Call for Help/ This American Life (Merged)

[chall]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Not sure what this proves, but in our previous boat, 36 ft LOA, 29 ft LWL we made the passage from Cabo to Hiva Oa twice. First time 21 days, second time 19 days, about 3100 miles logged. Neither trip had any significant motor time. Crew was Ann and I (We were younger then!).

Passage times are highly dependent on two factors: the winds that you actually encounter (not what the pilot charts say they will be) and how hard you drive your boat. The former is out of your control, the latter is not. Slowing the boat, or deviating from the desired course for comfort will increase the time, sometimes to a surprising degree. Eric's slow progress was likely due to both less than ideal wind conditions for his boat, and trying to ease things for crew comfort... easy to see this from his comments.

For folks trying to predict passage times, Evans Starzinger has posted on CF (and I think documented in their website) some guidelines for realistic predictions. IIRC it comes out something like 2/3 times hull speed for an average... check it out.

Jim

Thanks Jim. That is good information and advice.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by smackdaddy

...
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post1332666

...

The preventer attachment likely had been compromised.

A problem like this comes up--it would be wonderful to have instant web access.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by mbianka

Just seems to me that there were so many places things could have gone really bad and these guys could have been left floating 900 miles out in the ocean. Making their feat so much more amazing.

I agree with you. Those guys must be off their rockers! Hopefully they get something to pin on their chests because its a pretty damn brave thing to do...

I've done a couple of parachute jumps including one into water and it wasn't fun... And that was into a lake curtesy of the army. I'd never do it again lol

You'd be a bit pissed off if you landed 900 miles out and the outboard didn't start

[savoir]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

You still don't get it smack daddy. You can pontificate all you want about "issues" but you still haven't separated the infinite symptoms you find in stories from the overarching root cause, that which you can truly benefit from. That is why I can guarantee, lay down money, you will make serious errors in the future. You aren't preparing yourself in the correct way.

And the correct way is . . . . . . . ?

[Mycroft]

The only think I would like, and that word is "like" NOT "demand", would be a nice long post, (hopefully in its own thread), from Eric on the lessons that he has learned from this episode.

What would Eric have told his pre-voyage self? THAT information would help the rest of us would-be passage-makers.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

I agree with you. Those guys must be off their rockers! Hopefully they get something to pin on their chests because its a pretty damn brave thing to do...

Too right! However, I think that they train to do this sort of thing with an added complication: folks shooting at them! This may have seemed easy to them... maybe!

Jim

[Snore]

Finally decided to catch up on this thread...

@Rebel Heart- thanks for having the balls to be straight and honest. That candor helps everyone learn, not easy being in your spot. Noth'n but respect for that.

@ the naysayers- you guys must be desk jockies. Anyone who has worked at-risk jobs understands the value of a good failure analysis. And that is exactly what 90% of the thread is.

@ Smack and others- thanks for doing the research and asking the questions.


For the rest of us another big lesson- be careful what you post. Posts do come back to bite ya!

[thuss]

Eric, FWIW having done similar length passages in the pacific on almost the same boat (HC 38), I'd set off with my wife and young kids (and have) and would have pulled the epirb right when you did. I'd call in help and ditch our boat in a second to go with my daughter if she needed serious medical attention.

If I'm ever in the same situation I sure hope I won't be that ******* husband that thinks staying with the boat is more important than staying with the family.

You're a role model, not for living the dream, but for making the hard choices (which are the ones that really matter)!

[Pelagic]

+1 that should never be in doubt

[Jimbo485]

Why didn't he accept Atoll's offer to sail the boat to land?

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Jimbo485

Why didn't he accept Atoll's offer to sail the boat to land?

More importantly, why didn't he thank Atoll for making it? I assure you it was not in jest, his bags were packed...

[Jimbo485]

Alex would have had RH in tip top condition by the time they saw the Marquesas appear over the horizon.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Jimbo485

Alex would have had RH in tip top condition by the time they saw the Marquesas appear over the horizon.

lol,not the first time i have sealed up deck leaks with canvas,wood strips and a few nails!

i did recieve a pm from eric thanking me for the offer,though unsure as to wether the base commander in san diego passed it on to eric at the time as an option.

the catamaran that we proposed to use to get there however made it in 16 days ,panama-nuka hiva averaging over 200 miles a day!

[Jimbo485]

Nice run. Took us 17 days.

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Too right! However, I think that they train to do this sort of thing with an added complication: folks shooting at them! This may have seemed easy to them... maybe!

Jim

No doubt. Still with Eric's boat in Force 5 conditions it was no swim off the beach for the rescue crew. 18 to 24 MPH winds, 6 to 9 foot seas. I was thinking in those conditions if I untied my dingy and let it drift away from the boat say 100 feet and then jumped in the water in with a lifejacket and a pack of gear and attempted to catch up with the dingy and climb aboard. I doubt if I'd ever make it. Yet, that's the first step for these guys after they hit the water. Amazing!