Distress 500 miles off Chile!

At the bottom of the world
Rescue under way as Long Beach-launched bid to circle globe fails.
By Tomio Geron, Staff writer
Article Launched: 01/03/2007 10:53:14 PM PST


Ken Barnes (Courtesy photo)
LONG BEACH - A Newport Beach man who set sail from Long Beach for a solo trip around the world was in distress 500 miles off the coast of Chile and awaiting rescue, authorities said Wednesday.
Ken Barnes, 47, left Long Beach on Oct. 28 in a 44-foot ketch named Privateer that was built in Gozo, Malta.

The boat was disabled in a storm and has a broken mast, no steering or power and a hatch that's broken and leaking, according to information the family posted on his Web site.

Barnes set off his emergency position-indicating radio beacon Tuesday, notifying the United States Coast Guard by satellite that he was in trouble, said Petty Officer Prentice Danner of the Coast Guard.

"We got a report that his sailboat was demasted and lost power," Danner said. "We've turned it over to the Chilean navy. They've responded and we're monitoring it."

He called his girlfriend Cathy Chambers by satellite phone Wednesday evening and said that a Chilean aircraft spotted him, she said.

Here's the whole story:
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_4946343

The Skipper's web site: http://www.kensolo.com/

There is quite a heated discussion on this topic at sailboatowners.com.

http://www.sailboatowners.com/forums/menunew.tpl?fno=441

While I love sailing, and have been out in conditions (and loved it!) where my friends have questioned why I didn't return to the dock, I don't quite understand folks who go on these circumnavigations to set a world record, which will only be broken anyway, especially if they still have family/kids--everyone knows these trips are dangerous, both for the sailor and for those attempting rescues. So I just don't get it! Can someone help me understand this strong need to do this?
Frank.

For the same reason as climbing Everest.

For the same reason as climbing Everest.

Because it's there!

Fox News (Greta) has Ken Interview

Ken tells us: (paraphrased)

One bank of batteries was in the sink, and one was shorting out.

I was not interested in starting the engine because I didn't know if the motor mounts were in good shape, or the shaft and didn't want to start any more leaks.



Of course I'm not quoting very well but that's what he was saying. It's a long interview.

Damn

And here I was defending the guy from all the judgmental people at Sailing Anarchy. Maybe I was wrong.

Hey, props to the guy for trying, I mean that. I'm not much of an off-shore sailor at this point but as a blue water navy man for a decade, I know the value of securing for sea.

I think that a man should exhaust all his options before pulling the rip-cord and it sounded like he probably could have gotten his engine running, cept for the fact he was nervous about causing more damage.

The thing that was drilled into our heads was that 'The Book' was written in blood by lesser prepared men, and men who had bad luck. Bad weather, bad seamanship, and bad luck accounts for just about everything that goes wrong at sea, or so says my old Chief O'Conner.

I think Ken Barnes was not totally prepared and had bad luck. He's added his writing to 'The Book' and I hope we all learn from it. We may never know the full story in it's true, un-polished form. It was too bad that none of the interviews I've seen ask any hard questions.

Here is the Exact Quote

From the Fox News Interview:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,242826,00.html

VAN SUSTEREN: Ken, what was — I mean, what was it like? I mean, I assume that you were hoping that someone was going to show up and take — you know, and rescue you. But at this point, you've been de-masted. I take it — did you engine — did you have any power or any steering?


BARNES: The problem was that batteries had flown through the deck and were in the sink, at least one bank of them, and the others were shorting out. So I couldn't start any engines. And if I did, I didn't know if the motor mounts were still in place and if the shaft was going to be crooked and cause a leak or a problem there. So I wasn't too interested in starting up the engine, at that point, to do anything. The main thing was just assessing the damage and trying to deal with that as I saw it.

It's not all about prepping the boat. That is certainly part of it. It is really about prepping the sailor. Ask anyone who has sailed around the world or even across an ocean. If you can't fix it, you're done. This guy thought he could buy a "seaworthy" boat and drive it around the world.

I sail a coastal cruiser. If it rolled 360, the batteries would stay in place and the motor wouldn't budge. I could easily wire up any loose battery and get my engine running. I could easily inspect the shaft for problems. I do not have the experience necessary to sail around the world but I bet I could have done better than this guy.

Follow the story of Donna Lange. She has the experience and the knowledge to complete the journey without putting someone else's life in danger in a rescue unless absolutely necessary. Hopefully some of the ridiculous media exposure on this guy will shift to her.

Rant complete.

www.donnalange.com

Know your boat

A man who has to have all repairs done, and can’t temporarily prop up a major problem with a patch is owned by his boat. A boat owner should understand how his boat is put together and how it works.
I am not saying everyone should be able to rebuild a diesel, the starter or alternator but it would help. If you can’t do these things you are subject to being left adrift.
There have been many a boat sailed in under a vertical boom for a mast and a cut down sail tied on to the rope rigged boom/mast.
I think being able to improvise and having a good understanding of your boat is a must. This site has enough information that there is no excuse for any of us not knowing our boat well. I read the 29 owners manual before buying my boat,
When I get in trouble next year doing a Miami to Bahamas to Key West and back, remind me of these great words.

I wasn't there and all we have to go on is his story of what
happened. The fact that his batts came loose enough to fly
around is amazing to me on a so called offshore boat. The rescue
photos show a boat still floating with an intact boom and a stump
of a mast. Plenty there to jury rig a sail and some kind of steering
to my way of thinking. A more impressive achievement in seamanship would have been to bring that tub back to live to sail another day. The whole
thing is sad...just sad.

Martin