Yay. Patrick Laine is back :)

[Sandy]

I still worry about him. Don't get me wrong; I know he is a gentleman, that he has spirit, that he is bold, brave and enthusiastic. He surely is an inspiration to us all...but it is clear to me that he is not a born sailor. He has been lucky with the weather so far (and long may this state of affairs continue). Can't help thinking that he should spend his spare time reading about Moittessier, Knox-Johsnston, Joshua Slocum, Pete Goss etc. etc. Their stories are essential reading for short-handed sailors, no???

Can you define a "born sailor"? One who was born at sea; one who is comfortable on a boat; one who can roll a cigarette single handed in a F10 (my late father); one who can steer with the big toe of either foot or somebody who has a huge love and respect for the sea?

The amazing thing about sailing is it offers so much to so many people. Dingy sailors who like to get their bums wet, sailors who own a caravan with a sail and never take it out of the marina, sailors who move their caravan with a sail round marinas, sailors who like to race and get shouted at by the skipper, sailors who cross oceans single handed.

We are all different and we cannot criticize others for doing something different to our own unique love of the sea, well apart from all these people who think that you have to get your bum wet in order to sail a yacht efficiently.

We have friends who sailed from France, over the Atlantic, Panama Canal, west coast of Chile, Cape Horn, South Georgia, up islands of the mid Atlantic ridge, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, France, England US of A. We talked with them at the beginning and end of the three year trip, both children were primary school age at the time, they had a fantastic adventure. Average apparent wind for the whole trip F4.

 

[doug748]

Watching Patrick Laine and his sailing videos is a real pleasure and an order of magnitude more preferable than reading some of the shite spouted on this forum.

A firm and trenchant view.

I do like his berthing videos.
As others have said, he has a complete lack of pretension. Which my dictionary tells me means: " the use of affectation to impress others"
Surely not on this forum ;-)

 

[Poey50]

the use of affectation to impress others"
Surely not on this forum ;-)

First rule of navigation - try not to get stuck up your own digestive tract.

 

[steve yates]

Please accept my apologies, Norman: I don't know if I was born with a bulls**t detector or if I acquired it over time, or maybe with experience...but I am stuck with it now and feel obliged to share.

Funnily enough, your posts send my bullshit barometer into the red.

 

[NormanB]

Hi NormanB
Was Patrick Laine really a fighter pilot?...please advise...

If it helps you somehow to judge his competence or his maritime birthright then yes he was a USN fighter pilot.
He does not shout that from the roof tops though and he does not seem to judge others.
He does judge himself though and most times harshly.

 

[newtothis]

If it helps you somehow to judge his competence or his maritime birthright then yes he was a USN fighter pilot.
He does not shout that from the roof tops though and he does not seem to judge others.
He does judge himself though and most times harshly.

I think USN fighter pilot is probably a better training in weather routing and risk assessment than any 'born sailor' is going to have. And Patrick Laine's ocean crossings have shown he is more than up to the task. And as for being a 'born sailor', I didn't get on a boat until my 40s. Do I have to ask permission before going out?

 

[dolabriform]

If it helps you somehow to judge his competence or his maritime birthright then yes he was a USN fighter pilot.
He does not shout that from the roof tops though and he does not seem to judge others.
He does judge himself though and most times harshly.

I agree completely. He is the first to get the camera and say " what a mess I made of x.. what I should have done was y".

What's interesting is in all these long journeys he does, the vast majority of the filming he presents is a critique of himself instead of putting together a film that shows how wonderful and competent he is. He chooses to show us the bits that go wrong rather than all the hours and maneuvers that he nails first time.

Totally honest and completely down to earth.

 

[Achosenman]

Not trying to detract from your complimentary post but that's how things are in the world of professional aviation. As an ex USN pilot, he was very professional.

 

[12 Year Plan B-)]

If it helps you somehow to judge his competence or his maritime birthright then yes he was a USN fighter pilot.
He does not shout that from the roof tops though and he does not seem to judge others.
He does judge himself though and most times harshly.

Lucky bu**er!...it must be great to fly those things!

 

[12 Year Plan B-)]

Yes he was. I have had a brief conversation with him, as one retired pilot to another. Lots of pilots turn to sailing when time permits. As for the weather, don’t worry. It’s my experience you “ natural born sailors” are babes in the woods when it comes to the weather and interpretation of synoptic charts etc...:wink-new:

Is avoiding bad weather difficult with a ceiling of 50,000 ft. and speeds up to mach 2?

 

[12 Year Plan B-)]

...a complete lack of pretension. Which my dictionary tells me means: " the use of affectation to impress others"
Surely not on this forum ;-)[/QUOTE]

First rule of navigation - try not to get stuck up your own digestive tract.

Funnily enough, your posts send my bullshit barometer into the red.

Oh hell...I've been rumbled! It was only a matter of time...

 

[Achosenman]

Is avoiding bad weather difficult with a ceiling of 50,000 ft. and speeds up to mach 2?

What makes you think the majority of time is spent at FL500 and M2?

FWIW CB’s get much higher than that, depending on geographic location. What sailors have to contend with on the surface is just one facet of the dangers a CB poses to aviators. I can promis you, when you are at the very edge of the envelop for the aircraft and it still isn’t enough, is a very scary place to be.

I have photo’s taken over Florida of CB anvil’s way above me. I had nothing left. They were forming below and growing so rapidly, options to avoid were disapearing like falling skittles. The radar was showing nothing but red for 180 NM’s and turbulence and icing was getting interesting. We were along for the ride, nothing more.

 

[12 Year Plan B-)]

What makes you think the majority of time is spent at FL500 and M2?

FWIW CB’s get much higher than that, depending on geographic location. What sailors have to contend with on the surface is just one facet of the dangers a CB poses to aviators. I can promis you, when you are at the very edge of the envelop for the aircraft and it still isn’t enough, is a very scary place to be.

I have photo’s taken over Florida of CB anvil’s way above me. I had nothing left. They were forming below and growing so rapidly, options to avoid were disapearing like falling skittles. The radar was showing nothing but red for 180 NM’s and turbulence and icing was getting interesting. We were along for the ride, nothing more.

Indeed...I am quite sure having nerves of steel is an essential attribute for fighter pilots!

I don't presume to have much knowledge of aviation matters, but...

...is not an operational ceiling of 50,000 ft+ sufficient to enable jets to fly above Thunderheads? I thought commercial airliners routinely do this when e.g. crossing the ITCZ??? And fighters have anti-icing, yes?...and when all else fails, ejector seats?

No enmity here Achosenman: I am honestly, simply, curious...

All the best

 

[12 Year Plan B-)]

Yay Tiger Woods is back. Sincerely hope his victory irritates the racist orange **** in the Whitehouse...who, incidentally, cheats at golf.

 

[Achosenman]

Indeed...I am quite sure having nerves of steel is an essential attribute for fighter pilots!

I don't presume to have much knowledge of aviation matters, but...

...is not an operational ceiling of 50,000 ft+ sufficient to enable jets to fly above Thunderheads? I thought commercial airliners routinely do this when e.g. crossing the ITCZ??? And fighters have anti-icing, yes?...and when all else fails, ejector seats?

No enmity here Achosenman: I am honestly, simply, curious...

All the best

Off topic for a second. Short answer is no. We use the radar to avoid them. With radar you can work out the tops. They can and do punch up above FL500. Aircraft ceiling on the day, is weight dependant. Too much fuel etc means you can’t reach the FL anyway. Climbing over the lower cells is a rookie mistake. CB’s can grow at rates that exceed aircraft climb rates. That was one of the issues we had when we got vectored up the proverbial creek by Jaxx center.

Air France lost an airframe with all souls on board killed while trying to fly over a CB when transiting the ITCZ a few years back. CB’s destroy aircraft...simple as.

Service pilots are picked on ability and suitability then trained. They don’t usually come from wealthy families.

 

[12 Year Plan B-)]

Respect Achosenman :encouragement:

 

[XDC]

A classic.

If the absolutely stunning scenery doesn’t do it for you the shirt will

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I didn't care for his early videos but that was very good, he has evolved.

 

[Just_sayin']

Unknown harbour arrival stress.

I can really relate to that.

 

[Slowtack]

Excellent