GGR 2022

[littlechay]

T

Hard fate…hope his anchoring system is good for a Cape Horn anchorage in fall (it likely isn’t at all, since these boats are presumably prepped mostly/only for a nonstop solo circumnavigation). So - hope calmer weather holds for him…

There are plenty of good anchorages. Caleta Martial has good holding and zero fetch. He'll be fine there. And if he goes to Williams he won't be anchoring but mooring alongside totally protected.

 

[Jud - s/v Sputnik]

There are plenty of good anchorages. Caleta Martial has good holding and zero fetch. He'll be fine there. And if he goes to Williams he won't be anchoring but mooring alongside totally protected.

So, I knew that Caleta Martial is “somewhere” in the vicinity of Isla Hornos, having browsed a few books on the area in the past, but I didn’t know where exactly- so I googled it.

This video below was on the search page - seems to suggest that it can get wild in there? Anyway, for those of us who’ve never been there, fun viewing. (Sort of). Until we learn where Ian is actually headed, hand steering the whole way…



Bad pic of the location of Caleta Martial…

 

[littlechay]

So, I knew that Caleta Martial is “somewhere” in the vicinity of Isla Hornos, having browsed a few books on the area in the past, but I didn’t know where exactly- so I googled it.

This video below was on the search page - seems to suggest that it can get wild in there? Anyway, for those of us who’ve never been there, fun viewing. (Sort of). Until we learn where Ian is actually headed, hand steering the whole way…



Bad pic of the location of Caleta Martial…

It gets windy for sure, there is no big cliffs or anything around it which lets the wind flow, therefore no big bad gusts; the wind stays pretty steady in both velocity and direction. you can go a fair bit further in closer to the beach than that and reduce the fetch. I've been in there with top gust of 103' recorded at the lighthouse. Usually nowhere near that bad.

Getting into Martial is nice and easy, up past Ites Carrasco with its very useful light and in. Good place to shelter because once clear of this group of islands you have to cross Bahia Nassau before reaching the shelter of Isla Navarino. And Bahia Nassau can be a bitch when she wants!

He has an electric autopilot that he has broken out apparently.

 

[Jud - s/v Sputnik]

I've been in there with top gust of 103' recorded at the lighthouse. Usually nowhere near that bad.

BTW, what do you carry for regular and back up/extra ground tackle down there? And what do you use for snubbers? I think we have pretty similar boats (looking at your blog site/profile once, a while ago, so am quite curious). Doing ground tackle research

He has an electric autopilot that he has broken out apparently.

Oh, I thought I read that it was inoperable since it uses the vane rudder.

 

[TheDragon]

That explains his aberrant track. So now just three left.

 

[shebeen]

and simon seems clearly will pass both leaders soon

you sure about that? Kirsten might have sneak a way through the doldrums here.

 

[TheDragon]

you sure about that? Kirsten might have sneak a way through the doldrums here.

View attachment 581459

I have no doubt Simon will pass the two leaders, if not through the doldrums, then in the NA. He has a clean bottom for one thing, and has long since proven his better speed.

As for Kirsten, this is all a matter of luck now. Not only do they not have access to the weather forecasts we see, those forecasts are notoriously unreliable in the doldrums. General thinking is west is best for crossing the Atlantic doldrums, so I am surprised she did not use the good SE trades she had for the past week to move west. But I am hopeful she gets lucky and finds a way through, where she would then have a better angle on the NE trades once she finds them.

 

[shebeen]

I have no doubt Simon will pass the two leaders, if not through the doldrums, then in the NA. He has a clean bottom for one thing, and has long since proven his better speed.

As for Kirsten, this is all a matter of luck now. Not only do they not have access to the weather forecasts we see, those forecasts are notoriously unreliable in the doldrums. General thinking is west is best for crossing the Atlantic doldrums, so I am surprised she did not use the good SE trades she had for the past week to move west. But I am hopeful she gets lucky and finds a way through, where she would then have a better angle on the NE trades once she finds them.

he probably has a cleaner hull, but Kirsten has also done quite a bit of scraping from a radio call too. Generally he probably did a lot of nice maintenance at the stopover, he's been moving quicker since then for sure.

will he have enough racetrack to haul them both in, maybe...

 

[shebeen]

the race is about to pass into its 200th day.....

 

[Jud - s/v Sputnik]

That explains his aberrant track. So now just three left.

View attachment 581455

I believe that race organizer Donnwas saying thr aberrant track was him taking a rest from hand steering, perhaps napping when it was night?

I’m quite curious to know what he did -if all your self-steering is gone and you have to hand steer, eventually you need a break. What did he likely do? Lash the helm and heave to?

 

[littlechay]

BTW, what do you carry for regular and back up/extra ground tackle down there? And what do you use for snubbers? I think we have pretty similar boats (looking at your blog site/profile once, a while ago, so am quite curious). Doing ground tackle research



Oh, I thought I read that it was inoperable since it uses the vane rudder.

On my boat I have a 20kg Rokna with 100m of 8mm chain (currently I am experimenting with a chain / octoplait rode here in NZ where I am right now) as main anchor. Backup is a 20kg French FOG on 10m of chain and whatever rope is handy (usually it would be the cockpit mooring spool) and, in the bilge somewhere is a 45Lb CQR.

The 103' incident I mention was on 74 footer and we were using a CQR; I don't remember the exact weight and 10mm chain. It dragged very slowly that night and we had to reposition every 4 hours or so. We put a Rokna on for the next season.

For a snubber I use a nylon rope sized as would be usual for the boat if using a nylon rode and at least a boat length long.

There is a lot of bullshit on the internet about anchoring and lots of ridiculous claims. Most boats are undersized even for normal conditions. All anchors work! The modern concave spades such as the Rokna etc.. are a step change from the plough type but there is in reality very little to choose between the different brands. IMO

I think you are right about IHJ and his tiller pilot. Dunno why he had it setup for steering with the hydrovane! He was only going to need it if the hydrovane had failed so should have had it rigged primarily to his tiller - a massive cockup there! The faith some of these people have put in hydrovanes is scandalous.

 

[loneshark64]

Chichester Class should be renamed “broken hydrovane class”

 

[Barbarus]

I seem to recall Don mentioning in one of the boat walkthrus that there was a short list of approved self-steering devices they had to choose from, and they were all the usual expsensive\fragile suspects of name brand models with no mention of the multitude of simple DIY options available (that can be so much easier to repair on board). Given all the Hydrovane carnage, maybe it's time to revisit their rules here - A lot of their approved boats can come with stern-hung rudder configs that can be easily fit with DIY tinkerable self-steering like Moitessier had

 

[TheDragon]

Hydrovane is a sponsor of the event, and the requirement for an emergency rudder means it is the simplest choice for most of the entrants. And last time the leaders made it home with hydrovanes, so no way Don will drop them.

 

[Barbarus]

Emergency rudder? In a stern-hung rudder boat, that's what salon tables and cabin\head doors are for! (Some assembly required)

 

[TheDragon]

Brave woman to have a dip underway. I always stopped my boat completely before swimming.

 

[Layman]

I have no doubt Simon will pass the two leaders, if not through the doldrums, then in the NA. He has a clean bottom for one thing, and has long since proven his better speed.

As for Kirsten, this is all a matter of luck now. Not only do they not have access to the weather forecasts we see, those forecasts are notoriously unreliable in the doldrums. General thinking is west is best for crossing the Atlantic doldrums, so I am surprised she did not use the good SE trades she had for the past week to move west. But I am hopeful she gets lucky and finds a way through, where she would then have a better angle on the NE trades once she finds them.

It seems like Kirsten has sailed into a hole now and that it could be days before she manages to slip out. Abilash has the best cards now.

 

[littlechay]

Emergency rudder? In a stern-hung rudder boat, that's what salon tables and cabin\head doors are for! (Some assembly required)

Are any of them stern hung rudders? I think they are all keel hung?

Hydrovane always breaks before the rudder so the emergency rudder is the main rudder.

I think the hydrovane is just struggling to turn these long keeled monsters so it is a weak link even without wrapping drogues around them. I don't rate them, all the lever arms are way to long... IMO

 

[winchfodder]

Just thinking aloud (and hopefully my mate Don will read this)!

How about we get hourly position reports like The Ocean Race. It will be of no use to the competitors as they seem to have no idea where any of them are with six hour reports. It will be more interesting from the armchair.

 

[Russell Brown]

There is a lot of bullshit on the internet about anchoring and lots of ridiculous claims. Most boats are undersized even for normal conditions. All anchors work! The modern concave spades such as the Rokna etc.. are a step change from the plough type but there is in reality very little to choose between the different brands. IMO

Is this based on serious testing or just personal opinion?