Robert Redford's boat seems ill-equipped.

[interloper]

Seeing as no one else has yet posted a rant about this, I'll start. Robert Redford's boat in the upcoming film "All Is Lost" seems ill-equipped.



I would consider the boat, a Cal 39 Mk II, to be an acceptable choice for a single-handed cruise across the Indian Ocean. Plenty of boats that are less capable have made similar voyages. The greater issue is that the boat seems ill-equipped for short-handed offshore sailing. The boat lacks a windvane self-steering system, solar panels, and a dodger protecting the forward end of the cockpit. The boat is equipped with a decent life raft, but apparently no EPIRB. Lot's of other cruising gear is also missing. I'm used to seeing photos of cruising sailboats with dinghy motors hanging off the stern pulpits, rolled-up inflatable dinghies on top of the cabin trunks, and jerry cans lashed to the lifelines. Robert Redford's boat just looks too clean.

Of well, it's just a movie.

 

[macd]

Don't fuss so. In the sequel he gets a firm telling-off from the Portuguese coastguard.

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

One of my favourite actors makes a movie based on a boat and you comment about his safety equipment?
And he says SOS call instead of MAYDAY.
And he has no tinned pies.
And he isn't wearing pink trousers.
And he doesn't have a Tilley hat.

Clearly the producers had no idea what they were doing.

 

[Mistroma]

I spotted the SOS bit and assumed that it was deliberate because they thought more people would recognise that. At least he wasn't just shouting HELP,HELP into the mike. That'd be taking dumbing down a bit far even for some audiences.

I remember my sister advising on medical matters on a TV prog. many years ago. I think she told them that the intestines used in a sequence were unrealistic and much too big for a human. I think the effects guy had gone for pig or cow (probably big and suitably gory). She was told it would look better so they'd stick with the unrealistic stuff. I think that effort does go into checking for realism but it just goes out the window if something looks better to most viewers.

Perhaps there's a scene in the film where he's starving and does have an FB pie but can't open it.

I did like the mast climbing bit, very spiderman, must look at again and buy whatever he's using.

 

[Tony Cross]

Hollywood produce a factually accurate film? What were you thinking?

 

[[70521]]

Film makers make it up, like all the media.

 

[Seajet]

If you want to see real derision, try showing ' Top Gun ' to real fighter pilots !

One glorious example being tapping the fuel guage when the reading is low; would be OK if it wasn't a digital TV display...

 

[Woodlouse]

His life raft valise seems unfeasibly light and floppy too.

 

[Twister_Ken]

...it's just a movie.

Gottit! It's just a movie. That's like make-believe, innit?

 

[Woodlouse]

If you want to see real derision, try showing ' Top Gun ' to real fighter pilots !

One glorious example being tapping the fuel guage when the reading is low; would be OK if it wasn't a digital TV display...

Real derision comes from showing Crimson Tide to submariners.

 

[Ru88ell]

Does Redford get to say "over and out" on the VHF?

 

[Blueboatman]

Thats why its a Medium, between 'us' and 'it'. Innit

Be dull if the world existed only as a single digital alphanumeric algorythm eh?

 

[martinaskey]

Watching Vertical Limit or Cliffhanger with mountaineers is also fun.
Similar problem to watching Tomorrow's World (for those who remember that far back) or Horizon when you know anything about the subject.
I wonder what a real Timelord would make of Doctor Who ?

 

[Wansworth]

Many of the sextants used by Hollywood capitains could give you an instant position.....

 

[DownWest]

Many of the sextants used by Hollywood capitains could give you an instant position.....

That's cos they used Los Angeles sight reduction tables.

 

[Seatrout]

Firing off magnesium flares at a product tanker is not an intrinsically safe activity

 

[Twister_Ken]

Firing off magnesium flares at a product tanker is not an intrinsically safe activity

Yerbut Hollywood does explosions brilliantly, and they seem to be de rigeur in most US films.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Perhaps there's a scene in the film where he's starving and does have an FB pie but can't open it.

I thought the point of Fray Bentos pies was that you look at them and decide, no, you're not really all that hungry - perhaps next week...

A bit like Terry Pratchett's concept of Dwarf Bread?

 

[dharl]

That's cos they used Los Angeles sight reduction tables.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Similar problem to watching Tomorrow's World (for those who remember that far back) or Horizon when you know anything about the subject.

Have you noticed that New Scientist articles always sound knowledgeable and convincing ... unless they're on a subject you know about, in which case they're ludicrous?