9' Chubby Girl Under Tow by CG

[sailormed]

This guy (retired french naval architect) build his 4 meter sailing boat in 400 hours on a budget of 4000 euros.
He left France in 2019 and arrived in the Marquesas this summer.
He will then continu to New Zealand.
The size of his boat enables him to hand the sails from the galley.
And a "central oar" (how do you call this) in place of an engine.


Edit: I wrote "hand the sails", please read "hand the sail", the boat has only a mainsail.

[chris95040]

Originally Posted by gamayun

Reminded me of sleeping in my closest when I was a kid but without the throwing up and constant soaking of sea water.

Sounds like you need a plumber!

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

... Finally, do remember that back in the early 70s (I think) a couple of survival experts managed to get from SF to Hawaii in an inflatable with no sail rig. The details are hazy, but I do remember that they made it, and then set up a business selling marine survival gear in the Bay Area, and then sponsored the very first single hand Farallones race...

Good memory, Jim!


“History of the Singlehanded TransPacific Yacht Race” ~ by Robby Robinson
In the spring of 1977, a San Francisco newspaper advertisement solicited entrants for a singlehanded race around Southeast Farallon Island, a distance of approximately 25 miles outside the Golden Gate Bridge. The promoter, George Sigler, was the owner of a marine business, "Survival & Safety Designs"...
➥ History of Singlehanded TransPac

“Experiment in Survival Paperback” ~ by George Sigler
This is a book describing a survival expedition of two U.S. navy pilots who sailed a rubber raft across the Pacific testing new survival techniques. The story is both a story of adventure, and one giving details of what it takes to survive in the open ocean.The two pilots departed San Francisco with no water and six pounds of food arriving in Hawaii 56 days later. Both had dropped in weight from 186lb to 128lb. It was only at the successful end of the trip that the Navy acknowledged they were "an official navy project".
➥ https://www.celestaire.com/product/e...t-in-survival/

[sailormed]

You also have Alain Bombard who crossed the Atlantic in the fifties in an inflatable canoe only to prove his point that you can survive on sea without drinking water.

[GrowleyMonster]

Maybe he would have made it, with a bigger boat.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by sailormed

He will then continue to New Zealand.

Oh no no no. Ce n'est pas possible. Yann is definitely NOT sailing to NZ. He never mentioned NZ once. He is now in New Cal and I believe he will pass the odd season there.


It took him only some 30 days to sail from Raiatea.



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[barnakiel]

Chubby girls has the same challenge that Yrvind has. Their boats do not sail.


Yrvind at least had the patience to endure (I think 80 days from Norway to Azorerna). Now half way to Madeira.


Our young friend in Chubby lacked experience of the other two. This is what young people today are all about. On the second though, we have always been this way.



I want to see him sailing again and I know he can do what he wants. This short run now will give him plenty of ideas on how improve his little craft too!


b.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Good memory, Jim!


“History of the Singlehanded TransPacific Yacht Race” ~ by Robby Robinson
In the spring of 1977, a San Francisco newspaper advertisement solicited entrants for a singlehanded race around Southeast Farallon Island, a distance of approximately 25 miles outside the Golden Gate Bridge. The promoter, George Sigler, was the owner of a marine business, "Survival & Safety Designs"...
➥ History of Singlehanded TransPac

“Experiment in Survival Paperback” ~ by George Sigler
This is a book describing a survival expedition of two U.S. navy pilots who sailed a rubber raft across the Pacific testing new survival techniques. The story is both a story of adventure, and one giving details of what it takes to survive in the open ocean.The two pilots departed San Francisco with no water and six pounds of food arriving in Hawaii 56 days later. Both had dropped in weight from 186lb to 128lb. It was only at the successful end of the trip that the Navy acknowledged they were "an official navy project".
➥ https://www.celestaire.com/product/e...t-in-survival/

Thanks, Gordy... that's the very one(s) I was referencing. I missed out on that first SH Farallones race,(which was won by Bill Lee, singlehanding Merlin, a maxi (for the day) sled of his own design and build) but competed in the second one a year later. That event led me into a spate of single hand ocean racing, first under the kinda offbeat directon of the Survival guys and then the newly formed Association of Single Handers who raced the OYRA offshore series. That endured for four years and eight race series... and then Ann and I went cruising, never to race again.

Those were really formative years, during which I learned so much that has applied to our cruising life... good memories!

So, again, thanks for dredging up the details.

Jim

PS The success of their inflatable to Hawaii voyage should indicate that sailing, even in a poorly performing yacht, should be well within possibility.

[sailormed]

Originally Posted by sailormed

This guy (retired french naval architect) build his 4 meter sailing boat in 400 hours on a budget of 4000 euros.
He left France in 2019 and arrived in the Marquesas this summer.
He will then continu to New Zealand.
The size of his boat enables him to hand the sails from the galley.
And a "central oar" (how do you call this) in place of an engine.


Edit: I wrote "hand the sails", please read "hand the sail", the boat has only a mainsail.

Update: I just read that he arrived safe in New Caledonia.

[barnakiel]

Yes he did. 33 days passage from Raiateaa Tahaa to Noumea. Ziiiiiiiiiiip !



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[barnakiel]

Our Chubby girl is back where they started (Berkley) . Next viable take off in the spring - according to her skipper.


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[waterman46]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I do not know US situation. In other countries (some of them) you pay for towing.


Saving lives is free, saving equipment is not.



barnakiel

Yes, and I hope the CG can persuade him to stop this silly thing, by charging for the towing. Or they should have hired a salvage boat with crane to pick it up, at his expense.



Antrim did himself a big disfavor by being associated with this foolishness.

Crazy record setting attempts: someone needs to tell these people that the days of brave explorers finding new lands to conquer, are over and never will return. Even if he made it to Hawaii, who wouldn't think how ridiculous such a trip is, just to reduce the minimum boat length by 1 foot?

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by waterman46

Yes, and I hope the CG can persuade him to stop this silly thing, by charging for the towing. Or they should have hired a salvage boat with crane to pick it up, at his expense.



Antrim did himself a big disfavor by being associated with this foolishness.

Crazy record setting attempts: someone needs to tell these people that the days of brave explorers finding new lands to conquer, are over and never will return. Even if he made it to Hawaii, who wouldn't think how ridiculous such a trip is, just to reduce the minimum boat length by 1 foot?

The point is that while we are here in front of our blinking screens, they are out there, sailing.


So it is not such a 'silly' thing.


Paying for the tow is a separate thing. If CG charges boats for towing, he may be in a pickle.


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[Don C L]

I don't find these sailing bath tubs for fame and glory very entertaining or heroic or flattering to adventure. That's sailing? Even if he gets in sight of Hawaii it will still be a week before he makes it to a beach, let alone the right one. Lost mooring buoys will probably beat him there. Reminds me of the guy who wanted to get into the Guinness Book by eating a car.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Don C L

I don't find these sailing bath tubs for fame and glory very entertaining or heroic or flattering to adventure. That's sailing? Even if he gets in sight of Hawaii it will still be a week before he makes it to a beach, let alone the right one. Lost mooring buoys will probably beat him there. Reminds me of the guy who wanted to get into the Guinness Book by eating a car.

To me it is as much sailing as anything else. And much more sailing than owning a boat docked in a marina.



Things do not have to be entertaining or heroic to be worth doing.


Look at our daily lives - how many thing we do every day are entertaining or heroic? And how many would count, if remotely, as an adventure? Hardly any, imho.


At least the kid spent some time on the water. He got frightened a bit. He built something, he tried something. Adventure? I bet he got it. If not, then what else?



Imho, a way better way to waste one's life than playing nintendo, smoking hay and listening to K-pop. And that's what the vast majority of his peers are doing right now.


b.