Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Ben on December 15, 2022, 07:19:03 AM
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I'm glad they're okay, but what kind of a moron doesn't sail with an EPIRB?
https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-jersey-men-lost-atlantic-ocean-days-atrevida-ii-recount-experience-small-miracle
Also, I couldn't help but be reminded of...
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F2f%2Fed%2Fde%2F2feddedcfe9f1330974c2e03058771f9.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=9e0a94ce6d0e61e7bc81f5a0ffe293808c7be1695b4d2d50bf3cafadb9216bd6&ipo=images)
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A lack of EPIRB was quite a ways down the list of major failings for this duo.
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"The Atrevida II was found to be without fuel and power, rendering their radios and navigation equipment inoperable."
My question was are EPIRBS self-powered?
"About EPIRB Batteries
EPIRBs have built-in batteries with a long storage life and high reliability. In regard to battery life, EPIRBs have two dates on them: the Replacement Date and the Shelf Life (or some other term). The battery replacement date is there for Coast Guard inspected vessels. Recreational vessels can use the shelf life date, which is generally twice as long.
Over the years, EPIRBs have saved the lives of thousands of mariners who might otherwise have been lost at sea."
So yeah, they should have had an operating one. If you own a boat that size, you should be able to afford one.
A lack of EPIRB was quite a ways down the list of major failings for this duo.
I posted this before I saw your post. I was about to add how come they didn't check area weather before embarking. Seems to me there should have been plenty of maritime alerts about a storm that big.
Also seems to me the only sober one when they embarked was the dog.
I wonder if they're going to get billed for all the searching. Isn't that standard? I think they do that for lost skiers / hikers and folks who drive around and get lost on the mining and forestry roads in the mountains. Someone enlighten me on that.
Terry, 230RN
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The ICW exists for a reason. A small sailboat dicking around in the Graveyard of the Atlantic in December is almost never going to be a fun ride.
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If you own a boat that size, you should be able to afford one.
I read on a sailing site that the boat was an older Catalina 30. I've seen serviceable but rough examples go for as low as $7500. I've sailed on a couple of them and while not a bad boat it just isn't built for off shore work.
Same model boat that got wrecked a few months ago down near Mobile.
https://www.wkrg.com/baldwin-county/fort-morgan-sailboat-remains-on-the-beach/
The owners are friends of mine that started sailing several years ago and were my dock neighbors when they bought this boat and started restoring it. They had it shipped to the Gulf several years ago and had been living aboard in Mobile bay. The marina they were at was sold and they were forced to relocate on short notice and chanced a narrow weather window to sail to their new marina and lost the weather lottery.
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https://www.boattrader.com/boats/make-catalina/model-30/sort-price:asc/
They aren't that expensive, and are generally decent boats. You see them a lot on the gulf coast. Honestly I would take one on the trip these guys took, but not in Dec. And I would probably stay within an hour or two's motoring of shore.
FWIW, The Army had boats in Hampton Roads, VA, Morehead City, NC, and Tampa, so I've spent a lot of time off the grand banks, and it can be nasty even in a real boat. You need to have some plans in place. Those guys road the gulf stream back up to near DE, and were fixing to make the turn and head for Iceland, which would have really sucked.