Wharram sailor navigationally challenged by storm damage
There's been a mainstrem media news story today about an "Australian sailor" lucky to be alive after being found wandering the eastern South Pacific Ocean.
The "facts" we may gather are: he's solo, sailing a catamaran, had electronic nav aides damaged by lightning strike, and was sailing about surviving on fish. Its useful to add that while the word "rescue" was used, he was actually encountered by a trawler and was short on food but otherwise healthy.
A social media rant (by several Wharram sailors), variously described this guy as clueless. My assessment is that; ok he's sailed halfway round the world taking on the massive leg from Panama to the Marqueses and was unfortunate enough to have lost the use of his electronic aides. The guy knows stuff, with hindsight his error was to rely solely on electronics navigation aides.
As one Commenter in response to my report added, he could have carried a plastic sextant and large scale chart, determined a longitude and run down that to find land. True enough, in hindsight, but he's not the only sailor relying heavily on electronic GPS devices.
This is all on the proviso that what we have learned through the media is correct and they haven't omitted other significant details.
Very disappointing from Wharram sailors, no less.
The "facts" we may gather are: he's solo, sailing a catamaran, had electronic nav aides damaged by lightning strike, and was sailing about surviving on fish. Its useful to add that while the word "rescue" was used, he was actually encountered by a trawler and was short on food but otherwise healthy.
A social media rant (by several Wharram sailors), variously described this guy as clueless. My assessment is that; ok he's sailed halfway round the world taking on the massive leg from Panama to the Marqueses and was unfortunate enough to have lost the use of his electronic aides. The guy knows stuff, with hindsight his error was to rely solely on electronics navigation aides.
As one Commenter in response to my report added, he could have carried a plastic sextant and large scale chart, determined a longitude and run down that to find land. True enough, in hindsight, but he's not the only sailor relying heavily on electronic GPS devices.
This is all on the proviso that what we have learned through the media is correct and they haven't omitted other significant details.
Very disappointing from Wharram sailors, no less.
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