Re: TWL: Be prepared
On Tue, 19 Jun 2001 23:27:39 -0700 "Hal Wyman" hal@halwyman.com writes:
As others have pointed out, if you plan to go out in the ocean
in a yacht,
you had better be prepared for gales and worse.
My comments apply to anyone just doing coastal passages. I agree
that those
crossing oceans are a small minority of this group.
Although I am not an experienced world cruiser, I have had cruising
experience in Maine, the Bahamas, Puget Sound, California Coast, and the
South Pacific. I have enjoyed all the places I have cruised and would
recommend them to everyone. However, I agree with Hal. Until you have
had experience with conditions other than the ICW or Bahamas, you really
don't know how bad the conditions can get out there .......even along the
coast........even with the best of planning.
Back in the '60's, I was fortunate to be able to cruise from the
Tongatapu group to the Vava'u group in the South Pacific, a distance of
about 300 miles, with Capt Tevita Fifita aboard his 40 foot sailboat. On
that trip, the seas were about 20 to 25 feet and the wind was estimated
at about 50 knots. It was a real experience for me and the Secretary of
the Navy in my household who was also along on the trip. It is still a
vivid and hair raising memory for Eileen and I.
Tevita Fifita is famous because earlier in his life he was ferrying the
Tongan Rugby team from Tonga to Figi. They hit an uncharted submerged
reef on their voyage. They were marooned on this reef for 6 months
before being rescued. Tevita told me,the reef was submerged 2 to 3 feet
under water at times. With much difficulty and hardship, everyone
survived. There was a book written about the experience but I forget
what it is called.
Anyway the point is that one had better be prepared for gales and worse
when you are "out there". The Bahamas are a wonderful cruising
experience but there is more to world cruising than the Bahamas, even
coastal cruising in other places. "Semper Preparator"
Patrick
WILLARD 40PH
,,`,,
ALOHA
Port San Luis
Patrick,
Wow! You actually got to meet the guy himself! I have the book, it is
called Minerva Reef. Actually, there were 4 deaths total, but it was still
very impressive. The book is by Olaf Ruhen, published 1963, Little, Brown
and Co., Boston.
His name in the book is David Fifita. The reefs were charted, but they were
blown off-course. Great read. I thought you were much younger than
apparently you are, I was born in 1969! I guess you are just young in
spirit <big grin>. You would probably like my grandpa, just last year he
went white-water rafting down the Grand Canyon, at age 86.
Best regards,
John Norton
At 11:06 AM 6/21/01 , you wrote:
Tevita Fifita is famous because earlier in his life he was ferrying the
Tongan Rugby team from Tonga to Figi. They hit an uncharted submerged
reef on their voyage. They were marooned on this reef for 6 months
before being rescued. Tevita told me,the reef was submerged 2 to 3 feet
under water at times. With much difficulty and hardship, everyone
survived. There was a book written about the experience but I forget
what it is called.
Mr. John W. Norton, Jr. E.I.T
Doctoral Student - Geotechnical Engineering
University of Michigan: office-(734) 764-3648
"Teaching and motivating the engineers of the future!"
http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~jnorton/
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