I am not a boat designer but I cant help but notice that he used
I
beams and sealed them in to make his amas and hull. He is counting on enough bouyancy from the air space created by boxing that junkyard crap in. For one, I dont think he calculated the weight vs bouyancy. He will have so little stability from those, I think the first time he takes any considerable wind from abeam, he will see what he is in for, if not capsize on the spot. Hopefully he will get this before going under the Golden Gate Bridge (he's in S.F. right?).
Now my professional opinion of the design, manufacturing and material of the boat... He's fu@#&d! I have been a fabricator for 20 years and have EXTENSIVE experience with alluminum. His design consists of trusses. If he gets far enough to take some punishing waves for a long time, it will take it's toll on every weld joint in those trusses. The strength comes from combining all those joints together. When one cracks, another takes the load that it was bearing and not in the way it was intended. Then more will surely follow. I take some pretty stupid risks sometimes but I would't take that thing on a Catalina Island crossing. I hope for his sake, I'm wrong. But if you read the blog about his family suicides, this is just his way of doing it as well and getting alot of bublicity for it. In a nutshell; everyone is supporting his idea of a public suicide. I wont feel sorry for him one bit but I will for his family.
Lee Wicklund/Team Chums
How do we, as a community, get his family to change his mind? Not my problem.
![[Linked Image]](http://www.catsailor.com/bb_files/240.gif)
How do we, as a community offer some sympathy to his family?
GARY
Blog has been updated:
Expected to do some testing in SanFran bay on Sat., 2/9/08, depart for Southern Cal Sunday 2/10 and stop in San Diego if needed, else continue on for a
lap
<img src=
alt=
/>
I’m willing to pull into a port at any point during the trip if the boat doesn’t seem safe or I just don’t feel confident. Contrary to what some folks on sailing forums seem to think, I’m not insane or reckless
He's being safe/cautious/careful and will take the time needed to be sure....Ya, right! Like letting his departure windows keep slipping by over 1 month while he hastily cobbles that crypt together. And, it's going be just fine 'cuz he's got buddies that will inform him if he's got bad weather coming, so he can put in and sit it out at the Cape, NZ etc. etc.
Does he realize that things like radios regularly fail in those conditions? Even his breakfast cereal is trying to stop him! Wonder if he's had his appendix out?
Gotta get someone in SanFran to get photos of this thing before it collapses.
If by some miracle he makes it to SD, maybe I'll see him from my Tboat...I'll be at the Midwinters event out of Mission Bay 2/16 & 17.
When you are in the souther ocean you can't just run and hide of a bad weather system. Land is often just to far away and it blows like stink there all the time ! Additionally, running high through the south Atlantic to avoid the roaring 40's and screaming 50's forces you to sail through the St Helena High pressure system (=no wind) of the coast of Africa. You can get becalmed for weeks there. People are known to have gone insane by only a few days of being becalmed.
Therefor I would call such a safety policy a fundamental flaw.
Wouter
I hope he packs some cyanide pills.
Isn't hypothermia fairly quick and painless?
I like the statement that he's taking the time to do a few more
safety improvements
to the craft...putting a couple of stays (he calls them
wires
) from the ama bows to the main hull...and he's got all the engineering right because hese stays are angled right to prevent the amas from twisting the beams off.
This is hillbilly at best. Psychotic?
That's only if it makes it to somewhere cold and then break up. I guess S.F. Bay isn't that warm, so maybe the hypothermia thing will pan out for him. I'd still pack something to end it quickly. Unfortunately it probably won't break up getting craned into the water. Aluminum prices are way up. He could recoupe some of his costs scrapping it at least that way.
Me thinks he has a head start in this respect...
safety improvements
to the craft...putting a couple of stays (he calls them
wires
) from the ama bows to the main hull...and he's got all the engineering right because hese stays are angled right to prevent the amas from twisting the beams off.
This is hillbilly at best. Psychotic?
Now when the amas break off, if he has just enough chance to tack the boat, it will stay attached long enough to completely destroy the main hull too - great idea.
On my flight to the US last week I watched the movie Deep Water about Donald Crowhurst (excellent btw). Though the circumstances are different, this reminds me a lot of that.
Obviously, this is his wife's fault. All she had to do is insist that she was going with him. <img src=
alt=
/>
While there are similarities...Crowhurst had different motivations and pressures. He was in a financial bind with his business (nautical radio direction finding equipement) and basically got deep in hock with his sponsor who would get his business, boat & home if he failed to complete the race. A very ugly situation indeed...not all of which Crowhurst can be blamed for...
This Vann guy is completely self-motivated as far as we can tell. We can only hope that when things get bad, he can make it to safety...there are no huge external pressures for him to continue beyond his limits or the boats.
A few days? When I race cats, *IT'S INSTANTANEOUS*!!!! <img src=
alt=
/>
How about the part where he doesn't have an engine or ANCHOR(!) because the boat it's
built for the open ocean
Guess he knows a guy with a tugboat where he's going....
I just finally got around to reading this guys blog. Man is he nucking futs. I always root for the underdog, just as I did for super bowl but I believe this guy is going to die. But just for fun, I will bet he does not have trip ending failure before he reaches Cape Horn buts thats where the boat will come apart and he will probably die.
Boy are you optimistic...I think reality will set in on him long before cape horn and he bails out with a minor failure...something like he forgets a frying pan.
Boy are you optimistic...I think reality will set in on him long before cape horn and he bails out with a minor failure...something like he forgets a frying pan.
Gosh, if he needs a frying pan, all he will need to do is reach out and grab a piece of aluminum plate as it peels off the various failing structures! Of course, some purists do not like to cook on aluminum, but hey, he'll just have to make a sacrifice or two (before he makes the ultimate one...)!
Can we place bets ?
I think he's going to make it, but with some damage to the boat. I know...I'm a dreamer. I think so is he.
I think the boat will hold together to get him out far enough to be beyond immediate assistance. It will also be a pig to steer (have you seen the pictures?) as there's square bows and keel turns on all 3 hulls. So it will also take severe loads in big seas as those sharp corners resist the wave engergies.
My bet is the aka's (which are welded tubular sections) will fail either at the ama attachment points or the main hull, or they with just buckle at one of the many sectional welds along their lengths.
He's putting all his hope on the foam filled floatation...
unsinkable
...but very heavy, little to no free board and not preventing structural breakup.
Mike.
I know a guy in Oside, CA that sailed a Cal 20 around the world in the 80's. It had that fake grass carpet glued to the decks and .5
marine ply boards to cover the windows in case of bad weather <img src=
alt=
" />. The boat was still in Del Mar Marina last time I knew. The thing was beat! The Cal 20 was built for a weekend cruise to Catalina Island at best, not an around the world voyage.
Some guys just get lucky.
Read the book
Trekka Around the World
. A book about a guy that built a 20 foot boat out of wood and sailed around the world. Keep in mind the boat was designed by a boat designer and the guy was some kind of carpenter so he clearly new what he was doing during the construction. It is not always necessarily the size of craft, as much as it is the design, construction and of course the skipper.
Today's the Day for TinCan Tri...
According to the most recent blog entry, he is to launch that beast sometime today, test it in the bay tomorrow and leave for San Diego Sunday...potentially continuing on for a full lap about the globe.
Anyone in SF area able to get photos/vids for us?
So long as people are being honest with their answers, the poll isn't too optimistic. Only 2 out of 29 votes say he's going to even make it.
well he's supposed to be in the water now and moored somewhere for the night in SF bay.....going to be tricky without an anchor but he'll work out something i'm sure
OR he's been delayed again which puts his launch back further and that'll mean riskier weather for a non-stop circum. but actually if it does sail i suspect he'd much rather stop in at every port for publicity/money/rebuild reasons and then it won't matter when he casts off
wonder if he's planning the movie now, could get krakauer? of
outside
fame to ghost write the book and maybe sean penn to for the movie
does he know how that story ended?
Latest on Sailing Anarchy states he has not launched as of today. This came from a phone call someone apparantly made to the boatyard operators.
Another
deadline
slips... <img src=
alt=
/>
I don't know that I would use words like
deadline
with this topic. It might have other meanings by the time this is all said and done.
this whole thread reminds me of the new H16 sailor that we warned about sailing by his self in the winter, and we all know how that turned out. maybe Tin can will have better luck..