Be Prepared

[Owly055]

    The Boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared".   It's clear that many people who undertake transocean voyages are not fully prepared.    I recently watched a Utube of the rescue of the crew of Dove II in mid atlantic, a boat that should not have been abandoned.   The family lost all their worldly goods.   The boat was their only home, and carried all their possessions.   A tragic story to say the least.   This happened in rough weather, but hardly "survival conditions".   Loss of the fiberglass skin of the rudder was the cause of the incident.  The skipper made several unsuccessful attempts to jury rig a rudder, and even went over the stern to examine the rudder.   A freighter came on scene to render assistance (evacuation), but it was considered too dangerous, particularly with two small children aboard.   A yacht heading for as charter in the Caribbean finally rendered assistance, ultimately by the crew of the stricken yacht taking to the liferaft and being picked up.

     Rudder loss and dismasting are both very common...... too common, and on the Transat, I've read quite a few accounts of rudder loss mid ocean.   In at least one case a drogue was used in lieu of a rudder and they made Barbados.

     Serious solo voyager that he is, Roger Taylor is probably better prepared than almost anybody else in a small yacht.   His boat has sea hatches instead of sliding hatches and washboards, designed to take on virtually no water if capsized or knocked down.   Foam filled compartments make it unsinkable, and a large sculling oar carried on deck could serve as a jury rudder, or even as a short mast so he could continue under a jury rig.   

     Most yachties take off for pleasure sailing, and all they do is sail, or race, never doing a "fire drill".   It would seem to me to be a worthwhile competition for yachts to tow a bunch of yachts out in various unsailable conditions, and let them jury rig and race back to port.   This could be done with simulated rudder failure, or simulated dismasted condition, or for many people just without use of an engine.   A mast dragging alongside hanging from shrouds and stays, at least one of which is broken, and a tangle of canvas as it would be in a real life situation, a crew of three perhaps.  Can you get it aboard, and set up?   Probably NOT.    You might get a 30' mast up, but it's doubtful, but a 50' mast would be out of the question.   Do you have anything to use for sheers to raise it?   Very unlikely.    You could however cut it loose so it doesn't batter a hole in the hull, which is what most people are forced to do offshore.  But that leaves you fresh out of options.  The only things left to raise a sail with would be boards from the cabin sole, or perhaps the berths...... or are those all made of molded fiberglass?   Most folks are just plain screwed in this circumstance!
     The rudder offers a few more options......... maybe.   If the rudder stock is broken off beneath the boat, hopefully there isn't a massive leak where it comes through the hull.  A make shift drogue, warps, etc pulled from a stern bridle can steer a boat.   In many cases it should be possible to use the sails to steer.   You are after all pivoting the boat about the keel's center of lateral of resistance.  Those forces can be generated by air as well as water.  On a ketch or even more so a yawl, it should be possible to steer the boat entirely using the wind, and playing with the head sails and mizzen, though perhaps not on all points of sail.   

     I've never heard of a "crippled boat competition".    I've mentioned the idea before and been met with what I can only describe as a resounding silence.    The result is that boats like the Dove II are abandoned at sea.  This and other boats could have been saved if the owners had gone into it having simulated such a crisis.  Long distance racers are I believe required in many cases to have a backup rudder of some sort.  They are seldom dismasted because they spend huge amounts of money on extremely high quality standing rigging which never reaches a stage of deterioration where it might fail suddenly.  Any of the dozens of components of your standing rigging can fail at any time, and bring your mast down.  Every single piece is critical.


                                                                                                                 H.W.

[ralay]

I sympathize with the fact that IRL people have to choose how to allocate very limited time and money I covered an infinite number of potential problems.  It's pretty difficult to spend your life acquiring enough money and skills to be perfectly prepared an still have enough time left to go voyaging before age and health create new liabilities.

That said, I think your event sounds awesome.  I'd like to see it happen even if needed to be on a smaller scale. 

[Owly055]

Yachting Monthly did a series called Crash Test where they simulated various emergencies including dismasting, capsize, fire at sea, and ultimately blew their 40' crash test boat up off the isle of wight.  Their dismasting left a stub, which may or may not be realistic.   I'd propose the idea of having a large rectangular parachute........ as used in kite sailing.  These are used for, powered parachutes, jumping chutes, and various other things and are not uncommon or difficult to acquire.   If you lose a mast entirely, it's about the only option I can think of that could provide drive.  Imagine being dismasted in the middle of the Indian Ocean.  Below if it comes through is an image of an innovative yacht that apparently has been built by a German designer.  Here's his web page:  http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/11/08/kite-sailing-yacht/   It's a technology that has already been developed.............  Why wouldn't we experiment with it?

                                                                                                                 H.W.

[img]http://www.yankodesign.com/images/design_news/2007/11/08/kitano3.jpg[img]

[Owly055]

Somebody want to tell me what I did wrong with the image I tried to include in the last post???

[CharlieJ]

You have to use the Insert image icon second row left end, for images from elsewhere

[Norman]

I have seen videos of that yacht sailing, and the performance is amazing!  A number of years ago, $100 a barrel oil, and rising, a German shipping company fitted one of their smaller cargo ships with one of those sails to reduce fuel cost, but the equipment was scrapped after the first round trip.  One problem was wind direction requiring tacking, increasing time en route, another, wind velocity too light, and wind too strong for the strength of the sail.

On paper, it was profitable at $100 but in practice, closer to $200 a barrel.

The rig was computer trimmed for optimum drive, winching in and out the shrouds to get the perfect altitude and trim.  No crew input required except when deploying or recovering it.  The description that I read did not address whether there were more than one kite on board.

On a good day, an unbeatable system, but on the long haul, how many days will you have wind in the 20 to 40 knot slot, and within the 180 degrees centered on your desired course?  A cargo for profit is going to require a ship speed close to 20 knot to pay the mortgage and deliver on time.

Recent stories of cargo ships running slow to save fuel cost were carrying cargo that was backed up in storage at the destination, such as oil, so no cost to arriving late.  In 2008, the same was true for car haulers, the dealers lots were full and sales slow, so the ships steamed slow as a favor to the manufacturer and save fuel.


On the beach at Sydney, AUS, I watched kite sailors gearing up to sail.  They measured the wind speed, discussed how much it would vary as they left the shore, and then selected a sail from a stack of bags.  The more serious ones had 4 or 5 sails, and went out in white capped sea state, as well as very gentle breezes.

A cruising sailor would need a selection from spinnaker weight monsters, to a very small, heavy fabric one for 60 knots or more.

The real problem would come when heaving to became the necessary choice, which could not be done without a mast.  "Bare poles" is much more dangerous than hove to, according to most cruising sailors.

Winching in the next to smallest kite and launching the storm kite would be a wilder adventure than dropping a fully reefed main and hoisting the storm try sail.  Especially, hauling in that kite and bagging it, compared to lashing the main sail to the boom.  In that kind of wind, 40+ knots, there would be real risk to the crew as they caught the initial fill of wind without getting yanked or blown overboard. 

You would be in a world of hurt if one of your electric winces failed with the kite up in high wind, and you had to hand winch it in.  Not something for single handing!  I hate to think what you would pay for winches big enough to pull in the kite in very high wind (you waited too long before deciding to reef), and supremely reliable, plus multiple battery banks for redundant energy during generator failure.  Certainly, nothing larger than a day sailor would be manually trimmed in strong wind.


This system has been around for more than a decade, and the problems far out weigh the advantages.

[Norman]

A Google search only shows one voyage by the Beluga, Germany, Venezuela, USA, Norway.

She is 132 m long, 15.8 beam, 9821 tonne, 15 knot cruise.  The configuration is container ship, with part of the containers below deck in open top, double wall space that can be used for odd size and shape cargo.

A charter to MSTS for Army cargo to reposition is mentioned with out any actual voyage data.

There are several videos of her under sail, but they seem to be on her commissioning sail and maiden voyage.

The initial voyage used the sail only 8 hours a day, saving 15% of fuel when used.  That would be only 5% net for the voyage.

They propose doubling the sail area to increase the savings, from 160 sq. m. to 320 sq. m., or even 600 sq. m. , but that does not seem to have been done.

A year after the maiden voyage, the company laid off more than half their employees, due to lack of orders


The kite is launched with a very rugged four section vertical hydro crane tall enough to raise the ends of the kite off the deck, uninflated.

When ready to deploy, the computer operates the motors in the pod at the end of the kite cable to inflate it, plus the air entry valves to inflate the lite and then the crane releases it, and the kite is run up to desired altitude.

Recovery, the hydro crane is re extended, the kite is winched down, and the pod motors fly the kite to the grab device on the crane, and then collapse the kite.

The kite is then lowered by  collapsing the crane straight down, and stowed.

It is not clear how the pod gets its energy to operate the motors to control the kite.

The control of the motors is apparently wireless from the bridge of Beluga, as the skipper selects the desired operation from the bridge.

A google search did not find any other voyages of the Beluga.

Hardware of this nature would not be viable on a sailboat that anyone but a billionaire environmental geek.  Jobs or Gates should have bought one.

[lastgreatgeneration]

Having experience offshore where things can go wrong I have a few insights into this. Most people don't have redundant systems. Ie; spare rudder, swages and fittings, critical engine parts to name a few. Also many boat owners carry lots of assumptions as in "the marina replaced the rudder bearings" long story short, they failed offshore. Warranty in question because the destination was offshore. The biggest misconception to me is you are really offshore with little help or supplies, people tend to overestimate themselves and vessl. Your only option is to sink the vessel while you are getting rescued.

We monitored a rescue well offshore (300 NM or so), possibly salty dog participant. Their vessel was disabled. I can never for get what the helicopter radio operator said to them. He said "bring only what you can carry in your pockets" also "open up a seacock to make sure the vessel sinks", "don't touch or grab the rescue swimmer and keep loose lines out of the water".

Of course I have heard stories of where people refuse to abandon their boats when ordered by the coastguard in storm conditions. For this instance, I plan on having one of those giant foam middle fingers you see at sportsball games. Statistics say your partially afloat vessel will be found and you will not!

This does not necessarily need to be rehashed to sailfar boats. The rule is simple and small equals manageable and safe.

[Phantom Jim]

Lastgeneration...it was giant hands, not fingers;) I like the idea. 

[Bubba the Pirate]

Abandoning ship in mid ocean without scuttling the ship is one of my pet peeves.

Whatever the reason that you are no longer 'safe' on your vessel, please make sure to NOT leave a hazard that may jeoardize someone else's safety.

[Phantom Jim]

Decades ago a wise voyager advised stepping up into your life raft  because so many boats did not sink after they were abandoned.  When that statement was first stated, I suspect rescue chances were very small.

[Owly055]

    It's interesting that so many reasons something might not or could not work can be found.    The original premise was that a kite of some sort could provide temporary propulsion to get to the nearest shore in the event of a dismasting.   This does not require a full suite of different kites, and the ability to made 5 kts in all wind conditions.   There may be days when you can't fly it at all due to gale force winds or no wind at all.
     The fact is that unless you are near the coast, the alternative is abandoning ship.   Abandoning your boat can mean heavy financial loss unless you can afford insurance, which often costs as much annually as 10% of the value of the boat.   In an offshore crisis, time is no longer an issue, except where limited water and food are concerned, and determined people in a sound vessel can survive for long periods of time on the sea.  If John Glennie and his crew could survive 118 days in the hull of a capsized trimaran, and come to shore in good enough shape that authorities believed their story to be a hoax, how long could men survive in an intact but dismasted sailboat with all the resources you carry aboard still on board?   How easily we give up these days.   When the car quits, you call a tow truck, and most folks don't even bother to learn the simplest procedures, or carry even the most rudimentary tool set.    In my case I carry a full complement of tools when traveling, and my car has a diagnostic device (scangauge) mounted right on the column that allows me to monitor any parameters I want, reads out mileage and other data, and pulls and cancels codes.   I may not have the part to fix a problem, but I'll likely know what it is.     When I was growing up, my friends and I hiked into the wilderness was non-topographical maps and a compass.   We didn't have GPS, or an emergency beacon, or a cell phone.......... Those things didn't exist.   We often were miles from even a trail, as we liked to "bushwhack" and would pick out an interesting feature and go there.   There was no way to summon rescue, and we went there with that knowledge.   We hiked the Olympic coastline in the late 60's when the only way to do it was to sneak around the headlands when the tide was out, sometimes in waist deep water at night, or fight our way through dense forest, swampy ground, devils club, etc.   Now folks carry emergency beacons, and cell phones and GPS, and it seems that helicopter rescues and missing hikers and hunters are more frequent by far.   When swimming off the beach, and getting caught in a tidal rip, we knew what to do.... And it happened a number of times.    And it wasn't "try to signal for rescue"............   We all survived because we were at core "survivors".  That was our mentality.  Fit, and strong, and knowledgeable, like many teens we were fearless.   

    Nowadays at sea when we run out of beer, we push the button on the EPIRB and the Coast Guard comes to the rescue ;-)   If dismasted you use the epirb rather than cobbling something up to get to shore.   It's inconvenient to be forced to undergo some hardship, or people's minds are empty of practical ideas for dealing with crisis.   One boat was abandoned by a family West of the Canary Islands because they had damaged the rudder and the sea was rough.    Another sailed to the West Indies using a makeshift drogue........... at least that showed someone had some ingenuity........... though it was the skipper of another boat. 

     There is a big difference in trying to use a kite for regular passage making at the same rate as with a normal rig, or carrying a kite because it will at least let you make some progress.    Even at 2kts average you'll eventually get somewhere, and isn't that better than abandoning your boat (home).   


                                                                H.W.
"We have beer for you, but you'll have to open the seacocks and scuttle the boat".   

[CapnK]

Abandoned and unscuttled cats can make long journeys, apparently...

From: http://www.wect.com/story/35336986/mystery-yacht-appears-off-nc-coast

MOREHEAD CITY, NC (WECT) -

On Nov. 21, 2016, a 57-foot catamaran sailing yacht capsized 400 miles north of the Dominican Republic.

The crew was saved, but the yacht disappeared.

It appeared again on Wednesday when it was spotted off the North Carolina coast near Morehead City.

According to an email sent to WECT, Sea Tow, a 24-hour water tow service based in Morehead City, got a call at 6:30 Wednesday morning about the capsized boat 25 miles off the coast. They were the first to arrive on the scene and they realized it was the missing yacht when they saw the name on the boat: Leopard.

Six months after Leopard went missing, Sea Tow is bringing it into Morehead City. There was no word Wednesday night if the boat had made it to the dock yet.

Copyright 2017 WECT. All rights reserved

And there is also this story from the past week, monohull washes ashore w/no souls aboard, near Hatteras. 82 year old singlehander, enroute FL-ME.

http://www.witn.com/content/news/Coast-Guard-seeks-information-on-boat-found-along-the-OBX-420952783.html