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Call for Help/ This American Life (Merged)

Oddly, the "first interview" for the Rebel Heart saga will be done on NPR's this American life this weekend.

The intro I heard this week was a bit hard to stomach. "Cracks in the hull" Really? That's a new one. "Baby is sick" etc, etc.

"Barely time to remove the steering wheel" OH wait, that was me.....

re: Call for Help/ This American Life (Merged)

This American Life is an excellent program. I have listened to it for years....

Look forward to the interview. :thumb:

re: Call for Help/ This American Life (Merged)

It is on right now, they are doing an EXCELLENT job with the story!

One edit;

Story is over, it was the first 20 minute segment of the show. No judgement on the part of the report, mostly focused on the chain of events leading to the call to set off the EPIRB and the consequences.

The into talked about the various opinions voiced by those on the shore, and this was mentioned again at the end. Eric did a great job telling the story, and Ira (the commentator) asked good questions. I liked that he clarified that not all of us are rich, and that the boat represented the family's home and possessions.

I suspect there will be folks searching for more information on the story, if so "Welcome to Cruisers Forum".

re: Call for Help/ This American Life (Merged)

Crap. have to wait till tomorrow to hear online

re: Call for Help/ This American Life (Merged)

I thought both the show and Eric and Charlotte did a terrific job. Might not change any minds, but for those if us who are out there, it was such a clear account.
I was thinking as I listened that any one of the things that happened have happened to all of us, though perhaps one at a time. And - that SIM card sent in the mail thing? Happened to us too, though we and the phone were in the Caribbean at that moment.
Leigh

re: Call for Help/ This American Life (Merged)

The website says they'll make the episode available this Sunday, 7PM Central Time.

Call For Help | This American Life

re: Call for Help/ This American Life (Merged)

Here is a family that just made the passage from Costa Rica to Polynesian islands..........kids and all.

SVRockstar | Our "very gradual" adventure around the world...

re: Call for Help/ This American Life (Merged)

Boatguy, et al,
Thanks for the heads up, I'll have a listen this weekend....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boatguy30 (Post 1537670)

Quote:

Originally Posted by s/v 'Faith' (Post 1537890)

Story is over, it was the first 20 minute segment of the show. No judgement on the part of the report, mostly focused on the chain of events leading to the call to set off the EPIRB and the consequences.

The into talked about the various opinions voiced by those on the shore, and this was mentioned again at the end. Eric did a great job telling the story, and Ira (the commentator) asked good questions. I liked that he clarified that not all of us are rich, and that the boat represented the family's home and possessions.

The show's "promo" says they "had 2 radios, but unsure if either was working..." This appears to be referencing their VHF radio and their Icom M-700Pro SSB (NOT a DSC radio)....
(and we know Eric had some frustrations with his Iridium 9555 over the months....so glad he had an EPIRB as well)

From just a cursory look at some postings, we can see that it is very good that they did have an EPIRB....

--- From Feb 2014...

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebel heart (Post 1471617)

I honestly haven't gotten into the electronics craze. We've put a few thousand miles on with paper charts and basic electronic instrumentation (gps, depth, ais displayed on the radio).

--- From Dec 2013....

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebel heart (Post 1404735)

Do people actually use the DSC function? I've never called anyone, never had anyone call me, and don't know anyone who's had it happen either. I've had a DSC radio for years, broadcast AIS, etc. Everyone just hails on 13 or 16.

--- From Aug 2013...

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebel heart (Post 1314388)

Just curious about this, I looked around and couldn't quite figure it out. We're here in Mexico, and then taking it a step further on the high seas, why exactly do I need to have a license from the USA to transmit?

When I hear the ham nets, at least around here, it's clear that it's primarily English speaking Americans and it's frequent to hear "If you don't have a ham license you cannot transmit."

1000 miles out to sea?

Seems kind of odd.

--- From March 2014....

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebel heart (Post 1493195)

As a guy who uses a satellite phone and has a ham/ssb onboard:

- I have the satellite phone for business because I need to make voice calls. If I didn't have that need, I doubt I'd have the phone.

- Satellite phones are flukey. I've had two times where mine has been de-activated by the billing company. When this happens it becomes a paperweight, and both times it was a paperwork error on their part. It's easy for paperwork problems to happen when traveling international by boat.

- When they work, satellite phones are the (long term) most expensive and easiest way to do email, voice, and weather.

- I'd say maybe 1/3 of the offshore boats I know have ham licenses. Those who don't have it generally have plans to get it.

- All of the popular nets I've participated in have been SSB. When you want to have a lot of people in a net, you do it with SSB. No real way around that.

If I didn't need my satellite phone for my job I'd have an SSB with a modem, and eventually study for the ham exam because why not?

--- From Nov 2013...

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebel heart (Post 1381944)

Yeah I need everything off to work my 700pro. Inverter and engine in particular.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebel heart (Post 1384452)

I have an Iridum 9555 that I bought from a retail outlet of satellitephonestore.com in San Diego. The sales guy was straight forward, but my relationship with the billing department has been rocky to say the least. I use a lot of airtime and data as it's for my job.

- Twice I've had them disconnect my SIM card from their network for no apparent reason. It only took a phone call (via a cellular number) to clear it up, but still, disconcerting for long passages.

- I've had them change my billing plan without my authorization.

- I've had them charge me for overage minutes in addition to my prepaid plan amount, even though the minutes weren't overage at all and were completely within my plan limits.

- Just recently it seems they've broken my data minutes out from my voice minutes. So my "200 minutes a month" is really "200 voice minutes + data billed at $1.01/minute".

- I use uuplus as well and have had great results with them.

Is the breakout of data and voice normal in the ~$200/month prepaid range? This is several months in a row now of getting my invoice and finding things that are either wrong or questionable.

The above confusion about communications is quite common....and this is one of the primary reasons that the GMDSS was designed as it was...to remove the "human confusion factor" from Maritime Safety Communications (and SAR operations), as well as remove / reduce the vagaries of "mother nature" (radiowave propagation), by use of:
--- 406mhz EPIRB...
--- MF/HF-DSC Signaling...(as well as VHF-DSC)
--- INMARSAT-C...

It appears in Rebel Heart's case, their EPIRB did the trick???
(not sure of all the details)

I look forward to the interview, perhaps we'll learn some more details...

Fair winds to all...

John
s/v Annie Laurie

re: Call for Help/ This American Life (Merged)

Did they say what went wrong with the boat? Steering was mentioned before, but nothing has been detailed.

Matt

re: Call for Help/ This American Life (Merged)

Listened to This American Life earlier today, good interview though only 20 minutes (the usual format of three stories per show with a "theme").

As to damage.... Eric said the boat was broached, mast and sails under water, and forces on the sails and rigging while righting were transferred to the hull causing failure of the hull to deck joint. He estimated an immediate inrush of water at about 70 gallons if I recall correctly. Adding that water was also coming in from an unknown source.

Water continued to come in through the deck joint as well. I suppose because of the sea state.

The steering was not mentioned in the interview unless I missed hearing it.

When the couple began to contemplate hitting the epirb Charlotte said she walked away stating she needed to use the head. In reality she didn't want to face the fact that doing so would mean the loss of sv Rebel Heart. A bit later the button was pressed and the fate of the boat was sealed and they both new it.

Next they related the wait and arrival of the airplane. And how proud they were to live somewhere where strangers would (and could) jump out an aircraft to help them.

re: Call for Help/ This American Life (Merged)

wow. :popcorn: :popcorn: didn't expect this

re: Call for Help/ This American Life (Merged)

I don't know of we are allowed to comment in this thread :rolleyes: but I will and its nothing to do with Eric or his boat, but a general comment about the quote below

Quote:

Originally Posted by ka4wja (Post 1537953)

Quote:
Originally Posted by rebel heart
I honestly haven't gotten into the electronics craze. We've put a few thousand miles on with paper charts and basic electronic instrumentation (gps, depth, ais displayed on the radio).

I find it's weird that so many people claim the old methods are good... And so good that they dont use, or little use the modern methods.

It just seems crackers to me for anyone venturing out to spend so much time learning the sextant (as Eric did) but no time learning DSC etc.

Or, for example, so into paper charts but they don't have Google Earth images and position in real time on Google Earth cached images, and a variety of ECN options.

That "seamanship" is so important and not running into ships so important but will not buy a modern device like an AIS Transponder.

Sat phone really only for work, and would not have been brought along for weather.

The weirdest thing about this particular sinking is that Eric is quite a young man... Much younger than most of us. But steeped deeply into the old ways.

Forum threads often seem to be biased towards the old technology... The writers who use the new kit just dropping out of a discussion whenever someone says "GPS - nice toy but wait till the satellites fall out of the sky"

Mark

re: Call for Help/ This American Life (Merged)

Coz we're a bunch of old farts who think just pressing buttons is boring..:D
But seriously.. the nonce to use paper and the ability to DR is useful now and then..:thumb:

re: Call for Help/ This American Life (Merged)

Quote:

Originally Posted by boatman61 (Post 1538001)

the nonce to use paper and the ability to DR is useful now and then

:thumb: :viking: :viking: :D :devil:

re: Call for Help/ This American Life (Merged)

Quote:

Originally Posted by four winds (Post 1537982)

Man oh Man...
If I had a dollar for every time someone in the past Rebel Heart threads questioned the abandoning of the boat without all the information...

Lesson learned...wait until the facts are out before passing judgement and pontificating, but you and I both know people won't remember this lesson the next time something happens either.:banghead: