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To: LurkedLongEnough

Hmmm...there's no 'quick trip' to the Farallones in a sailboat. It's about a 60 mile round trip from the Golden Gate and a sailboat under sail, with the prevailing winds we've had lately (westerlies), would have to make at least a few tacks to get there. That adds even more to the mileage. Plus add in tidal and current influences...

Even under power averaging around 6 knots and a straight-line course, it's still a good bet that the round trip will take at least 12 to 14 hours, probably more.

Wave height for the last few days has been 4 to 6 feet and has been characterized by NOAA as swell.

For a boat to disappear like this, in these conditions, it has to be on the bottom. And it went there quickly. This is the classic 'ramming at sea' scenario. Big ship, little boat, inadequate look-out.


13 posted on 01/29/2007 8:49:32 PM PST by telebob
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To: telebob
This is the classic 'ramming at sea' scenario. Big ship, little boat, inadequate look-out.

The westerly wind prevails, as you said, and tacking is a routine procedure for sailing to the Farallons. But, this guy had good visibility and could easily see an oncoming freighter. If he wasn't keeping watch, he's a dead fool.

17 posted on 01/29/2007 9:02:22 PM PST by Rudder
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To: telebob
Even under power averaging around 6 knots...

When under sail, the consistent and stiff westerly wind in this area will heel the boat to the gunwales. With good trim and the Genoa unfurled, 14-17 knots are typical. I've done a round trip in 10.5 hrs. Not tacking, of course, on the return. We would run the spinnaker, and the mainsail as a staysail, on the return. The boat did 12-14 knots and the breeze for the crew was dead.

19 posted on 01/29/2007 9:23:58 PM PST by Rudder
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