Linus Wilson's Blog, page 11
November 2, 2018
A crowded anchorage and a 4-hour trip that went a little long…
Our last stop in the Marquesas had a rolly anchorage exposed the SE trade wind swell. We went on a hike that went ten hours. Ua Pou was the first big sail with our new crew member Anna. A surprising weather forecast forced us to depart the island in a big rush, and we would be forced to race offshore to beat a east moving front.
[image error]
The eBook of AROUND THE WORLD SINGLE-HANDED: The Cruise of the Islander is at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C3THFZV
We use a Mantus Anchor and swivel on our boat. Get all your Mantus gear at http://www.mantusanchors.com/?affiliates=15
Mantus Anchors is a title sponsor of this video.Support the videos at
http://www.Patreon.com/slowboatsailing
On the Slow Boat Sailing Podcast Linus Wilson has interviewed the crew of Sailing SV Delos, WhiteSpotPirates (Untie the Lines), Chase the Story Sailing, Gone with the Wynns, MJ Sailing, Sailing Doodles, SV Prism, Sailing Miss Lone Star, and many others.
Get Linus Wilson’s bestselling sailing books:
Slow Boat to the Bahamas
Slow Boat to Cuba
https://gumroad.com/l/cubabook
and How to Sail Around the World-Part Time
https://gumroad.com/l/sailing
have been #1 sailing bestseller on Amazon.
Associate Producers Anders Colbenson, Larry Wilson, Ted Royer, Sam Balatsias, Kevin Yager, and Rick Moore (SSL).
Sign up for our free newsletter for access to free books and other promotions at http://www.slowboatsailing.com
music by http://www.BenSound.com
Copyright Linus Wilson, Vermilion Advisory Services, LLC, 2018
November 1, 2018
Susie Goodall drug anchor in Tasmania ahead of 60-knot storm.
A 60-knot storm is overtaking the middle of the 2018 Golden Globe Race fleet places 3rd to 6th. On early November 2, 2018, UTC, English solo-sailor Susie Goodall said she drug anchor in Safety Cove of Port Arthur Tasmania and texted, “Just wanna give up!!” 4th place Goodall may anchor for three days before preceding to cross the Southern Pacific Ocean in the solo, non-stop unassisted yacht race for 32-to-36-foot boats.
[image error]
For storm anchoring over 50-knots Mantus Marine, a Slow Boat Sailing sponsor, advocates a 55-pound anchor for a 36-foot boat. Goodall has a 45-pound (20 kg) CQR, according to Don McIntyre the founder of the 2018 GGR. (Originally, GGR said she had a 35-pound, 16 kg, hook.) She also only has fifteen meters of chain, but an 65 meters of of rode onboard to put out. The depths are about 7 meters. The bottom is sandy. Since the winds are coming from the west, she will be blown to sea if she drags. That is better than being blown ashore. By late on November 3, 2018, UTC, the winds should moderate below gale force and Goodall can sail east towards New Zealand and the race leaders.
The situation for 6th place Tapio Lehtinen of Finland is not so rosy. He has to sail through the storm and somehow not sail past Hobart while keeping his boat upright in as much as 12-meter waves. He has gybed north and avoided being in the worst winds for a longer period, but it has put him well north of the course for Hobart and the film drop gate that all competitors must pass through. Lehtinen has some massive barnacles on his hull slowing him down. There is not as much circular movement likely to lead to confused seas in this storm as in the storms that overtook Goodall a week or so ago or the September storm that led to the rescue Abhilash Tomy and Gregor McGuckin.
5th place Istavan Kopar, the Hungarian-born American sought shelter in a Tasmanian bay prior to arrival at the Hobart film drop. The tracker at UTC November 2, 2018, 03:00 showed him anchored near Southport, southwest of the mandatory Hobart film drop that Goodall had left a few days before. The storm has shortened the distance between 5th place Kopar and 4th place Goodall.
Uku Randmaa in 3rd place near New Zealand will likely be overtaken by the low, but he will extend his substantial lead over Goodall if he escapes major incident. His strategy is mostly running further towards Cape Horn while his the chase is anchoring. The fastest two boats will be unaffected by the storm as will the 7th and 8th placed boats.
Susie Goodall anchors in Tasmania ahead of 60-knot storm.
A 60-knot storm is forecast to hit the middle of the 2018 Golden Globe Race fleet places 3rd to 6th, and English sailor Susie Goodall, 4th place, is seeking shelter anchoring in Port Arthur, Tasmania. Goodall may anchor for three days before preceding to cross the Southern Pacific Ocean in the solo, non-stop unassisted yacht race for 32-to-36-foot boats.
[image error]
Unfortunately, the only woman in the fleet and the youngest skipper at 29-years-old has an undersized anchor for her 36-foot boat. For storm anchoring over 50-knots Mantus Marine, a Slow Boat Sailing sponsor, advocates a 55-pound anchor for a 36-foot boat. Goodall has a 35-pound CQR. She also only has ten meters of chain, but an unspecified “lots” of rode. The bottom is sandy. Since the winds are coming from the east, she will be blown to sea if she drags. That is better than being blown ashore. By late on November 3, 2018, UTC, the winds should moderate below gale force and Goodall can sail east towards New Zealand and the race leaders.
The situation for 6th place Tapio Lehtinen of Finland is not so rosy. He has to sail through the storm and somehow not sail past Hobart while keeping his boat upright in as much as 12-meter waves. Lehtinen has some massive barnacles on his hull slowing him down. Thus, perhaps he won’t have to run drogues. The only silver lining is there is not as much circular movement likely to lead to confused seas in this storm as in the storms that overtook Goodall a week or so ago or the September storm that led to the rescue Abhilash Tomy and Gregor McGuckin.
5th place Istavan Kopar, the Hungarian-born American may seek shelter in a Tasmanian bay prior to arrival at the Hobart film drop. The tracker at UTC November 2, 2018, 03:00 showed him anchored near Southport, southwest of the mandatory Hobart film drop that Goodall had left a few days before. At the end of the storm, if all three Goodall, Kopar, and Lehtinen are still in the race, few miles will separate them because both Goodall and Kopar are anchored so close to Hobart.
Uku Randmaa in 3rd place near New Zealand will likely be overtaken by the low, but he will extend his substantial lead over Goodall if he escapes major incident. His strategy is mostly running further towards Cape Horn while his the chase is anchoring. The fastest two boats will be unaffected by the storm as will the 7th and 8th placed boats.
Sailing to Ua Pou from Nuka Hiva and Hiking to a Waterfall S2E16
Anna, Daly, and Linus go on their first sail to a new island together. They sail from Nuka Hiva to Ua Pou in the Marquesas Islands. Its a close-hauled, upwind sail. This is the sixth of six permanently inhabited islands in the Marquesas that Linus and Daly have visited in the Slow Boat.
Anna and Linus meet Jerome from Pukue’e Pension in Hakahau, Ua Pou and go on an all 4-hour hike to the waterfall near Hakahatau, which takes all day. Ua Pou is known for its jagged peaks.
A shrinking weather window to Tahiti forces them to set sail for Fakarava in the Tuamotos after only a two night stay. Linus has to meet his wife and daughter Janna and Sophie in Tahiti by July 1, 2017, and the Slow Boat Sailing crew is running out of time to get there.
[image error]
The eBook of AROUND THE WORLD SINGLE-HANDED: The Cruise of the Islander is at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C3THFZV
We use a Mantus Anchor and swivel on our boat. Get all your Mantus gear at http://www.mantusanchors.com/?affiliates=15
Mantus Anchors is a title sponsor of this video.Support the videos at
http://www.Patreon.com/slowboatsailing
On the Slow Boat Sailing Podcast Linus Wilson has interviewed the crew of Sailing SV Delos, WhiteSpotPirates (Untie the Lines), Chase the Story Sailing, Gone with the Wynns, MJ Sailing, Sailing Doodles, SV Prism, Sailing Miss Lone Star, and many others.
Get Linus Wilson’s bestselling sailing books:
Slow Boat to the Bahamas
Slow Boat to Cuba
https://gumroad.com/l/cubabook
and How to Sail Around the World-Part Time
https://gumroad.com/l/sailing
have been #1 sailing bestseller on Amazon.
Associate Producers Anders Colbenson, Larry Wilson, Ted Royer, Sam Balatsias, Kevin Yager, and Rick Moore (SSL).
Sign up for our free newsletter for access to free books and other promotions at http://www.slowboatsailing.com
music by http://www.BenSound.com
Copyright Linus Wilson, Vermilion Advisory Services, LLC, 2018
October 31, 2018
Susie Goodall Rejects Marriage Proposal, Cleans Bottom, and Fixes Windvane in Longest Ever Hobart Stop in the Golden Globe Race
Susie Goodall had the longest film drop in Golden Globe Race (GGR) history, but she got a lot done on October 30, 2018, UTC. She swatted down a marriage proposal from a man she did not know, which was delivered by way of the race organizer Don McIntyre. She donned wetsuit, mask, and snorkel to clean barnacles off the bottom of her Rustler 36 sailing yacht. Then, she took off her Monitor windvane to make a 20-minute repair. GGR race headquarters worried that she would have to drop out of the race to obtain parts for her windvane, but the fix to its inner workings went more smoothly than expected.
In all, she spent twelve hours in Hobart at anchor. That was longer than the preceding three skippers in the solo-nonstop, unassisted race for 32-to-36-foot sailboats. The only woman and the youngest skipper at 29-years old is in fourth place in the race with only eight boats remaining.
Ten of the eighteen starters have dropped out the race. Most of the boats are less than halfway finished. Hobart is the psychological halfway point, but it is east of the international dateline which would be the halfway point in terms of lines of longitude. The 2018 Golden Globe Race sails from east to west in the stormy Southern Ocean south of Australia, the Cape of Good Hope, New Zealand, and Cape Horn.
Here is a summary from GGR race headquarters:
Looking fit and relaxed, she remained at anchor for 12 hours, using the opportunity to try and catch up on sleep before starting maintenance work on her boat at first light.
[image error]
Susie Goodall in good form last night after arriving at the Hobart pit-stop in 4th place. Photo: Christophe Favreau/PPL/GGR
The barnacles were not nearly as bad as on Uku Randmaa’s boat One and All when the 3rd placed Estonian sailor passed through the BoatShed.com Hobart film drop last Friday. “I keep going into the water to scrub the bottom each time I am becalmed, so it shouldn’t be too bad.” She explained before donning a wetsuit to dive on the hull. Two hours later, and at the cost of one scrubbing brush and snorkel, which had dropped to the bottom, Susie proclaimed the hull clean again.
Problems with her Monitor wind vane self-steering were thought to be more challenging, but after unbolting the system from the back of the boat, it took just 20 minutes to re-align the cogs so that it would self-steer the boat down wind again.
Recalling the adventure since starting this solo non-stop circumnavigation from Les Sables d’Olonne on July 1st, Goodall, the sole woman and youngest competitor in this race, joked: “The Indian Ocean has just been awful. The Pacific will be all blue skies and 25-knot winds behind me all the way to Cape Horn.”
It was the Southern Ocean storm experienced two weeks ago that remains most vivid. “That was brutal – It took me a week to recover! The seas were coming from four directions and I kept being knocked down. I was really struggling with the wind vane, which had been bent and would no longer steer downwind. I had to hand steer to keep the boat stern-to the waves, but even so, some waves would come and hit us side-on. Even after the big blow, I still got knocked down a couple more times by the confused swells.”
Lessons were learned, and as a result of that experience in 70-knot winds and 15-metre seas, Susie has changed here storm tactics. “Every storm is different, and before this one, I used to deploy a drogue to slow the boat down. I don’t know why, but in that last storm, I simply towed warps and hand-steered to keep the boat stern-to and it seemed better. My tactic had been to let the boat sail though it, but that time I couldn’t.”
Deprived of modern-day digital communications throughout this retro race, Susie did at least get the opportunity to chat live to her family back in the UK, thanks to one of her supporters holding up their iPad to provide a Facetime link home.
Thousands of well wishers also sent her messages of good luck and many questions, some of which were read out to her. ‘Harry’ sent a proposal of marriage. “Prince Harry?” she inquired optimistically.
What have been the most challenging moment? Asked another. “Being becalmed”.
Is the ocean a friend or foe? “The ocean is a friend who turns on me now and again”
What have been the best parts of the voyage so far? There have been a lot of good parts – but passing the Cape of Good Hope was one highlight”
What has been the most useful gadget onboard? “A portable cassette player”
What do you miss most onboard? “Fresh food, my iPod and Kindle”
How much water do you still have? “A month’s supply – not enough to get to Cape Horn. I hope it rains.”
What will be your first meal when you return to Les Sables d’Olonne? “A big salad, fruit, a bowl of steamed broccoli, a pizza – and a glass of red wine.”
Latest positions at 08:00 UTC today 31.10.18
Skipper
Distance to finish
VMG during last 24 hours
Approx. distance behind leader
1
Jean- Luc VDH (FRA)
Rustler 36 Matmut
9673
6.7 knots
0
2
Mark Slats (NED)
Rustler 36 Ohpen Maverick
11687
5.5 knots
2014
3
Uku Randmaa (EST) Rustler 36 One and All
12577
4.7 knots
2904
4
Susie Goodall GBR) Rustler 36 DHL Starlight
13014
6.3 knots
3341
5
Istvan Kopar (USA)Tradewind 35 Puffin
13250
5.3 knots
3577
6
Tapio Lehtinen (FIN) Gaia 36 Asteria
13589
4.6 knots
3916
7
Mark Sinclair (Aus)
Lello 34 Coconut
15920
2.5 knots
6247
8
Igor Zaretskiy (RUS)
Endurance 35 Esmeralda
16482
1.2 knots
6870
October 29, 2018
SV Sea Nymph Skipper MISSING in Lake Champlain
The owner of the SV Sea Nymph went missing in Lake Champlain. You will hear the story of how he was found and the cause of his disappearance near his moored sailboat at Point Bay Marina, Lake Champlain near Thompson’s Point in Charlotte, Vermont. His last contact with anyone was on 11 AM on Sunday, October 21, 2018, when he texted a friend that he was rowing out to his sailboat the Sea Nymph which was moored next to Point Bay Marina, in Charlotte, VT on Lake Champlain. He was not reported missing until he missed a meeting on Wednesday, October 24, 2018.
The Vermont State Police is identifying the missing man as George Ruhe, 67, of Wethersfield, Connecticut, and Brattleboro, Vermont. Mr. Ruhe was an accomplished photographer whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Associated Press, and Sports Illustrated. His dinghy was found on October 25, 2018, on a marshy shore.
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His body was found soon afterward underneath a moored sailboat. The water temperatures were between 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit in late October on Lake Champlain according to weather.gov. Hypothermia in those temperatures can lead to loss of manual dexterity in 10 to 15 minutes in that cold of water. Once manual dexterity is lost drowning is very possible without the use of a life jacket.
Some press releases from the Vermont State Police are below written by Cpl. Andrew Leise, VSP Williston below:
Mr. Ruhe was last seen at the Point Bay Marina in Charlotte, Vermont, at about 11 a.m. Sunday, and indicated in a message to a friend that he was rowing at that time. A dinghy used by Mr. Ruhe to reach his sailboat, which is moored at the marina a short distance from shore, also is missing. His vehicle was found Wednesday parked at the marina. He was reported missing Wednesday afternoon after failing to appear for meetings earlier in the week.
At about 4:30 p.m., crews including the Vermont State Police Dive Team recovered a body from the vicinity of a sailboat moored in Lake Champlain at Point Bay Marina in Charlotte. The body was preliminarily identified as that of George Ruhe. The body will be brought to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for an autopsy to confirm identification and determine the cause and manner of death.”
“***Update 2:40 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018***
At about 2 p.m. the crew of a fixed-wing aircraft from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations unit assisting in the search located what appeared to be the missing dinghy in a swampy, shallow area in the south end of Town Farm Bay. The Vermont State Police with help from Point Bay Marina staff recovered the dinghy about 20 minutes later and brought the boat to shore.
Another publication, The Shelburne News, adds more detail, indicating he went into the water deliberately.
It was windy, and the water was a cold 50 degrees Sunday as Ruhe was out on the Lake, Lt. Garry Scott said. Police believe the dinghy was not tied to the boat, and drifted away.
“It looks like he stripped off his pants and shoes and was attempting to swim the dinghy,” Scott said. “Everything we are seeing looks like an accidental drowning.”
October 26, 2018
Ep. 53: Paul Trammell Reads Becoming a Sailor A Singlehand Sailing Adventure; Sailing Kittiwake Questions if Vlogging is a Goldmine; Another Rescue and Dismasting in the Golden Globe Race
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-j2zja-9d7a4a
In this episode, we feature Paul Trammell reading chapter 1 of Becoming a Sailor, A Singlehand Sailing Adventure. Linus Wilson talks about the latest dismasting (number four) of the solo-nonstop 2018 Golden Globe Race of French sailor Loic Lepage’s yacht. Elana from Sailing Kittiwake reads her blog “Cruising Stories: Kittiwake on Having a YouTube Channel”.
Becoming a Sailor, A Singlehand Sailing Adventure talks about Trammell’s purchase and upgrades to Sobrius, a 1972 Dufour Arpege and his single-handed sailing around Florida and the Bahamas. Trammell plans to release his second book of his sailing adventures Journey to the Ragged Islands before Christmas 2018. Becoming a Sailor, A Singlehand Sailing Adventure is available on Amazon and Kobo:
https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Sailor-Singlehand-Sailing-Adventure-ebook/dp/B0785QZDLJ/
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/becoming-a-sailor-a-singlehand-sailing-adventure
Sailing Kittiwake is sailing the Med and making awesome vlogs on YouTube. Check out their channel at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT9U1fPkHj0mJjC4LWGH26g
The blog Elana reads is at
https://theboatgalley.com/cruising-stories-kittiwake-on-having-a-youtube-channel/
My study on how much YouTube vloggers really make is
Wilson, Linus, A Little Bit of Money Goes a Long Way: Crowdfunding on Patreon by YouTube Sailing Channels (February 17, 2017). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2919840 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2919840
Abstract
This study finds that YouTube channels crowdfunding on Patreon have more frequent video creation. The median YouTube channel that crowdfunded on Patreon produced a video every 7.5 days compared to 105 days for the median comparable channel that did not link to Patreon. Crowdfunders have more views per video, are more likely to link to their Facebook pages, and uploaded videos more frequently. While two channels in the sample, each earned over $150,000 in 2016 from Patreon, the typical crowdfunding sailing channel earned $73 per video, per month, or creation. It appears that a little bit of money was associated with a big increase in new video production.
I talked about the study in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJxlW8_eUyw
I also talked about the devastation to Panama City Marina in the following video:
“Sailboats WRECKED by Hurricane Michael in Panama City Marinas”
Category 4, 155 mph, Hurricane Micheal made landfall on October 10, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Florida. It devastated the marinas, boats, and sailboats in Panama City, Florida. You’ll see the rescue of the crew of the sailing vessel Old School abandoned in 8-foot seas near Boca Grande, Florida, as the yacht was experiencing the outer bands of a major hurricane.
Photos by Kip and Stacie Snell of Panama City Municipal Marina were reproduced with their permission.
https://www.facebook.com/kipnstacie.snell
Stacie Snell does great portrait and wedding photography at
https://www.facebook.com/staciesnellphotography/
They lost their boat in the Panama City Municipal Marina in Hurricane Michael.
Sailing La Vagabonde recently asserted boaters have lots of advance warning to get out the way of Hurricane. The experience of Hurricane Michael disputes that claim in
“Why we Chose to Sail during Hurricane Season! (Hurricane Gordon & Florence)” at
Some recent blogs and videos about the GGR are
https://slowboatsailing.wordpress.com/2018/10/23/lepages-yacht-sinks-4-5-hours-after-pumps-stop/
The only woman in the race Susie Goodhall is still hanging in there!
Something happened that I never suspected. The blog surpassed the podcast this year in terms of views v. downloads. The blog at slowboatsailing.wordpress.com has 152K views with 234 posts. The Slow Boat Sailing Podcast has 118K downloads in 52 podcasts. The Slow Boat Sailing YouTube channel has 902K views from 100 public videos. I always expected the YouTube channel to have the greatest growth potential, but I never thought that blog could surpass the podcast. The blog was started as an afterthought, and its traffic was always low until the YouTube channel and thus the blog started focusing on news of interest to cruising sailors in September 2017.
The eBook of AROUND THE WORLD SINGLE-HANDED: The Cruise of the Islander is at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C3THFZV
Get all your Mantus gear at http://www.mantusanchors.com/?affiliates=15
Mantus Anchors is a title sponsor of this video.Support the videos at
http://www.Patreon.com/slowboatsailing
On the Slow Boat Sailing Podcast Linus Wilson has interviewed the crew of Sailing SV Delos, WhiteSpotPirates (Untie the Lines), Chase the Story Sailing, Gone with the Wynns, MJ Sailing, Sailing Doodles, SV Prism, Sailing Miss Lone Star, and many others.
Get Linus Wilson’s bestselling sailing books:
Slow Boat to the Bahamas
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018OUI1Q2/
Slow Boat to Cuba
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MFFX9AG
https://gumroad.com/l/cubabook
and How to Sail Around the World-Part Time
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B0OFYNW/
https://gumroad.com/l/sailing
have been #1 sailing bestsellers on Amazon.
Associate Producers Anders Colbenson, Larry Wilson, Ted Royer, Sam Balatsias, Kevin Yeager, and Rick Moore (SSL).
Sign up for our free newsletter for access to free books and other promotions at http://www.slowboatsailing.com
Copyright Linus Wilson, Vermilion Advisory Services, LLC, 2018
Ep. 53: Paul Trammell Reads Becoming a Sailor A Singlehand Sailing Adventure; Sailing Kittiwake Questions if Vlogging is a Goldmine; Another Rescue and Dismasting in the Golden Globe Race; Slow Boat Sailing Podcast
In this episode, we feature Paul Trammell reading chapter 1 of Becoming a Sailor, A Singlehand Sailing Adventure. Linus Wilson talks about the latest dismasting (number four) of the solo-nonstop 2018 Golden Globe Race of French sailor Loic Lepage’s yacht. Elana from Sailing Kittiwake reads her blog “Cruising Stories: Kittiwake on Having a YouTube Channel”.
Get the Slow Boat Sailing Podcast on Stitcher and iTunes!
[image error]
Becoming a Sailor, A Singlehand Sailing Adventure talks about Trammell’s purchase and upgrades to Sobrius, a 1972 Dufour Arpege and his single-handed sailing around Florida and the Bahamas. Trammell plans to release his second book of his sailing adventures Journey to the Ragged Islands before Christmas 2018. Becoming a Sailor, A Singlehand Sailing Adventure is available on Amazon and Kobo:
https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Sailor-Singlehand-Sailing-Adventure-ebook/dp/B0785QZDLJ/
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/becoming-a-sailor-a-singlehand-sailing-adventure
Sailing Kittiwake is sailing the Med and making awesome vlogs on YouTube. Check out their channel at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT9U1fPkHj0mJjC4LWGH26g
The blog Elana reads is at
https://theboatgalley.com/cruising-stories-kittiwake-on-having-a-youtube-channel/
My study on how much YouTube vloggers really make is
Wilson, Linus, A Little Bit of Money Goes a Long Way: Crowdfunding on Patreon by YouTube Sailing Channels (February 17, 2017). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2919840 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2919840
Abstract
This study finds that YouTube channels crowdfunding on Patreon have more frequent video creation. The median YouTube channel that crowdfunded on Patreon produced a video every 7.5 days compared to 105 days for the median comparable channel that did not link to Patreon. Crowdfunders have more views per video, are more likely to link to their Facebook pages, and uploaded videos more frequently. While two channels in the sample, each earned over $150,000 in 2016 from Patreon, the typical crowdfunding sailing channel earned $73 per video, per month, or creation. It appears that a little bit of money was associated with a big increase in new video production.
I talked about the study in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJxlW8_eUyw
I also talked about the devastation to Panama City Marina in the following video:
“Sailboats WRECKED by Hurricane Michael in Panama City Marinas”
Category 4, 155 mph, Hurricane Micheal made landfall on October 10, 2018, in Mexico Beach, Florida. It devastated the marinas, boats, and sailboats in Panama City, Florida. You’ll see the rescue of the crew of the sailing vessel Old School abandoned in 8-foot seas near Boca Grande, Florida, as the yacht was experiencing the outer bands of a major hurricane.
Photos by Kip and Stacie Snell of Panama City Municipal Marina were reproduced with their permission.
https://www.facebook.com/kipnstacie.snell
Stacie Snell does great portrait and wedding photography at
https://www.facebook.com/staciesnellphotography/
They lost their boat in the Panama City Municipal Marina in Hurricane Michael.
Sailing La Vagabonde recently asserted boaters have lots of advance warning to get out the way of Hurricane. The experience of Hurricane Michael disputes that claim in
“Why we Chose to Sail during Hurricane Season! (Hurricane Gordon & Florence)” at
Some recent blogs and videos about the GGR are
https://slowboatsailing.wordpress.com/2018/10/23/lepages-yacht-sinks-4-5-hours-after-pumps-stop/
The only woman in the race Susie Goodhall is still hanging in there!
Something happened that I never suspected. The blog surpassed the podcast this year in terms of views v. downloads. The blog at slowboatsailing.wordpress.com has 152K views with 234 posts. The Slow Boat Sailing Podcast has 118K downloads in 52 podcasts. The Slow Boat Sailing YouTube channel has 902K views from 100 public videos. I always expected the YouTube channel to have the greatest growth potential, but I never thought that blog could surpass the podcast. The blog was started as an afterthought, and its traffic was always low until the YouTube channel and thus the blog started focusing on news of interest to cruising sailors in September 2017.
The eBook of AROUND THE WORLD SINGLE-HANDED: The Cruise of the Islander is at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C3THFZV
Get all your Mantus gear at http://www.mantusanchors.com/?affiliates=15
Mantus Anchors is a title sponsor of this video.Support the videos at
http://www.Patreon.com/slowboatsailing
On the Slow Boat Sailing Podcast Linus Wilson has interviewed the crew of Sailing SV Delos, WhiteSpotPirates (Untie the Lines), Chase the Story Sailing, Gone with the Wynns, MJ Sailing, Sailing Doodles, SV Prism, Sailing Miss Lone Star, and many others.
Get Linus Wilson’s bestselling sailing books:
Slow Boat to the Bahamas
Slow Boat to Cuba
https://gumroad.com/l/cubabook
and How to Sail Around the World-Part Time
https://gumroad.com/l/sailing
have been #1 sailing bestsellers on Amazon.
Associate Producers Anders Colbenson, Larry Wilson, Ted Royer, Sam Balatsias, Kevin Yeager, and Rick Moore (SSL).
Sign up for our free newsletter for access to free books and other promotions at http://www.slowboatsailing.com
Copyright Linus Wilson, Vermilion Advisory Services, LLC, 2018
October 25, 2018
He thought he would die atop the mast in the Golden Globe Race
Here is Igor Zaretskiy’s account of how he broke his forestay and fixed it in the Southern Ocean. Igor, age 67, is eighth out of eight remaining Golden Globe Race competitors. Last week he topped my list of the most likely racer of 32-to-26-foot boats to drop out of the solo-nonstop around the world race, (and there was a lot of competition for this honor). Igor’s story of his broken forestay got lost in the rescue of French sailor Loic Lepage who lost his mast and holed his boat. Lepage was rescued by a 289-foot cargo vessel.
[image error]
Caption: 2018 Golden Globe Race – Igor Zaretskiy (RUS) Endurance 35 Esmeralda, sailing in heavy weather; Photo Credit: Group V team/PPL/GGR
On October 17, 2018, Igor said the following over the sat phone, which is translated into English from his native Russian. He was 2,600 nautical miles from Perth, Australia at the time. His English is somewhat better than my Russian. That is why we need a translator:
Hello, my friends. So, trouble never comes alone. When the wind beat the foils with the furled genoa, I was afraid that it would break the forestay. Now it happened. Good thing I got rid of the furling system, otherwise it could be worse. The staysail was free, the boltrope just bent and the sail went downwind. I examined the forestay. It got broken right at the swaged end fitting. I looked through the binoculars at the top of the mast. The fitting is still hanging there. I have everything ready to solve this problem, waiting for the calm weather.
He did get his calm weather, but he still thought he was going to die atop the mast. This is what GGR headquarters wrote:
Igor spent four hours up his mast repairing the forestay now completed. He thought he may die up there as the sea built up. When he came down he could hardly move his hands and feet so rested for a day with many bruises. He is now looking forward to making progress to the east but worries he may have to go up the mast again??
Many folks have commented on Igor’s slow speeds even after the forestay repair. On an October 11, 2018, post on the GGR Facebook page, the translation said:
I have just hung the camera overboard to check the hull underwater. And guess what I saw there: bunches of black worms. They stuck to the new antifouling with two years guarantee. It turned to be the perfect growth medium for those worms. It will take the whole day with a jackhammer to clean the bottom. I’m not going to do this.
I wonder how Captain Coconut (7th place in the GGR) and Igor’s chats go. I suspect the word “OK” is said a lot.
October 23, 2018
Lepage’s yacht sinks 4.5 hours after pumps stop–Lepage set to be first GGR sailor to round Cape Horn
Loic Lepage’s yacht SV Laaland did not last long without Lepage manning the pumps. It sank hours (UTC 06:30 October 23, 2018) after he was rescued by the MV Shiosai at UTC 02:00 October 23, 2018, the Golden Globe Race reported. Lepage was pumping by hand to conserve batteries and said it was taking on 160 liters (40 gallons) of water per hour.
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Lepage got a hole in his boat after, according to Golden Globe Race organizer Don McIntyre, the forestay failed in 25 knot winds an 3 meter seas on October 20, 2018. That lead the mast to break in two pieces and one holed his boat leading to a leak that accelerated from 30 liters to 160 liters over 24 hours. The leak’s location behind a water tank made it hard to stop the flow.
Lepage activated his rescue beacon and the 289-meter Japanese ship Shiosai turned around to save him. Also the Longue Route 2018 participant Francis Tolan in the 43-foot Beneteau Alizes II paused his non-stop round the world trip to assist. In the end, the conditions allowed the man overboard boat of the Shiosai to rescue the French Golden Globe Race participant Lepage. Shiosai is bound for Las Palmas, Argentina. The bulk carrier is headed west, most likely via Cape Horn. The ship is expected on November 26, 2018, in Las Palmas.
Lepage is the third Golden Globe Race participant to be rescued out of eighteen starters in the solo, nonstop, unassisted, sailing race for 32-to-36-foot yachts since it began on July 1, 2018, in France. Four sailboats have been dismasted. Only eight GGR participants are still in the race. Most of the remaining eight sailors are not half-way done, and the race for the slowest participant could last well over 300 days. Lepage’s yacht sunk in day 114 of the race.
