Abby Sunderland - SoloRound

[timothy22]

I am pleased to read the generally even-handed opinion-sharing on this board-quite a change from some of the scathing denunciations of Abby's father appearing elsewhere on the 'net. Y'all should be proud. Shorthanded ocean sailing sure has changed since the days of Chichester et al. Now the singlehander does not need to have all the skills of a Slocum, Chichester or Pardey to circumnavigate, just the ability to pick up the satphone and call one of the shore team who does... So I suppose it was only a natter of time before someone put a kid to sea with less than she needed to recognize the danger of the situation before it was too late. I have never used a series drogue, but I have trailed anchor lines and mooring lines running before a gale, with gratifying results. Dad gets a failing grade fom me for failing to instruct his daughter in this elementary heavy weather seamanship and provide a proper drogue. Granted it might not have been enough, but that tactic has suceeded many many times.

[Hirophant]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

Abby Sunderland has made it back to LA, and yesterday held a press conference, of sorts, to give her version of events in the Indian Ocean. Here's a link to the article in the Los Angeles Times:

Abby Sunderland recounts storm at sea and her failed attempt to circumnavigate the globe | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

I don't think she knows what happened. She was down below working on her engine and ... wumph! She was probably too disoriented to be able to tell which way she went over or anything much at all.

If we accept the Jordan™ theory of rogue waves then it will have come from behind, lifted the stern, causing the bow to dig in and act as a pivot, and she then either yaws and rolls, or simply pitchpoles. According to Jordan, people below deck tend not to notice the yawing, presumably since the whole thing happens in one fluid motion and is over in seconds.

[dpex]

Who read the words from the dick who asserted she 'should' maybe have carried a spare mast!? Maybe she should have towed a spare boat. Bugger me.

The fact is, Abby was just dead unlucky. Chichester pitchpoled and asserted he only realised having found knives stuck in the deckhead, next morning. Luckily his rigging stood the test. Abby's didn't. When Jesse went right over, her rigging survived.

Fittings are metallic things, subject to failure. How many times have multi-million dollar A/Cup crews watched clean heels after a head-shackle has given up?

The 'dick' referred to above went on about the cost of rescue. But if Abby and her crew had never mentioned her attempt, and suddenly she went Mayday, it would have just been a normal sea rescue, as all mariners expect to both attend to or benefit from. Such is the lore and law or the sea.

[Mariness]

Originally Posted by dpex

Who read the words from the dick who asserted she 'should' maybe have carried a spare mast!? Maybe she should have towed a spare boat.

Yeah. But he said he had experience with container ships - rather a different animal that wouldn't give him much information on how a small boat would behave in those seas. He would have had plenty of space for a spare mast though

I have seen this yet, so I'll throw it in. Isn't there anything worthwhile in recognizing when you are well and truly beaten, when nothing more can be done, and calling "Uncle" before someone dies?

[GordMay]

I think a spare engine might be a rough container ship equivalent to a spare mast for a 40' sailboat.
The commentator either:
- spoke for effect, without seriously considering the implications of his words.
- didn’t know his a-hole from a hole in the ground.
- a combination of both, above.

[Astrid]

And as to his having 36 years experience at sea--well Edward J. Smith had a similarly long career at sea before he was made captain of the Titanic.

[Hirophant]

I agree about the daftness of the "charging for rescue" comment, but as for having a spare mast, or at least a spar you could use, this thing on Pink Lady looks kind of handy, it's about 4-5m long and there was another one on the other side about half the length, would serve as small mast and boom I would say. Maybe Abby should have taken something like that too?

As for luck, I disagree that Abby was unlucky. She simply wasn't lucky, and for where and when she was, she needed a bit of luck.

[Astrid]

Looks like a spar for use with a club footed jib, though obviously not in use as such in the picture. Something like that could be used as a jury rig for a bit of canvas.

[GordMay]

More likely a whisker pole, reaching strut.

[paradix]

It's the spinnaker pole, but as Gord suggests it was most likely used as a whisker pole to pole out the clew of the headsail. Jess was not carrying a spinnaker, and she had a custom bowsprit to which her code zero was tacked.

[Astrid]

Ah thanks for that paradix and Gord.

[slomotion]

This is kind of an easy one:

1. Retrieve the boom. Sure the water's a little cold, but a few short trips overboard with a hack saw and a hatchet ought to do it.

2. Chop a hole in the deckhouse with the hatchet.

3. Insert the boom and lash it to the remainder of the mast below deck. Caulk as necessary.

4. Fabricate appropriate rigging and sails. Then continue on through the Southern Ocean and around the south coast of Australia.

5. Write a book describing the procedure as bothersome and annoying.

[dpex]

Originally Posted by slomotion

This is kind of an easy one:

1. Retrieve the boom. Sure the water's a little cold, but a few short trips overboard with a hack saw and a hatchet ought to do it.

2. Chop a hole in the deckhouse with the hatchet.

3. Insert the boom and lash it to the remainder of the mast below deck. Caulk as necessary.

4. Fabricate appropriate rigging and sails. Then continue on through the Southern Ocean and around the south coast of Australia.

5. Write a book describing the procedure as bothersome and annoying.

Without wishing to appear pedantic, may I say, you missed the last and most important bit....Paint the jury mast a flash colour.

[slomotion]

Originally Posted by dpex

Without wishing to appear pedantic, may I say, you missed the last and most important bit....Paint the jury mast a flash colour.

Point taken. I'd like to think Sir Robin would have thought of it. You can be sure that Jessica Watson had plenty of flourescent pink available. Don't know about Abby - could be just another example of poor preparation.

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by Astrid

Ah thanks for that paradix and Gord.

A typo I presume? Reminds me of my paramedic years when our days were spent thinking of ways to mess with our co-workers. Another crew was parked at the ambulance bay next to us. These guys suffered from "Paragod" syndrome so I took some white bandage tape and covered the "me" part of the "Paramedics" signs on the sides and back of their rig. They spent the rest of the day driving around town, waving at the ladies with the lettering on their ride declaring them a "Para dics".

Mike