Loss of Ocean rower-boat design

[Yara]

Sadly, a brave adventurer has lost his life at sea after his boat overturned and did not self-right.
Jean-Jacques Savin: French adventurer dies crossing Atlantic Ocean
Looking at his boat design, at a first look, the massive tumblehome says to me that it has poor self-righting ability.Getty images

 

[srm]

Looking at his boat design, at a first look, the massive tumblehome says to me that it has poor self-righting ability.

Perhaps you can give us the stability curves, displacement, loading and design criteria plus the reasoning to support your statement? Otherwise it is no more than speculation suported by one photograph.

 

[sarabande]

Just looking at the above water hull form, the large solar panel, and the dome (so easily filled with heavy cabin debris) and from reading that the boat was inverted and did not right itself, there must be more than a suspicion (based perhaps on experience and observation of other rowing craft) that Yara is right. I think you are being a little unkind in your challenge.

 

[TNLI]

Just looking at the above water hull form, the large solar panel, and the dome (so easily filled with heavy cabin debris) and from reading that the boat was inverted and did not right itself, there must be more than a suspicion (based perhaps on experience and observation of other rowing craft) that Yara is right. I think you are being a little unkind in your challenge.

I was involved with skippering a fishing boat that did some filming off the Cannery Islands about 20 years ago or Peggy Brouchard's attempt to be the first female to row the Atlantic single handed. She capsized her boat a few hundred miles before reaching Barbados. That boat had a very good vanishing point figure, so should have self righted very quickly, BUT a lot of rowers leave the cabin hatches open to provide extra windage in good conditions, and that makes them very venerable to freak waves.
She managed to dive under the boat and get the EPIRB out of the cabin. She was very lucky to survive.

 

[dunedin]

Sadly, a brave adventurer has lost his life at sea after his boat overturned and did not self-right.
Jean-Jacques Savin: French adventurer dies crossing Atlantic Ocean
Looking at his boat design, at a first look, the massive tumblehome says to me that it has poor self-righting ability.

Regarding the hull “tumblehome“ - or more specifically the rounded deck edge, as opposed to a traditional right angled deck edge - quite the opposite. This was probably designed like that as it IMPROVES the self fighting ability compared to a traditional deck design.
There are always trade offs, and this might marginally reduce the stability around 80 degrees or so (in flat water) and hence reduce the Angle of Vanishing Stability (AVS) - but will massively reduce the “area below the curve”, and make less stable upside down.
Also, unlike a sailing boat a rowing boat won’t heel significantly due to wind, but is at biggest risk of being flipped by a breaking wave. The lack of a hard deck edge may reduce the likelihood of being “tripped” on the low side, making easier to slide safely sideways, and less on the high side for the wave to catch.

Clearly this boat lacks the large enclosed bow and stern cuddies on many Atlantic rowing boats. These will increase the CoG and windage, increasing the likelihood of capsize. But, IF the hatches are fully sealed, these large raised areas help self righting even more - just like the large wheelhouse of an Arran class RNLI boat.

BUT, as others have pointed out, no small boat can be made infallible, particularly and made light enough to be able to be rowed by one person. If the boat integrity is damaged, or if caught unexpectedly by a breaking wave when the hatches are open, all bets are off.
We shall learn in due course more about the causes. But tumblehome decks unlikely to be a causal factor.

PS. Large sailing boats with deep lead keels are a very different design proposition, but Open 60’s started being designed with rounded deck edges to improve self righting after one boat with traditional deck edge and very wide beam remained upside down in the Southern Ocean for weeks, with the (non-canting) keel fully intact. Ironically with a canting keel it would likely have self righted.

 

[Keith 66]

Having spent a lot of years involved with coastal rowing & building a fair few boats of traditional type I am inclined to agree with the op,
To me that boat looks top heavy. The last boat i built was a 26ft four oared gig of foam sandwich construction, she is quite traditional in looks with a decent sheer but very light. I installed keel to deck air tanks fore & aft of decent size. A few years ago we did a swamping test with crew. It was interesting as though the gig was quite hard to capsize, once inverted she floated on the tanks. One crew member reached up & grabbed the keel whereupon the gig promply rolled upright. When swamped she still had 8" of freeboard. Not quite self righting but not far off. A relatively small increase in tank size & an increase in deck camber with rolled edge & she would self right easily.
The type of ocean rowing craft currently doing the transatlantic racing appear to be optimised for downwind work with the large cabins & rounded bow ideal for this.
An aside to this is that coastal rowing has become very popular on the East coast in the last ten years. Many gigs have no buoyancy & some not nearly enough. Rowers tend to stuff buoyancy aids or lifejackets under the seat where they are as much use as an ashtray on a motorcycle.
Basically accidents waiting to happen.

 

[Bajansailor]

There is a also a thread on the Boat Design Forum in the USA about Jean Jacques -
Was it the boat?

Re Jean Jacques' previous transatlantic adventure drifting across in a big orange barrel, there was also a long running thread on the Boat Design Forum at the time about it -
Frenchman sets sail across Atlantic in a barrel! https://www.boatdesign.net/threads/frenchman-sets-sail-across-atlantic-in-a-barrel.61606/

Here is a BBC report from 2019 about his barrel voyage -
Jean-Jacques Savin: Frenchman completes Atlantic crossing in barrel

And a write up in the New York Times -
He Crossed the Atlantic in a Barrel. We Asked Him About Dodging Ships and Using ‘La Toilette.’ (Published 2019)

 

[Yara]

The more I think about it, the more complex and difficult the design of a single-handed ocean rowboat appears.

You are constrained by beam and weight, and the weight of water and stores has a big influence. Then there is the issue of lying a' hull when the crew is resting. You could have water ballast tanks to compensate for loss of stores and fresh water weight during the passage, but then you are fighting the weight to drag through the water.
My thoughts on the "tumblehome" design is that you need buoyancy down below CG to flip over. Maybe the answer is to have a deep plumb bob type weighted keel, and hope that the same waves that flipped you over in the first case, will help flip you back up. Then again, if you have a drogue out to stop drifting , it could align you into the waves.

The Vikings managed to do long passages in open boats, but they had big crews to help control the boat in heavy weather.

Vale Jean-Jaques, he was following his dreams.

 

[Bajansailor]

The more I think about it, the more complex and difficult the design of a single-handed ocean rowboat appears.

It is very complex indeed!
Eric Sponberg designed a one off rowing boat for a chap who wanted to row from North America to Australia - and he succeeded!
The rower was Jacob Hendrikson, and he spent 336 days at sea to cover, non-stop, over 6,000 miles.
There is a nice write up about the boat on Eric's home page - he is retired now, and sailing around the world on one of the first yachts that he ever designed.
https://www.ericwsponberg.com/boat-designs/pacific-rowboat/

Re their journey and adventures sailing around the world, Eric's wife has an excellent Blog here -
The Old Woman and the Sea – Arliss Ryan

 

[Keith 66]

The sheer size of these ocean rowing boats must make them hard to row anyway, akin to rowing a small yacht. Add in windage considerations & it gets worse. The rannoch designs put the high cabin up forward & put a rounded forefoot on the bow, both these features intended to help the boat turn & run downwind in the tradewinds. Anyone who has ever tried to row a conventional rowing boat in a cross or tail wind will know what i mean as the boat tries to round up & the rower has to pull continuously on one side to keep on course.

 

[michael_w]

Personally. I think anyone who rows across an ocean needs their head examining. On the trade wind route, they'd go faster if they put the oar up as a mast and tied a shirt on to it.

 

[Wansworth]

There is no need to row the Atlantic any reason is in the demons of the rower but we live in times where people are looking to externalise their inner battles

 

[srm]

Personally. I think anyone who rows across an ocean needs their head examining. On the trade wind route, they'd go faster if they put the oar up as a mast and tied a shirt on to it.

There is no need to row the Atlantic any reason is in the demons of the rower but we live in times where people are looking to externalise their inner battles

Having read the comments in this thread it is becoming obvious that "ocean rowing" is simply an oar assisted drift using winds and currents. If a boat has to be designed so that hatches and a high forepeak can catch the wind why not just sail.

Very many years ago someone set out to row the North Atlantic west to east. He carried an early version of the EPIRB. The boat capsized. The EPIRB company ran an advert campaign in the yachting press showing the rower and a headline "This saved my life". The boat was found on the west coast of Ireland having made the crossing unaided by its crew.

Thor Heyerdahl's raft drifts across the Pacific (Kon-Tiki) and Atlantic (Ra II) used much the same philosophy.

 

[penfold]

At least Heyerdahl had a veneer of scientific purpose.

 

[Alfie168]

There is often little logic to any of us engaging in optional activities with above average risk to life. We do it because they stimulate something very deep in our psyche as human beings. Excitement, achievement, challenging ourselves or maybe attaining a goal. Its the modern substitute for being a hunter to survive and provide. I find it hard to stand in judgement of this chap because he decided to do his thing and it didn't work out. Also you can only prepare so far, and it looks like he was as well prepared as he could be for the task he set himself. I'd never heard of him before his loss, so RIP Jean-Jacques Savin. You gave it your best effort.

 

[Romeo]

Here is a picture of the inverted boat:



He had previously crossed the Atlantic in a barrel. Pretty experienced and presumably had thought about self righting qualities. I suspect all bets are off if the hatches are open though. RIP . Brave man, testing the limits.

 

[Romeo]

The sheer size of these ocean rowing boats must make them hard to row anyway, akin to rowing a small yacht. Add in windage considerations & it gets worse. The rannoch designs put the high cabin up forward & put a rounded forefoot on the bow, both these features intended to help the boat turn & run downwind in the tradewinds. Anyone who has ever tried to row a conventional rowing boat in a cross or tail wind will know what i mean as the boat tries to round up & the rower has to pull continuously on one side to keep on course.

I asked a friend who was about to set off to row the atlantic whether his boat "Weathercocks" like my wee rowing boat does in the way you describe. He had no idea what I was talking about.

I think there are measurement rules in place to stop transat rowing racers from simply having huge forecabins to catch the wind. Also rules about drying your clothes in such a way to catch the wind.

 

[Capt Popeye]

Yes when in Canada north West territories , some years ago , (canot recall the township) there was a Craft mounted on display that had made the crossing from Japan , for some large part without its Skipper (a fisherman) , the craft washed up by the prevailing winds and current . The Fisherman lost somewhere en route .

Regards the Rowing Boats with a high Prow /Bow , I understood that it was high to enable the crews to rest inside adequately , plus it enabled the craft to 'self right' after a roll over ; rather like some modern Lifeboats do ?

Re using the winds for added propushion , well duno whats wrong with that , them Rowers only use them Oars to aid their progress through the water and keep them head on to the waves when needed to , plus if them rowers just stood up and opened their shirts them would catch the wind and sail along ?

Think that the main danger to them rowers is a mental one , thats their own mental vision plus destininy , recall that Sailor who left Teignmouth in a race but never made it , his craft did it without him

 

[dunedin]

Here is a picture of the inverted boat:

View attachment 129330

He had previously crossed the Atlantic in a barrel. Pretty experienced and presumably had thought about self righting qualities. I suspect all bets are off if the hatches are open though. RIP . Brave man, testing the limits.

Very sad. And as you say, if caught by wave with hatches open then very difficult to make self righting. Certainly a traditional flat deck would NOT have been better than the rounded tumblehome, referred to in the OP.
Slightly surprised not painted patches of high visibility paint on the bottom, like on many Grand Prix race boats. If hatches closed and/or got a dry suit a crew could survive a very long time in an upside down boat to await rescue.
No help though if thrown OB when on deck.

 

[Blueboatman]

Actually a cylinder design ( with closed hatches) would self right every time so long as enough internal mass was permanently secured low enough .

As a bit of an exasperated joke , back at college when people were doing these crossings in ever shorter boats, or shortening them in front of the press with a chainsaw etc etc , I “designed” a large beer bottle whose neck was a mere 600mm fore and aft ?
Voila . Beat that guys !

Down below the conning tower ( and pop top?) it was relatively spacious and of course completely self righting .

Sponsorship would have been easy.. cheers

The problem was how to actually move it across the waters rather than just bob up and down a bit ..

We all know the stories of messages in bottles turning up decades late?