ah.. good to know. I'm betting someone fell asleep at the wheel rather than anything completely negligent like that. B. is having an amazing trip down that way. His last update sounded awesome
Your description was compelling. Love this topic. Any chance some mates may get a few photos to share? Some of us need to live vicariously.
Not me, for many reasons (seriously, underway with no watch?). I'm on land down here for now - figured it was time to own some dirt again. Still whale watching though.
ah.. good to know. I'm betting someone fell asleep at the wheel rather than anything completely negligent like that. B. is having an amazing trip down that way. His last update sounded awesome
... speaking of which, I hope this wasn't you (update from my mate circumnavigating the Pacific, currently near Cabo). Sounds like someone on watch fell asleep.
We had a close call earlier this morning. I noticed the lights of another vessel approaching from behind, about 8 miles out. AIS showed we were close to a collision course. I watched it, expecting it would go around us as we had right of way. But it remained on a constant course, doing 8.5 knots. As it got to within 3 miles our proximity alarms went off. I tried calling it on the VHF. No answer. I put all my deck lights on, so we were lit up like a cruise ship. No response. I plugged in my million candle power spotlight and shone that on it. Still no response. In the end I waited till it was half a mile away and I was sure it was on a collision course with us. I turned up to windward and it passed about 200 metres away. Obviously no one was on watch and they didnât have any alarms set, nor their radio on. Unsurprisingly it was a fancy sport fishing boat, about 20 metres long, with two revolving radar sensors. Fat lot of good they were! I wish Iâd had a shipâs cannon.
Not me, for many reasons (seriously, underway with no watch?). I'm on land down here for now - figured it was time to own some dirt again. Still whale watching though.
That's the approach I take for inshore. I'd still jump at the chance to be a hand on a boat to Hawaii or French Polynesia. I've got a long coastal trip to the Baja in my future as well.
... speaking of which, I hope this wasn't you (update from my mate circumnavigating the Pacific, currently near Cabo). Sounds like someone on watch fell asleep.
We had a close call earlier this morning. I noticed the lights of another vessel approaching from behind, about 8 miles out. AIS showed we were close to a collision course. I watched it, expecting it would go around us as we had right of way. But it remained on a constant course, doing 8.5 knots. As it got to within 3 miles our proximity alarms went off. I tried calling it on the VHF. No answer. I put all my deck lights on, so we were lit up like a cruise ship. No response. I plugged in my million candle power spotlight and shone that on it. Still no response. In the end I waited till it was half a mile away and I was sure it was on a collision course with us. I turned up to windward and it passed about 200 metres away. Obviously no one was on watch and they didnât have any alarms set, nor their radio on. Unsurprisingly it was a fancy sport fishing boat, about 20 metres long, with two revolving radar sensors. Fat lot of good they were! I wish Iâd had a shipâs cannon.
I guess not funny. but yes, kind of funny. I have utmost respect for anyone braving the Southern Ocean. And then doing it single-handed. wow.
edit: mentioned this before but my sister sailed half way round the world over the space of 8 years. Most of the blue-water sailing community aren't really in it for the sailing, but the lifestyle. Most of them wait for optimum conditions before moving on. Pretty sane approach in my book.
That's the approach I take for inshore. I'd still jump at the chance to be a hand on a boat to Hawaii or French Polynesia. I've got a long coastal trip to the Baja in my future as well.
The Vendee Globe is turning into a real nail biter. Three boats are still in contention to win in the final hours (after sailing 80 days around the world, no mean feat).
Line honours will be taken by Charlie Dalin within the next hour, but boats three and five across the line each have time credits because they stopped to save a guy whose boat suddenly broke apart after hitting a rogue wave in the Southern Ocean, so it is all on. Crazy race.
If you ever want to dash any fleeting fantasies you have of this kind of race, the book "Godforsaken Sea" is a good read. The part where the guy in the capsized yacht was thankful for the cold water because it numbed up his hand after severing a finger in a banging hatch, was an especially good deterrent. I still want to do a big pacific crossing, but I want to be met by umbrella drinks and my big concerns should be running out of books on the kindle.
Popped out just barely into the Southern Ocean on one of those big tourist motor boats when visiting Bruny Island in Tasmania, and even on a nice day could see how powerful it could be.
man, that sucks. The sole German left in the race collided with a fishing trawler just 80 miles out. Now limping home at half speed. He had a good chance of winning after deducting the six hour time credit.
man, that sucks. The sole German left in the race collided with a fishing trawler just 80 miles out. Now limping home at half speed. He had a good chance of winning after deducting the six hour time credit.
The Vendee Globe is turning into a real nail biter. Three boats are still in contention to win in the final hours (after sailing 80 days around the world, no mean feat).
Line honours will be taken by Charlie Dalin within the next hour, but boats three and five across the line each have time credits because they stopped to save a guy whose boat suddenly broke apart after hitting a rogue wave in the Southern Ocean, so it is all on. Crazy race.
If you ever want to dash any fleeting fantasies you have of this kind of race, the book "Godforsaken Sea" is a good read. The part where the guy in the capsized yacht was thankful for the cold water because it numbed up his hand after severing a finger in a banging hatch, was an especially good deterrent. I still want to do a big pacific crossing, but I want to be met by umbrella drinks and my big concerns should be running out of books on the kindle.
I guess not funny. but yes, kind of funny. I have utmost respect for anyone braving the Southern Ocean. And then doing it single-handed. wow.
edit: mentioned this before but my sister sailed half way round the world over the space of 8 years. Most of the blue-water sailing community aren't really in it for the sailing, but the lifestyle. Most of them wait for optimum conditions before moving on. Pretty sane approach in my book.
The Vendee Globe is turning into a real nail biter. Three boats are still in contention to win in the final hours (after sailing 80 days around the world, no mean feat).
Line honours will be taken by Charlie Dalin within the next hour, but boats three and five across the line each have time credits because they stopped to save a guy whose boat suddenly broke apart after hitting a rogue wave in the Southern Ocean, so it is all on. Crazy race.
If you ever want to dash any fleeting fantasies you have of this kind of race, the book "Godforsaken Sea" is a good read. The part where the guy in the capsized yacht was thankful for the cold water because it numbed up his hand after severing a finger in a banging hatch, was an especially good deterrent. I still want to do a big pacific crossing, but I want to be met by umbrella drinks and my big concerns should be running out of books on the kindle.
The Vendee Globe is turning into a real nail biter. Three boats are still in contention to win in the final hours (after sailing 80 days around the world, no mean feat).
Line honours will be taken by Charlie Dalin within the next hour, but boats three and five across the line each have time credits because they stopped to save a guy whose boat suddenly broke apart after hitting a rogue wave in the Southern Ocean, so it is all on. Crazy race.
Yeah, there was a lot of debris out there. It made it that much more challenging. And the waves were double house sized. I saw waves far bigger than anything captured by a camera.
The shoulder is fine. The elbow still bothers me, but I try not to complain too much about it. We all play hurt around here.
It doesn't mean much unless you're familiar with the history of windsurfing in the Gorge, but Tuesday was likely the biggest day in "the corridor"since windsurfing started here over 30 years ago. This is my 32nd windsurfing season here, and I've seen lots of big days, including one in 1990 that set a mark that lasted nearly 24 years. I've experienced similar wind strength, (28-45 averaging 35mph) but the water conditions really set this day apart.
The visions in my head from 3 hours of sailing are far bigger than this photo depicts, but it gives an idea of what it was like.
No, that's a kiter. I windsurf. I don't know of any photos of me from that day. It's okay though, I have a video running through my head. That day won't soon be forgotten. It was far bigger in person than any photo or video can demonstrate.
It doesn't mean much unless you're familiar with the history of windsurfing in the Gorge, but Tuesday was likely the biggest day in "the corridor"since windsurfing started here over 30 years ago. This is my 32nd windsurfing season here, and I've seen lots of big days, including one in 1990 that set a mark that lasted nearly 24 years. I've experienced similar wind strength, (28-45 averaging 35mph) but the water conditions really set this day apart.
The visions in my head from 3 hours of sailing are far bigger than this photo depicts, but it gives an idea of what it was like.
It doesn't mean much unless you're familiar with the history of windsurfing in the Gorge, but Tuesday was likely the biggest day in "the corridor"since windsurfing started here over 30 years ago. This is my 32nd windsurfing season here, and I've seen lots of big days, including one in 1990 that set a mark that lasted nearly 24 years. I've experienced similar wind strength, (28-45 averaging 35mph) but the water conditions really set this day apart.
The visions in my head from 3 hours of sailing are far bigger than this photo depicts, but it gives an idea of what it was like.
The ensign will be at the stern, and as a visiting foreign vessel, albeit "foreign" for tax reasons (I'm pretty sure your link suggested that the owner was a US citizen, but even if he isn't, there aren't that many native Carribean islanders with yachts like that) you'll be looking for a smaller stars & stripes courtesy flag flying on the starboard side of the mainmast, probably just below the first spreaders.
The link I posted lists Otto Happel as a German citizen living in Switzerland. I also found this link that says the Hetairos is registered in The Cayman Islands. It also has different numbers for length, draft, etc. Googling "Hetairos yacht" yields several articles with differing specifications. I guess they don't think we're interested in details.
There wasn't a good view of the whole ship, so I didn't get any pics of it. If I remember correctly, The ensign was displayed midships, but not at the top of the mainmast - maybe on a mainmast stay. There was no wind, so the whole ensign wasn't entirely visible. It looked like a Union Jack but may have been, as you say, of a protectorate nation. You've got me curious now. I'll try to get a better look if it's still there tomorrow.
The ensign will be at the stern, and as a visiting foreign vessel, albeit "foreign" for tax reasons (I'm pretty sure your link suggested that the owner was a US citizen, but even if he isn't, there aren't that many native Carribean islanders with yachts like that) you'll be looking for a smaller stars & stripes courtesy flag flying on the starboard side of the mainmast, probably just below the first spreaders.
Good spot! Interesting - a shit-hot yacht with bang up to date rig, feather-light carbon construction and modern undersides and can do a 3000nm passage at 15kts average, yet trying to look like a Channel pilot cutter, albeit one on steroids. The plumb stem, graceful sheer and fanned transom are the marks of a pilot cutter, and they're all there after a fashion, but it just doesn't really work for me.
As it happens, we raced against an original Pilot Cutter called Jolie Brise a couple of weeks ago. They were all designed with one aim, and that was to be fast enough and sea-worthy enough to get one man - their pilot - out to vessels entering either the English Channel or the Bristol Channel, or both if you were on the Scillies (although there, because vessels came close by, they used pilot gigs, which is another story entirely) first and so get the fee.
Here she is on a windless day off Dartmouth - you can see the straight stem, almost perpendicular bowsprit that extends the sheerline, and lovely stern: Form follows function,
I just don't know if the lines of Heteiros really work for me. I appreciate the fantail transom, those gaps are there for a reason - to let green water wash right down the decks and out the back on a working cutter, and it's a big nod to the heritage, but, but.
Meh. Musn't be grumpy, so congratulations to the guy on his new boat, and it is a proper sailing boat.
However, it's not a red ensign that she's flying, it's a defaced red ensign belonging to one of our overseas protectorates or somesuch. Tax havens, the lot of them. I'm guessing Caymen Islands, but where ever it's registered, it won't be for residential, patriotic or even sentimental reasons. It'll be a tax dodge.
2) The national flag of the United Kingdom is known as the Union Flag
3) The only time the Union Flag is known as the Union Jack is when it is raised on the jackstaff (flagpole at bow) of a commissioned vessel of the Royal Navy, which in turn only occurs when the vessel is moored or at anchor.
4) Except when the monarch is aboard a commissioned vessel underway, when the Union Jack will be flown at the jackstaff. The Union Flag will also be flown at the mainmast, where it remains merely the Union Flag.
There wasn't a good view of the whole ship, so I didn't get any pics of it. If I remember correctly, the ensign was displayed midships, but not at the top of the mainmast - maybe on a mainmast stay. There was no wind, so the whole ensign wasn't entirely visible. It looked like a Union Jack but may have been, as you say, of a protectorate nation. You've got me curious now. I'll try to get a better look if it's still there tomorrow.
