Cetacea Page 76: Crossing Oceans: The Atlantic

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Author Topic:   Cetacea Page 76: Crossing Oceans: The Atlantic

jimh posted 12-28-2003 07:15 PM ET (US)
Please use this message thread for appending comments or questions regarding http://continuouswave.com/whaler/cetacea/cetaceaPage76.html .
This is the story of a 2000 Boston Whaler DAUNTLESS 18 which made a west-to-east crossing of the North Atlantic by drifting.
Many thanks to Curt Ebbesmeyer, an Oceanographer, who tracked down the story of this passage, and to Terry George, Coxswain of the Sennen Cove lifeboat who recovered the DAUNTLESS and photographed it.
This article first appeared on December 28, 2003.
BugsyG posted 12-28-2003 09:00 PM ET (US)
Mr. Hebert,
Thank you for allowing other Boston Whaler Owners to view this page. It is absolutely amazing of what that Dauntless went through.
It becomes apparent that there were some "pirates" that were able to swipe the console, cleats, & other options when she was adrift, as I noticed from your picture of the fuel line.
I would also agree that when the LGB took a wave or two in a storm, that would make the Whaler's starboard side to collapse.
Questions still remain: What are they going to do with the boat? One would think that that Dauntless would be totally irreplaceable for the shape that she is in. That is any Boston Whaler owners nightmare.
Thank you once again for making this another fantastic Cetacea page.
JAZZ
ryanwhaler posted 12-28-2003 09:14 PM ET (US)
Wow, thats quite a story.
Whaler should use it for advertizing!
andygere posted 12-29-2003 01:35 AM ET (US)
Jim, another outstanding feature article, well done. I'm not at all surprised that you were considered the source for information about Boston Whaler boats, even by those across the Atlantic in the UK. That speaks volumes about the quality of the content and the participants in this little web community you've created.
I wonder if we might be able to get a sample of that foam to Tom Clark to compare with that taken from the chainsaw Whaler. The foam in the side of the "Drifting Dauntless" would certainly have had as much exposure to water as any Whaler would ever see in normal use.
erik selis posted 12-29-2003 06:50 AM ET (US)
Jim, this is an absolutely amazing story !!
I too am not surprised that the people in the UK contacted you for information. As I mentioned before you have a great reputation here on main-land Europe as well.
Could it be that the starboard side broke off while being brutally handled by the salvers?
Again, Hat's off Jim for this wonderful article !
Erik
jimh posted 12-29-2003 09:16 AM ET (US)
Gentlemen, thank you, but we must tip our hats to Terry and Curt. It's their work that made this possible.
The big fracture to the starboard side of the boat's hull is something interesting to speculate about. I think it had to have happened fairly early in the voyage of this Dauntless. That is why the boat was stripped. If the hull had been intact, the first salvers probably would have just restored the boat instead of stripping it.
Also, the point where the hull side fractured is curious. If you look at the distance between the inner and outer hull skins, the point where they are the closest--and the point where the foam is the thinnest--will generally be right where this boat has suffered the most damage. Usually just as the cockpit floor turns upward to form the hull side, the spacing between inner and outer hull skins is the least. It looks like that is the point where this fracture occurred.
I also think this hull and its story has value to the Boston Whaler company as a showcase of the unsinkable nature of their boats. However, I imagine that there is a particular odor associated with that hull at the moment which might make it difficult to use as an exhibit at a boat show!
jimh posted 12-29-2003 12:45 PM ET (US)
To put this yacht and tender into proper prospective, consider this:
The LE GRAND BLEU cost about $90,000,000, and a Dauntless 18 costs about $30,000.
A nice 130-Sport costs about $9,000, and a good baseball cap with a Boston Whaler logo on it costs about $9.
When the tender was lost overboard from the yacht, it was less of a loss (percentage-wise) than when a Whaler baseball cap flies overboard when cruising around on a 130-Sport.
30,000/90,000,000 = 0.033 percent of boat's value
9/9000 = 0.1 percent of boat's value
I lost a nice baseball cap (says "continuouswave" on it) up in British Columbia, so if anyone finds it I would appreciate getting it back--you see how valuable it could be!
kglinz posted 12-29-2003 01:17 PM ET (US)
Great article. I'm really concerned about the hat. I'll start the search about the first of June.
Kemp Lindsey
Bigshot posted 12-29-2003 02:21 PM ET (US)
Sources tell me Jim that some Penguin was wearing a continuouswave hat in Antarctica.
He was also wearing a T-shirt that said...."My parents went to Michigan and all I got was this lousy shirt!"
Barry posted 12-29-2003 03:06 PM ET (US)
Great article!
I read that Le Grand Bleu is owned by Roman Abramovich, the second richest man in Russia. I also read that he purchased it from Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft.
Here is a nice picture that I found on webshots http://community.webshots.com/photo/62798744/69883776DIqnJk
Must have been one heck of a wave to wash it overboard.
jimh posted 12-30-2003 10:12 AM ET (US)
Many thanks to Chris Suffeleers of Belgium for permission to use his fine photograph of LE GRAND BLEU which has been added to the article.
Barry posted 12-30-2003 12:34 PM ET (US)
Here is a link to the Smithsonian Magazine July 2001 article that Curt mentions http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues01/jul01/beachcombing.html
Tom W Clark posted 12-30-2003 01:16 PM ET (US)
What an amazing story. It has special interest to me as it has two connections to Seattle even though this Dauntless's entire life was in the Atlantic.
Curt Ebbesmeyer is a Seattlite who I've read about many times in the local papers as well as national publications like Smithsonian.
Le Grand Bleu was built for Seattlite John McCaw, brother of the more famous Craig McCaw and number two of the four McCaw brothers.
Paul Allen then bought it from John. I believe Paul has also bought a yacht last year that Craig was building but had not yet completed. The McCaw's fortunes have declined (relatively) sharply since 2000 and many of Craig's recreational assets have been put on the block to raise working capital.
Dr T posted 12-30-2003 03:52 PM ET (US)
This is a great tale and a tribute is due to all concerned.
I wonder how the Dauntless was tied down on the foredeck of the yacht. It seems the hull could have fractured as it was being torn loose and tossed overboard.......

tds
Toad2001 posted 12-31-2003 01:06 PM ET (US)
Force 8-9 weather must have been something else...
The warning system only goes to 10.
At Force 8 it means you can have wind gusts over 112 MPH.
Plotman posted 01-01-2004 02:19 PM ET (US)
An amazing story.
On the Beaufort scale, Force 8 does not mean gusts of 112. Force 8 means winds of 34-40 knots. Force 9 means winds of 41-47 knots. Serious weather, but not outrageous by any means. The scale goes to 12.
Check out the link for a further explanation. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/webpage/beaufort/
They have a cool feature where you can see pictures of the sea state at different levels.
Toad2001 posted 01-01-2004 05:23 PM ET (US)
Sorry, I was looking at Typhoon info, I think.
I can't understand then how the Dauntless became detached from the bow.
I've been out in 40-50 KN Storms in my Grand Banks, and faired ok. I would'd have thought the freeboard would have been affected at all on a 350 foot boat unless it was a hurricane.
Plotman posted 01-02-2004 09:43 AM ET (US)
Jim H-
Any way to contact the folks in the UK and see if you can get a sample of the foam from the boat to see if it has absorbed any meaningful amount of water?
David
ryanwhaler posted 01-08-2004 01:37 PM ET (US)
I'm about 85% sure that this 18-Dauntless is pictured in the 2004 whaler calender.
Check it out, on the first page where they are talking about how whalers won't sink a dauntless with no side and lots crap growing on it is pictured halled up on a beach.
It appers to be the same boat.
ryanwhaler posted 01-09-2004 11:56 AM ET (US)
I took a picture of the page in the calender where the picture of the dauntless is and emailed it to Jim.
Looks like whaler has been useing this for advertizing after all.
Eagleman posted 01-12-2004 04:01 PM ET (US)
jimh,
Thanks for sharing this really interesting story, if it wasn't a Boston Whaler it would have been just anther boat wasting away on the bottom of the ocean. Reminds me of two important things I always told our lovely teenage daughter for years regarding taking the WHaler out "if you ever have engine problems always stay with the boat" it's safe and unsinkable.
Eagleman
calisto12 posted 01-25-2005 03:35 PM ET (US)
Just want to share my new 3D renders of newely created 3-Dimensional model of LE GRAND BLEU yacht:
http://www.exchange3d.com/new3d/gallery-album_3d-model-water-transport-Paul-Allen-Roman-Abramovich-Le-Grand-Bleu-Yacht.html
In my work I used all photos of LGB I found at the internet. If you have comments - you are welcome!
jimh posted 02-04-2005 12:04 AM ET (US)
Nice work on the 3D rendering!
Fellatthelast posted 04-29-2005 04:36 PM ET (US)
It is Abramovich's yacht; the 68 foot motor boat is apparently a Sunseeker Predator and the 72ft yacht is a Swan! And here's me struggling to find the money to buy a 16" Dauntless. Sometimes life just ain't fair!
Ah well back to the bank raids!!
Rossi

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Author	Topic: Cetacea Page 76: Crossing Oceans: The Atlantic
jimh	posted 12-28-2003 07:15 PM ET (US) Please use this message thread for appending comments or questions regarding http://continuouswave.com/whaler/cetacea/cetaceaPage76.html . This is the story of a 2000 Boston Whaler DAUNTLESS 18 which made a west-to-east crossing of the North Atlantic by drifting. Many thanks to Curt Ebbesmeyer, an Oceanographer, who tracked down the story of this passage, and to Terry George, Coxswain of the Sennen Cove lifeboat who recovered the DAUNTLESS and photographed it. This article first appeared on December 28, 2003.
BugsyG	posted 12-28-2003 09:00 PM ET (US) Mr. Hebert, Thank you for allowing other Boston Whaler Owners to view this page. It is absolutely amazing of what that Dauntless went through. It becomes apparent that there were some "pirates" that were able to swipe the console, cleats, & other options when she was adrift, as I noticed from your picture of the fuel line. I would also agree that when the LGB took a wave or two in a storm, that would make the Whaler's starboard side to collapse. Questions still remain: What are they going to do with the boat? One would think that that Dauntless would be totally irreplaceable for the shape that she is in. That is any Boston Whaler owners nightmare. Thank you once again for making this another fantastic Cetacea page. JAZZ
ryanwhaler	posted 12-28-2003 09:14 PM ET (US) Wow, thats quite a story. Whaler should use it for advertizing!
andygere	posted 12-29-2003 01:35 AM ET (US) Jim, another outstanding feature article, well done. I'm not at all surprised that you were considered the source for information about Boston Whaler boats, even by those across the Atlantic in the UK. That speaks volumes about the quality of the content and the participants in this little web community you've created. I wonder if we might be able to get a sample of that foam to Tom Clark to compare with that taken from the chainsaw Whaler. The foam in the side of the "Drifting Dauntless" would certainly have had as much exposure to water as any Whaler would ever see in normal use.
erik selis	posted 12-29-2003 06:50 AM ET (US) Jim, this is an absolutely amazing story !! I too am not surprised that the people in the UK contacted you for information. As I mentioned before you have a great reputation here on main-land Europe as well. Could it be that the starboard side broke off while being brutally handled by the salvers? Again, Hat's off Jim for this wonderful article ! Erik
jimh	posted 12-29-2003 09:16 AM ET (US) Gentlemen, thank you, but we must tip our hats to Terry and Curt. It's their work that made this possible. The big fracture to the starboard side of the boat's hull is something interesting to speculate about. I think it had to have happened fairly early in the voyage of this Dauntless. That is why the boat was stripped. If the hull had been intact, the first salvers probably would have just restored the boat instead of stripping it. Also, the point where the hull side fractured is curious. If you look at the distance between the inner and outer hull skins, the point where they are the closest--and the point where the foam is the thinnest--will generally be right where this boat has suffered the most damage. Usually just as the cockpit floor turns upward to form the hull side, the spacing between inner and outer hull skins is the least. It looks like that is the point where this fracture occurred. I also think this hull and its story has value to the Boston Whaler company as a showcase of the unsinkable nature of their boats. However, I imagine that there is a particular odor associated with that hull at the moment which might make it difficult to use as an exhibit at a boat show!
jimh	posted 12-29-2003 12:45 PM ET (US) To put this yacht and tender into proper prospective, consider this: The LE GRAND BLEU cost about $90,000,000, and a Dauntless 18 costs about $30,000. A nice 130-Sport costs about $9,000, and a good baseball cap with a Boston Whaler logo on it costs about $9. When the tender was lost overboard from the yacht, it was less of a loss (percentage-wise) than when a Whaler baseball cap flies overboard when cruising around on a 130-Sport. 30,000/90,000,000 = 0.033 percent of boat's value 9/9000 = 0.1 percent of boat's value I lost a nice baseball cap (says "continuouswave" on it) up in British Columbia, so if anyone finds it I would appreciate getting it back--you see how valuable it could be!
kglinz	posted 12-29-2003 01:17 PM ET (US) Great article. I'm really concerned about the hat. I'll start the search about the first of June. Kemp Lindsey
Bigshot	posted 12-29-2003 02:21 PM ET (US) Sources tell me Jim that some Penguin was wearing a continuouswave hat in Antarctica. He was also wearing a T-shirt that said...."My parents went to Michigan and all I got was this lousy shirt!"
Barry	posted 12-29-2003 03:06 PM ET (US) Great article! I read that Le Grand Bleu is owned by Roman Abramovich, the second richest man in Russia. I also read that he purchased it from Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft. Here is a nice picture that I found on webshots http://community.webshots.com/photo/62798744/69883776DIqnJk Must have been one heck of a wave to wash it overboard.
jimh	posted 12-30-2003 10:12 AM ET (US) Many thanks to Chris Suffeleers of Belgium for permission to use his fine photograph of LE GRAND BLEU which has been added to the article.
Barry	posted 12-30-2003 12:34 PM ET (US) Here is a link to the Smithsonian Magazine July 2001 article that Curt mentions http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues01/jul01/beachcombing.html
Tom W Clark	posted 12-30-2003 01:16 PM ET (US) What an amazing story. It has special interest to me as it has two connections to Seattle even though this Dauntless's entire life was in the Atlantic. Curt Ebbesmeyer is a Seattlite who I've read about many times in the local papers as well as national publications like Smithsonian. Le Grand Bleu was built for Seattlite John McCaw, brother of the more famous Craig McCaw and number two of the four McCaw brothers. Paul Allen then bought it from John. I believe Paul has also bought a yacht last year that Craig was building but had not yet completed. The McCaw's fortunes have declined (relatively) sharply since 2000 and many of Craig's recreational assets have been put on the block to raise working capital.
Dr T	posted 12-30-2003 03:52 PM ET (US) This is a great tale and a tribute is due to all concerned. I wonder how the Dauntless was tied down on the foredeck of the yacht. It seems the hull could have fractured as it was being torn loose and tossed overboard....... tds
Toad2001	posted 12-31-2003 01:06 PM ET (US) Force 8-9 weather must have been something else... The warning system only goes to 10. At Force 8 it means you can have wind gusts over 112 MPH.
Plotman	posted 01-01-2004 02:19 PM ET (US) An amazing story. On the Beaufort scale, Force 8 does not mean gusts of 112. Force 8 means winds of 34-40 knots. Force 9 means winds of 41-47 knots. Serious weather, but not outrageous by any means. The scale goes to 12. Check out the link for a further explanation. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/webpage/beaufort/ They have a cool feature where you can see pictures of the sea state at different levels.
Toad2001	posted 01-01-2004 05:23 PM ET (US) Sorry, I was looking at Typhoon info, I think. I can't understand then how the Dauntless became detached from the bow. I've been out in 40-50 KN Storms in my Grand Banks, and faired ok. I would'd have thought the freeboard would have been affected at all on a 350 foot boat unless it was a hurricane.
Plotman	posted 01-02-2004 09:43 AM ET (US) Jim H- Any way to contact the folks in the UK and see if you can get a sample of the foam from the boat to see if it has absorbed any meaningful amount of water? David
ryanwhaler	posted 01-08-2004 01:37 PM ET (US) I'm about 85% sure that this 18-Dauntless is pictured in the 2004 whaler calender. Check it out, on the first page where they are talking about how whalers won't sink a dauntless with no side and lots crap growing on it is pictured halled up on a beach. It appers to be the same boat.
ryanwhaler	posted 01-09-2004 11:56 AM ET (US) I took a picture of the page in the calender where the picture of the dauntless is and emailed it to Jim. Looks like whaler has been useing this for advertizing after all.
Eagleman	posted 01-12-2004 04:01 PM ET (US) jimh, Thanks for sharing this really interesting story, if it wasn't a Boston Whaler it would have been just anther boat wasting away on the bottom of the ocean. Reminds me of two important things I always told our lovely teenage daughter for years regarding taking the WHaler out "if you ever have engine problems always stay with the boat" it's safe and unsinkable. Eagleman
calisto12	posted 01-25-2005 03:35 PM ET (US) Just want to share my new 3D renders of newely created 3-Dimensional model of LE GRAND BLEU yacht: http://www.exchange3d.com/new3d/gallery-album_3d-model-water-transport-Paul-Allen-Roman-Abramovich-Le-Grand-Bleu-Yacht.html In my work I used all photos of LGB I found at the internet. If you have comments - you are welcome!
jimh	posted 02-04-2005 12:04 AM ET (US) Nice work on the 3D rendering!
Fellatthelast	posted 04-29-2005 04:36 PM ET (US) It is Abramovich's yacht; the 68 foot motor boat is apparently a Sunseeker Predator and the 72ft yacht is a Swan! And here's me struggling to find the money to buy a 16" Dauntless. Sometimes life just ain't fair! Ah well back to the bank raids!! Rossi