Rescued yachtie: Preparation key to survival

[Chewing Gum 17]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11605044

[erice 732]

^

 

text book equipped 

 

Steve White, 48, of South Head on the Kaipara Harbour, circumnavigating New Zealand solo, knew he was in trouble when he heard a loud bang on the fibreglass hull of his 50ft yacht about 5.30pm on Saturday. It was dark and he was 180km off shore from Kaitaia. His final destination was Whangarei marina on Wednesday.

 

Mr White had a secondary emergency device he also activated. The inReach two-way, satellite communication device allowed him to send and receive messages to mobile numbers.

 

He text his wife of eight years telling her he was not in immediate danger, the weather was good and to let emergency services this wasn't a false activation.

[Romany 162]

Buggger.

 

Nice to hear 'good' news story involving boaties for a change though isn't it. This guy clearly organised and equipped properly.

 

Sad way to end your trip and hopefully insurance will replace the ship.

[harrytom 648]

when did this incident take place? it was dark at 5.30pm? or should it be 5.30am?

[Black Panther 1,592]

Wonder what he hit? Ship[ping container? Maybe I'll have another look at that Inreach thingy.

[Island Time 1,240]

Plenty of things out there to hit. Bad luck I guess.

[Steve Pope 243]

Just back from the Barrier, was talking to a local who rescued a couple of large Kauri logs from the harbour, when they had  2 weeks of incessant rain approximately 2 years ago that caused lots of damage and many slips including the destruction of the old Kauri dam. He said that the huge number of logs that were washed down into the harbour that were barely floating above the water was really dangerous.

I guess with the number of large rivers flowing into the Tasman there must be a lot of timber afloat. I would think the number of logs in the sea compared to containers in the area that was still afloat would be at a ratio of many 1000"s to 1.

[erice 732]

 

good reason for steel or alloy hulls

 

 

[Beccara 25]

He did what I'm doing........ or hope I'm doing........ and hope I never have to find out if I did it right.

 

There were lots of good sized logs floating down the Waitamata on Saturday. Big tides have sucked them off the beaches.

 

Whats that if you dont mind me asking?

[Island Time 1,240]

I hit a large tree (I think) off Borneo, biggest impact I've ever had on a boat. Doing about 7 knots at the time. Very lucky with where it hit (base of the keel). Heaps of logs out there, only seen a container once.

[DrWatson 381]

One of the appreciable bonuses of circumnavigating in a 3knt steel drum - low impact speeds and a ductile hull...

[idlerboat 116]

Yep...as much as people keep saying to me..."your steel boat is only a bit stronger"..."and a lot slower"...

That suits me just fine.

I am under no illusion that my boat is indestructible....far from it.

...and no its not going to surf at 3 times the wind speed..

But the practical truth is as a fully framed steel vessel...its about as strong as you will get without being very, very wealthy.

As to speed ?..about half a knot slower compared to modern production boats on same runs at the same time.

I am not very very wealthy and like going places that are a bit more of a risk.

....but then my boat has no seacocks or unstructural through hulls  : ) so being adverse to risk is an interesting thing to define....

[John B 106]

Some friends passed an upturned steel fishing boat in the islands on passage one morning.

As they said , they wouldn't have seen it at night.

 

Just checked. Fiji to Opua too.