Raw Faith disabled - being towed back to Rockland.

[imported_Steven Bauer]

The handicapped accessible galleon Raw Faith lost her rudder 50 miles offshore from Portland and is being towed back to port by the Coast Guard.

Story here

Not good news, but not completely unexpected. These guys are underfunded and underexperienced. I hope they can get it together.

Steven

[John Bell]

The pictures of Raw Faith's rudder hardware on this forum this autumn elicited several comments that it looked like an accident waiting to happen. Sounds like it did. It's good to hear that God was watching them (along with the USCG!) and everyone is OK. They have much to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving day. It could have been a much worse outcome.

Edited to add photo of steering gear.

[ 11-25-2004, 11:51 PM: Message edited by: John Bell ]

[Doug Wood]

The mission of this boat is admirable so I hope they get it together too but it seems a bit irresponsible of the owner's to put to sea in this vessel at this stage.

[Hughman]

Oh please, not back to Rockland! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[JeffH]

Saw the boat after it arrived in Rockland this morning. It was too far away to see if the rudder was still there or if it was just the steering gear that failed. Did notice that all of the standing rigging for the foremast was gone, though the mast itself was still there. Near as I could tell, whatever it was that secured the rigging to the masthead (judging by the general quality of construction for this thing, it was probably not much) failed, and everything just popped off. Someone should proabably tell them that nylon is an inappropriate material for standing rigging.

I don't doubt Mr. McKay's sincerity in trying to do a good deed. However, I have a bit of a hard time with someone who, with absolutely zero sailing experience of any kind whatsoever, calling himself "captain" and taking an unfounded, unseaworthy vessel to sea. He risks not only his life, but those of whomever he talks into accompanying him and those who have to rescue him from this stunt (on Thanksgiving, no less). I hope he has learned a lesson from this, thankfully without killing anyone, this time.

Jeff

[Chris Coose]

"Raw Faith" fits.
I don't know much about the mission or the captain but by the looks of that steering arrangement (and Hugh's expression) this captain should be held in some kind of arrest till he sorts things out.

[JeffH]

Yep, the Coast Guard agrees. Rawfaith has been forbidden to sail again until repairs and "certain changes" are made. Interestingly, on their website the "captain" claims that the Coast Guard had been on board "repeatedly" and they "always passed with flying colors". The more likely story is that the Coast Guard had no (or chose not to exercise) power to keep them from sailing, since no paying passengers were aboard. Just with a quick glance about the deck when it was at the town dock, I saw about half a dozen items that would never pass an honest documentation survey (the all-around sidelights, for example).

Jeff

[ 11-27-2004, 10:10 AM: Message edited by: JeffH ]

[J. Labaree]

I saw Raw Faith being towed back into Rockland on Friday morning on my way out to Vinalhaven. The steering tackle appeared to still be in place, so I'm assuming the rudder is still there.

The very top of the foremast had broken off and was dangling above the deck between the fore and main masts.

I agree the mission is admirable, but one look at this thing and you just can't believe anyone would be willing to set foot on her at anchor, much less head into the Gulf of Maine in November. It's not just the steering set-up that's a disaster waiting to happen.

It's darn near impossible to imagine how anyone could use the term "galleon" with a straight face to describe this thing.

[Captain Rich]

This so called "captain" was negligent in his responsibilities. Never mind that he risked both the lives of his crew and the Coast Guard. He should be fined for his recklessness. Ignorance is not an excuse when your on the water.
PS Did he look at the forecast before he set sail to Florida?

[JeffH]

Originally posted by Captain Rich:
PS Did he look at the forecast before he set sail to Florida?

I think he did. He spent a couple weeks waiting for a decent weather window to leave. The fact that it took them six days to get from Rockland to Portland (an hour and a half by car, so maybe 70 miles or so?) says something about their sailing ability. Regardless, he says on his website that he would feel perfectly safe in a hurricane on his boat, so that shows you about where he's coming from. Incidentally, he also says on the website that they didn't actually send a distress call to the Coast Guard, but just "wanted them to know what was going on". The fact that what was going on was that the boat was completely without any ability to go anywhere under its own power, and there was neither the equipment nor skill to alter this situation doesn't seem to be important. Also, the Coast Guard report of the weather at the time of rescue (winds 18 knots, seas 3 feet, swells 15 feet) seems to contradict the "captain"'s claim of "sustained 60 foot seas". Amazing.

On the other hand, maybe there is some benevolent higher being looking out for these fools, for had they been out in the storm that blew through last night, there would almost assuredly would have been some deaths...

Jeff

[ 11-29-2004, 06:59 PM: Message edited by: JeffH ]

[Hughman]

[quote]Originally posted by JeffH:

the "captain"'s claim of "sustained 60 foot seas". Amazing.

Jeff

Typo? delusion?

[yorgie]

I looked at their site from their link to the news story.As bad as the exterior of the boat was the interior looked like a Hornby Island hippy's unfinished basement.That boat could not have been professionaly built or coastguard approved.I'm glad everyone was okay but I think the organizers have overreached a bit.Galleons were built by experienced shipwrights and sailed by experienced sailors.Rigging was also an art unto itself.Even then those ships went down at what would now be considered an alarming rate.

[mmd]

[quote] quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by JeffH:

the "captain"'s claim of "sustained 60 foot seas". Amazing.

Jeff
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Typo? delusion?

Neither. Fear.