My hat is off to this Australian gentleman and his dog... did someone say water...

[wyliec]

If you really want to know how much water you need to survive, ask this gentleman, who is also a cancer survivor:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-b2377030.html

[UtahPete]

That's an incredible survival story.

[2dogs]

That's an incredible survival story.

Yes Sir, an ordeal not easily forgotten.

[Isopedella]

Very lucky Bloke indeed.

Wonder if he will invest in an EPIRB for his next adventure?

[Cobwebs]

Tuna boat rescued him!! Should have waved them on and waited for the fruit and vegetable boat.hidesbehindsofa.gif

[milryder]

Very lucky Bloke indeed.

Wonder if he will invest in an EPIRB for his next adventure?

Thinking same. $300 and none of this would have happened. Rescuers/searchers risk their life and family puts life on hold. But he has internet fame now. He said communications went out. Well yeah, where’s the trip/contingency planning?

[Peteoz]

Very lucky Bloke indeed.

Wonder if he will invest in an EPIRB for his next adventure?

That’s the bit I don’t understand, Iso. Epirbs are mandatory for any Aussie boat travelling more than 2km off shore.

Pete

[Cobwebs]

That’s the bit I don’t understand, Iso. Epirbs are mandatory for any Aussie boat travelling more than 2km off shore.

Pete

48-hour battery life. If the weather's rough and you're too far away, the odds are against you. Sounds like his radio was out of commission too.
I just decommissioned an old EPIRB. It would be possible to replace the battery pack if you were desperate and had 8 spare AA's.

[UtahPete]

Criticisms from porch-sitters of this adventurous soul miss the O.P.'s original point, I think.

[2dogs]

Two months on rainwater and raw fish wasn't likely a cake walk but two months without TV and the internet would have been a surefire killer for me. This gentleman and his dog have my admiration.

[Peteoz]

48-hour battery life. If the weather's rough and you're too far away, the odds are against you. Sounds like his radio was out of commission too.
I just decommissioned an old EPIRB. It would be possible to replace the battery pack if you were desperate and had 8 spare AA's.

Ahhhhhh. Thanks Cobwebs. I never knew they had such a limited life. So if you don’t see a rescue within 48 hours, you’re “on your own”

Pete

[Isopedella]

Ahhhhhh. Thanks Cobwebs. I never knew they had such a limited life. So if you don’t see a rescue within 48 hours, you’re “on your own”

Pete

On ya own....Nah not really.

The units send your position (Latitude and Longitude) details and the units ID for personal and or Vessel details.
That can be matched to a TR ( trip report) that has been recorded and updated as time goes by. Who and where your off to course and Est arrival stuff. Not that unusual for the units to transmit 90 hrs.

They are picked up by Satellite ( within minutes not hours ) and used by the appropriate RCC (Rescue Coordination Center).

Recorded positions are useful for projecting a probable position and directing the recovery team or vessel to an estimated RV area to locate the troubled vessel. Wind and tidal drift mostly.

If and when the EPIRB fails then you can activate your personal EPIRB (usually attached to your personal flotation device ), then after that a stand alone flashing strobe is effective, and flares.

This equipment is Compulsory on all Ocean Going Vessels and quite a few pleasure craft.

Doesn't t matter if the Vessel has a Catastrophic failure, as this stuff it stand alone.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Tickets held personally include - Day Skipper, Boat master Cert, Maritime Coastal Skippers Ticket (now expired but could be renewed). Aircraft Observer , Search Coordinators Cert - Land and Maritime.


Add in 40 continuous years of S.A.R. ( Search and Rescue) Service. Land and Sea.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sitting on the porch......I guess thats true now as I do from time to time.

But no mention of the above equipment in any of the news articles that I have seen and listened to.


Lucky Bloke indeed.

[Cobwebs]

Guy said he sailed into a hurricane and the boat got smashed 1900klm's from Mexico. Tuna sushi was going to be his meal of choice and not going to sea again in a hurry. Both he and Bella seemed in good spirits.
With the mandatory requirements for entry to Australia and elsewhere this may well have been an under the radar guy that has little concern for authorities and their plan for his movements and wellbeing.

[Peter Aawen]

..... < snip > .....

But no mention of the above equipment in any of the news articles that I have seen and listened to.


Lucky Bloke indeed.

Guy said he sailed into a hurricane and the boat got smashed 1900klm's from Mexico. Tuna sushi was going to be his meal of choice and not going to sea again in a hurry. Both he and Bella seemed in good spirits.
With the mandatory requirements for entry to Australia and elsewhere this may well have been an under the radar guy that has little concern for authorities and their plan for his movements and wellbeing.

Yeah, like Cobwebs, I reckon this guy was trying juuust a little bit hard (or maybe a whole lottle? ) to successfully do his Trans-Pacific crossing 'under the radar', only it all very nearly turned him'n the dog into fish food when he got hit by that hurricane... or when he sailed into it?! Seen people do stupider things, and no matter how much of it you use, duct tape just won't fix stupid, even if it can make it a lot quieter!

[UtahPete]

I agree this guy probably doesn't deserve the sailor of the year award. But, he earned my admiration for having survived that ordeal without resorting to eating his dog!

[2dogs]

I agree this guy probably doesn't deserve the sailor of the year award. But, he earned my admiration for having survived that ordeal without resorting to eating his dog!

Yea Pete, I'll second that motion. LOL

[Cobwebs]

https://www.facebook.com/7NEWSsydney...0525671422450/

The mystery deepens.
Paging Isopedella what's this text device he's talking about? Is it a sat phone or something?

[Isopedella]

Himm. Thats new. I watched it. He complained about only short messages able to be sent.
I note he didn't say he sent a distress request.....


Something called a bivi stick is available.
Links ya phone to the satellites and you can TXT.

https://www.acrartex.com/products/bivy-stick/

[Peter Aawen]

There's a number of these smaller 'convenience' type devices that supposedly let you stay in touch with those at home - the Spot Messenger is one of the better ones; there's another good unit from Garmin, but I can't recall it's name atm!

I believe that both of those ^^ better units use the extensive Iridium Communications Satellite Network rather than the GPS Satellites or anything else, and so they are reasonably good at what they do, especially if you're not too far North or South &/or not deep in a valley between hills/mountains. Altho if you are traveling amongst or happen to try to send a message when you're in the street between a bunch of hi-rise buildings, or deep in a gully or canyon etc that juuust happens to block the signal reception between your device & the available satellites for a while, you might seemingly 'drop off the net' &/or not have any luck sending your message right now, but they're usually successful within an hour or so....

However, those units that use the 'less effective' satellite comms networks out there are renowned for problematic signal reception and so aren't quite so good at automatically reporting where you are all the time, nor at letting you send those short messages when you want to.... sometimes even being completely useless in the area you happen to be in - occasionally those are vaaast areas too, generally where there's not a lot of population, like saaay, the middle of the Pacific Ocean!!

Horses for courses.... they're 'convenience devices', and not really EPIRB's or true Emergency Beacons, altho if they/you have/can send GPS Coordinates, they might be able to help in an Emergency situation...

[Cobwebs]

I agree this guy probably doesn't deserve the sailor of the year award. But, he earned my admiration for having survived that ordeal without resorting to eating his dog!

Lucky he didn't take a dingo with him, could have gotten interesting.
Ah what a dude, self confessed recluse creates worse case exposure scenario