[Rhodes22-list] Seaworthy

Bud Connor budconnor at earthlink.net
Tue Feb 28 10:05:49 EST 2006


Peter,
  yes it is.  I recently picked up two books, "Seaworthy" and "Sailing 
into the Abyss".  
Seaworthy is dryly written, sort of what you might expect from an 
insurance investigator.
The book is based on Boat US claims, and the author does an excellent 
job of pointing out
what went wrong, and steps that could have been taken to prevent these 
mishaps.  The
saddest story in the book was the loss of the s/v Morning Dew.  "Sailing 
into the Abyss"
is a more exciting read about a merchant marine ship with a cargo of 
bombs that got loose
in rough weather.

-Bud

Peter Thorn wrote:

>Bud,
>
>Is that the one written about Boat US insurance claims?
>
>PT
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: <budconnor at earthlink.net>
>To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 7:50 AM
>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] R22 Instrumentation
>
>
>  
>
>>Pete,
>>   I read your posting on the 38' Carolina and both links on the accident.
>>Thanks for posting as your messages have not gone un-noticed.  I am
>>currently reading a book called Seaworthy which discribes both power and
>>sailboat mishaps.  I am amazed at how quick and easy it is to go from
>>a pleasant day on the water to tragedy.
>>
>>-Bud Connor
>>
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>    
>>
>>>From: Peter Thorn <pthorn at nc.rr.com>
>>>Sent: Feb 28, 2006 7:18 AM
>>>To: Rhodes 22 List Members <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] R22 Instrumentation
>>>
>>>Dave,
>>>
>>>Last week I posted a few articles about a new 38' Carolina Classic sport
>>>fisherman boat that sank recently while en route from Edenton to the
>>>      
>>>
>Miami
>  
>
>>>boat show.  It seems no one on the list took much notice, but this event
>>>      
>>>
>has
>  
>
>>>intrigued me since I first read about it.   It turns out the Captain was
>>>      
>>>
>78
>  
>
>>>years old and evidently experienced.  His mate was 55 and not much was
>>>written about him.  Both died of hypothermia resulting from exposure to
>>>      
>>>
>cold
>  
>
>>>water when the new boat they were delivering sank in 18' of water, about
>>>      
>>>
>5
>  
>
>>>miles from Oriental, NC  near Garbacon shoals.
>>>
>>>Last Friday I helped my buddy Lawrence deliver his Tanzer 26 from
>>>      
>>>
>Oriental
>  
>
>>>to New Bern to prepare for a race last Saturday.  As is our custom, we
>>>      
>>>
>ate
>  
>
>>>lunch at M&Ms Restaurant before departing  and happened to sit at the bar
>>>next to Captain Larry Walker (who teaches the Captain's courses in
>>>Oriental).  We engaged in a discussion about the accident -- it has been
>>>      
>>>
>the
>  
>
>>>talk of the town since it happened.
>>>
>>>Captain Walker made some excellent points I feel are worth sharing.
>>>      
>>>
>First,
>  
>
>>>if the lost souls had contacted the Coast Guard, they would doubtless be
>>>alive today.  They only had 5 watt hand-held radios with them, which in
>>>      
>>>
>3-4'
>  
>
>>>waves may not have been able to transmit that far.  The investigation
>>>revealed that other hand helds at that location could not raise the Coast
>>>Guard either.   VHF is line of sight and it was blowing 30 that day.   A
>>>fixed mount VHF on a sailboat is a big advantage worth acquiring: 25
>>>      
>>>
>watts
>  
>
>>>of power and 30' of  antenna elevation.  The higher the antenna, the
>>>      
>>>
>longer
>  
>
>>>the range.
>>>
>>>Captain Walker strongly suggested an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating
>>>Radio Beacon).
>>>http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|344|302025|320637&id=99121
>>>      
>>>
>This
>  
>
>>>is a small expensive device that sends a signal up to a satellite and on
>>>      
>>>
>to
>  
>
>>>the Coast Guard, telling them you need help.  You just throw it in the
>>>      
>>>
>water
>  
>
>>>and it automatically goes to work saving your life.  Don't buy an EPIRB
>>>without the built-in GPS feature.  The GPS EPIRB transmits the location
>>>      
>>>
>of
>  
>
>>>the EPIRB to the Coast Guard.  This can save lots of time they would
>>>otherwise waste on triangulation.  When hypothermia is involved minutes
>>>      
>>>
>can
>  
>
>>>be life and death.
>>>
>>>There are now fixed VHF sets available that connect with your GPS and
>>>      
>>>
>have
>  
>
>>>an emergency switch that will transmit your position to nearby vessels
>>>      
>>>
>with
>  
>
>>>similar equipment and to the Coast Guard.  (The Uniden UM 525 is one
>>>example, on sale now at Defender for $150.)  Evidently, Channel 70 is
>>>      
>>>
>soon
>  
>
>>>to be the new emergency channel and these are set up for that too.  These
>>>radios are much less expensive and for coastal sailing may be a
>>>      
>>>
>reasonable
>  
>
>>>compromise.  However, if the cockpit fills with water and the electrical
>>>system shorts out the radio may not be much good and you may wish for an
>>>EPIRB.
>>>
>>>If you are still deciding how to spend money on your new Rhodes, you
>>>      
>>>
>might
>  
>
>>>want to consider some of these equipment choices.  I hope you never have
>>>      
>>>
>the
>  
>
>>>need to use them.
>>>
>>>PT
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>>From: <DCLewis1 at aol.com>
>>>To: <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>>Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2006 12:12 AM
>>>Subject: [Rhodes22-list] R22 Instrumentation
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Folks,
>>>
>>>We are in the midst of trying to get our R22 equipped while it?s still at
>>>GBI and the matter of instrumentation has come up.   The purpose of  this
>>>Email
>>>is to solicit input regarding what works.
>>>
>>>Our current plan is to have a depth finder (Humminbird Mk17?) and
>>>      
>>>
>bulkhead
>  
>
>>>compass mounted on the exterior cabin wall.  Questions:
>>>- Both  instruments seem to me to be far from the tiller.  In your
>>>experience
>>>can  you meaningfully use instruments mounted on the cabin (I realize
>>>      
>>>
>this
>  
>
>>>may be a  function of your farsightedness, but any input is welcome.).
>>>      
>>>
>In
>  
>
>>>particular, would a hand held compass be more useful than a bulkhead
>>>compass?
>>>If you like a bulkhead compass, any specific recommendations  regarding
>>>models
>>>and types?
>>>- If these instruments are mounted  on the exterior, how do you keep them
>>>      
>>>
>>>from walking away?  Has anyone had a  problem in this regard?
>>    
>>
>>>- I understand the Mk17 has a bezel that facilitates  mounting.  I also
>>>think
>>>the Mk17 has a 1 year warranty that the display  will be waterproof.  But
>>>for
>>>the long term, how do you keep the Humminbird  (or any other) depth
>>>finder/GPS display secured and out of the weather when the  boat?s
>>>      
>>>
>secured?
>  
>
>>>I haven?t
>>>identified a cap that would keep the sun and  precip off it and/or secure
>>>      
>>>
>it
>  
>
>>>- have I missed something?  I gather there  are a number of Humminbird
>>>      
>>>
>users
>  
>
>>>on the board, what do you do?  I believe  there are caps for bulkhead
>>>compasses, that protect them from the weather, and  provide some
>>>      
>>>
>security,
>  
>
>>>it that what
>>>you use?
>>>
>>>I?m inclined to use a hand held GPS, just because it will be closer to
>>>      
>>>
>me.
>  
>
>>>Also, it will be easily secured and I can take it home to program way
>>>points
>>>etc.  The same GPS could act as a compass.  The alternative is  to use
>>>      
>>>
>the
>  
>
>>>Humminbird depth finder with a GPS driver - they make one - or  another
>>>bulkhead
>>>mounted GPS system.  The Humminbird will have a larger  display, but at
>>>      
>>>
>the
>  
>
>>>front of the cockpit.  Again, I?m not sure the  Humminbird can be secured
>>>      
>>>
>or
>  
>
>>>kept out of the weather, and I don?t think it will  be a simple matter to
>>>take it
>>>home to program a course, way points, etc.   Has anyone considered these
>>>trades and come to a decision as to the way to  proceed.  Better yet,
>>>      
>>>
>does
>  
>
>>>anyone
>>>have experience with hand held vice  bulkhead mounted GPS displays.
>>>
>>>Thanks for any input.
>>>
>>>Dave
>>>
>>>__________________________________________________
>>>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>
>>>__________________________________________________
>>>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>      
>>>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>    
>>
>
>__________________________________________________
>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>
>  
>



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