[TVARC] Fwd: [MCARC] More Bouvet

Sun Feb 12 12:32:50 EST 2023


⁣Sent from BlueMail 

On Feb 12, 2023, 08:36, at 08:36, Art <w8ajsart at gmail.com> wrote:
>Interesting
>
>---------- Forwarded message ---------
>From: Michael Pyzoha <pyzoham at comcast.net>
>Date: Sat, Feb 11, 2023, 10:07 PM
>Subject: Fwd: [MCARC] More Bouvet
>To: Art Stauber W8AJS <w8ajsart at gmail.com>, Gerald Witalec <
>jplanner at sbcglobal.net>
>
>
>
>
>
>Begin forwarded message:
>
>*From:* Tim Duffy via W3LIF <w3lif at mailman.qth.net>
>*Date:* February 11, 2023 at 12:13:54 PM EST
>*To:* <members at w3lif.org>
>*Subject:* *[MCARC] More Bouvet*
>*Reply-To:* Tim Duffy <k3lr at k3lr.com>
>
>Here’s a longtime sailor's take on the situation. Have not seen any
>details
>on the Ham outlets so this is focused on the boat issue.
>
>
>
>Marama is an amazing vessel designed for sailing in the Antarctic/Artic
>waters. At a 100+ feet you might thing she’s a big boat. In terms of
>the
>immensity and power of the ocean she is most decidedly NOT. Especially
>in
>the Southern Ocean - Antarctic regions. A mere pea in a very large cup
>to
>be thrown around at will. There are not many vessels better suited to
>the
>challenge than she. But still… While the loss of Brave Heart was deemed
>a
>loss by some, in reality this was no doubt a good thing for this
>venture.
>
>
>
>While the issues of high winds etc. are pretty clear to most in regards
>of
>the shoreside team I doubt the issues surrounding Marama are as clear.
>Not
>to rain on anybody’s parade, but in addition to the team members
>literally
>putting their lives on the line so we can work a new one these are just
>a
>few things to consider regarding the transport vessel..
>
>
>
>The Delete key is readily available.
>
>
>
>As the link to the weather forecasts I sent before indicated there are
>several serious low pressure systems in the area. The island, most
>desolate
>etc., on the planet, has a reputation well deserved. This is a
>seriously
>dangerous part of the Southern Ocean. What are the risks vessel-wise?
>
>
>
>WINDS
>
>It’s all about strength and perhaps more importantly direction. If the
>wind
>is coming from the West to perhaps NW no big deal. Marama is anchored
>in
>the “lee” in sailor speak. In the wind shadow. The island protects her
>from
>the full force of the winds. Like stepping behind a building, car,
>tree, or
>other fixed object to reduce the impact. Life is good.
>
>
>
>If the wind clocks around further North, as the forecasts seem to
>suggest
>then things get more risky. She will be exposed to the full force of
>the
>wind and even worse to the waves the wind generates. See next section.
>
>
>
>WAVES
>
>These are the killers. Wind sure, a big deal.. Waves deadly, nothing
>worse
>for a vessel at anchor.
>
>
>
>Waves are created by the friction of wind flowing over the water. Mud
>puddle, pond, lake, ocean, it’s all the same. The water is dead flat,
>perfect mirror surface until the wind starts blowing. Starts out as a
>tiny
>breeze, there are ripples. Wind builds a bit the ripples get bigger.
>The
>sequence continues and pretty soon the waves are crashing about and
>things
>get serious. Nothing has changed other than the wind strength, the time
>it
>had to interact with the water, and the distance over which it flowed
>over
>the water. Laws of physics. Nothing more. Mother Nature is not angry
>nor
>out to get us. No emotion involved. Just two of the most powerful
>forces on
>the planet, wind and water doing their endless dance. Any vessel out
>there
>is riding along on a convoluted boundary between those two incredible
>forces. A magic, but vulnerable place to be. Doing it puts one in touch
>with the Universe in ways not otherwise available not even via prayer.
>
>
>
>ANCHORING
>
>In the case of Marama she is anchored in what a sailor would be
>generous in
>describing as a “roadstead”. A patch of water with no protection from
>any
>direction. A potentially dangerous anchorage in any circumstance. Why
>is
>that?
>
>
>
>The Bottom
>
>The bottom in areas like this are usually broken rock and boulders.
>Little
>if anything for a vessels anchor to catch on in a reliable way. In the
>S.
>Pac. the anchor may get to dig many feet into sand where it holds well.
>In
>areas in the Southern Ocean and other similar areas,  it is a huge
>gamble.
>Your odds are way better with the Power Ball lottery. This is seriously
>dicey on every level even with a top notch experienced crew. Set the
>anchor
>on arrival and all is good. As soon as the wind changes direction all
>bets
>are off. The professional crew on that boat always has at least one or
>more
>crew members awake and on watch 24 hours a day. Always on the look-out
>for
>weather changes and the slightest indication that the boat is not on
>station where it is supposed to be. GPS anchor points set, shore-side
>visual sites monitored during daylight. Nothing is left to chance. If
>that
>wasn’t the case they wouldn’t have made it as far as they did.
>
>
>
>Waves
>
>Anchoring is always a gamble. You drop this chunk of heavy metal in the
>water, back the boat up to try and “set” the anchor in order to try to
>get
>it to dig into the bottom and hold the weight of the boat against wind
>and
>tide. In the Tropics it is not uncommon for crew to dive overboard and
>swim
>down to verify the anchor is “set”, not fouled on a coral head etc. I
>did
>it in places I was concerned about. In the freezing waters of the
>Antarctic
>not so much. Water depth is also a big thing. The deeper the water then
>the
>longer the anchor rode/line/chain needs to be to allow the anchor to
>work
>properly. It’s all very complicated.
>
>
>
>While the uninitiated would likely focus on the wind strength as the
>biggest risk factor for a vessel at anchor, in reality the waves are
>the
>thing. If a vessel is anchored in the “lee”, protected by an island no
>big
>deal. However as the wind clocks around and the vessel is now subjected
>to
>the full force of the wind as well as the waves generated that’s when
>things get serious. The distance the wind blows over the water with no
>impediments to its flow is called “fetch” . More fetch is a bad thing
>because that means the waves just get bigger.
>
>
>
>As the wind works on the waters surface and their height builds the
>stresses on the boat grow significantly. The boat usually swings into
>the
>wind. The waves usually but not always follow. As the waves build and
>get
>bigger the boat pivots up and down from front to back as the bow rises
>and
>falls along with the wave pattern. That’s called “pitch”. As the wind
>whistles by and often changes its direction even in small increments
>the
>boat “yaws”, meaning the bow turns rapidly side-to-side i.e.,
>left/right.
>The combination of these movements puts enormous stresses on  the
>anchor
>itself as well as the anchor “rode’, chain etc. that attaches the
>anchor to
>the boat as well as the anchor gear, anchor windlass, cleats, chocks 
>etc.
>As the waves pass there will be tremendous shocks loads transferred to
>the
>anchor gear. On a vessel the size of Marama those stresses likely
>easily
>peak to load spikes in excess of 20,000+ pounds. This is serious stuff.
>Nothing but the best hardware and careful vessel management can survive
>these situations.
>
>
>
>Wind Against Waves
>
>I don’t have the necessary charts and other navigation/publications
>handy
>for that area so I can’t say for sure this is an issue in this case but
>here’s another worst case consideration
>
>
>
>As previously noted wind blowing over water causes waves. But that’s
>just
>flat unmoving water. The laws of physics deliver an entirely different
>scenario if by chance the wind is moving in one direction and due to
>tidal
>flow or an ocean current off the island for example, the water is
>moving in
>the opposite direction. Wind against current, wind blowing across water
>into an opposing current can be a disastrous situation in even the best
>of
>circumstances. Everything changes. The waves generated are often twice
>as
>high. The waves have an entirely different shape… instead of the usual
>smooth roundish synodal shape they are more like a square wave. They
>are
>always much closer together. So if the wind is blowing and there is an
>opposing ocean current then that will make Marama’s anchorage totally
>untenable and very, very dangerous.
>
>
>
>If the wind stays out of the North that’s bad enough, If the big low
>pressure system clearly visible in the link I sent earlier shifts more
>to
>the East then the boat risks being driven ashore to crash on the rocks
>if
>the anchor fails. Likely many lives could be lost.
>
>
>
>Every competent mariner, and even less competent mariner’s such as
>myself,
>would always put out to sea to escape anchorages that are that risky.
>I’ve
>done it. The open ocean is far, far, far safer than being trapped on a
>lee
>shore with the wind howling, and the waves building and if and when the
>anchor fails all is lost.
>
>
>
>Don’t be surprised if the weather changes and Marama hoists its anchor
>and
>gets underway to save itself and all on board.  Only a fool would not.
>
>
>
>As others have suggested the RIB (Radio In a Box) approach would make
>the
>best sense in a situation like this. But of course another question is
>why
>the ARRL, an organization I’ve been a proud member of continuously for
>over
>50 years, continues to support “entities” that require people to
>literally
>risk their lives to put on the air. Really? For what? A scrap of paper
>or a
>few LOTW bytes?
>
>
>
>If the current weather forecast holds don’t be surprised if Marama
>hoists
>its anchor and heads to the safety of the open sea.
>
>
>
>73,
>
>W7TMT
>
>
>
>______________________________________________________________
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