Captain Calamitys

[laika]

In case others haven't seen it, the PBO article (not the rubbish one which seems to be linked in the side bar by this thread) seems to have rather more detail than many of the newspaper reports:

http://www.pbo.co.uk/news/nine-lifeboat-rescues-is-grossly-exaggerated-says-nora-skipper-26148

Mentions that the skipper decided to embark on the voyage after the deaths of his wife and mother.

 

[Horace]

In case others haven't seen it, the PBO article (not the rubbish one which seems to be linked in the side bar by this thread) seems to have rather more detail than many of the newspaper reports:

http://www.pbo.co.uk/news/nine-lifeboat-rescues-is-grossly-exaggerated-says-nora-skipper-26148

Mentions that the skipper decided to embark on the voyage after the deaths of his wife and mother.

That does seem a bit more balanced & I can well imagine people making claims of them being rescued when they were just helped along in the normal course of events.Jobsworths abound everywhere!
Pity they did'nt hold up somewhere from about September/October onwards & set off again in the Spring.I think that's what I'd have done.

 

[BlackPig]

Different story from the media. Truth somewhere in the middle?

 

[pvb]

Different story from the media. Truth somewhere in the middle?

I'm not convinced it's markedly different from the media. The two Americans may have the idea that "lifeboat volunteers" don't count as rescues.

What is interesting is that they seem to have repeated difficulty in navigating their way into harbours. Do they have any charts, I wonder? According to the sale details I linked to in post #102, the boat doesn't have a chartplotter, but does have GPS. Do they know how to use this? Even a very basic GPS will usually allow you to input a route and then show you which way to turn to follow the route safely. Frankly, I think the whole escapade is terrifying.

 

[marie galante]

I'm with Dylan Winter on this.

They're safe, they're well, and they're tucked up into a carp harbour/town in the winter rain. Hayle must be one of the most difficult ports to enter without recent local knowledge and it seems they are likely to remain there for quite some time..... at £65 per week AIR.

I rather think the St Ives Lifeboat crew were being a bit canny towing the Captains Calamity and 'Nora' into Hayle. They're unlikely to be able to sail out, they need their engine fixed to be able to motor out, and they need gentle 'offshore' weather with no swell running.

The only harm that's happening - and due to them - is that to others' blood pressure.

 

[Wansworth]

How many sponsored and hyped up racers have been rescued......... when they get to Galicia if they stop I would be pleased to meet them

 

[GHA]

I'm not convinced it's markedly different from the media. The two Americans may have the idea that "lifeboat volunteers" don't count as rescues.

What is interesting is that they seem to have repeated difficulty in navigating their way into harbours. Do they have any charts, I wonder? According to the sale details I linked to in post #102, the boat doesn't have a chartplotter, but does have GPS. Do they know how to use this? Even a very basic GPS will usually allow you to input a route and then show you which way to turn to follow the route safely. Frankly, I think the whole escapade is terrifying.

By the sounds of the ybw piece navigation & passage planning or even basic weather forecasting hasn't been their strongest suit so far..

We wanted to pull over but didn’t go in the right place.

‘We ran aground going into Helmsdale Harbour, which was noticeably not properly marked.

‘We ran into a category 9 storm and turned into Crinan.

‘We ran aground on sand. ....A buoy marker wasn’t lit and it was a very dark night.

At Wicklow they ran ‘aground for a couple of seconds.’

‘When the weather cleared to our satisfaction we headed to Tuskar Rock.‘Out at sea there were 11ft waves and 24mph winds, we ended up as a spontaneous gesture pulling into Kilmore Quay.

‘From there we finally had a weather window to sail around Land’s End. Because of the amount of storms the notably sandy entrance had filled in and the sand caught us again going out of Kilmore Quay harbour.

 

[GHA]

How many sponsored and hyped up racers have been rescued......... when they get to Galicia if they stop I would be pleased to meet them

They'll have to find it first ..

 

[doug748]

"I rather think the St Ives Lifeboat crew were being a bit canny towing the Captains Calamity and 'Nora' into Hayle. They're unlikely to be able to sail out, they need their engine fixed to be able to motor out, and they need gentle 'offshore' weather with no swell running."


With luck you are right, maybe it has all been sorted in a very Cornish fashion ;-)

All we need now is for a local guy to give them a "fair price" for the damaged boat and all will be well.

It's all a bit of hoot but there is not much jolly boating weather around Land's End in January. Local memories are raw and blameless folk will have to turn out for these two eggs, whatever the weather.

 

[marie galante]

It's all a bit of hoot but there is not much jolly boating weather around Land's End in January. Local memories are raw and blameless folk will have to turn out for these two eggs, whatever the weather.

Aye, that.

And with an Inshore Forecast like tonight's, there are lots of lifeboatmen, north and south, lying awake in their beds tonight.

 

[Ceirwan]

How many sponsored and hyped up racers have been rescued......... when they get to Galicia if they stop I would be pleased to meet them

No one cared after the first rescue, or second, or third, but then the 4th, 5th, 6th... can you see pattern emerging here.

I accept everyone makes mistakes, I've made plenty and will again, the difference these guys are bouncing from one mistake to another, and instead of having the self awareness to think maybe they're doing something wrong and taking a step back replanning and learning from their mistakes they instead have an insufferably arrogant attitude that its all bad luck, totally not their fault.

Now I wouldn't for a moment ever try and suspend their right to put themselves in danger thats their right, but they shouldn't act all surprised when people call them out for being plonkers.
Their 'accidents' aren't bad luck, they are poor planning and preparation I don't see how that can possibly be disputed.

 

[marie galante]

No one cared after the first rescue...... they are poor planning and preparation I don't see how that can possibly be disputed.

And a measure of irresponsibility....

I think we can agree.

 

[Wansworth]

After the death of his wife and mother I guess it was maybe more a decision of the heart than the mind to set forth a.his way of coping with his loss..,.,,. nothings perfect, he just had to get on with it.

 

[sailaboutvic]

with so many people so concern for these two guys , maybe some like to start a fund to rise money to have the boat shipped over for them .
take away GPS and charts plotters and it will put a stop to most of these dreamers .

 

[freespiritdavid]

Went to have a look yesterday. She is still lying away from the quay wall with a few warps holding her from rolling the wrong way. I hope they hold as they looked like they were under a lot of strain. With the weather and the problems they have, that are reported so far I doubt if they are going anywhere soon.

 

[dylanwinter]

Went to have a look yesterday. She is still lying away from the quay wall with a few warps holding her from rolling the wrong way. I hope they hold as they looked like they were under a lot of strain. With the weather and the problems they have, that are reported so far I doubt if they are going anywhere soon.

I think they need some sort of outboard well to get them going again

I am enjoying the story - tempted to go down and have a chat with them on camera next time I go down to Cornwall and assuming they are still there.

It might be time to crane her out and put her ashore - she looks as though she needs a lick of paint

Wooden boats do not deserve to be treated that way

D

 

[fisherman]

It might be time to crane her out and put her ashore -

D

The blue boat ahead of her was ashore just there, she blew off the quay one night, unfortunately at low water. I had fitted a new after deck, a salutary lesson, I made too good a job of it, had it been less solid then the rest of the boat might have fared better. Just shows what GRP will stand.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

Like Dylan am enjoying the story.

If I had made so many cock up's I would be requesting an RYA witness protection program with a
change of name of the boat and new identity a few hundred miles away.

It's interesting that when you catch the sailing bug most devour as much information as you can
get about it. The interest is there without the prompting. You do of course still make cock up's which is part of the education as has been mentioned.

My feeling is that neither of them seem really to have caught the bug otherwise the problems would still not keep happening. The hunger for information is not there.

If you don't really want to be out there, it's amazing how many ways the subconscious will
find to keep you from being out there.

 

[TonyBuckley]

One of them has found a girlfriend! How sweet.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-ancient-mariner-voyage-litany-disasters.html

 

[Sandy]

Really? Check out these videos...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezDTzhZHCXY

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/senior-sailors-nicknamed-calamity-crew-on-atlantic-voyage/

Both are from the media.

I don't consider the media capable of "talking things over" with anybody. What I meant was a crusty old seafarer who would understand the whole picture, not just the sound bites.