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EPIRB set off by SHTP racer

S

solosailor

New member
No mention of it anywhere that I could find on the SSS website but Sailing Anarchy posted this story on the 26th about Wen's EPIRB going off on Thursday the 24th:

"Trouble in Paradise"

Rescue Me

Wen Lin skipper of the The Swan 47 'Wenlemir', a race entrant in the Singlehanded TransPac race from SF, CA to Hanalei, Kauai which started on Saturday July 12th turned back to California yesterday. The race comm plan schedules twice daily check ins with the fleet via SSB, email or sat phone. Wenlemir was experiencing technical difficulties with his communications equipment early in the race and he last reported his position on Saturday July 19th, then he set off his EPIRB on Thursday July 24th. The Coast Guard has since boarded the vessel and is coordinating the vessel's return to shore. The skipper is exhausted but okay. The extent of damage to the vessel is unclear at this time.
 
Not likely

These repeated coast guard panic calls could end the SHTP.
Click to expand...
By repeated do you mean 2 calls in 4 years? That's quite a pace. I doubt the Coast Guard could/would shut down the SHTP race.
 
Not Likely

Concur it is not likely...don't know that it would even be possible for an external authority (e.g., coasties) to prohibit participation in an ocean crossing "event". Any sea lawyers want to opine?
 
KTVU story on Wenlin is is here

solosailor said:
By repeated do you mean 2 calls in 4 years? That's quite a pace. I doubt the Coast Guard could/would shut down the SHTP race.
Click to expand...

Actually, I mean 3 times in two races, off the top of my head, without researching the history. 2 times in two races for Wen Lin. Once for Alan.

And, there are 2 more possible in this race so far, Islander and Sparky.

There is a difference between the Coast Guard and a free offshore towing service for recreational boaters.
 
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Robert Stodieck said:
Actually, I mean 3 times in two races, off the top of my head, without researching the history. 2 times in two races for Wen Lin. Once for Alan.

And, there are 2 more possible in this race so far, Islander and Sparky.

There is a difference between the Coast Guard and a free offshore towing service for recreational boaters.
Click to expand...
Alan did, indeed, call the Coast Guard in 2004.
His call was the prudent and safe thing to do. "Proper", if you will.

He simply informed the Coast Guard of his position, the sea state, the condition of his boat and his concerns about it all. He had decided to drop out of the race. He was tired and sent a "heads up".
Alan sailed into Morro Bay on his own power.. a little shaken up and very, very tired.

I don't know about you, but I was always taught that you place that "heads- up" call to the Coasties once you decide you are on the verge of things going bad. It is not a "tow me" call. It is not a "distress" call. It is an "FYI" call... so they have a clue of your where abouts.


FWIW, I made the same type of call to the Coasties in the Coastal Cup 2 years prior when I had two sea sick crew, my mast had been compromised and we had decided to bail out into Morro Bay. They asked us to radio back in every couple of hours to keep them posted on the condition of the crew and how our progress was. They even offered to come out and meet us to take the crew off the boat so we could continue racing. I felt that was inappropriate. I thanked them for the offer and we turned for the harbor mouth.

We informed them on the second follow up call that all would be fine and we'd be sailing into Morro Bay only with bruised egos.

They thanked us for our call.
 
reply to j_dirge

Dear J, I have been attacked several times for making some very simple statements here. In all cases I have been attacked for opinions that I have not stated and do not hold. Yours is no exception.

Like a Rorschach inkblot, my initial statement seems to be revealing the psychology of the readers. I your case you seem to have accused me of suggesting that the coast guard shouldn't be called when one perceives themselves to be at risk at sea. I have not suggested this, and it is a very dangerous suggestion.

Try this alternative interpretation. "People who have prepared and qualified for the Transpac should not have to be calling the coast guard on a regular basis."

In fact, this is essentially the purpose of the preparation and qualification required by the race committee. Now perhaps you can understand that my goals are precisely aligned with those of the race committee, and thus, now I do not seem to be advocating the end of the race. (As I was accused of by Ragtime).

What the calls to the Coast Guard seem to be revealing however is a regular pattern of panic events by a fraction of the race participants once offshore. This kind of panic is a regular feature of offshore races that encounter severe weather. The hallmark of offshore panic is a perfectly healthy yacht found floating around after the storm, who's panicked crew chose to get into the "emergency" life raft during the storm and who are often dead as a result.

So I do take the issue of panic very seriously. Not only does this seem to be happening regularly in the SHTP it appears that it has happened repeatedly few cases. The evidence is not in the presence of calls to the coast guard but in the indications that some kind of irrational behavior on the part of the skipper created the situation. The singlehanded situation leaves the skippers behavior unmoderated.

Wen Lin's "Did Not Finish" in 2008 was a replay of his 2006 event. Alan's DNF in 2006 was a replay of his 2004? DNF. Both were tired? Sleeping at sea is part of the event. They experienced bad weather? That is also part of the event. Alan has been ABSOLUTELY honest in discussing his experiences with me and he deserves all the credit in the world for that. (And he was towed in by the CG in 2006 if I remember correctly.)

Now, what can we do to mitigate the situation?
 
Robert Stodieck said:
Dear J, I have been attacked several times for making some very simple statements here. In all cases I have been attacked for opinions that I have not stated and do not hold. Yours is no exception.
Click to expand...
(bloding mine)
I did not attack you. Reread my post. I clarified AlanH's call to the Coast Guard in 2004 and added that the CG does not discourage calls for information where a situation has the potential to deteriorate. In fact, they encourage it.

Your post, through lack of clarification on the call, lumped an FYI call in with two calls for rescue.
Apples and oranges.


I stated my observations. Those are observations of an indiviudal who did the race in 2004, and would have been there this year, in 2008, if not for other obligations.

If you want to practice psychology, go right ahead. But please consider your own.
There was no attack.


I am not defending Wen's decision making.. nor that of Barbara Euser. I was dissappointed for Alan in 2004 and am very happy/relieved to see that he was successful this year. I lent him my liferaft, my hand-pump watermaker and would have lent him more of he wanted/needed it.

I would be very interested in hearing more perspectives on this particular aspect of solo racing/sailing, but if you can't keep your perspective from being that of a "victim" of perceived "attacks" on opinion, I am most definitely NOT interested in discussing it further. It bores.
And I would be done.

Cheers,
dirge
 
Word from Islander

Islander sailed within cell phone range of the race committee in Hanalei Bay to call in her position. As of 6 AM island time, she was 20 miles from the finish, making about 2 nm VMG, very light winds DDW so slow progress. She is still without boat power but has plenty of food, water, and sail area to get in on her own. We anticipate that she will finish in time to attend the trophy dinner this evening.

Synthia/Eyrie
 
So now, what can we do to mitigate the situation?

"People who have prepared and qualified for the Transpac should not have to be calling the coast guard on a regular basis."

And by calls to the Coast Guard I do mean calls requiring a C-130 and a cutter to be dispatched 130 miles offshore.
 
2006 Correction re Alan

I refreshed my very fond memories of the 2006 SHTP and Alan was not entered and could not have been towed in (SHTP 06 archives). In my discussions with various CG people, half think we are crazy and the other half admire the seamanship involved. No one has ever hinted that the event should not happen or talked about invoking the "manifestly unfit" clause.

I hope that Reuben/Sparky get the buckle if they sail into the finish, even if a bit late!!

Lou
 
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