mckenzie.keith
Aspiring Anarchist
When I first read about the chicken gun many years ago, IIRC, they were using live anesthetized birds.
Loss of S/V Raindancer (KP44)
- Thread starter Boats13
- Start date
mckenzie.keith
Aspiring Anarchist
Finding the boats is easy. Check any marina. Getting permission is hard. But do we need permission? We are doing science here. Saving many peoples' lives in the long run.
The fake but funny story is when the French were testing the TGV train, they called Boeing who told them how they tested airliner cockpit windows with chickens fired from a compressed air gun.
The French called back and said the chickens went right through their super strong train window.
Long pause.
Boeing engineer "did you thaw the chickens?"
Fleetwood
Member
Dead birds, not frozen. I expect there's a MIL spec.
Years ago I worked at an aerospace company which made aircraft windshields; ours was known as the 'linear chicken accelerator'...
Boats13
S/V Inevitable Liberty 458
- Thread starter
- #145
I find it quite ironic that the general consensus on the construction of keels ,to keep them from falling off, was that separation should cause catastrophic failure of the hull. KP44s have a long and very successful service history. There are several documented cases of rudder loss (manufacturing defects in the armature welding), without any significant damage to the skeg. I have heard (admittedly anecdotal) reports of heavy groundings with no loss of the skeg or vessel loss due to the loss of the skeg. I understand the idea that the full skeg is a longer moment arm, as a lever, to cause damage. However, this impact was from below as much or more so, as from the side. If Capt Rick was seeing THAT much propeller shaft through cracks, I think the entire underbody of the stern was compromised. I believe the design and construction of the hull is sound and safe. I DON'T think you can design for an impact of 60 tons of angry Bull Sperm Whale at 12+knots, from ANY angle. No, I can't know its speed, nor do I know that it was angry, a bull, or a cow. I think they startled or pissed off an adult Sperm Whale which then chose to ram them. The boat that was struck and sunk on the return from the Pac Cup was hit in the side... don't think that will be influencing any design criteria, either.
Disclaimer: I don't own a KP44, but I don't think they are a flawed design.
Disclaimer: I don't own a KP44, but I don't think they are a flawed design.
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Kiwi Clipper
Member
- 108
- 80
The new whales can be motorized; they will be a new breed of whale, a "zonker" whale. The sperm whales will find them and take them along on their migrations: "What is that Dad?" "Don't be stupid, it's a zonker whale" "Humans are trying to to change our DNA. Zonker whales they say, mellow as jello!"
"Why are you bringing it along?"
"Saving it to feed to the ORCAs, when they come after you, and the whale sharks."
"Do you think the ORCA's will believe it? God it tastes awful."
"Well human sailors did! They think running into a jello whale is like running into one of us. But admittedly they are not too smart."
"Stop laughing, you'll get water in your mouth!
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kinardly
Super Anarchist
You know that’s a fake story cuz no French company would ever, EVER call Boeing.
Jud - s/v Sputnik
Super Anarchist
I had never heard of this - had to look it up. Holy shit…other than the classic book “Survive the Savage Sea”, I didn’t know that there were modern-day documented cases of big whales actually striking boats. (Orcas off the Iberian Peninsula being a separate thing altogether.)
https://www.soundingsonline.com/.amp/news/four-rescued-after-whale-holes-sailboat
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Boats13
S/V Inevitable Liberty 458
- Thread starter
- #152
And this one during a Baha-haha
Diarmuid
Super Anarchist
We always go looking for the technological solution to what is fundamentally a social problem. Has anyone tried talking to the whales?
I for one would like to hear the other side of this story.
I for one would like to hear the other side of this story.
Kenny Dumas
Non Binary About Anything
Details matter:
Sperm whales have a rock hard battering ram nose. We recently had a stranded 40’. I progressively kicked it harder and it was like kicking a boulder Presumably it’s good for sonar as well as battering.
They WILL hit the softest, most vulnerable spot. That’s how whales with sonar fight. When Moby Dick sank the Essex, he hit twice in the same soft spot (just aft of the heads?). Orca focus on the soft underbelly and lungs.
Sperm whales have a rock hard battering ram nose. We recently had a stranded 40’. I progressively kicked it harder and it was like kicking a boulder Presumably it’s good for sonar as well as battering.
They WILL hit the softest, most vulnerable spot. That’s how whales with sonar fight. When Moby Dick sank the Essex, he hit twice in the same soft spot (just aft of the heads?). Orca focus on the soft underbelly and lungs.
Beer fueled Mayhem
Anarchist
I posted this in the orca thread on sailing anarchy site. Had some useful info there...
I have a Wauquiez Centurion 42 and my "Wauquiez" group email had info about an encounter on a Pretorien 35 with orcas. They reported it to this website which has some cool info I didn't see posted in this thread. If it has been posted, my apologies.
www.orcaiberica.org
Here is the email that I got and English second language so...
On August 31th, at 2:00 in the night, a pod of orcas (5?) attacked(!) my boat Nausicaa, in position 18 miles from Tarifa, I was motoring with autopilot and no sails up at 3,6 knots, heading Tarifa.
I tried to hold the rudder's wheel but I quit it after the first stroke.
I stopped the engine, turned off all the instruments, except radio, AIS and navigation lights, cause we were close to the Traffic Separation Scheme area.
We stay all the time inside the boat trying to don't make any noise. We could hear them "talking".
They attacked us for 2,5 hours, then after 30 minutes without interactions, we started the engine and we continued to navigated at 5 knots with the emergency tiller, but after few minutes they started again, banging on our rudders, cause we have also the wind pilot rudder. They continued for 30 minutes and they left, we waited 30 minutes and then we run away at maximum speed (7 knots) for 3 hours.
I'm not smart enough to understand why they did that, but they are very smart and I can not believe the did s a kind of play, neither as a kind of practice on tunas fishing. They wanted to brake our rudders and they didn't left until they broke them. But they continuosly hit the hull as well but the strongest strokes where for the rudders. We lied quietly in the forecabin and sometimes we could feel the strokes right behind our back. That's the reason I say they attacked us. Luckily my boat is quite sturdy and for 2 hours I thought we could leave without damages. Then they decided to hit harder, very hard and then I knew they succeeded to bend the rudder shaft so they left, but when we left they come back, smaller in number, to try to stop again.
Last interaction was 7 miles from the first interaction.
That's my story. It was an incredible experience, in any sense. I hope to don't experience that again
I have a Wauquiez Centurion 42 and my "Wauquiez" group email had info about an encounter on a Pretorien 35 with orcas. They reported it to this website which has some cool info I didn't see posted in this thread. If it has been posted, my apologies.
Tipo de barcos involucrados | Orca Ibérica
www.orcaiberica.org
Here is the email that I got and English second language so...
On August 31th, at 2:00 in the night, a pod of orcas (5?) attacked(!) my boat Nausicaa, in position 18 miles from Tarifa, I was motoring with autopilot and no sails up at 3,6 knots, heading Tarifa.
I tried to hold the rudder's wheel but I quit it after the first stroke.
I stopped the engine, turned off all the instruments, except radio, AIS and navigation lights, cause we were close to the Traffic Separation Scheme area.
We stay all the time inside the boat trying to don't make any noise. We could hear them "talking".
They attacked us for 2,5 hours, then after 30 minutes without interactions, we started the engine and we continued to navigated at 5 knots with the emergency tiller, but after few minutes they started again, banging on our rudders, cause we have also the wind pilot rudder. They continued for 30 minutes and they left, we waited 30 minutes and then we run away at maximum speed (7 knots) for 3 hours.
I'm not smart enough to understand why they did that, but they are very smart and I can not believe the did s a kind of play, neither as a kind of practice on tunas fishing. They wanted to brake our rudders and they didn't left until they broke them. But they continuosly hit the hull as well but the strongest strokes where for the rudders. We lied quietly in the forecabin and sometimes we could feel the strokes right behind our back. That's the reason I say they attacked us. Luckily my boat is quite sturdy and for 2 hours I thought we could leave without damages. Then they decided to hit harder, very hard and then I knew they succeeded to bend the rudder shaft so they left, but when we left they come back, smaller in number, to try to stop again.
Last interaction was 7 miles from the first interaction.
That's my story. It was an incredible experience, in any sense. I hope to don't experience that again
Boats13
S/V Inevitable Liberty 458
- Thread starter
- #156
We watched this yesterday and thought the same thing! What if he was talking (or yelling) at them?! And they had a hydrophone running to a translator program?! Could we avoid negative interactions? We have transducers already... hydrophones would not be that difficult, if the language could be built.
socalrider
Super Anarchist
Holy crap, what a story. Thanks, I hadn't read it before.
These accounts are pushing me into the "multihulls are safer" camp. I don't like the whole sinking thing one bit.
kinardly
Super Anarchist
And an added benefit is you can pull them out of the water when the orcas swarm you.
