O/T: Jessica Update

[Lew Hodgett]

From her February 21, 2010 blog.

------------------------------------- Quick Update on some Fast Sailing

Lots of nice, fast sailing over the last few days. Now only 250nm until we pass under the Cape of Good Hope!

Ella's P> From her 02/06/10 blog:

>> Flying-Fish, Rubbish, No Wind then Lots of Wind > > Pretty much sums up her life these days as she heads for Africa. > > Lew > --------------------------------------- >> From her 01/31/10 blog: >> >> Only 2000nm to the Cape of Good Hope. That's going to be it from me >> today as I'm keen to get back outside into the sunshine! >> >> >> Lew

[Robatoy]

Wow, she's really moving!

[Robatoy]

Have you been following this, Lew?

[Lew Hodgett]

Have you been following this, Lew?

heard about it tonight.

The replicas don't have the best history fro being seaworthy.

Makes you wonder sometimes how England kept enough boats afloat to rule the world during the 17th & 18th centuries.

Lew

[Lee Michaels]

"Robatoy" wrote

Have you been following this, Lew?

would be quite an experience for anyone, let alone high school kids. It will look good on their resume! I can see it now. I survived a shipwreck half way through the semester!

[dadiOH]

25 knot wind does not equal 25 knots of boat speed :)

[Upscale]

Very much a misleading statement. This replica as you've chosen to label it was full of all sorts of electronics, communications and navigation equipment.

And this sinking of a 57 meter boat shows quite aptly how fast and easily a much smaller boat like Jessica's craft can flounder and sink under a variety of circumstances.

Now Lew, why don't you tell us how Jessica is infinitely more experienced than the sailing crew of the Concordia?

[Joe]

The trip's founder found her flounder while the boat foundered.

Your point is still well-taken :-)

[Robatoy]

show she's really moving. Besides, a sail is a reaction foil in an airflow and not an impulse foil. It is possible to have a reaction foil move faster than the airflow that moves it from one place to another. (Is that pressure being converted to velocity nugget I'm talking about.) Seeing that she is dragging a boat around with said airfoil, it is highly unlikely. :-)

[Robatoy]

For openers, Jessica isn't running any square sail (barquentine rigging) and she's small enough to take a much bigger impulse before her 'windows' pop out and sink her. With that much flat sail hitting the water the chance of a big tub like the Concordia righting herself quickly before water pours in are slim to none. I venture to guess that jessica's boat would be Self-righting. Maybe even has a inflatable ball on top of her mast. I had a bullet-shaped block of foam on top of the mast of my Hoby, 'cuz righting a cat is nigh impossible.

What I'm saying is, that I'd rather take a microburst in Jessica's boat that in a big steel tub like the SV Concordia.

In the old days, the masts would have just snapped and all would likely have been fine.

Did you read about the heroic effort of one of the kids when he dove over-board to rescue the emergency locator? HE is the one that saved the day. Deserves a medal.

[Upscale]

Guess that's ok then, since under the same circumstances you'd be prepared to risk your life on a 'venture to guess' and a 'maybe'.

Might have a beer with you sometime buddy, but I doubt I'll ever go sailing with you. :)

[Morris Dovey]

Yuppers, but let's be generous with our praise - the Brasilians were on the ball, on the seas and in the air over the lifeboats to guide rescuers. A Philippine freighter responded as promptly as she was able to take on the 48 people she could find, and the rest were scooped up by Brasilian Naval frigates.

The kids had been drilled in emergency procedures. It would seem that whoever did that, did a good enough job that when it counted, the kids knew what to do and did it right.

Give the kid a medal - he did good, but let's raise a glass to the Brasilian Navy, the crew of the Hokuetsu Delight, and whoever prepared the kids to survive the loss of the Concordia. They did good, too.

[Robatoy]

by all.

[Upscale]

Agreed. As well, I imagine with all those kids whose lives were potentionally on the line considering where they were, the captain and crew would be broadcasting their whereabouts on a fairly continual basis.

[Morris Dovey]

I have a suspicion that it's an automated system. For example, I just checked on the current status of the Hokuetsu Delight on APRS:

time ago I resolved to not take competence for granted - not even where I have every reason to expect it.

[Upscale]

Probably a natural precaution with today's electronics. Guess something like that could also be configured to broadcast some type of emergency signal in the event of a problem.

Makes one wonder how Columbus made it to this continent in the first place. ~ Without all that technology to protect him that is. :)

[Robatoy]

[Lee Michaels]

a year. I know I am being a smartass, but do they get a discount for being shipwrecked?

[Robatoy]

42 grand isn't what it used to be. But yes, it is a private, rich-kids game usually in anticipation of the use of one their family's yachts? Discount? Naaa, they'll just charter something else.

[Lew Hodgett]

------------------------------------ Engage brain before keyboard.

When you have invested enough time and effort to UNDERSTAND what I said, get back to me.

Lew