The Earthist Chronicles

Meet Colin Yeates. He was a man with a big goal: to row around Antarctica. This is the Everest of ocean rowing. No one has ever done it, and the last man to try–one Jim Shekhdar–didn’t even get a third of the way around. So Yeates was embarking on a major quest when he set out from Port Stanley in the Falklands last week, and he expected to be at sea for almost a year, and row, row, row about 13,000 miles. He had the gear: his custom rowing ride cost $53,000. But unfortunately he didn’t invest anything in tidal analysis. So just 30 miles–30 miles!–after hitting the water, strong tides swept him onto the rocks. Colin is fine, or as fine as someone can be after this humiliating result, but his boat is in pieces. REad all about it here. Yeates said that his journey would begin and end in the Falklands. And he was exactly right, just not in the way he meant. All credit to him for trying, though, and I hope he tries again. This is just about the only ocean rowing adventure I am interested in anymore…

Yeates Yacht In Build: “Hmmm. Why do I keep getting this nagging feeling that I’m wasting my time…”

Ahh, I’ve really been enjoying the break. But lots of stuff is happening, so I guess I’ll have to put down my fishing rod and return to the computer. Besides, my ass is really, really cold. Back next Monday, January 9. Until then…

I’ve got a ton of work to finish this week, and then I’m off to sunnier climes until the end of the year. So enjoy the holiday season and I’ll see you in January. In the meantime, click here to check out some videos of the Archipelago Raid (if they don’t stream well, just open the link, and let the video load while you do something else, then watch from the beginning)…

Approaching harbor is a bad time for a helmsman to fall asleep, or an officer of the watch to be in the head, or drunk, or whatever. In fact, here’s what can happen:

A vessel was due to arrive at a port in Spain at 0800 local time (LT). It would appear that at about 0600 LT the vessel contacted the Pilot Station confirming the ETA and was instructed to contact again some 20 minutes before arrival.

At 07.59 hours LT, and despite the calls from the Traffic Control, the vessel grounded at full speed on the breakwater at the entrance to the port.

A video, taken by surveillance cameras, shows “live” the sequence of the grounding, and needs no comments.

Watch it–and cringe–here. And click here to read what the denizens at Sailing Anarchy had to say about it all (and to read the other crazy accident reports they dug up). Now you know why, when you are sea yourself, you can never assume that a commercial crew sees you or is even on the bridge…

“Heh-heh. That anti-tanker torpedo system I installed really works well…”

Last installment of Sir Robin’s attempt to get you out there. Click here…

Kip Stone And Artforms: “I’ll be there, as long as I don’t get run down in the next 10 minutes…”

So let’s go. Click here. Ahhh, that’s better…

“Uh-oh. I think I’m gonna need a snorkel…”
(Photo: Via Surfer Magazine)

What’s it like to be the first boat into port on a Volvo Ocean Race leg? This video from ABN Amro 1 gives you just an inkling. Note the green beverages that get passed onboard even before the dock lines are secured–with the tops already removed! What a shore crew…

“Wow, these things really do ride low in the water…”
(Photo: Jon Nash/Team ABN Amro)

All I can really say is that it’s another sweet one, featuring the crazies who race beach cats in a little thing called the RAID 500 Xtreme. Check it out here…

“What the hell is Tim talking about? This doesn’t seem crazy at all…”

If you don’t have enough tie-dyed or “Save The Whales” t-shirts for Greenpeace (see below), or if you like to wear your hair really short, then maybe you have imagined yourself as a Coast Guard Surf Boat driver. This is a pretty tempting Wetass career, particularly after you check out the action in this video (found on the always entertaining Mr. Boat Blog). Cowabunga…

“I’d like to see those Greenpeace mopes and their little boats in the middle of this wave action…”