[TQA]

Hotrod's dream of the Islands is over. He left Richardson Bay with a benign forecast made about 200 miles in 5/6 days and was about 120 miles off Monterey.

The FH started to break up and someone on board activated a PLB.

The coasties rescued all 5 persons on board.

I wonder if this did not apply.

PROHIBITION TO SAIL -
MANIFESTLY UNSAFE VOYAGE
Under the authority of 46 United States Code 4302 and
4308, the Commandant, U. S. Coast Guard has authorized
the District Commander to prohibit the voyage of any
vessel if he determines that said craft is unsuitable for the
intended trip. His determination will be based upon the
design, condition and outfitting of the vessel in relation to
what the District Commander deems necessary for a safe
voyage. Operator competency is NOT a factor in the final
determination. If a manifestly unsafe ruling is issued, the
voyage is terminated and the vessel will be prevented from
getting underway. The person making the voyage may
appeal.

 

[smackdaddy]

I'm amazed it made it that far.

Here's another toast to the USCG. Thanks fellas.

 

[gamayun]

I'm glad everyone's safe, most especially those who risk their lives for others in distress; but I do wonder why man-made boats don't have to go through some certification process to ensure they're seaworthy. It was my understanding that recreational boats must also go through a classification society to get certified similar to commercial vessels. On the other hand, maybe if that were required, then we might not ever get to hear about such sailing adventures like Kon-Tiki.

 

[UnionPacific]

Hotrod's dream of the Islands is over. He left Richardson Bay with a benign forecast made about 200 miles in 5/6 days and was about 120 miles off Monterey.

The FH started to break up and someone on board activated a PLB.

The coasties rescued all 5 persons on board.

I wonder if this did not apply.

Well, he proved to us it could be done. To build a boat like a house, and sail it to HI. Good on him. HI is less then 200 miles from where he started right? ....
Seriously, I wish I could have installed some gopros.

What ever happened to the guy building the dock he was going to power to Alaska?

 

[bljones]

man-made boats

As opposed to all-natural, organic boats?

 

[gamayun]

As opposed to all natural organic boats?

Ah yes, it was late. Good catch. That probably wasn't obvious. I meant home-made boats

 

[bljones]

I am okay with the lack of regulation and certification- The fewer rules and regulations in life, the better i like it, BUT, and this is the problem, is that inherent in a lack of regulation is the responsibility of the builder for his/her own actions. If you don't know what you are doing it behooves you to figure it out before you do it, or as you do it, and at least have a basic understanding of the physics and fundamentals involved in the endeavour.
This entire trainwreck frustrated me from beginning to end- the builder's stubborn refusal to actually learn how to build his folly, the amount of time, energy, money wasted in the process, and the fact that the builder convinced or coerced others that he knew what he was doing, which is why there was more than one rescued. If you want to build a boat to sail the world out of toothpicks and glue concocted from boiled monkey urine and spaniel boogers, have at it. but go solo.
Or maybe the passengers deserve their fate for enabling Hot Rod. Somebody close to him at some point should have said, "hey, uh, maybe there is a reason boats look like they look and this doesn't look like them. maybe we should think about this some more."

 

[MarkofSeaLife]

The builders story of using 700 pounds of screws in a 5 ton boat.

Mine is 8 tons and the only screws are cupboards etc. all hull, bulkheads, deck etc etc are bonded, deck has bolts too, of course, but no screws.

 

[TQA]

Just when you think it's over and things can't get any crazier you get this right out of left field. This is unconfirmed and honestly it is so wacky I have doubts about it being real.

However there is a comment from a Valery Tozer who claims to have been aboard and saw the cross beams fail.

This then appears.

Name: Valery Tozer
Born: NJ in 1980
Location: Sausalito, CA 94965
Organization affiliation: (NONE)
Label: Atheist
Former Religious Affiliation: I was raised in a KKK Baptist Christian home, but was not and refused to belong.
My Story:
I was raised in a KKK Baptist Christian home, I was born a hermaphrodite, NOT INTERSEXED, I also have a mild form of (XP)Sun allergy and grew up as a girl till I was 5. Then I was forced to have surgery to become a boy. From 6 or so till my young teens I was beaten and raped, belittled and degraded because I was a product of the devil. In my teens I started to change, my female parts started to grow, and I found myself running away time and time again from my family. But I was always forced back. I was taught that men had sex with women and not men with men, but my male cousin would rape me till I started to show sings of being a woman again.
Anyway, I was forced to have sex and babies and fathered my first 2 kids at 14, with my 2nd half step-sister by marriage. My mother was in a wheelchair and my step father was blind, so for the most part I was raised by my family. In total I have 6 living children and I had MY OWN miscarriage. I lost all of my kids in 3 court issues where I was deemed unfit due to my gender issues. I have seizers and memory issues short and long term. Although I do not have any degrees I've studied religions of the world and found none of them to my liking. I was always taught that atheist's were satanist's, and never thought about them. In my fight to find out, why I was, the way that I was, I found that no religion wanted me, as I was a product of the devil, till I found a doctor that told me about Chimera, learning about that, I came up with the idea on my own, of how evolution worked. I am sure I heard of it somewhere before, but was never told the details, and I damn near figured it out on my own. After a few years I found thunderf00t and he opened my eyes.
I am now 31 and my life is cool, I am a woman, I am an atheist, I live-aboard a boat, I love life, I have put most of my fears away, and I go out with my friends sometimes. I even climb mountains, love to hike and camp. That about sums it up. There's a lot more but just ask me and I'll tell you. Oh and I only have a 3rd grade level education in general studies. So if I can say, "IF I CAN DO IT, SO CAN YOU". There are ways, and we are all here to help.

My weird stuff o meter has just gone off scale.

 

[bljones]

Somehow, that crewmember completes that boat and that adventure.

 

[MarkofSeaLife]

Its all true. Their family name is Lucky.



.

 

[aeventyr60]

The builders story of using 700 pounds of screws in a 5 ton boat.

Mine is 8 tons and the only screws are cupboards etc. all hull, bulkheads, deck etc etc are bonded, deck has bolts too, of course, but no screws.

More then just a few loose screws on that abomination.

 

[Group9]

Somehow, that crewmember completes that boat and that adventure.

It's just hard to believe, that with crew like that, that they didn't make it!

 

[krisscross]

I think this thread is incomplete without pictures:

Harbor master finds missing Flyin' Hawaiian sailboat hiding in plain sight - Marin Independent Journal

 

[Group9]

I think the most amazing thing is that it lasted for five days offshore!

 

[Maine Sail]

To me this is a sad example of folks not getting the psychological treatment they probably should.

Sadly families & friends enable this delusional behavior and in turn fuel the disorder. I have no doubt this guy needs help but he's apparently not getting it. Maybe now that he is likely going to prison, for biting the harbor master, he might get the help he needs...

I see this story as not much different than the delusions of the owner / builder of Raw Faith or Michael Calabrese the guy who anchored his Hunter on a lee shore during a hurricane, was arrested, then proceeded to take a crap in the police car.

IMHO it was the delusions of grandeur of Robin Walbridge that actually killed others and that takes it to a whole other level. It is sad to me that folks like this are not getting the mental and psychological help they need and because of that they put other people in harms way..

The USCG actually stopped Raw Faith from going to sea numerous times but in the end the owner finally succeeded in sinking her.

I guess there is not all that much we can really do but sit back and watch it unfold like a bad soap opera...

Last summer I had a guy whom I felt the exact same way about. He was completely unfit, unprepared and ill equipped for an off shore voyage.

He had just purchased the boat from one of my customers and I flat out told him the vessel was in NO SHAPE for an off shore voyage and that he was risking his life making it without some serious work needing to be done to the vessel. I was about as blunt as can be and did not candy coat it for him.......

Long and short he ignored my advice about the vessels condition, the advice of the seller and of others and wound up losing the boat and needing the USCG to rescue him... Sadly there are people out there that really are this blind to REALITY..

 

[SHNOOL]

You know, the secret to happiness.

I aim to be the happiest guy on the planet.

 

[rgscpat]

Was the motorcycle lost?
Where is the lumber likely to wash ashore?

 

[aeventyr60]

Maybe the owners of the Gunboat suffered some sort of mental instability as well? Illusions of grandeur?

 

[bljones]

Maybe the owners of the Gunboat suffered some sort of mental instability as well? Illusions of grandeur?

Naw, they were just eccentric. drop 6 zeros from their net worth and they become crazy.