know. No, I've never sailed around the world. I never intended to, and hardly ever knew where I was going, one day to the next, for the past twenty years and more than 80,000 nautical miles it took just to get half-way around. And, I'm still not sure I knew what I was doing. Every day was a new day in the school of the sea. You'd be surprised at how much you chave learned at the end of the voyage. Enough to make you wonder how much there is left to learn! Sure, there somes a time when you want to end the foreplay and get it on. But, isn't that a good part of the trip? And, didn't even a little experience before the main event make it all the more richer? Ken's gonna be OK; he is not the first one to drop a mast down there, or whatever went wrong, and la Armada Marine Chileno is good; they've done this before. They'll bring him in and, perhaps he will be a bit wiser, and better prepared for the next trip. Good luck, Ken. Sirius99
Good Rant, Old Salt!
It was very well put and I agree with you. Maine Sail, you could lighten up a little
... I didn't read any hint of a call for any kind of regulation or restrictions from Old Salts post. He also appears to be completely in favor answering the call for adventure and I saw no lack of compassion in what he wrote. I also agree with Ross and Moody from their posts on this topic. I will add that when somebody sets out on an adventure such as this one, they will have to rely on experience, knowledge, attitude and luck in order to succeed. I think that a great amount of experience and knowledge gives you a better understanding of your own attitude and enables you to rely on luck to a much lesser extent. In this case, it was clear that the sailor was lacking in experience and knowledge and relying greatly on attitude and luck. Unfortunately for him, he didn't know enough about his attitude (which appears to have been lacking based on many of his comments) probably because he has so little experience. As it turns out he was relying almost entirely on luck to carry him around Cape Horn within a few months of the start of his first offshore passage. If he was very lucky, many of those on this forum could be chastising the nay sayers for being so negative. As it turns out, he needs to be rescued and many of us think he was foolish.
It was very well put and I agree with you. Maine Sail, you could lighten up a little
... I didn't read any hint of a call for any kind of regulation or restrictions from Old Salts post. He also appears to be completely in favor answering the call for adventure and I saw no lack of compassion in what he wrote. I also agree with Ross and Moody from their posts on this topic. I will add that when somebody sets out on an adventure such as this one, they will have to rely on experience, knowledge, attitude and luck in order to succeed. I think that a great amount of experience and knowledge gives you a better understanding of your own attitude and enables you to rely on luck to a much lesser extent. In this case, it was clear that the sailor was lacking in experience and knowledge and relying greatly on attitude and luck. Unfortunately for him, he didn't know enough about his attitude (which appears to have been lacking based on many of his comments) probably because he has so little experience. As it turns out he was relying almost entirely on luck to carry him around Cape Horn within a few months of the start of his first offshore passage. If he was very lucky, many of those on this forum could be chastising the nay sayers for being so negative. As it turns out, he needs to be rescued and many of us think he was foolish.No Obilgation to Rescue
Personally I don't feel that anyone has a great obligation to attempt to rescue people who put themselves into harm's way. If someone puts themselves way out in the South Pacific they shouldn't expect rescue. Now if a ship is nearby and wants to rescue that's another story. But asking young people to risk their lives to save someone who deliberately puts their own life at risk is too much to ask. I am not talking about normal sailers (boaters) sailing along the coast that run into trouble. Same thing with a iker who gets lost in the woods. But if you climb mount everest don't expect someone to come save you. If you sail near the poles don't expect help. If some young heros value your life more than their own they should be praised for their efforts. But not expected to lay down their lives so that you can have an adventure. As for the expense governments waste money all the time and the rescue could be considered training. A military unit that can rescue people out in the middle of nowhere under adverse conditions is probably capable as a fighting force also.
Personally I don't feel that anyone has a great obligation to attempt to rescue people who put themselves into harm's way. If someone puts themselves way out in the South Pacific they shouldn't expect rescue. Now if a ship is nearby and wants to rescue that's another story. But asking young people to risk their lives to save someone who deliberately puts their own life at risk is too much to ask. I am not talking about normal sailers (boaters) sailing along the coast that run into trouble. Same thing with a iker who gets lost in the woods. But if you climb mount everest don't expect someone to come save you. If you sail near the poles don't expect help. If some young heros value your life more than their own they should be praised for their efforts. But not expected to lay down their lives so that you can have an adventure. As for the expense governments waste money all the time and the rescue could be considered training. A military unit that can rescue people out in the middle of nowhere under adverse conditions is probably capable as a fighting force also.
Rescue or not?
I agree with a lot of what Tom has to say, but I believe maritime law requires all mariners in the vicinity to respond to a distress call if at all possible. Having said that, I am pretty sure that you are not expected to place your own life in jeopardy to do so.
I agree with a lot of what Tom has to say, but I believe maritime law requires all mariners in the vicinity to respond to a distress call if at all possible. Having said that, I am pretty sure that you are not expected to place your own life in jeopardy to do so.
Tom, I believe that a person should prepare
and train for any adventure as though rescue were not possible. I raised the question earlier concerning the likelyhood of ventures of this nature happening if rescue wasn't "just a phone call away". If you didn't have hull insurance on the boat and if rescue was not likely, how much more carefully would you prepare your boat, yourself, and your crew for an off shore passage? When the early seafarers left port they were completely on their own for everything. The people they left on shore didn't know their fate until they either returned or word was brought of finding the wreck on some faraway shore. Anyone who would go sailing off shore should read every account published by those who have gone before to learn what the sea has to offer and how to best prepare for it. I bought a Walker patent log from Hal Roth years ago. He remarked that I must be planning some long voyages. I allowed that I had hopes. That I had made the boat capable of continuing without electrical power. He said that was a good move. Then he asked If there was anything else I needed to buy? I said that I still needed an Edson 30 pump. Hal said "that those are great. One came in real handy last year when I was rolled in the Indian Ocean. One Gallon per stroke!" I may never sail out of the Chesapeake Bay but I know that I have a boat that is capable. Edited to place Quotes on Hal Roth statement.
and train for any adventure as though rescue were not possible. I raised the question earlier concerning the likelyhood of ventures of this nature happening if rescue wasn't "just a phone call away". If you didn't have hull insurance on the boat and if rescue was not likely, how much more carefully would you prepare your boat, yourself, and your crew for an off shore passage? When the early seafarers left port they were completely on their own for everything. The people they left on shore didn't know their fate until they either returned or word was brought of finding the wreck on some faraway shore. Anyone who would go sailing off shore should read every account published by those who have gone before to learn what the sea has to offer and how to best prepare for it. I bought a Walker patent log from Hal Roth years ago. He remarked that I must be planning some long voyages. I allowed that I had hopes. That I had made the boat capable of continuing without electrical power. He said that was a good move. Then he asked If there was anything else I needed to buy? I said that I still needed an Edson 30 pump. Hal said "that those are great. One came in real handy last year when I was rolled in the Indian Ocean. One Gallon per stroke!" I may never sail out of the Chesapeake Bay but I know that I have a boat that is capable. Edited to place Quotes on Hal Roth statement.
Ross...
Was it Hal that rolled in the Indian Ocean last year? The way your post reads it could have been you that rolled and had to use the pump? Thanks for the clarification in advance! JAck
Was it Hal that rolled in the Indian Ocean last year? The way your post reads it could have been you that rolled and had to use the pump? Thanks for the clarification in advance! JAck
Good God...ease
You people are sick. You don't know anything about what he did to prepare for this trip. You all seem to think he doesn't know what he is doing. Let me remind you that he stayed west of the current. He timed it pretty good to round the horn. He got a true blue water boat. He may have not been a veterian of world cruising but he knew a bit and he was determined. He just ran into a bad storm. It could happen to anybody, espeically around the Horn area. That's why I don't plan on ever going there. Way too dangerous. But...to do it non-stop, you have to and that was his goal.
You people are sick. You don't know anything about what he did to prepare for this trip. You all seem to think he doesn't know what he is doing. Let me remind you that he stayed west of the current. He timed it pretty good to round the horn. He got a true blue water boat. He may have not been a veterian of world cruising but he knew a bit and he was determined. He just ran into a bad storm. It could happen to anybody, espeically around the Horn area. That's why I don't plan on ever going there. Way too dangerous. But...to do it non-stop, you have to and that was his goal.
Solo
What would you acomplish if you knew you could not fail? The guy that did this acomplished more than you ever will in your life because he tried. He might have failed to get to his destination, but he did something that he really wanted to do. It might cost him for the rest of his life, but at least he tried. Dave
What would you acomplish if you knew you could not fail? The guy that did this acomplished more than you ever will in your life because he tried. He might have failed to get to his destination, but he did something that he really wanted to do. It might cost him for the rest of his life, but at least he tried. Dave
Every body who makes it has luck on there side
I have and old friend who gives sail safety and training for these things who is pretty famous now because doing it gives him a lot of creditability He did it over 25 years ago with a wife and 2 small children in 4 stages all it would have taken was one bit of bad fortune and it would be looked on in a completely different manner Tommays
I have and old friend who gives sail safety and training for these things who is pretty famous now because doing it gives him a lot of creditability He did it over 25 years ago with a wife and 2 small children in 4 stages all it would have taken was one bit of bad fortune and it would be looked on in a completely different manner Tommays
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