Damned Electronics!

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Aussiesuede

If you have a look at her proposed routing . . . <snip>

I'm probably responsible for leading others astray in my thread-opening post, but by the time I realized my error, it was too late to edit the post. I again apologize for having mis-read the 'Lectronic Latitude article, then posting incorrect information.

Jeanne Socrates is an experienced, capable sailor, and very familiar with the west coasts of Mexico and the US. Sh*t happens to even the most capable and experienced, and the results can be tragic, as was the case here.

TaoJones

[Aussiesuede]

Originally Posted by Delezynski

Aussiesuede,


I think you are making the same mistake that a LOT of people are making!

PLEASE read my previous post. She was within 100 miles of closing the loop and completing her circumnavigation!!!!

If you went to the ShipTrack site I posted above and track her, those are way points she MADE good! That is not a PLAN.


Greg

Good eye! lol. I was wondering why all the dates were past tense? (ie, as if they'd already happened) LOL

edit. THAT's even more depressing in retrospect. Only 100 miles from completion. Ouch. And reversing the direction makes a LOT of things make more sense! lol Now let me go bang my head inside a drum for a bit...

[cooper]

wow this site is going odd....and not any of the previous posts. I wrote a reply and it posted it 4 times I deleted one and it deleted the lot.....see if this works....

[cooper]

yep but to tired to go back and type it all again.

[exfishnz]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Most modern electronics have a criticality detector built into them, to ensure that they only fail when the timing is critical. If you don't believe me, ask Murphy, he owns the patent rights to it.<G>

Aye, that be true, the “Murphy's Law”.

Have had a fairly new Furuno radar (video card) & the rudder indicator display fail on us. Where? As we were making our approach[1] across the Westport rivermouth bar[2] in pitch blackness with increasing seas & winds. Talk about “sweating bullets”

[1] beyond the point of safe return (i.e. going in but not coming out ).
[2] b/w 1985-2005, 23 fishermen have been lost on the notorious Westport & Greymouth bars (West Coast, South Island, NZ).

[TaoJones]

From today's 'Lectronic Latitude, comes word that experienced singlehanded sailors are a special breed, and Jeanne Socrates is forever a part of that exclusive club:

* * * * *

"Commencing Countdown

"July 7, 2008 – San Francisco Bay

"About a dozen entrants for the 30th Anniversary running of the Singlehanded TransPac met up Saturday afternoon at Marina Village in Alameda. Although Jeanne Socrates was forced to withdraw from the race after she lost her boat two weeks ago, the other racers wouldn't pose for this shot without her!"
Photo Latitude / LaDonna
© 2008 Latitude 38 Publishing Co., Inc.

* * * * *

For the rest of the report, go to:

Latitude 38 - The West's Premier Sailing & Marine Magazine

TaoJones

[btrayfors]

I'm very distressed, too, to learn of the loss of Nereida. Her captain is an incredibly brave and wonderful lady, by all accounts.

Nevertheless, it should be pointed out that no matter how experienced and how many offshore miles in her past, she made a very basic navigational error.

She was singlehanded and motoring ~ 3nm offshore while sleeping. She'd set her clock for 45-minute naps. A bit of math would dictate that she should have set her course at least 10 x .75 or 7.5nm miles offshore (10 being the fastest movement possible while motoring and with a strong current and .75 being 45 minutes).

This ain't rocket science, folks. It's basic navigational prudence.

I put up with an autopilot for 12 years which tried numerous times to kill me. Thankfully, I was awake during these trials. But now, even with a "reliable" top-of-the-line autopilot, I try to exercise good seamanship and imagine/plan for the worst case.

Again, so sorry for her loss, and the loss of her beautiful vessel.

No, not "damned electronics". They did exactly what Hello Sailor said they would, and what everyone familiar with electronics knows they will sooner or later.

So sad...

Bill

[hellosailor]

"They did exactly what Hello Sailor said they would,"
Of course they did. The surviving electronics know by now that if they don't obey me, I'll use them for skeet and trap practice.
"PULL!"

[btrayfors]

Some years ago when the Internet was in its infancy and we were in the IT business I put a 16oz claw hammer right through a malfunctioning $800 modem.

Kept it on my desk for years just to make sure the other modems and electronic devices knew who was boss :-)

Bill

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by btrayfors

Some years ago when the Internet was in its infancy and we were in the IT business I put a 16oz claw hammer right through a malfunctioning $800 modem.

Those 300 baud modems rocked!

[Whimsical]

$800 Geezus we used to make them out of bits from the junk box.

Mike