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Hope he makes it but doesn't sound like it will be very fun. I enjoyed watching a documentary ( "Maidentrip" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2555268 http://www.imd

by esaym 9y ago

Hope he makes it but doesn't sound like it will be very fun. I enjoyed watching a documentary ( "Maidentrip" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2555268 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2555268 ) about a young girl that sailed around the world just for fun. She did it in an older boat with limited electronics on board and had fun and made frequent stops just to visit other cultures. Contrasted with another young girl ( "Wildeyes" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1939787/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1939787/ ) that did it for a record's sake, on a modern boat, with multiple sponsors, packed with electronics (all of which failed) and ultimately capsized in the Indian ocean. And another good one was "Deep Water" ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460766/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460766/ ) where a man tried to win an "around the world" yacht race (for a business venture) but ultimately went insane and jumped overboard.

Cognitron 9y ago
Yeah, probably not very fun. My dad is currently crossing the Atlantic in a boat that's about 42 feet, not inches. Just got an email from the Azores (he's going from Florida to Portugal) and said he's changing his route due to force 8-9 winds and 6-10 meter waves.
- reneherse 9y ago
  No fun, and likely life threatening. With a max speed of about 2 1/2 knots with a clean hull, the little boat isn't fast enough to sail out of the way of heavy weather. Once in a big storm, I can't even imagine the beating one would take inside that tiny craft, sliding down the face of a monster wave, crashing into the trough at the bottom, getting rolled. But perhaps his hull and rig design isn't subject to the same broaching and capsizing forces as a larger monohull... I'm curious to read more about the design of the boat, his equipment, procedures and planning. Though it's best not to judge from a mere photo, there were several things visible in the images of the craft and video of his attempted departure that seemed counter to good seamanship.
  - Cognitron 9y ago
    Yeah, a boat that short has no speed whatsoever. And being exposed to the elements for that long. No shelter from wind and rain. Sleeping like that. But if he makes it, good for him. Holy shit.
    - andrewflnr 9y ago
      Uh, he has shelter from wind and rain. There's a waterproof hatch into the interior. Did I misunderstand you?
      - ezequiel-garzon 9y ago
        Somebody has to be outside the hatch in a storm, to try to keep the boat from tipping over.
        clort 9y ago
        When there is nothing you can do then you do nothing. There is no requirement to be outside.
        gpvos 9y ago
        Still doesn't sound like fun.
        obstinate 9y ago
        People who do extremely uncomfortable things to break records are not in it to have "fun."
        Xylakant 9y ago
        With so much weight on the keel, the boat is very unlikely to tip over. And if it does, it will right itself. It's most likely a very rough roller coaster ride, but unless you loose the keel or water gets into the boat you'll come out upright. Since the space inside is so limited, the usual danger of bruising yourself when the boat tips is limited. Not much space for objects to fly either.
- aidos 9y ago
  Is he doing it single handed? I'd love to do that one day. I did a trans-Atlantic about 10 years ago (Liverpool, england to Salvador, Brazil) as part of the clipper challenge race. We had a few force 8 and above experiences between the training and the actual trip. The boats were a bit bigger (68 foot, from memory) but either way it's amazing how resilient they are. Once we went right over surfing down a wave (had a broach). At one point the boat was standing upright on the bow and was over so far that the mast was almost level with water so I could walk up it. The team spent a lot of time stitching those sails together again :-)
  - bogomipz 9y ago
    >"Once we went right over surfing down a wave (had a broach). At one point the boat was standing upright on the bow and was over so far that the mast was almost level with water so I could walk up it." Wow, did you flip over end over end then? How did you become oriented with the direction of the wave? Did the boat just right itself?
    - aidos 9y ago
      We were flying a kite at the time and the line had become jammed on the winch. As a result, we couldn't spill any wind and the pressure of the wind on the 3 sails was so strong that the boat was being dragged along (had been doing about 20 knots before it happened). The skipper decided to dump the line that was holding the spinnaker pole back, which turned out to be a terrible idea. Obviously that line has all the force on it, so the spinnaker pole shot forward and snapped in half on the forestay (thank God it didn't take the rigging out). It didn't really ease the pressure and the kite was still flying. Luckily (or not) the kite ripped under the force. It was still pulling us along but because enough pressure had come off everything by this stage we were able to get the main down. We ended up having to drop the kite in the sea and then spent a couple of hours getting it back on board. It was a pretty exciting afternoon :-)
- breatheoften 9y ago
  Sounds utterly miserable! I spent a few months on a ship that tended toward pitching more than rolling -- that motion was miserable for my body. This guys journey sounds like it will be a real sufferfest ...
- Shivetya 9y ago
  people so under estimate how difficult ocean sailing can be; not saying your father is in this category because its obvious he isn't if he is willing to try that trip. I remember sailing out of Hilton Head area (SE Georgia US) on a thirty footer and damn can waves just make the horizon vanish let alone that feeling you get when you don't see land. Throw in sail is not something I would want to manage by myself.
- dghughes 9y ago
  I was thinking I wouldn't even want to cross in a 42 foot yacht. I'm in the Maritimes (south east Canada) and I know it can be incredibly rough here 10m (33 foot) waves are normal off Newfoundland. It's so bad an entire 25,000 ton oil rig sank in a storm a few decades ago. One rogue wave could smash that little 42 inch yacht to bits the size of confetti. I wish the Tiny Yacht guy luck but it's going to be rough!
  - bogomipz 9y ago
    >"I'm in the Maritimes (south east Canada) and I know it can be incredibly rough here 10m (33 foot) waves are normal off Newfoundland." Is this the Bay of Fundy?
    - ska 9y ago
      No, that's a long way from Fundy. 10+ meter swell is common on both exposed coasts in the open ocean. Fundy is not exposed that way but has had high tides due to narrowing.
cornchips 9y ago
Adding to that, I recommend "Chasing Bubbles" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5254722/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5254722/ full version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibP5IQxId34 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibP5IQxId34). Watch it before reading the plot.
- tnorthcutt 9y ago
  That's an incredible, and incredibly moving, film.
- bogomipz 9y ago
  This was really fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
foobarian 9y ago
On that topic I found Steve Callahan's account [1] of how he survived 2.5 months on a lifeboat really impressive. The whole book was a series of "how in the did he pull that off" moments. [1] "Adrift: 76 days lost at sea," Callahan, Steven (1986).
- proctor 9y ago
  also on that topic, i am reminded of this story[0] where Salvador Alvarenga survived 14 months lost at sea. [0] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/07/fisherman-lost-at-sea-436-days-book-extract https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/07/fisherman-lost...
sehugg 9y ago
There's also "Kon Tiki": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kon-Tiki_(1950_film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kon-Tiki_(1950_film)
- contingencies 9y ago
  And don't forget the hat-tip Plastiki composed entirely from reclaimed PET, which sailed successfully from San Francisco to Sydney. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastiki
- jlg23 9y ago
  His grandson just did it again in 2006: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangaroa_Expedition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangaroa_Expedition
- johan_larson 9y ago
  A wild adventure, to be sure. But things could have ended a lot worse. The Kon-Tiki crew was one serious problem away from complete disaster. They really should have been accompanied by a second vessel that could have rescued them in the event of serious problems with the Kon-Tiki.
ProAm 9y ago
Who is paying for this guys rescue? Is there insurance he pays for this?
- jethro_tell 9y ago
  Rescue? He's a message in a bottle. One roller with the hatch open and everything is wet. Maybe in a box or something but he still can't open it without it getting wet. My guess is there's no rescue and he turns up on a beach I ln 10 years.
  - PhasmaFelis 9y ago
    He's got float balloons and enough CO2 to float it completely full of water 3 times.
    - jethro_tell 9y ago
      yeah not saying he's going to sink, saying he's not going to be able to call for help after he pukes all over the radio and the flare washes out of his hand while he's getting tossed.
- zkms 9y ago
  He has a satellite phone and a radio, he can contact nearby ships if his propulsion fails and he's dead in the water. He has food/water in the meantime. If the hull integrity is lost and there's no ship nearby, well, he better have a immersion suit in his equipment list along with a working EPIRB. Given he has taken adequate precautions and has appropriate equipment, I have absolutely no issue with his rescue being at taxpayer expense. The one thing that he should iron out before making the crossing is making sure that there won't be any fatigue issues with the hull. Doing appropriate testing (I don't know the material and don't know the best non-destructive methods for testing it) on a used hull to make sure there aren't cracks/flaws that develop over time is a good idea. Given he'll have to sleep, I also think that a reliable electronic alerting system that continuously monitors bilge level / hull integrity and the position/orientation of the boat seems like a necessary addition as well. Early warning of critical issues in such a small craft is a good idea.
jcurbo 9y ago
Two of my favorite books about sailing are: Sailing Alone Around the World https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailing_Alone_Around_the_World https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailing_Alone_Around_the_World about Joshua Slocum, the first person to sail around the world alone Confessions of a Long Distance Sailor https://arachnoid.com/sailbook/ https://arachnoid.com/sailbook/ about Paul Lutus sailing around the world alone from 1988-1991 Both are interesting kind of like Maidentrip (which I haven't seen, will have to check out) - visiting different cultures, limited technical means (although Paul did have a computer, TV, VCR...).
- davewasthere 9y ago
  Still reading Slocum's account, but second the lutus recommendation. That was an awesome read, both the good and bad bits about sailing.
tnorthcutt 9y ago
In that vein, I just watched Losing Sight of Shore (http://losingsightofshore.com/ http://losingsightofshore.com/) and it's fantastic. It's about a team of 4 women (sort of - they had to sub out one member for logistical reasons) who rowed across the Pacific. Quite a trip.
- prawn 9y ago
  I've also watched this recently on Netflix with my young family - it's quite inspiring.
easilyBored 9y ago
42 inch or about 1.06 meters when waves can be as high as 62 feet http://www.cbsnews.com/news/massive-wave-atlantic-ocean-smashes-records-buoy/ http://www.cbsnews.com/news/massive-wave-atlantic-ocean-smas... ....even common waves of 10-15 feet will more than enough....he's much braver than me. Maybe he knows that he has a safety valve, he can survive in that bubble for x days until rescue comes. I'm claustrophobic (not actually diagnosed but IMO) so unless I could save my children's lives, I wouldn't even try. Maybe all the stars will align, but if I had to bet, for his next attempt, he already has his food supply.
- caub 9y ago
  he's crossing it between Canaries and Caribbeans I guess, with a constant wind, and nothing crazy when you don't have hurricanes
ionwake 9y ago
Great list thank you!
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

by esaym 9y ago

Cognitron 9y ago

Yeah, probably not very fun. My dad is currently crossing the Atlantic in a boat that's about 42 feet, not inches. Just got an email from the Azores (he's going from Florida to Portugal) and said he's changing his route due to force 8-9 winds and 6-10 meter waves.

reneherse 9y ago
No fun, and likely life threatening. With a max speed of about 2 1/2 knots with a clean hull, the little boat isn't fast enough to sail out of the way of heavy weather. Once in a big storm, I can't even imagine the beating one would take inside that tiny craft, sliding down the face of a monster wave, crashing into the trough at the bottom, getting rolled. But perhaps his hull and rig design isn't subject to the same broaching and capsizing forces as a larger monohull... I'm curious to read more about the design of the boat, his equipment, procedures and planning. Though it's best not to judge from a mere photo, there were several things visible in the images of the craft and video of his attempted departure that seemed counter to good seamanship.
- Cognitron 9y ago
  Yeah, a boat that short has no speed whatsoever. And being exposed to the elements for that long. No shelter from wind and rain. Sleeping like that. But if he makes it, good for him. Holy shit.
  - andrewflnr 9y ago
    Uh, he has shelter from wind and rain. There's a waterproof hatch into the interior. Did I misunderstand you?
    - ezequiel-garzon 9y ago
      Somebody has to be outside the hatch in a storm, to try to keep the boat from tipping over.
      - clort 9y ago
        When there is nothing you can do then you do nothing. There is no requirement to be outside.
        gpvos 9y ago
        Still doesn't sound like fun.
        obstinate 9y ago
        People who do extremely uncomfortable things to break records are not in it to have "fun."
      - Xylakant 9y ago
        With so much weight on the keel, the boat is very unlikely to tip over. And if it does, it will right itself. It's most likely a very rough roller coaster ride, but unless you loose the keel or water gets into the boat you'll come out upright. Since the space inside is so limited, the usual danger of bruising yourself when the boat tips is limited. Not much space for objects to fly either.
aidos 9y ago
Is he doing it single handed? I'd love to do that one day. I did a trans-Atlantic about 10 years ago (Liverpool, england to Salvador, Brazil) as part of the clipper challenge race. We had a few force 8 and above experiences between the training and the actual trip. The boats were a bit bigger (68 foot, from memory) but either way it's amazing how resilient they are. Once we went right over surfing down a wave (had a broach). At one point the boat was standing upright on the bow and was over so far that the mast was almost level with water so I could walk up it. The team spent a lot of time stitching those sails together again :-)
- bogomipz 9y ago
  >"Once we went right over surfing down a wave (had a broach). At one point the boat was standing upright on the bow and was over so far that the mast was almost level with water so I could walk up it." Wow, did you flip over end over end then? How did you become oriented with the direction of the wave? Did the boat just right itself?
  - aidos 9y ago
    We were flying a kite at the time and the line had become jammed on the winch. As a result, we couldn't spill any wind and the pressure of the wind on the 3 sails was so strong that the boat was being dragged along (had been doing about 20 knots before it happened). The skipper decided to dump the line that was holding the spinnaker pole back, which turned out to be a terrible idea. Obviously that line has all the force on it, so the spinnaker pole shot forward and snapped in half on the forestay (thank God it didn't take the rigging out). It didn't really ease the pressure and the kite was still flying. Luckily (or not) the kite ripped under the force. It was still pulling us along but because enough pressure had come off everything by this stage we were able to get the main down. We ended up having to drop the kite in the sea and then spent a couple of hours getting it back on board. It was a pretty exciting afternoon :-)
breatheoften 9y ago
Sounds utterly miserable! I spent a few months on a ship that tended toward pitching more than rolling -- that motion was miserable for my body. This guys journey sounds like it will be a real sufferfest ...
Shivetya 9y ago
people so under estimate how difficult ocean sailing can be; not saying your father is in this category because its obvious he isn't if he is willing to try that trip. I remember sailing out of Hilton Head area (SE Georgia US) on a thirty footer and damn can waves just make the horizon vanish let alone that feeling you get when you don't see land. Throw in sail is not something I would want to manage by myself.
dghughes 9y ago
I was thinking I wouldn't even want to cross in a 42 foot yacht. I'm in the Maritimes (south east Canada) and I know it can be incredibly rough here 10m (33 foot) waves are normal off Newfoundland. It's so bad an entire 25,000 ton oil rig sank in a storm a few decades ago. One rogue wave could smash that little 42 inch yacht to bits the size of confetti. I wish the Tiny Yacht guy luck but it's going to be rough!
- bogomipz 9y ago
  >"I'm in the Maritimes (south east Canada) and I know it can be incredibly rough here 10m (33 foot) waves are normal off Newfoundland." Is this the Bay of Fundy?
  - ska 9y ago
    No, that's a long way from Fundy. 10+ meter swell is common on both exposed coasts in the open ocean. Fundy is not exposed that way but has had high tides due to narrowing.

cornchips 9y ago

Adding to that, I recommend "Chasing Bubbles" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5254722/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5254722/ full version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibP5IQxId34 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibP5IQxId34). Watch it before reading the plot.

tnorthcutt 9y ago
That's an incredible, and incredibly moving, film.
bogomipz 9y ago
This was really fantastic. Thanks for sharing!

foobarian 9y ago

On that topic I found Steve Callahan's account [1] of how he survived 2.5 months on a lifeboat really impressive. The whole book was a series of "how in the did he pull that off" moments. [1] "Adrift: 76 days lost at sea," Callahan, Steven (1986).

proctor 9y ago
also on that topic, i am reminded of this story[0] where Salvador Alvarenga survived 14 months lost at sea. [0] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/07/fisherman-lost-at-sea-436-days-book-extract https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/07/fisherman-lost...

sehugg 9y ago

There's also "Kon Tiki": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kon-Tiki_(1950_film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kon-Tiki_(1950_film)

contingencies 9y ago
And don't forget the hat-tip Plastiki composed entirely from reclaimed PET, which sailed successfully from San Francisco to Sydney. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastiki
jlg23 9y ago
His grandson just did it again in 2006: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangaroa_Expedition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangaroa_Expedition
johan_larson 9y ago
A wild adventure, to be sure. But things could have ended a lot worse. The Kon-Tiki crew was one serious problem away from complete disaster. They really should have been accompanied by a second vessel that could have rescued them in the event of serious problems with the Kon-Tiki.

ProAm 9y ago

Who is paying for this guys rescue? Is there insurance he pays for this?

jethro_tell 9y ago
Rescue? He's a message in a bottle. One roller with the hatch open and everything is wet. Maybe in a box or something but he still can't open it without it getting wet. My guess is there's no rescue and he turns up on a beach I ln 10 years.
- PhasmaFelis 9y ago
  He's got float balloons and enough CO2 to float it completely full of water 3 times.
  - jethro_tell 9y ago
    yeah not saying he's going to sink, saying he's not going to be able to call for help after he pukes all over the radio and the flare washes out of his hand while he's getting tossed.
zkms 9y ago
He has a satellite phone and a radio, he can contact nearby ships if his propulsion fails and he's dead in the water. He has food/water in the meantime. If the hull integrity is lost and there's no ship nearby, well, he better have a immersion suit in his equipment list along with a working EPIRB. Given he has taken adequate precautions and has appropriate equipment, I have absolutely no issue with his rescue being at taxpayer expense. The one thing that he should iron out before making the crossing is making sure that there won't be any fatigue issues with the hull. Doing appropriate testing (I don't know the material and don't know the best non-destructive methods for testing it) on a used hull to make sure there aren't cracks/flaws that develop over time is a good idea. Given he'll have to sleep, I also think that a reliable electronic alerting system that continuously monitors bilge level / hull integrity and the position/orientation of the boat seems like a necessary addition as well. Early warning of critical issues in such a small craft is a good idea.

jcurbo 9y ago

Two of my favorite books about sailing are: Sailing Alone Around the World https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailing_Alone_Around_the_World https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailing_Alone_Around_the_World about Joshua Slocum, the first person to sail around the world alone Confessions of a Long Distance Sailor https://arachnoid.com/sailbook/ https://arachnoid.com/sailbook/ about Paul Lutus sailing around the world alone from 1988-1991 Both are interesting kind of like Maidentrip (which I haven't seen, will have to check out) - visiting different cultures, limited technical means (although Paul did have a computer, TV, VCR...).

davewasthere 9y ago
Still reading Slocum's account, but second the lutus recommendation. That was an awesome read, both the good and bad bits about sailing.

tnorthcutt 9y ago

In that vein, I just watched Losing Sight of Shore (http://losingsightofshore.com/ http://losingsightofshore.com/) and it's fantastic. It's about a team of 4 women (sort of - they had to sub out one member for logistical reasons) who rowed across the Pacific. Quite a trip.

prawn 9y ago
I've also watched this recently on Netflix with my young family - it's quite inspiring.

easilyBored 9y ago

42 inch or about 1.06 meters when waves can be as high as 62 feet http://www.cbsnews.com/news/massive-wave-atlantic-ocean-smashes-records-buoy/ http://www.cbsnews.com/news/massive-wave-atlantic-ocean-smas... ....even common waves of 10-15 feet will more than enough....he's much braver than me. Maybe he knows that he has a safety valve, he can survive in that bubble for x days until rescue comes. I'm claustrophobic (not actually diagnosed but IMO) so unless I could save my children's lives, I wouldn't even try. Maybe all the stars will align, but if I had to bet, for his next attempt, he already has his food supply.

caub 9y ago
he's crossing it between Canaries and Caribbeans I guess, with a constant wind, and nothing crazy when you don't have hurricanes

ionwake 9y ago

Great list thank you!

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]