This Is Good Seamanship ?!

[SvenG]

A delivery from Newport, California up to Portland, Oregon.



"It would definitely be easier having the other boat to follow in as part of our steering problem was that there was no compass on the boat. We were going off a computer hooked up to a GPS that had about a 40 second delay. "

"It was too wet outside to bring out the computer with the chart of the marina on it, so Peter and I ran back and fourth yelling which direction my dad needed to go to stay in the channel."

From: Abby's Blog: Back on the Water



-Sven

[boatman61]

LMAO.... if they got in ok YES.... if not then NO....

[markpierce]

Open ocean travel without a compass? Insanity!

[osirissail]

I helped move a power yacht from Luperon to Samana at night and it can be really a pain in the butt. The power yachts for some unknown reason have all electronic instruments and only one little magnetic compass about the size appropriate for a 17ft dinghy sailing boat. When the instrument buss failed we were offshore in moderate seas and pitch black darkness. We had AC power so I was able to use my trusty lapbook with a "hockey puck" USB GPS attached to navigate back to a marina.
- - Power boats have little flat plates about the size of your BBQ griddle as rudders. Generally the boat is steered by differential power and getting the engines in "sync" to prevent turning is a trick and a half. And without active stabilizers the power yachts are rolling and pitching like a drunken camel. Holding a course with +/- 30 degrees is pretty good when you cannot see anything outside and have only the tiny wet compass.
- - For some unknown reason power yachts don't seem to think that good basic instruments are necessary. There will a million dollars in couches and chair and fancy interiors in the boat, but I swear it looks like they spent $10 on basic instruments that don't need huge power supplies. They are so very much different from sailing yachts.

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by osirissail

.
- - For some unknown reason power yachts don't seem to think that good basic instruments are necessary. There will a million dollars in couches and chair and fancy interiors in the boat, but I swear it looks like they spent $10 on basic instruments that don't need huge power supplies. They are so very much different from sailing yachts.

That's an unjustified conclusion.

The compass on this motor boat is quite prominent.




But if you will permit my prejudice, a person buying the pictured boat doesn't show good boat-sense. And I'm biting my tongue about thoughts of the owner who would endanger people to operate his boat as equipped.

[osirissail]

There are probably sailboat owners that also subscribe to all electronics and no basic instruments, but in mid sized 40-60 ft power yachts I have seen lots of the fanciest and most intricate electronic displays, etc. and when asked where their compass is they point to the digital electronic instrument. Maybe it has to do with all the gensets running continuously even when the engines are running.
- - And like everything else, there are exceptions where the power yacht owner/captain is "old school" and wants decent good sized basic instruments in addition to all the fancy stuff.

[jackdale]

In Canada, a vessel of that size is required to have a magnetic compass.

[SvenG]

Hi Mark,

Originally Posted by markpierce

And I'm biting my tongue about thoughts of the owner who would endanger people to operate his boat as equipped.

I'm not sure I'd place any blame on the owner, at all. The captain is completely responsible unless lied to. I think that responsibility is more than just a legal nicety, the owner is the customer.



-Sven

[rebel heart]

I'm sure they'll go far in their maritime adventures.

[SvenG]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

I'm sure they'll go far in their maritime adventures.

Do you mean Abby Sunderland or the owner of the boat ?




-Sven

[markpierce]

It is comforting to know a former sailboat sailor owns/runs the yard building my motorboat.

The guy sailed/raced with the sailmaker (De Witt) for my Dad's boat, for goodness sakes.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by SvenG

Do you mean Abby Sunderland or the owner of the boat ?




-Sven

Oh geez I didn't even realize Abby Sunderland had anything to do with this affair; I thought it was just some random yahoo. Didn't realize it was a notorious yahoo.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by SvenG

part of our steering problem was that there was no compass on the boat.

Thats part of the problem - its says " part of our steering problem was that there was no compass on the boat". What do you expect them to do? wait off shore till she grows body hair?

Of course they would have a compass on the boat normally.

Even media savvy teen brats do.


(By the way, as soon as I saw who's the blog was I stopped reading. Didnt all these kids grow up and go to prison for drugs? I'm sure Lindsay Lohan is doing time...?)

[SvenG]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

What do you expect them to do? wait off shore till she grows body hair?

How about not leave for off shore without a compass ?



-Sven

[sneuman]

There are many on CF who advocate deep sixing the paper charts, so why not the compass, too? Abby is just showing that she's with the hip cruising crowd and not the dinosaurs!