Build yourself a boat and do a lap, crazy or not?

Deepsix,

Killed? Naaa, just sidetracked, killing time because nothing was happening . Thanks for the update on the launch.

I share your concern about the beam attachments. I said early in the thread that it's my belief that the beam attachments are the weak spots. If it fails, those points will be the location, I believe.

Having said that, the man has offshore sailing experience, and the boat appears somewhat sturdy, so I say good luck to him. I hope it works.

 

I wonder why his first wooden boat sunk.

 

Beam attachements???? could be Fanie

 

I saw that. Think TWO washers would have been better

For someone so handy with materials he really could have made some decent connections there I agree. If the rest of it was done in similar fashion I withdrew my opinion that he's going to make it. Fifty-ith wave that bolt's going to come off, he's going to be just far out enough to be in deep sh4t. Maybe he's going to take a sack full of them with...

 

I just finished reading this guys book. He reminds me of that Grizzly man, that was on discovery recently, Timmothy Tredwell.
This guy is so up on his "beliefs" that he just cant seem to see past his own idea's.

He even admits in his own book that he is probably the worst sailor he has ever met or is likly to ever meet. His true Oceangoing experiance is very limited and during that brief time he LOST his vessel.

I really think this is the worst of all ideas. An unproven design. An amature build. No shakedown. A skipper in way over his head, and depending on his electronics to keep him alive.

K9

 

It sank because a rudder attachment failure that nearly caused a sinking on a previous voyage happened again, meaning the underlying problem was not addressed after the first failure. That doesn't bode well. He says the yard that built his boat swindled him and built the boat way below spec while charging for cost overruns. The story makes him seem like a nice guy with little expertise; could be a receipe for another disaster. Here's his website: http://www.davidvann.com/photo_album.html

 

Not a good combo for building and circumnavigation. At least one must have a feel for mechanical strengths or get that feel really quick.

 

The sea is a harsh mistress ...

 

Not all is lost he will at least keep the sharks fed and happy!

(and look at the entertainment he's given us!)

 

Update

The Tin Can has been launched. See the comments on Latitude 38 forum and the impressions from Lia Diton.



The boat was launched and she is not floating on her lines, causing an escape hatch to be submerged.
Another Minor Problem

Also some guy on the SA forum has ratted him out to the coast guard, I wonder if he will be able to leave at all. Here is the post.

"Ok, I know it was wrong but I couldn’t help myself. I called CG Group 11 headquarters and asked them if they had inspected Vann’s boat and, if so, who did the inspection and what did they find. You know, out of public interest and safety for the boating community at large. To my surprise they were completely unaware of David Vann and his little nightmare. I filled them in on some of the important details – lunatic, “manifestly unsafe”, family history of mental illness, large hunks of sharp aluminum, hatches under water, etc. – and they really thought it was pretty amusing. The lady I was talking to was actually laughing out loud (not at me, at Vann. I think). Needless to say our buddy David is going to be having some visitors today or early tomorrow. Any bets on whether they let him go or not?

I've done my part."

 

Tin Can

Well well well, what can i say, this guy has amused me no end here in South Africa (which is barking mad at present) I have read all the eloquent statements made by expert writers and boy-o-boy if you are to dumb to get expert advice when needed - god bless you - and as previously mentioned "The sea is a harsh mistress"

Still sanding my box.

 

Hate rats! allthough it's sometimes amusing to feed them.. poison

 

Good for them, and by them, I mean the guy that ratted this idiot out. The only bad thing about ratting him out is they probably saved this idiots life and next year he will be trying to fly to the moon in a plastic bottle useing cold fusion for fuel.

K9

 

Builded up even cheaper than the one byrocrates are now starting to process by the order of the law to be eventually comissioned...

 

Now that I saw that thing afloat - he's not going to make it anywhere ! The waves are just going to rince over the boat all the time, filling everything with water

Clearly this guy never did any weight / flotation calculations Maybe they don't have freeship in that part of the world. I think my little trimaran has a better chance of making the trip !