Urgent help needed to recover abandoned yacht NW Barbados

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I've bought a couple of 2nd hand Bene's in the Caribe and solo'd them back to the UK.. they're in the main okay boats which gave me no probs.. one was 15yrs old.. the other 6yrs old.
The only thing I can suggest is.. if buying a new production boat for ocean sailing when you get your list of desired factory fitted upgrades.. add a Lloyds spec style rudder to the list and scratch some of the other 'toys'.. same with keel bolts and through hulls.. don't go for the stock fittings designed to just outlast the warranty...

Boatie, can a buyer actually do that?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Boatie, can a buyer actually do that?

If they want me to spend my money with them (in my dreams I have some ) then I don't see why not.. a rudder is an external fitting so to speak.. just order the special to Bene's dimension specs for stock and design size.
Not a major change of structure.. in fact no change.. just slide up the hole and fix.. same with keel bolts when the keel is fitted.

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by boatman61

If they want me to spend my money with them (in my dreams I have some ) then I don't see why not.. a rudder is an external fitting so to speak.. just order the special to Bene's dimension specs for stock and design size.
Not a major change of structure.. in fact no change.. just slide up the hole and fix.. same with keel bolts when the keel is fitted.

Are they still building them with the top bearing mounted to a glued in box??

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Are they still building them with the top bearing mounted to a glued in box??

Ask Polux.. or another new design geek..
Like Fangio is alleged to have said.. "I don't build or maintain them.. I just drive them.."

I was just referring to the rudder collapsing around the stock.. not the boat collapsing around the rudder..

[RPZ]

Originally Posted by boatman61

If they want me to spend my money with them (in my dreams I have some ) then I don't see why not.. a rudder is an external fitting so to speak.. just order the special to Bene's dimension specs for stock and design size.
Not a major change of structure.. in fact no change.. just slide up the hole and fix.. same with keel bolts when the keel is fitted.

And this ought to be as easy as putting Michelins instead of brand x on a car.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by sailjumanji

I have two stud finders. Neither is magnetic based. Both sense studs as well as separate identification of electrical wires. Can deep scan or shallow scan. They are both relatively inexpensive and run on 9 volt batteries. Finder is sold at hardware stores.

My FIL has one of the really cheap nail finding models. It is obviously no more than a magnet.

I've just had the cheapie ones. Don't use it on the boat

[mitiempo]

Originally Posted by boatman61

The only thing I can suggest is.. if buying a new production boat for ocean sailing when you get your list of desired factory fitted upgrades.. add a Lloyds spec style rudder to the list and scratch some of the other 'toys'.. same with keel bolts and through hulls.. don't go for the stock fittings designed to just outlast the warranty...

I have not heard of any issues with Beneteau (or other builders) keel bolts being an issue - it's what the keel is bolted to.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by mitiempo

I have not heard of any issues with Beneteau (or other builders) keel bolts being an issue - it's what the keel is bolted to.

I've had keel bolts rust out on one of my boats.. a bilge keeler, also my first boat.. luckily when one side failed I was tied alongside a drying pier after returning from France.. pulled into Keyhaven after my last cruise across the channel, tied up and went home for the night.
Returned early next morning as she was due to be craned out for the winter only to find the only thing visible was the mast and cabin top..
When she was lifted out the port keel was just hanging on by one bolt.

[RPZ]

I viewed a boat recently that had keel bolted so badly rusted I doubt that they could be pulled in the normal fashion if at all.

[Alastair A]

best wishes Please always use "heavy marine grease" on your bolts and ruddesr fittings. Cheers A

[JPA Cate]

Alistair, just in case you are unaware, know that the liner built boats, do not have easy access to thee keel bolts, or anything between the hull and the liner, which is glued in with "plexus", not fiberglassed tabbing, or whatever. What your thoughts on this issue are, I do not know...

Ann

[Snore]

Any updates on the missing vessel??

[Exile]

Originally Posted by Exile

Maybe more relevant to guesstimate approx. sighting distance from the cockpit or deck of another boat. Lots of variables but maybe assume eyeballs are 7-10' off the water and seas are reasonable. Anyone?

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

My guess, is not more than 3 mi. By four, the hull's very small, and I'd be surprised if the sail is still there, and mast is hard to see in many light conditions, plus you get fatigued with looking, your brain wants to go do something more fun than looking for what it can't see. Me, I search for anomalies, just looking for something "different" from the expanse of the sea. Image-stabilized binoculars would possibly increase the viz to 4 mi. What AWW wants to do is very difficult. Still wishing him and the others who are trying to help good success with the venture.

Ann

I have heard this 3-4 mi. number before so thanks for the confirmation. Not having your experience I still have trouble estimating distance out in open seas. I've also heard 12-14 mi. for a large container ship on a clear day with reasonable seas, but also many variables. In any event, pretty deceiving, especially when I can easily see 70-80 mi. from various points up in the mtns. near my home! In this case I continue to hope that with all the boats transiting the area this time of year AWW will get a sighting.

[SV DestinyAscen]

From a typical height above water on a sailboat, I doubt you'll see much more than 6-8 in optimal conditions and with binoculars and the most disciplined watch keepers who know how to scan the horizon. Curvature of earth and sea pretty much limit it. Radar at top of spreaders gives you maybe another 20.

[boatman61]

I work on the principle if I can see where the ships hull meets the water its roughly 3 miles away.. the bridgedeck on the horizon 6-8 miles.. this is in daylight.
Lights at night however, in good visibility.. ships can be seen up to 12miles away.. and that's according to AIS positioning..