How we almost sank our boat in Papua New Guinea: video

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Jim Thomsen

My wife and I have been sailing Tenaya for 10 years, covering 50,000 miles and visiting 50 countries. Most of the time things went really well....but a few times....
This is a video of the time we almost sank Tenaya on a remote island in Papua New Guinea:

https://vimeo.com/178080056

That was well done, well resolved and well told. I'm glad you can laugh, or at least, not cry, now.

Thanks for sharing it.

[hellosailor]

Requires Flash, or JavaScript. Both long and soundly known as being high security risks, and disabled on many systems. Especially since they are totally unnecessary to watch a video. FWIW.

[Jim Thomsen]

Hellosailor,
I'll look into that. I do not use Flash or Java and this video is on Vimeo that should allow it to be played without Flash or Java, at least that is what I have been told.
Thanks for the info.

[SV Bacchus]

Played fine for me on a MacAir. Thanks for sharing, great video!

[alansmith]

Jim and Wife, thanks so much for sharing your harrowing experience. What a great story and thank goodness you had good team work to save your boat. Whew!

[Akapeterc]

The video works for me no adds. Love to see more of your adventure do you have a blog site? Always good to learn from others misfortune cheers

[kryg]

Thanks for your informative chilling video.

One lesson I learned that maybe helpful next time you have a line around your prop.instead of diving over the side and cutting the line. Put the boats gear in neutral, engine off - from inside the boat turn the prop shaft counter to the engines rotation it should unwind the mess you got into.

[dtrue]

Great story.. thanks for sharing.
All comments on video ads ...open it thru Mozilla no ads.

[Sea Dreaming]

Thank you. I learned a lot!
Played just fine for me, android tablet w chrome.

[GILow]

Great story.

Have decided NOT to share it with the Admiral.

Did not need the music (it was a bit annoying really), you are both great story tellers and need no cheesy audio to back you up.

FWIW, I know it sounds paranoid, but I am just a little bit concerned that the locals appear to have a hidden agenda going.... I mean they were not exactly doing you a lot of favours in their choices of anchor location, particularly if they know their local weather patterns...

I hope I am just being paranoid.

Happy travels.

Matt

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Robert C

If I understand correctly, you dropped anchor on a 'pristine' coral ref not once, but twice. First, on the possibility that the mooring line might not hold, and the second time, because you didn't want to take a chance on offending the natives. Try this. Take your boat somewhere where you can anchor.

Wow! No, really, wow!

Did you actually listen to what they said in the narrative?

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Jim Thomsen

My wife and I have been sailing Tenaya for 10 years, covering 50,000 miles and visiting 50 countries. Most of the time things went really well....but a few times....
This is a video of the time we almost sank Tenaya on a remote island in Papua New Guinea:

B.T.W., I downloaded your NZ circumnavigation document a year ago and have kept it in my kit, just in case we make it N.Z.

If there are any changes you think I should be aware of, NOW would be a really great time to know.

[knockabout]

good post

[Jim Thomsen]

GILow,
If you do get the chance to sail around New Zealand I would highly recommend it. Not many boats do it, I think only 5 or 6 a year? The southern part of the South Island and Stuart Island are very remote, but it's so cool to be able to anchor in the exact cove that Captain Cook anchored in and it still looks the same.
I have not heard of any major changes, but I would still recommend that you do it with plenty of time to wait out big storms and I would highly recommend using Commander's Weather as a resource. They understand New Zealand, especially the South Island, I think even better than local weather people. The radio net for the south is very informative, so have SSB would be great. If you have any other questions feel free to ask anything. Good luck!!

[JBBNE]

Thanks Jim and Katie! Excellent video and narrative. Such welcoming people on the islands there. Good on you for getting to these isolated gems.

It wasn't that many years ago that anchoring on the Barrier Reef was the norm here in Australia, so I can understand the locals being puzzled at your reluctance.

Thanks for sharing.

John