Is anyone crossing the Atlantic heading west? Can anyone rescue ADA

[coastalexplorer]

two years ago I met Mr. David Tiessen who introduced me to an interesting project at the university of British Columbia, where they had experienced some success with two different model boats only 2 metres long that they had used to win a robotic sailbot competition.

This had laid the ground work for wanting to take on the challenge of being the first team to cross the Atlantic ocean from Newfoundland to Fenit, in Ireland. 18 other teams had failed.So they spent three years building a 5 metre sailing model which they named ADA.

About five days ago they launched her. and 980 Kilometres out everything seemed to be going well and on track. until Monday. When the wind picked up causing the vessel to sail at 12.4 knots. which was a speed they had not designed for; so this has damaged the rudder mechanism.


Ada is now drifting south 800 miles off the Coast of Maine. her GPS position is updated every 20 minutes . Even though it says on the hull "sailing research experiment please stay clear" David would like a yachtsman out there to tack her down and tow her back in. If you find her please call +1-604 354 6250 or email Mech@ubcsailbot.org.
the website is www.ubcsailbot.org. he told me the the GPS positions are on their facebook page.

These university students have put so much emotional energy into developing this technology I would like to see it saved.

[boatman61]

What colour is her hull..

[Prairie Chicken]

Looks like a white hull with black nose & red keel & rudder. We've had some tele coverage about her launch & subsequent problems.

https://ubcsailbot.org

[four winds]

Hope they get her back. Interesting project.

Tracking here.......https://track.ubctransat.com/tracking

[GoingWalkabout]

Interesting project. Now we have to worry about sailing vessel drones. The project itself raise a number of legal questions. I don't mean to be mean but I think you guys should have sort advice from your University Law Department.

Issues:

1. Navigating a vessel without adhering to COL Regs regarding standing watch

2. Without a human watch the unmanned vessel presents a clear and present danger to other vessels.

3. From a photo of the vessel it appears the vessel gas no navigation lights

4. According to international salvage law an abandoned vessel which means a vessel that is san humans becomes the property of the person / vessel who takes it under tow and brings it back to land.

Placing a warning to keep clear on the hull does not satsfy any nautical law to not present as a danger to other vessels navigating the high seas. Who in the name of sound thinking thought this endeavor was OK? Which professor for goodness overseeing your project allowed this to happen?

I know these days in the United States that college students have been wrapped in continuing wool and have the thought processes of 13 year olds. But I digress. The children obviously need better adult supervision.

By the way. Did you take out insurance to cover the cost of damaging another vessel? Probably not.

Now you and others may think I'm being harsh. Even somewhat pedantic, bringing up navigation law etc. Well ill tell you why I have written what I have.

Sailors need to feel safe as they navigate oceans. There are enough issues in cross ocean sailing such as weather, seas and other manned vessels.

We already have enough to worry about with unsafe cargo ships loosing containers over the side without having to now worry about unmanned drone sail boats launched by a bunch of non thinking child students.

Sure you students may get careers out of this. Some may even be tempted to go off and do a startup around drone vessels. But I will tell you this, I will fight this as much as I can.

As with airborne drones. First started by hobiests. Then picked up by the airforce. Now you have police forces and peeping toms using these to push the edge of privacy and public survalience. Yes aerial drones are great for taking videos but there is a social downside.

Sailing drones pose an existential threat to navigation. With the possible future of civil and military sea going drones crowding the waters.

Sorry, but I do not support at all what you have done. And I'm an electronics geek who makes very advanced electronic devices.

Have a nice day.

Chaya

[kclancy]

Originally Posted by GoingWalkabout

Interesting project. Now we have to worry about sailing vessel drones. The project itself raise a number of legal questions. I don't mean to be mean but I think you guys should have sort advice from your University Law Department.

Issues:

1. Navigating a vessel without adhering to COL Regs regarding standing watch

2. Without a human watch the unmanned vessel presents a clear and present danger to other vessels.

3. From a photo of the vessel it appears the vessel gas no navigation lights

4. According to international salvage law an abandoned vessel which means a vessel that is san humans becomes the property of the person / vessel who takes it under tow and brings it back to land.

Placing a warning to keep clear on the hull does not satsfy any nautical law to not present as a danger to other vessels navigating the high seas. Who in the name of sound thinking thought this endeavor was OK? Which professor for goodness overseeing your project allowed this to happen?

I know these days in the United States that college students have been wrapped in continuing wool and have the thought processes of 13 year olds. But I digress. The children obviously need better adult supervision.

By the way. Did you take out insurance to cover the cost of damaging another vessel? Probably not.

Now you and others may think I'm being harsh. Even somewhat pedantic, bringing up navigation law etc. Well ill tell you why I have written what I have.

Sailors need to feel safe as they navigate oceans. There are enough issues in cross ocean sailing such as weather, seas and other manned vessels.

We already have enough to worry about with unsafe cargo ships loosing containers over the side without having to now worry about unmanned drone sail boats launched by a bunch of non thinking child students.

Sure you students may get careers out of this. Some may even be tempted to go off and do a startup around drone vessels. But I will tell you this, I will fight this as much as I can.

As with airborne drones. First started by hobiests. Then picked up by the airforce. Now you have police forces and peeping toms using these to push the edge of privacy and public survalience. Yes aerial drones are great for taking videos but there is a social downside.

Sailing drones pose an existential threat to navigation. With the possible future of civil and military sea going drones crowding the waters.

Sorry, but I do not support at all what you have done. And I'm an electronics geek who makes very advanced electronic devices.

Have a nice day.

Chaya

Put up the good fight. This is dangerous and reckless.

[Mainstay]

Chaya,
I agree with you 100%!!! It's shocking to see how selfish, short-sigthed and dumb people can be - obviously nobody who works on this project has any regard for anybody else who might be sailing on the ocean! This is a real danger to navigation and should be sent to the bottom of the ocean if anybody comes across it, not towed back to shore. As if we do not already have enough dangers out there when making passages..!!
I hope this project fails miserably!!!

[nortonscove]

Originally Posted by GoingWalkabout

Interesting project. Now we have to worry about sailing vessel drones. The project itself raise a number of legal questions. I don't mean to be mean but I think you guys should have sort advice from your University Law Department.

Issues:

1. Navigating a vessel without adhering to COL Regs regarding standing watch

2. Without a human watch the unmanned vessel presents a clear and present danger to other vessels.

3. From a photo of the vessel it appears the vessel gas no navigation lights

4. According to international salvage law an abandoned vessel which means a vessel that is san humans becomes the property of the person / vessel who takes it under tow and brings it back to land.

Placing a warning to keep clear on the hull does not satsfy any nautical law to not present as a danger to other vessels navigating the high seas. Who in the name of sound thinking thought this endeavor was OK? Which professor for goodness overseeing your project allowed this to happen?

I know these days in the United States that college students have been wrapped in continuing wool and have the thought processes of 13 year olds. But I digress. The children obviously need better adult supervision.

By the way. Did you take out insurance to cover the cost of damaging another vessel? Probably not.

Now you and others may think I'm being harsh. Even somewhat pedantic, bringing up navigation law etc. Well ill tell you why I have written what I have.

Sailors need to feel safe as they navigate oceans. There are enough issues in cross ocean sailing such as weather, seas and other manned vessels.

We already have enough to worry about with unsafe cargo ships loosing containers over the side without having to now worry about unmanned drone sail boats launched by a bunch of non thinking child students.

Sure you students may get careers out of this. Some may even be tempted to go off and do a startup around drone vessels. But I will tell you this, I will fight this as much as I can.

As with airborne drones. First started by hobiests. Then picked up by the airforce. Now you have police forces and peeping toms using these to push the edge of privacy and public survalience. Yes aerial drones are great for taking videos but there is a social downside.

Sailing drones pose an existential threat to navigation. With the possible future of civil and military sea going drones crowding the waters.

Sorry, but I do not support at all what you have done. And I'm an electronics geek who makes very advanced electronic devices.

Have a nice day.

Chaya

Wow. Any chance you are a lawyer?

When we were kids we often stuck a butter container lid on top of boat shaped wood with a piece of bucksaw blade in the bottom stern and watched them sail over the horizon. Never once contacted a lawyer...Probably to the too many lawyers chagrin.

First of all these fine young students are from BC and are equally good at engineering and legal mumble jumble. Good luck in getting your boat back and hopefully one of the complainers not keeping watch doesn't run it down.

[LeeV]

Originally Posted by GoingWalkabout

Interesting project. Now we have to worry about sailing vessel drones. The project itself raise a number of legal questions. I don't mean to be mean but I think you guys should have sort advice from your University Law Department.

Issues:

1. Navigating a vessel without adhering to COL Regs regarding standing watch

2. Without a human watch the unmanned vessel presents a clear and present danger to other vessels.

3. From a photo of the vessel it appears the vessel gas no navigation lights

4. According to international salvage law an abandoned vessel which means a vessel that is san humans becomes the property of the person / vessel who takes it under tow and brings it back to land.

Placing a warning to keep clear on the hull does not satsfy any nautical law to not present as a danger to other vessels navigating the high seas. Who in the name of sound thinking thought this endeavor was OK? Which professor for goodness overseeing your project allowed this to happen?

I know these days in the United States that college students have been wrapped in continuing wool and have the thought processes of 13 year olds. But I digress. The children obviously need better adult supervision.

By the way. Did you take out insurance to cover the cost of damaging another vessel? Probably not.

Now you and others may think I'm being harsh. Even somewhat pedantic, bringing up navigation law etc. Well ill tell you why I have written what I have.

Sailors need to feel safe as they navigate oceans. There are enough issues in cross ocean sailing such as weather, seas and other manned vessels.

We already have enough to worry about with unsafe cargo ships loosing containers over the side without having to now worry about unmanned drone sail boats launched by a bunch of non thinking child students.

Sure you students may get careers out of this. Some may even be tempted to go off and do a startup around drone vessels. But I will tell you this, I will fight this as much as I can.

As with airborne drones. First started by hobiests. Then picked up by the airforce. Now you have police forces and peeping toms using these to push the edge of privacy and public survalience. Yes aerial drones are great for taking videos but there is a social downside.

Sailing drones pose an existential threat to navigation. With the possible future of civil and military sea going drones crowding the waters.

Sorry, but I do not support at all what you have done. And I'm an electronics geek who makes very advanced electronic devices.

Have a nice day.

Chaya

I fully agree that sailors would like to feel safe at sea, however the elements and sea life alone can be preventative.
We also just finished a month long sail by striking what DNR believes was a cargo container in the Delaware Bay. A Mayday was called as we couldn't keep up with the incoming water, and our severely damaged vessel awaits transport.

My point: we can't solve the age-old issue of cargo containers, which have holed/sunk more vessels than sailing drones. If sailing drones are a high priority for you, I'd recommend an approach that isn't reinforced with statements like "I know these days in the United States that college students have been wrapped in continuing wool and have the thought processes of 13 year olds. But I digress. The children obviously need better adult supervision," or "now worry about unmanned drone sail boats launched by a bunch of non thinking child students."

I'm not sure how you "know" about all college students, or that these are "non thinking child students," but you'll get more attention, and possibly support, by sticking to facts and logic, not hidden agendas.

Respectfully,

[chris95040]

Seriously? Outraged by a small autonomous sailboat?

At least someone is learning something.

Meanwhile we have shipping containers floating around that could actually do some damage. Go after that problem. Make a lot of noise about that.

But then you won't be able to fling **** at your true enemy, academia, as revealed by your bizarre comments about how childish college students have become.

[ontherocks83]

I have to agree with GWA,

If this story were slightly different the people giving GWA crap would be agreeing with her.

We already know what some people's reactions are to this science project down playing the hazard of it.

However if instead of a science project the OP had just said I launched a 12' hard hulled dinghy into the middle of the Atlantic just to see what happened to it and could you tow it back if you see it. People would be commenting everything from their recklessness to polluting the ocean. The only difference here is one is for "science" the other is reckless.

I will say if I were sailing and it damaged my boat or fouled my prop or rudder I would be a little more then peeved, and that would apply whether it was cast off for science or just cast off. Same difference.

[alaskaflyfish]

Colleges and Universities are no longer institutions of higher learning but instead financial institutions. The highest paid member on university staff is the coach. What an embarrassment education has become. Floating unregulated junk around the worlds oceans is just irresponsible despite their claim of "its for the children". Maybe universities can launch satellites into orbit with unregulated flight paths, unconcerned with other satellites. Or perhaps research drones into controlled airspace. How well would that go over? Then why the worlds oceans be considered OK? Nothing surprises me anymore. Rant out.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by chris95040

Seriously? Outraged by a small autonomous sailboat?

At least someone is learning something.

Meanwhile we have shipping containers floating around that could actually do some damage. Go after that problem. Make a lot of noise about that.

But then you won't be able to fling **** at your true enemy, academia, as revealed by your bizarre comments about how childish college students have become.

I'm with you! I think! it is a bit short sighted condemning it. I doubt any of the young people will go into robotic ship development If they do I feel sure they would be safer than someone falling asleep on watch. Looks like paranoia.

[nautitrix]

Hey folks let us get some perspective here. This "vessel" is a paddleboard with a windsurfer sail on it. As far as slagging "American" youth, I will expect that you mean college students from the United States of America, as I suspect you have no experience with Canadian college students who are also from the Americas.
As for the future, we have autonomous automobiles, drone aircraft, autonomous submersibles, and unmanned spacecraft. I for one am surprised that some large scale shipping corporation is not giving huge money to sponsor this endeavor. I wish the students well in the recovery of their robot.
As for anyone setting out with the tide I'm sure that people decried the use of the compass. If you are setting sail on any cruising boat these days you are taking advantage of the efforts of people like these adventurous students who are paving the way for better auto-pilots; which by the way have sunk more sailboats than windsurfers ever will.
Just my 2cents.

[donradcliffe]

Autonomous sailboats are one of my current projects, and there is quite a bit of history behind the Atlantic ocean crossing challenge.

The Microtransat Challenge

AFAIK, the last US Naval Academy boat ended up in a fisherman's net off Newfoundland. Rumor is that the next attempt will have a carrier group escort.


If I were sailing across the ocean, I would be far more concerned about encountering this

Rolls-Royce Reveals Latest Vision for Drone Ships: "This Is Happening" – gCaptain