2015 Another bad year in the Azores..?

[sailnow2011]

looks like a bunch of people exiting a perfectly good boat....

[Polux]

Originally Posted by sailnow2011

looks like a bunch of people exiting a perfectly good boat....

If you are referring to the Lagoon I don't understand what you mean. The boat sunk. We don't no exactly why.

[K_V_B]

Originally Posted by Delancey

Here's what a green dye marker looks like as referenced prior from the same video.

Now why can't they make green buoys in that same colour?

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Polux

If you are referring to the Lagoon I don't understand what you mean. The boat sunk. We don't no exactly why.

No. I think the poster meant the Swan (Swan?) visible in the heli vid.

b.

[Polux]

A video with Gandul, the Argentinian home made cat that was abandoned: A two mast cat!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-15er_A-Kak

[Claude_Marie]

I understand why this cat was decribed as a "strange cat"...
Thanks for all your imputs here, including the links in Portuguese.
(I could not remember how Portuguese was very easy to read and to understand. .
Why is it so difficult when it is spoken ).

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Claude_Marie

I understand why this cat was decribed as a "strange cat"...
Thanks for all your imputs here, including the links in Portuguese.
(I could not remember how Portuguese was very easy to read and to understand. .
Why is it so difficult when it is spoken ).

Not different from other languages. I can read several, speak some but only can write in 3. Writing is by far the more difficult. Portuguese is a pain in the ass with all those accents on words but French is even worse with several on the same word

[arsenelupiga]

here is latest

Latitude 38 - 'Lectronic Latitude

what is not clear to me is that relatively low wind 50 kn produced such waves (45 ft) in such a short period. Maybe it was current vs wind situation ? or it was just adding to existing wave train and made it steeper ?

Lagoon cant sink easily flipped or not. Mine has around 4 T of flotation in sealed bows alone. Engine departments are sealed also, not perfectly but not that bad either... Flipped, should also trap lots of air in hulls even with escape hatches removed.

[hasse_A]

Originally Posted by hoppy

The article also stated that they had decided to change course to Madeira

The crew of Missy are best friends of ours. I just talked to their daughter in law and according to her they are headed for Las Palmas.

They are well experienced sailors with 40+ years of sailing. The boat is well built by the current owners. All standing rigging wire was upgraded from 7 to 8 mm before they left Sweden in 2011. Maybe thats the reason the mast is still standing.

I will post more info as I get it.

/Hans

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by arsenelupiga

(...)

what is not clear to me is that relatively low wind 50 kn produced such waves (45 ft) in such a short period. Maybe it was current vs wind situation ? or it was just adding to existing wave train and made it steeper ?

(...)

It was not the current. There is little current, going E, in that area.

If the waves were bigger than X then suspect and expect the factors that you mentioned: two (or more) wave trains creating cumulative waves. In fact, given the track of that Low and the conditions in the area before the Low, we can take this for granted.

b.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

It was not the current. There is little current, going E, in that area.

If the waves were bigger than X then suspect and expect the factors that you mentioned: two (or more) wave trains creating cumulative waves. In fact, given the track of that Low and the conditions in the area before the Low, we can take this for granted.

b.

The Açores are know to have a nasty sea with very big waves. 12m waves are not unusual on winter and some Islands remain completed isolated for days. 10 meters waves in May is not that usual. I cannot remember so severe weather in May. In Mars that is not unusual so I guess that trying to pass there on early May it is still pretty risky.

[monte]

Yes, if you take a look at the grib forecast on post #5 you will see that what occurred was pretty much what was forecast several days ahead for that area

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Polux

Not different from other languages. I can read several, speak some but only can write in 3. Writing is by far the more difficult. Portuguese is a pain in the ass with all those accents on words but French is even worse with several on the same word

Polux,

The early reports mentioned something about a fire aboard one of the yachts.

I am curious about that detail.

If you or others see any other mention of this or the cause, please let me know (a PM would do). Again, I am curious and wonder if that report will be augmented by some after-action report from the coast guard or navy or the yachtsman.

[barnakiel]

It is not the beginning of May. It is May. And in Sept you may want to be already out.

Mind when departing from the Caribbean side end of May you are around the Azores in mid till late June. It is not a weekend trip. Plan your departures and arrivals accordingly.

Part of the problem is reading some books without realizing where their author took his advice from. Then it is about remembering that routes and timings that applied to HMS tall ships may be less adequate for boats that are like 1/100 of the displacement and 1/10 of the LOA.

But whoever wants to know, will know. The info is out there. It is just that some of us elect not to do their homework.

Bigger boats, doing work (often half a year in the Med and the other half in the West Indies) are another story too - bigger, with young, strong, professional crews - they can. I know some skippers who if not for being on a job, would not.

When the boat is designed for less dramatic sea conditions one may be well advised and depart so that the crossing falls on the (statistically) easiest part of the season. Not that we will not get hit, only that our risks will be limited to the lowest level available.

Cheers,
b.

[arsenelupiga]

Originally Posted by monte

Yes, if you take a look at the grib forecast on post #5 you will see that what occurred was pretty much what was forecast several days ahead for that area

Is wave frequency/height/trains forecast included in this ?

50 kn winds are not that horrible but combination with waves from elsewhere was likely problem.

Assuming confused seas, surges of pressure where diesel fuel travels are great. Is one meant to run on motors in such circumstances ?

Maybe the reason fuel line to start leaking and/or large sudden pressure delivers much larger volume of fuel in pistons ...