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View Full Version : EPIRB set off by SHTP racer



solosailor
07-27-2008, 09:01 PM
No mention of it anywhere that I could find on the SSS website but Sailing Anarchy posted this story on the 26th about Wen's EPIRB going off on Thursday the 24th:

"Trouble in Paradise"

Rescue Me

Wen Lin skipper of the The Swan 47 'Wenlemir', a race entrant in the Singlehanded TransPac race from SF, CA to Hanalei, Kauai which started on Saturday July 12th turned back to California yesterday. The race comm plan schedules twice daily check ins with the fleet via SSB, email or sat phone. Wenlemir was experiencing technical difficulties with his communications equipment early in the race and he last reported his position on Saturday July 19th, then he set off his EPIRB on Thursday July 24th. The Coast Guard has since boarded the vessel and is coordinating the vessel's return to shore. The skipper is exhausted but okay. The extent of damage to the vessel is unclear at this time.

Robert Stodieck
07-28-2008, 01:52 AM
http://www.ktvu.com/news/16991904/detail.html?rss=fran&psp=news

These repeated coast guard panic calls could end the SHTP. It is nice to see Alan H hanging tough this year though.

solosailor
07-28-2008, 10:43 AM
These repeated coast guard panic calls could end the SHTP.By repeated do you mean 2 calls in 4 years? That's quite a pace. I doubt the Coast Guard could/would shut down the SHTP race.

Thom
07-28-2008, 01:18 PM
Concur it is not likely...don't know that it would even be possible for an external authority (e.g., coasties) to prohibit participation in an ocean crossing "event". Any sea lawyers want to opine?

Robert Stodieck
07-28-2008, 02:04 PM
By repeated do you mean 2 calls in 4 years? That's quite a pace. I doubt the Coast Guard could/would shut down the SHTP race.

Actually, I mean 3 times in two races, off the top of my head, without researching the history. 2 times in two races for Wen Lin. Once for Alan.

And, there are 2 more possible in this race so far, Islander and Sparky.

There is a difference between the Coast Guard and a free offshore towing service for recreational boaters.

BobJ
07-28-2008, 02:23 PM
http://www.ktvu.com/news/16991904/detail.html?rss=fran&psp=news

These repeated coast guard panic calls could end the SHTP. It is nice to see Alan H hanging tough this year though.

You say that like you want to see it happen. And who ARE you?

Ragtime!

Deep6
07-28-2008, 06:38 PM
http://www.ktvu.com/news/16991904/detail.html?rss=fran&psp=news

These repeated coast guard panic calls could end the SHTP. It is nice to see Alan H hanging tough this year though.

If they stopped the race for that reason, all boating would stop. I have listened to more distress call's in one day "dismasting and boats on rocks etc.." inside the bay, than has happened in the past 10 years of the SHTP...

Robert Stodieck
07-30-2008, 10:45 AM
Sparky's going to need an airlift of cheese and crackers I think.

Robert Stodieck
07-30-2008, 12:03 PM
You say that like you want to see it happen. And who ARE you?
Ragtime!

I am your father, Luke. :mad:

Deep6
07-30-2008, 12:41 PM
I am your father, Luke. :mad:

I don't think the question is who are you, the real question is how old are you?

with comments like yours, I wonder if you have circumnavigated the bay?

Robert Stodieck
08-01-2008, 01:44 AM
http://yachtpals.com/singlehanded-transpac-3000

SSS.ScottP
08-01-2008, 03:00 PM
Thanks for the link Robert

j_dirge
08-01-2008, 09:21 PM
Actually, I mean 3 times in two races, off the top of my head, without researching the history. 2 times in two races for Wen Lin. Once for Alan.

And, there are 2 more possible in this race so far, Islander and Sparky.

There is a difference between the Coast Guard and a free offshore towing service for recreational boaters.
Alan did, indeed, call the Coast Guard in 2004.
His call was the prudent and safe thing to do. "Proper", if you will.

He simply informed the Coast Guard of his position, the sea state, the condition of his boat and his concerns about it all. He had decided to drop out of the race. He was tired and sent a "heads up".
Alan sailed into Morro Bay on his own power.. a little shaken up and very, very tired.

I don't know about you, but I was always taught that you place that "heads- up" call to the Coasties once you decide you are on the verge of things going bad. It is not a "tow me" call. It is not a "distress" call. It is an "FYI" call... so they have a clue of your where abouts.


FWIW, I made the same type of call to the Coasties in the Coastal Cup 2 years prior when I had two sea sick crew, my mast had been compromised and we had decided to bail out into Morro Bay. They asked us to radio back in every couple of hours to keep them posted on the condition of the crew and how our progress was. They even offered to come out and meet us to take the crew off the boat so we could continue racing. I felt that was inappropriate. I thanked them for the offer and we turned for the harbor mouth.

We informed them on the second follow up call that all would be fine and we'd be sailing into Morro Bay only with bruised egos.

They thanked us for our call.

Robert Stodieck
08-02-2008, 11:44 AM
Dear J, I have been attacked several times for making some very simple statements here. In all cases I have been attacked for opinions that I have not stated and do not hold. Yours is no exception.

Like a Rorschach inkblot, my initial statement seems to be revealing the psychology of the readers. I your case you seem to have accused me of suggesting that the coast guard shouldn't be called when one perceives themselves to be at risk at sea. I have not suggested this, and it is a very dangerous suggestion.

Try this alternative interpretation. "People who have prepared and qualified for the Transpac should not have to be calling the coast guard on a regular basis."

In fact, this is essentially the purpose of the preparation and qualification required by the race committee. Now perhaps you can understand that my goals are precisely aligned with those of the race committee, and thus, now I do not seem to be advocating the end of the race. (As I was accused of by Ragtime).

What the calls to the Coast Guard seem to be revealing however is a regular pattern of panic events by a fraction of the race participants once offshore. This kind of panic is a regular feature of offshore races that encounter severe weather. The hallmark of offshore panic is a perfectly healthy yacht found floating around after the storm, who's panicked crew chose to get into the "emergency" life raft during the storm and who are often dead as a result.

So I do take the issue of panic very seriously. Not only does this seem to be happening regularly in the SHTP it appears that it has happened repeatedly few cases. The evidence is not in the presence of calls to the coast guard but in the indications that some kind of irrational behavior on the part of the skipper created the situation. The singlehanded situation leaves the skippers behavior unmoderated.

Wen Lin's "Did Not Finish" in 2008 was a replay of his 2006 event. Alan's DNF in 2006 was a replay of his 2004? DNF. Both were tired? Sleeping at sea is part of the event. They experienced bad weather? That is also part of the event. Alan has been ABSOLUTELY honest in discussing his experiences with me and he deserves all the credit in the world for that. (And he was towed in by the CG in 2006 if I remember correctly.)

Now, what can we do to mitigate the situation?

j_dirge
08-02-2008, 12:00 PM
Dear J, I have been attacked several times for making some very simple statements here. In all cases I have been attacked for opinions that I have not stated and do not hold. Yours is no exception.

(bloding mine)
I did not attack you. Reread my post. I clarified AlanH's call to the Coast Guard in 2004 and added that the CG does not discourage calls for information where a situation has the potential to deteriorate. In fact, they encourage it.

Your post, through lack of clarification on the call, lumped an FYI call in with two calls for rescue.
Apples and oranges.


I stated my observations. Those are observations of an indiviudal who did the race in 2004, and would have been there this year, in 2008, if not for other obligations.

If you want to practice psychology, go right ahead. But please consider your own.
There was no attack.


I am not defending Wen's decision making.. nor that of Barbara Euser. I was dissappointed for Alan in 2004 and am very happy/relieved to see that he was successful this year. I lent him my liferaft, my hand-pump watermaker and would have lent him more of he wanted/needed it.

I would be very interested in hearing more perspectives on this particular aspect of solo racing/sailing, but if you can't keep your perspective from being that of a "victim" of perceived "attacks" on opinion, I am most definitely NOT interested in discussing it further. It bores.
And I would be done.

Cheers,
dirge

Eyrie
08-02-2008, 12:30 PM
Islander sailed within cell phone range of the race committee in Hanalei Bay to call in her position. As of 6 AM island time, she was 20 miles from the finish, making about 2 nm VMG, very light winds DDW so slow progress. She is still without boat power but has plenty of food, water, and sail area to get in on her own. We anticipate that she will finish in time to attend the trophy dinner this evening.

Synthia/Eyrie

Robert Stodieck
08-02-2008, 12:31 PM
"People who have prepared and qualified for the Transpac should not have to be calling the coast guard on a regular basis."

And by calls to the Coast Guard I do mean calls requiring a C-130 and a cutter to be dispatched 130 miles offshore.

seabird51
08-02-2008, 12:32 PM
I refreshed my very fond memories of the 2006 SHTP and Alan was not entered and could not have been towed in (SHTP 06 archives). In my discussions with various CG people, half think we are crazy and the other half admire the seamanship involved. No one has ever hinted that the event should not happen or talked about invoking the "manifestly unfit" clause.

I hope that Reuben/Sparky get the buckle if they sail into the finish, even if a bit late!!

Lou

Robert Stodieck
08-02-2008, 12:42 PM
I suspect my dating is defective. We should ask Alan.

j_dirge
08-02-2008, 12:52 PM
We should ask Alan.
Look in the archives.
2004.


Great news on barbara,
thanks eyrie!

Thom
08-03-2008, 09:35 AM
Excellent news. Thanks for posting.

Thom
08-03-2008, 09:48 AM
What do we do to mitigate the situation? You ask...that assumes that some mitigation is both possible and necessary.

Is mitigation possible? No, I don't think so. Human nature being what it is, one doesn't know when one reaches his/her limits until in the situation. Basically, finding the "edge of the envelope" for you, personally. That's why a lot of us single-hand::to find the edge; to keep putting pressure on ourselves and our abilities to find out what we can do...sometimes that means finding out what we can't do.

Is mitigation necessary? I also don't think so for this question. Look at the facts. All racers either finished (or will assuming Rueben continues his plod) or returned safely in both this race and previous ones.

FWIW, I understand why you feel you were "attacked", but your original post did give the appearance that you were not in favor of people risking themselves for an "event". That was just not smart (or politically correct) when you are posting to a forum that is read by devotees of the experience and "event".

BobJ
08-04-2008, 02:32 PM
http://www.ktvu.com/news/16991904/detail.html?rss=fran&psp=news
These repeated coast guard panic calls could end the SHTP.

Gee, these repeated coast guard panic calls could end all sailboat racing in Southern California:

Closer calls than ours! (http://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/lectronicday.lasso?date=2008-08-04&dayid=150)


Dogbark leaves Hanalei today and several more leave tomorrow, including Ragtime!, Warriors Wish, Alchera and others. There will still be SHTP boats here to greet Sparky though. (GO SPARKY!)

We're looking forward to seeing you in 2-3 weeks. We will resume check-ins at 0900 and 2100 (HST not PDT). I'll e-mail some log entries too, but I don't know if anyone will be posting them. We had a return log and position reports in 2006. It would be nice for our families and assorted groupies if someone was willing to step up and get the data on the site during the return trip.

A big thanks to Timo and others who kept the data flowing during the race!

AlanH
08-05-2008, 07:40 PM
I am fighting the urge to re-hash ancient history and go over, again, why I called the CG in 2004. Suffice it to say that I called not because I feared for my safety (had no engine but had sails and handheld GPS and charts) but rather because I had no electrical system, all my small batteries were gone and I could not light up the boat. I could hear fishing boats around me and considered myself a hazard to navigation, since I was totally becalmed and could not maneuver.

I told them I was a hazard to navigation and had no lights, and THEY offered to come out and get me. It was actually kind of funny, they offered, then I told them where I was (about 30 miles away from Morro Bay) and the guy on the radio (I was using my handheld) realized how long a trip it would be. They came out anyway, and the deck officer said it was good training....they clearly had some new folks on the boat.....and he was glad to do it.

I've been sailing for about 20 years and that is the only time I've ever "requested assistance" from the coasties. BTW, it did NOT require the use of a C-130 airplane. It was also the most humiliating experience of my boating career, but I'm not sorry I did it and I bet the guys fishing around me and who didn't plow into me at midnight aren't sorry, either.

The topic is not one that makes me happy, and I think I've discussed it ad nauseum in other posts both here and on Sailing Anarchy. The information is out there if anyone wants to find it. I'd appreciate it if people would move on to another topic.

Thank you.