O/T: Abby Sunderland Rescued!

What I read said she activated them. Which makes sense. She was reportedly on the satellite phone and was cut off due to the mast/antenna being carried away. Apparently an hour or so later both beacons were activated.

--------------------------------------------- What's left floating around as a hazard to navigation probably cost just short of $1 Meg to put in the water and is now worth maybe $100K if it was in the right location, which it isn't.

The sails are shot, easily $150K, the carbon fiber mast is gone, along with the rigging, easily another $100K.

The electronics will be shot, easily $250K.

The list goes on, but you get the idea.

Compared to what it costs to put an ocean racer or an Americas Cup boat in the water, the cost of Wild Eyes is chump change by comparison; however, if you noticed, there is a long list of sponsors to help off set the costs.

Last I checked, a $Meg still isn't hanging on trees for the taking.

Lew

Doesn't matter. The point is that there is a choice--being dismasted isn't the same as the boat breaking in half.

The knockdown could have actuated them though--we don't know that the dismasting was simultaneous with the satphone shutdown.

A lot of assumptions being made, and you know what "assume" does.

In her case it may as well be. Except for the emergency beacons.

Uh, huh. Spent a fair amount of time in both corners.

Hi Dog.

I gave up on the cruising group. Good to see you again.

I've decided not to carry EPBIR.

I'll make it - or I won't.

There you're assuming things again. While she does come across as someone who has little mechanical aptitude, that impression might be mistaken.

------------------------------------- She has been a live aboard cruiser.

My money says she can strip and rebuild an outboard while seated in the dinghy it drives.

Lew

I was thinking more the navigational skills. Bligh got his in something like seven years with Cook.

----------------------------------- Are you suggesting that her sextant skills may be a little rusty or perhaps she bypassed the need to learn morse code?

Lew

Is their a standard test for solo circum-navigation? Didn't she put in to SA to get the $150K nav system repaired?

Another poor attempt at reasoning. How many kids would drink, have sex, do drugs and drive the family car while underage if there was no adult there to supervise them. The answer is practically all of them. Adults most important job is to advise and raise their children. Any type of young age activity that gets the media attention like this one did is exploitation in part or in whole by an adult. Otherwise it usually doesn't happen.

You seem particularly apt at displaying a lack of common sense. Guess that's no surprise.

------------------------------ You tell me.

----------------------------------

----------------------------------------- Don't think so.

Pulled into Cabo for electrical system Mods such as higher out put alternator at low RPM and added battery bank capacity, none of which applied to navigation or communication electronics.

There were also some autopilot issues.

Forced to stop in Capetown for autopilot repairs, again nothing related to either communication or navigation issues.

Her blog would have the details.

Lew

Funny. As a committed cruising sailor, one would think you'd know the answer to that question. At the very least, you'd be committed enough to look up the answer to that question. Guess you're not as committed as you claim.

Yeah, yeah, I know. My head is where the sun doesn't shine. Guess that's true since it's the middle of the night where I am.

Not in those conditions, he didn't.

The knock down could NOT have activated them. These were manually activated EPIRBS. The third one on board, which was automatic, would not have activated unless it was at least 15 feet underwater.

The boat wasn't even swamped, much less sinking.

Yes, she still had the option of drifting around until she ran out of food and water.

Actually, that was the entire reason she needed that done. She had so much electronic gear that she was dependant upon, that the systems on the boat couldn't keep up with the power demands.

That is an epic understatement.

The autopilots were a major blunder. They did not belong on this boat for this voyage. That was perhaps the primary reason her charging system failed. For long passage making, autopilots are an absurd choice. She should have had a proper windvane system. That would have also given her redundant steering if the rudder failed.

Chances are excellent that the knockdowns including the one that dismasted her were helped along by the autopilot as well.