Ken Barnes ("Privateer") Dismasted at Horn

[delmarrey]

It makes you wonder why he would be going before the wind in such heavy seas.

[unbusted67]

Hey guys what is Ken Barnes' URL?

[GordMay]

As linked in the original post, Ken’s website is at:
KenSolo

http . www . kensolo . com

[Vasco]

Just found out he didn't even have a magnetic compass with him. Just an electronic one! OK I know Marvin Cramer went around with all his instruments locked in a bag but he knew what he was doing. It seems that Barnes didn't think a magnetic compass would work on a steel boat. The cost of his rescue is well over $300,000. Borne by Chilean Navy and Polar Pesca's owners.

[CAVU]

It would be very interesting to hear what his experience actually is. Publicity seems to have been worked out with running commentary on his website to keep up to date as to what was going on during his voyage. Too bad a little more time wasn't spent on learning how to jury rig a boat to bring it home in worse shape than when it left. While on the TV, he was asked about his engine and if he tried to start it to motor in. He said, no, he was afraid the shaft might have been bent or the engine loose on the mounts which would misalign the engine and cause a vibration. Also mentioned the batteries in the sink.

Interesting? For three days adrift and you wouldn't drag the batteries out of the sink and try to start the engine? Shaft bent? Any experienced sailor should know how to tell if the shaft is bent or the engine misaligned especially if your life might depend on it. How about some type of make shift sail. This is not Monday morning quarterbacking. He wanted to solo around the world. Didn't he plan that during the circumnavigation he might hit something and bend a prop or shaft or lose his sails?

It would be nice to be a fly on the wall as the insurance adjuster asked him about leaving his floating vessel in fairly calm seas without trying to start the engine and motor 200 miles to port.

I'm glad he's safe. I agree stuff happens and there by the grace of God go I. As for lessons learned, I don't think he tried hard enough and should still be out there floating around and try to come up with some kind of idea to get the boat to shore.

[Trim50]

Q&A from Chopper@kensolo.com Jan 09, 2007
Q. What will happen to Privateer?
A. Privateer was scuttled. Ken felt it was far too damaged to repair. In order to prevent it from becoming a Maritime hazard to others, he sunk it.
Q. Was Privateer Insured?
A. No, it is very expensive and nearly impossible to insure a vessel for a round the globe adventure. Ken is out the costs.
Q. When will Ken try again?
A. Well, mentally speaking, from his statements, we believe he would like to attempt this again. Financially speaking, he is not able to even think of an attempt right now as he was all-in with Privateer.
Q. What caused the demasting and rudder failures?
A. Privateer encountered a burst of heavy air (common to this area) and rounded up/broached into a breaking 25 foot wave. This caused the boat to roll 360 degrees, which in turn broke both masts, ripped off a hatch(s), and flooded the cabin with 3 feet of water before the boat righted.
Q. What will Ken do now?
A. He is contemplating that right now..

[CAVU]

Trim50. "This caused the boat to roll 360 degrees, which in turn broke both masts, ripped off a hatch(s), and flooded the cabin with 3 feet of water before the boat righted."

This was history. Real time, the boat was floating and seas were calm, relatively. Were the bilge pumps working now? Did he have a bucket? Was the rudder completely gone? I'm not a sailboater. Is scuttling the ship the normal procedure when you lose your rudder on your uninsured prized possession? Wouldn't that be like euthanizing your favorite race horse because he lost a horseshoe. Would it have cost him the same dollar amount as the total hull loss to have it towed to shore and fixed? Inquiring minds would like to know. I guess we have to wait for the book.

[Joli]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

It makes you wonder why he would be going before the wind in such heavy seas.

The boat is heavy and he had a mizzen up, not a staysail? Very odd.
Stick the pointy end in and watch the mizzen blow on by as the boat rotates.

You would have thought he would fore reach with a trysail or staysail, lay to a parachute, or even run off with some sort of drouge.

The whole thing doesn't make sense but not being there,,,,well who's to say. Glad he's safe.

[bru]

This goes hand in hand with my post on the thread about the cat hitting a whale and being abandoned. I just can't understand abandoning a yacht which isn't sinking and which, clearly, could have been saved.

A significant contributory factor seems to be lack of preparation. To my thinking, if you've anticipated the possibility of losing the rudder, being dismasted, getting holed etc. and prepared an action plan and equipped the yacht with tried and tested emergency essentials (emergency rudder system, jury rig scheme, means to plug and temporarily repair hull damage etc.) you're more likely to react positively if the sh*t actually happens.

OTOH, I've never been beaten up around Cape Horn, broached and rolled through 360deg and maybe when faced with the test I'd throw in the towel too! Exhaustion, stress and being plain bloody terrified after such an ordeal is maybe sufficient reason to call it a day when rescue is at hand and I'm not going to pass judgement on anyone for doing so - after all, your man Barnes tried to do something that very few people do (rounding the Horn), he got hammered and decided he'd had enough. He scuttled the yacht so it won't be a hazard to anyone else and the only loser is himself

OK, his rescue cost money I grant you but if we go down that route we open a can of worms 'cos it's putting a price on the freedom to take risks that is fundamental to adventure on small boats (and even a super-yacht is a small boat according to my old man who sez he wouldn't sail across Biscay without at least 10,000 tons under him!!)

[Trim50]

I don't know about you guys, but I have some very reasonable insurance quotes for circumnavigation with the grain of the Earth over a 3 year period.

I guess when you tell the insurance company that you're going to circumnavigate solo non-stop around the capes in the wrong direction without any experience, they tend to up their rates.

[sneuman]

I think I understand to a small degree what Ken is probably going through right now, and the arm chair critics aren't going to do him (or anyone) much good.

As some of you know, I went through a dismasting in extreme conditions about a year ago. I have spent the time since second-guessing my actions and decisions. In the end, stuff happens. And there's no such thing as 100% prepared.

However, I do think it's important to learn from others and from oneself. Moitessier wrecked two boats in quick succession because he was a sloppy navigator. He was the first to admit it. But, obviously, he went on to greater things.

So, in the spirit of constructive debate (but hoping to steer clear of a Bumfuzzle lee shore), I posit this question:

Reading Ken's Web site, he said: Privateer "was originally designed as what is known as a bilge keel boat with a full keel and 16 s.f. plates on each side of the keel to allow her to stay upright when the tide ebbs. I had these cut off after talking with designer, Robert Perry who agreed they were 400 lbs. each with a lot of wetted surface and useless for my plans. She draws 5’6” and has a beam of 12’ 3” and comes in at about 50,000 lbs fully loaded for this trip. For the last 3 + years I have been outfitting her for her new task."

OK, I know bildge keel (very popular in UK), but what does "bilge keel boat with a full keel" mean? I've never seen such an animal. When he cut away his bildge keels, what was left? In any case, he subtracted 400lbs of ballast, which admittedly doesn't seem much on a boat of that displacement. But could cutting away the bilge keels have had any effect on his probability of rolling?

[capt lar]

Great question, Sneuman. I had read about the modifications to eliminate these "useless" keels. My immediate question was to stability and the overall design of this vessel matching the intended use. I wondered why someone would go thru so much work for so long a time when there are many more suitable vessels available. Not sure if we can get any real answers with these questions, but they do make us think.

[CSY Man]

What happened to the other thread on the same subject..?

[CSY Man]

Found it...Never mind.

Thought it was gone...Sailed with the tide...

[Raven]

Originally Posted by capt lar

Great question, Sneuman. I had read about the modifications to eliminate these "useless" keels.

See below:




44' Custom Steel Gulfstream 44

"This bullet-proof little ship was designed by acclaimed British naval architect Maurice Griffiths, and built by Terry Erskine Steel Yachts in 1993, to represent the ultimate shorthanded cruising vessel with a particular affinity for heavy weather"

Status: SOLD
Price: $146,900.00 (US)