Atlantic Delivery

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Therapy

Even for someone with vast experience that certainly is a very large undertaking. I can't imagine it.

I don't disagree but we should all try to keep some perspective.

This is a job for Phil. And not his first rodeo. Even if the gal crew is inexperienced, just having someone to keep their eyes open or hand steer is incredibly helpful.

I mean no disrespect but "epic"?

Phil will be embarrassed to read that and the first to deny it. And correctly so. If the boat hadn't broken, this would have been a ho hum story of a pleasant trip in fair weather and winds. Even without the outside help, Phil had this covered. Let's all get outta our chairs and stretch... maybe even step outside and catch some air. As oceanic voyages go, this wasn't epic.

I wouldn't even call this epic but it was quite an achievement:

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

I don't disagree but we should all try to keep some perspective.

This is a job for Phil. And not his first rodeo. Even if the gal crew is inexperienced, just having someone to keep their eyes open or hand steer is incredibly helpful.

I mean no disrespect but "epic"?

Phil will be embarrassed to read that and the first to deny it. And correctly so. If the boat hadn't broken, this would have been a ho hum story of a pleasant trip in fair weather and winds. Even without the outside help, Phil had this covered. Let's all get outta our chairs and stretch... maybe even step outside and catch some air. As oceanic voyages go, this wasn't epic.

I wouldn't even call this epic but it was quite an achievement:

agreed,though i still belive that he would have needed some help getting in and alongside in horta in anything but ideal conditions.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by atoll

if he does i would reccomend instead of having it on twice a day for two hours at a time,having it on 4 times a day for an hour at a time.

Can't you just program spot to send a position once an hour or so and just leave it always on?

[JPA Cate]

Hey, guys,

It's all a question if or when one asks for assistance. Others co-opted Boaty's options. Let's wait and see what happens now, eh?

Ann

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by atoll

if he does i would reccomend instead of having it on twice a day for two hours at a time,having it on 4 times a day for an hour at a time.

this would have made interpreting it a lot easier,

as what we were actually seeing was phil heaving too at night as the solar panels stopped supplying enough power to run the auto pilot,
and being basically single handed not hand steering overnight accounting for the drift rates of 1knot.

once the sun had been up for an hour or so the auto pilot would function and phil would resume sailing at 4+ knots or so,under genoa only,
as with out the aid of an engine to point up to windward, he was unable to get the mainsail up and sail faster.

with the spot only transmitting twice in 24hrs we were seeing a very erractic course,and a deceptive AVERAGE speed,which was interpreted as an inability to sail faster than 2.5-3knots,even in 20+knots of wind.

couple that with the know navtex message that stated total engine,electrical and comm failure, and single handed led to the conclusion that he was slightly more disabled than he actually was.


spot or no spot i think yes,but maybe not broadcasting to the wider world,and let the nominated person know that IF their is a real problem THEY will be the recieving a text from the spot!

i was totally unaware that phil had used my number to send a text to if he ran into real trouble.

Thanks for the update and detail.

Looks like I was closer than I thought with thinking they were getting tired and having a snooze...

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by atoll

agreed,though i still belive that he would have needed some help getting in and alongside in horta in anything but ideal conditions.

I'm with you Alex. I'd be happy with a tow as we know Boaty was. This is a job. The breakdown is likely already messing with his upcoming jobs or prospects. Good story for a Northern Hemisphere winter, though.

As always, the thread drifts were some crazy ****. Some fun. Some not.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by hoppy

Can't you just program spot to send a position once an hour or so and just leave it always on?

not sure but i think we should be contacting the manufactrers of SPOT,as they probably would be pleased to pay for the tow!,in return for........

A using this thread as a REAL LIFE reasearch and develpment tool.

B for all the free publicity they have got ,54000 views,and i'm sure many more in the future.

CF marketing dept......im sending my bank details if you want to take this up

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/f...dXhE4tz376zLPI

[IdoraKeeper]

Well he got there with no bangs, bumps or scratches. Its not his fault that worn out stuff failed.

[Cotemar]

Looks like Boaty is on the outside wall at Horta Harbor.
Good morning Boaty and crew. Please wakeup and entertain us today....

http://www.baysider.com/frame/webcam...ams%2F0007.jpg

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Hey, guys,

It's all a question if or when one asks for assistance. Others co-opted Boaty's options. Let's wait and see what happens now, eh?

Ann

He never did ask for assistance, but he also didn't turn it down when it was offered so I think that's about all the evidence we need that he was happy to get a little help with those last few miles and getting to the dock a little more quickly. Who wouldn't, with all that was broken on that boat? I'm sure that he could have sailed into the harbor as is and dropped anchor, but it would have been a silly circus stunt to try to sail a boat he was unfamiliar with docking all the way to the dock with just a jib so he would have needed assistance of some kind eventually anyway, but it would have been a pain in the butt to make such slow progress for another day or so, and for what? The owner wanted to be sure and provided the vehicle to do that and it's all good.

I've flown literally all over the world (except Australia and New Zealand) as an airline captain and I've been a 50 ton master for 10 years, so I very well understand and appreciate your concern about co-opting or diluting captains authority, but I don't see this as a case of doing that at all. It's more like a case of noticing that someone might be thirsty before they get up from the table to pour themself a glass of water, and offering to pour them a glass out of your pitcher and them saying thanks, no big deal at all. It's not like they were dying of thirst or anything but they were getting a little parched and appreciate your thoughtfulness.They'd do the same for you if they happened to be the one with the pitcher and you with the empty water glass and thirsty look. Another analogy is when you approach the dock singlehanded in gusty winds and someone you know to be knowledgeable offers to help with your lines, you gratefully accept even though you could probably do OK by yourself. Nobody's captains authority and no options were co-opted, just a little assist offered and accepted to help make things go a little smoother.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by atoll

not sure but i think we should be contacting the manufactrers of SPOT,as they probably would be pleased to pay for the tow!,in return for........



A using this thread as a REAL LIFE reasearch and develpment tool.



B for all the free publicity they have got ,54000 views,and i'm sure many more in the future.



CF marketing dept......im sending my bank details if you want to take this up

This thread highlights to me the shortfalls of Spot for cruising sailors and the people back home following them.

For comparison, this is my yellowbrick site http://my.yb.tl/Jessabbe/ for now it just shows the track from my messing around in the Ionian last summer, I can configure how old data I can display online (set on the web) and from the tracker I can very easily set the frequency of position reports. It can last weeks on a single charge. I am yet to test it on a proper voyage ;-)

[atoll]

Originally Posted by hoppy

This thread highlights to me the shortfalls of Spot for cruising sailors and the people back home following them.

For comparison, this is my yellowbrick site Yellowbrick Tracking - YBlog - S/Y Jessabbe for now it just shows the track from my messing around in the Ionian last summer, I can configure how old data I can display online (set on the web) and from the tracker I can very easily set the frequency of position reports. It can last weeks on a single charge. I am yet to test it on a proper voyage ;-)

more good R and D feedback allowing them to make a better product,information such as yours and phils is invaluable to the large companies like SPOT.

not sure how we would go about getting a donation from SPOT towards the cost of the tow,but im sure if enough of us contacted SPOT it would get their attention,citing this thread!

i really dont have the time at the moment but perhaps if others with a bit of time on their hands could follow this up,and im sure the owner would be happy to have the SPOT logo somewhere visible on his vessel.
link to SPOT below

Contact Customer Care

[Wolfy]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Hey, guys,

It's all a question if or when one asks for assistance. Others co-opted Boaty's options. Let's wait and see what happens now, eh?

Ann

I think that I may have put another twist on this Thread had I been reading this and had my Boat parked in Horta, I'd have certainly taken the pressure off of who did what right and who did something against the grain....
I'd of probably just went out for a "Toodle" regardless, weather was perfect, Boats always ready to go, she doesn't burn too much fuel....I would have grabbed a few essentials.....ciggys and beer for Boaty (just in case) and off I'd go......
Wonder how the Thread would have reacted to someone just going out for a look see.....
Atoll, as I had mentioned before, I personally think you responded correctly, you're a hell of a Guy and I bet your Buddy Boaty is just chuffed having a mate like you............
IMHO Boaty does need to invest in a Sat phone though........never leave home without one...but then again we wouldn't have had the drama, would we?

[Wolfy]

Besides, what better way to meet the infamous Boatman

[robert sailor]

Pretty cute sleeping at night hove to so he didn't have to drive it by hand thus diluting his daily runs and making everyone here thinking he was sailing at 1-1/2 knots. I'm sure he would have either tied the dink up to push him in or called for a tow at the harbor mouth, done that myself. But he chose not to hand steer so he was certainly in no panic whatsoever. Certainly takes a bit longer when the boat doesn't go to windward well but I think that's normal for those boats. Loosing your engine is not a big deal, a pain in the butt but not a big deal. Even not having a mainsail is not a big deal if you have a functioning head sail. All in all nothing more than many sailors have dealt with and for someone with Boaty's experience sort of an inconvenience at best.