North Pacific Gyre Debris Causes Abandonment

[muttskie]

The trimaran Transit of Venus had to be abandoned due to the damage caused by impact with debris whilst sailing from Hawaii to the west coast as reported by Latitude 38. The crew was rescued by a passing freighter. Here is a link to the report.

Latitude 38 - 'Lectronic Latitude

Wow.

[onestepcsy37]

Great outcome. Although I'm a monohull guy myself, I wonder how well a typical lead mine would have done in that situation. I used to crew on a smaller corsair and thought it was pretty well built.

[savoir]

How do you know the origin of whatever they hit ? Maybe it was a log from Oregon.

[barnakiel]

So they hit something then left theirs so that we can hit something too?

Odd.

Glad they are fine.

I think at this speed you touch you go.

b.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by savoir

How do you know the origin of whatever they hit ? Maybe it was a log from Oregon.

Well whatever it was, it flew through the air and did damage above deck too.

[georgelieber]

We fly our sails over a Tahitiana 32... everything below the deck is welded 3/16" steel plate! We love this big heavy iron mama for so many reasons! I read the account of Transit of Venus. Its terrible and sad to loose her. Loosing a boat to mother nature is one thing... but loosing one to our own ocean debris is shameful.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

Great outcome. Although I'm a monohull guy myself, I wonder how well a typical lead mine would have done in that situation. I used to crew on a smaller corsair and thought it was pretty well built.

Seeing s how I would have probably hit it at 6 kts and no 10 ish, that alone would make a big difference

[MarkJ]

The flying through the air 20 feet takes micro-plastic debris out of the equation... And trees, containers unless god is inside, may be a surprised whale?

Also, as Barny says, if its a go fast light weight boat you hit you go.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

The flying through the air 20 feet takes micro-plastic debris out of the equation... And trees, containers unless god is inside, may be a surprised whale?

Also, as Barny says, if its a go fast light weight boat you hit you go.

Yeah... I didn't get the "flying debris" thing either. Must have been a porpoise or etc. Nothing you hit at common sailing speeds is going to fly up like that.

[gjordan]

We almost hit a whale shark on a delivery from Hawaii to SF. I didnt get to see it, but my wife, who is not at all prone to panic, let out a shreek that woke me out of a sound sleep. She said it looked as wide as the boat and came up right next to us. It slipped quietly away, but I think a scared whale shark or whale could do tremendous damage. Nothing in this life is 100% safe. ______Grant.

[Astrid]

The flying through the air 20 feet takes micro-plastic debris out of the equation... And trees, containers unless god is inside, may be a surprised whale?

I agree with Mark. If they hit a dozing whale, they may well have caused a violent reaction.

[JPA Cate]

This probably happened so quickly that even the crew have no idea what they hit and what hit them. Nighttime. Two below and one fell forward.

'Tis a mystery, possibly, to be accepted as such.

Ann

[muttskie]

I like the log idea, myself. I have two friends, on two separate voyages, whom have sailed between San Francisco and Hawaii ( both ways ) recently. Both mentioned lots of debris and not just small stuff. An 11-15ft ( estimated ) damaged fishing skiff, pallets, and areas of constant debris were some of what was described.
I don't expect we will ever know what the item, or being, was that holed Transit of Venus.
I'd be interested to hear of other accounts of encounters with large and/or damage causing debris while voyaging.

[a64pilot]

About thirty years ago, I ran over a large Alligator on a jet ski in the Ogechee river near Savannah, does that count?

[a64pilot]

My brother had this paranoia about hitting a telephone pole in the Gulf, we used to run offshore in a sportfishing boat to the middlegrounds, we would run all night and he would usually go to sleep in the V berth, I'd always remind him of the telephone poles.
We figured if you hit one on end, it would go right through the boat like a spear.