Yvan Bougnon's circumnavigation in a beach cat project

Jeff MacInnis and Mike Beedell sailed through Northwest Passage on a Hobie 18 during the summers of 186 - 1988. There trip is thought to be the first through the Northwest Passage without using an engine.
http://www.excellenceevents.com/excellence/polar_pass.html

 

This attitude that it is a "waste" to rescue people in need at sea is one of the most disgusting I've seen propagated by the media it's no wonder we have health and obesity problems in first world countries. People are encouraged to sit on their *** in preference to going out and doing things lest they dare need rescue at some point.

 

I suspect they had written an account of their trip somewhere but probablly in a French sailing journal.
They didn't seem to think of it as a big deal at all and may never have published anything.
The boat was tied alongside the concrete breakwater close to the harbour bridge for a while and since they were living very much al fresco there was always a small crowd of gawkers looking down on them from above. But they were chatty and friendly to the endless questions that always included ................."In that"........"your kidding!" I think it had taken them 2 years.

But they didn't think it was a good size for a passage, too uncomfortable too open, too hard to get out of the sun she said.

 

It's considered sensible for extreme challenges to be accompanied by a support boat.

But no country can abrogate it's responsibility to SOLAS no matter how poorly prepared or what condition the boat was in.
That's what gets smaller countries like NZ maritime so riled is the cost. New Zealand’s 30-million square kilometre search and rescue region is a big call on a small country.

Interestingly they are again looking at ways of curbing poorly prepared International private boats from departing NZ without some form of safety check following the extensive and fruitless Nina search. It's more about protecting the taxpayer from the cost. The alternative is not to search at all a bit like a do not rescuss patient but theres' no room for that in the international IMO SAR agreements.

But really for those of us that work under SOLAS rules for commercial vessels it's so apparent that private leisure craft have a very relaxed almost non existent safety requirement. If you wanted to see some regulations try getting your boat into unlimited offshore commercial category under SOLAS........ugh

 

OK, I agree it is not a waste to rescue someone in danger.

However, 50 years ago when it was the occasional crazy person getting rescued, and the occasional person getting shark bit, that was one thing.

But, it seems the 'entitled people' think they are entitled to a rescue at sea at tax payer expense? And they are incredulous that a shark would bite them?

When does welfare stop, and common sense come back into fashion?

 

It's easy and typical of the standard of "journalism" displayed today to grab cost of rescue figures and put them up as some form of indictment of the individuals requiring rescue as "irresponsible".

It's disappointing that Nina for example didn't carry a proper automatically deploying epirb much of the waste of money in that case is tied to the fact the SAR teams could not determine an accurate area in which to search. New Zealand are prepared to take the economic benefit from having yachts stop in they cant divorce themselves from the responsibilities that are part of that including SAR when required.

I'm happy for my portion of "taxpayers" money to go to rescuing people in need whether they are lost in bushland, desert, inshore or offshore. I'm sure if it was your loved ones requiring rescue you wouldn't care about the cost. It's not as if you would sit back and say "gee it's too bad a member of my family is dead when there is a good possibility they could have been rescued but isn't it fantastic that no taxpayer's money was wasted!"

 

OK, looking at their press material, this is the first world attempt with a 2 man 'beach cat.'

Just amas (pontoons). And it looks like he must use his weight at all times to keep the boat from pitch poling, if they are representing the same kind of vessel in their release they will actually be using. That is up for debate, because they also show a bigger trimaran ....

There is no room for water, or real food on board for more than a couple of days. His style of 'cat' has no storage, no access hatches to be seen anywhere. And he has constant spray and wave on him at all times.

2 man crew? So, no solo record.

The Russians just finished a longer around the world on an inflatable cat, looks about 30' with a four man crew.

They got shark bit. You really do have to love the Russians, they take everything in stride. Even shark attacks. So, if it is records they are looking for, they might not beat the Russian record, already recorded in Guiness ....



Maybe that was why they said they were 'non-habitable,' the Russians cheated - they had a tarp ....



http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://ocean.energydiethd.com/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhttp://ocean.energydiethd.com/%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DrPt%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-USfficial

That should give you a google translation of their 'energy drink' website. What a sponsor!

And what will the French say to top the Russians? When they got to the last port, they were an hour late. So, they said,

"Sorry we're late."

And here is an English news report. http://www.thephuketnews.com/foursome-back-in-phuket-after-record-odyssey-38258.php

 

Coast Guard needs to practice anyways, may as well be rescuing wackos while they are at it.

 

A new gallery of photo's show the final stages of construction and the completed boat.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.642481102437950.1073741834.117142148305184&type=1

 

How much would cost to build such cat to regular person without cosponsors money? I assume that will be "vast sums".

 

Trips on very small boats are often more expensive than a trip on 25 or 30 footers. But it is certainly possible to go cruising on a very small budget.

 

The boat has been launched and they have completed sea trials and they have practiced righting from capsize.

Some photos on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.663913433628050.1073741838.117142148305184&type=1

 

A video of the new boat in action. They are set to depart on the 5th of October.

http://youtu.be/uXVXjD0LbjA

 

There looks to be a tracker live now they depart on the 5th of October.

http://defisma.com/suivi-en-temps-reel-du-defi-sma/

 

Nah.

The Indian navy has been pretty quick at shooting down the pirates.

The US navy keeps letting them go, turning them over to Somali cops, who let them go. . . .

The could go around the Cape ....