Get Home Engines
I believe that the expertise and level of competence of the long range commercial fisherman is far greater than that of the recreational trawler voyager. These men have grown up with the sea--often many generations of experience. Also the larger boats have engineers and very complete engine repair facilities. I grew up on the docks of San Pedro where there was a fleet of about 300 tuna clippers which went many miles off the coast. These boats are gone, replaced by the larger boats out of San Diego, Mazatalan, Guam, American Samoa, and Asia.
As Georgs points out, long distance power boat passagemaking is a relitatively new phenomenon. The Nordhavn Salvation voyage around the World was in the last 12 years. Passagemaker did not circumnavigate, although they made long passages.
The manufactures are promoting an "off the shelf boat" which is capable to doing a circumnavigation. Electronics simplify navigation. However the new breed of voyagers have not had the depth of experience in engine repair and systems maintaince that the fishermen and other men of the sea have acquired the hard way.
Scott had already done a good deal of voyaging before crossing the Atlantic. I think that many of the NAR voyagers were enabled to make the passage because there was help available--people with mechanical expertise and the ultimate help--that of a tow if some mechanical problem arose which could not be fixed on the boat.
Bob Austin
[OFFLIST] An excellent analysis! I have a ways to go before I can troubleshoot the main systems on my boat. And now I have a VHF problem within the scope of my past experience to think through.
Regards,
Ron
----- Original Message -----
From: Bob Austin
To: 3
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2005 3:50 PM
Subject: [PUP] Get Home Engines
I believe that the expertise and level of competence of the long range commercial fisherman is far greater than that of the recreational trawler voyager. These men have grown up with the sea--often many generations of experience. Also the larger boats have engineers and very complete engine repair facilities. I grew up on the docks of San Pedro where there was a fleet of about 300 tuna clippers which went many miles off the coast. These boats are gone, replaced by the larger boats out of San Diego, Mazatalan, Guam, American Samoa, and Asia.
As Georgs points out, long distance power boat passagemaking is a relitatively new phenomenon. The Nordhavn Salvation voyage around the World was in the last 12 years. Passagemaker did not circumnavigate, although they made long passages.
The manufactures are promoting an "off the shelf boat" which is capable to doing a circumnavigation. Electronics simplify navigation. However the new breed of voyagers have not had the depth of experience in engine repair and systems maintaince that the fishermen and other men of the sea have acquired the hard way.
Scott had already done a good deal of voyaging before crossing the Atlantic. I think that many of the NAR voyagers were enabled to make the passage because there was help available--people with mechanical expertise and the ultimate help--that of a tow if some mechanical problem arose which could not be fixed on the boat.
Bob Austin
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