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Re: Racing yacht shredded - WTF?

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Wayne B

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Apr 30, 2012, 2:56:13 PM4/30/12
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On Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:17:34 -0400, gfre...@aol.com wrote:

>On Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:59:20 -0400, bay...@pacbel.net wrote:
>
>>
>>http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/30/11466954-gone-through-a-blender-no-signs-of-distress-before-yacht-race-tragedy
>
>
>Yeah, how could this possibly happen? Sailboats have the right of way
>
> ;-)

===

The only thing that surprises me is that this sort of thing doesn't
happen more often. As a former racing skipper in the north east I
can tell you with a great deal of assurance that most racing sailboats
are poorly lit and many have neither radar or a radar reflector. I've
even seen guys intentionally turn off their lights at night to gain a
competitive advantage. Others have weak batteries and try to
minimize their recharge time with the engine alternator. I once
protested a guy for running without lights and he told the race
committee with a straight face that his lights were on, just too dim
to see. Since the judges were from his home club they let him off.

BAR

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Apr 30, 2012, 9:55:13 PM4/30/12
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In article <ak6tp79o349dc1knt...@4ax.com>,
bay...@pacbel.net says...
>
> http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/30/11466954-gone-through-a-blender-no-signs-of-distress-before-yacht-race-tragedy

I figure that the big boat ate the little boat. The blow-boat was
shredded by the big boat's prop.

thumper

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Apr 30, 2012, 10:45:49 PM4/30/12
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On 4/30/2012 11:56 AM, Wayne B wrote:

> The only thing that surprises me is that this sort of thing doesn't
> happen more often. As a former racing skipper in the north east I
> can tell you with a great deal of assurance that most racing sailboats
> are poorly lit and many have neither radar or a radar reflector.

Why no radar reflector? That's just stupid.

BAR

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Apr 30, 2012, 10:52:09 PM4/30/12
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In article <jnnip4$omj$1...@dont-email.me>, wo...@id.invalid says...
Speed, loss of a partial knot.

Wayne B

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Apr 30, 2012, 11:49:33 PM4/30/12
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===

Yes. Serious racing skippers are fanatical about reducing windage,
drag and weight. A small fraction of a knot is a huge advantage.

thumper

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May 1, 2012, 2:39:53 AM5/1/12
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A reasonably aerodynamic reflector doesn't seem that difficult... an
active transponder could be quite small.
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otnmbrd

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May 1, 2012, 11:16:58 PM5/1/12
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Biggest mistake small boat lookouts make: Not looking up, above the
horizon for lights in the sky......a ship in close will have running
lights anywhere from 50-100+ feet above a small boat's line of sight to
the horizon.
Biggest mistake large ship lookouts make: Not looking down, at the water
between them and the horizon......



Wayne B <waynebatr...@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:92otp7hspu58oqgut...@4ax.com:

BAR

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May 2, 2012, 7:47:52 AM5/2/12
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In article <6brvp7hibngauhr83...@4ax.com>,
bay...@pacbel.net says...
> Not surprising that SOME sort of accident hasn't already happened, but
> what got my attention is how finely shredded the boat was. I suspect
> that somewhere there is a sub that needs a prop overhaul.

I think the sailboat got sucked along the hull of the larger boat and
then got sucked into the prop of the big boat.

Tim

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May 2, 2012, 8:12:10 AM5/2/12
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On May 2, 6:47 am, BAR <sc...@you.com> wrote:
> In article <6brvp7hibngauhr834bmi7tde9dp47j...@4ax.com>,
> bayb...@pacbel.net says...
>
>
>
> > On Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:55:13 -0400, BAR <sc...@you.com> wrote:
>
> > >In article <ak6tp79o349dc1kntsomd116o2qu71m...@4ax.com>,
> > >bayb...@pacbel.net says...
>
> > >>http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/30/11466954-gone-through-a-...
>
> > >I figure that the big boat ate the little boat. The blow-boat was
> > >shredded by the big boat's prop.
>
> > Not surprising that SOME sort of accident hasn't already happened, but
> > what got my attention is how finely shredded the boat was. I suspect
> > that somewhere there is a sub that needs a prop overhaul.
>
> I think the sailboat got sucked along the hull of the larger boat and
> then got sucked into the prop of the big boat.

OR,,, came in at an angle to the larger vessels screws and went right
in the blender...

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Wayne B

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May 2, 2012, 1:19:09 PM5/2/12
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On Wed, 02 May 2012 11:57:19 -0400, bay...@pacbel.net wrote:

>Not only that, but the smaller vessel would have to get UNDER the
>ship.

===

It wasn't necessareily a ship, might have been a large offshore
barge. It's easy for a boat to get caught up on the tow cable and
dragged right into the center of the barge which typically has a
blunt, shovel shaped bow. It has happened to others. Barges are
often poorly lit and the tow cable is impossible to see at night.

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