|
uu NEW uuTuesday April 29, 2008
Story and photo in the Argentina media - Spanish version and English version about the storm that rolled Kim Chow and the subsequent rescue.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Glenn reports he has been very well cared for on aboard the Puerto Deseado (Spanish for "wished for") and is feeling much better. This morning he was transferred to an Argentina Coast Guard vessel and expects to arrive in Argentina late Wednesday. Many thanks to you all for your kind words of support.
Day 218 Sunday April 27, 2008 47.38S 49.41 W (05:00 PDT)
I spoke with Glenn at 05:00 on board the Argentina naval vessel Puerto Deseado. The vessel was dispatched to assist Glenn through a request from the Patagonian net of ham radio operators and a number of other sailing and fishing vessels in the area. Glenn has been seen by the physician on board and has been treated for injuries and is feeling well. He described in more detail the extent of the damage to Kim Chow including severely damaged self steering, inoperable engine and discharged batteries. In addition, Kim Chow was starting to take on water through the damaged hatches and companionway. After carefully considering the options Glenn felt he could not safely round Cape Horn and has made a very personal and difficult decision, and the only logical one under the circumstances, which is to end his circumnavigation. His decision was greatly influenced by the love for his family back home and he reassured us he is doing well. Glenn will be transferred to a Coast Guard vessel and taken to a port in Argentina and from there to Buenos Aires and home. The fate of Kim Chow is uncertain at this point. The Navy are considering the options. Words alone can't express his deep appreciation for the bravery and kindness of the captain and crew who stood by for 48 hours until weather and sea conditions would permit his safe transfer to their vessel. Glenn sends his heartfelt thanks to all those who played a part in seeing him safely through this difficult time. We will post further updates when available.
Day 217 Saturday April 26, 2008 ( 11:30 p.m. PDT)
This message from one of the crew on the ORION aircraft
"hi glenn! i´m carlos from argentina, i´m a crew of the aircraft of the argentine navy that flew over kimchow this morning. i saw you at the main deck today and i hope that you can to continue your trip in order to arrive well next to your family, that they must be hoping to you.ok friend, have a goods winds and that god accompanies to you. i told to my family about you and they were touched, they said to me that it say to you that you take care of your self because somebody is hoping for you. bye glenn. from carlos'
Day 217 Saturday April 26 , 2008 (4:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight time)
A conversation with an Argentina Naval officer Pablo, confirms Glenn is doing well and Kim Chow appears to be in good condition. This report from the Argentine ship Puerta Deseado.
" I am sending to you this photograph of today´s flight with Argentine Navy Plane P3 ORION. You can see that KIM CHOW is looking well and GLENN is inside because the weather is really very bad (winds above 40 Knots and raining). A PUERTO DESEADO (the Oceanographic ship painted orange) will remain beside and near your husband´s yacht. He is OK and with a very good sense of humour. Please don´t worry. As soon he gets on board PUERTO DESEADO he will call you. We expect to do it tomorrow morning because we hope the wind will decrease. Best regards. MRCC Puerto Belgrano Republica Argentina.
Note: If you look closely, you can see Glenn sitting in the companionway wearing a bright orange fleece jacket.
Kim Chow sits with the drogue deployed awaiting assistance from the Argentina vessel Puerto Deseado.
Day 217 Saturday April 26, 2008 47.37S, 50.15 W (Posted at 2:20 pm. Pacific Daylight time)
1200 UTC Argentina Naval Centre in Puerto Belgrano report latest position and that their vessel is very close to reaching Kim Chow. They are waiting for favourable weather conditions to approach and assess the situation.
Day 216 Friday, April 25, 2008 47.46 S, 50.32 W
The Argentina Coast Guard Naval Vessel Prefectura currently en route to determine the status of Glenn and Kim Chow and offer assistance, reported Glenn's position above and that all is well on board. They report weather conditions as very strong winds from the SW, partly cloudy, showers with mixed rain and snow and bad visibility.
Day 216 Friday April 25, 2008 48.07 S 52. 06 W
1800 UTC Glenn has just reported his position to a ham operator in Argentina who will provide updates as they are available.
Day 216 Friday April 25, 2008 Position unavailable
We have not had direct communication with Glenn since yesterday afternoon. We have had contact with Navy personnel at the Maritime Centre in Argentina and the Royal Navy in the Falkland Islands both of whom are monitoring Glenn's situation and have offered assistance to him. Glenn has let them both know that he is weathering the storm and intends to continue unassisted to Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands when there is a break in the weather. Contrary to some media speculation, Glenn has not indicated that he is abandoning his circumnavigation. I expect to hear from him sometime on Saturday and will update the site accordingly.
Day 215 Thursday April 24, 2008 48.10 S, 51.57 W
1530 UTC Covered (-35) nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 3 knots. Wind is from the SW at 50 knots with 6 metre swells from the SW. Barometer is 981. Temperature is 9 C with 100% cloud cover. Conditions have worsened since yesterday. Glenn reports Kim Chow has rolled over and both he and the boat have had some damage. Glenn has suffered a blow to the head and has had a concussion and scratch to his scalp. Kim Chow has lost her liferaft, both solar panels, the dodger and one hatch. She has some damage to her steering and a port light which Glenn thinks can be repaired. The mast is still up and in tact and the boat is water tight. Glenn is now dealing with the aftermath of the roll - sorting out the confused mess down below and reports conditions are very wet down below. Weather conditions are expected to last for the next several days and Glenn is going to sit it out and then continue to head to Port Stanley in the Falklands. He has been in communication with the Royal Navy in the Falklands who have offered their assistance as well as the Navy in Argentina who have also offered to provide a replacement life raft. Glenn reports that he will be fine, and he is confident he can make it through this and on to Stanley on his own without assistance. He is very grateful for the moral support from the Navy in both countries and fellow sailors in the area who are in regular communication by ham radio. Listen to Glenn's report.
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 310 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 710 (est.) nmi.
Day 214 Wednesday, April 23, 2008 47.46 S, 52.10 W
1530 UTC Covered 45 nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 3 knots. Wind is from the W at 30+ knots with a 3 - 4 metre swell from the W. Barometer is 997. Temperature is 13 C with 100% cloud cover. Glenn reports very dificult conditions on board Kim Chow today. Heavy weather and sea conditions accompanied by lots of water over the boat. Conditions are wet down below. He's sailing with shortened sails and is making slow progress to the mark. Glenn has damaged his ribs and is having difficulty speaking loudly into into his ham radio. Listen to Glenn's report.
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 291 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 708 nmi.
Day 213 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 46.46 S, 52.29 W
1200 UTC Covered 25 nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 5.5 knots. Wind is from the N at 15 - 20 knots with a 1.5 - 2 metre swell from the N. Barometer is 1011. Temperature is 16 C with 50% cloud cover. Glenn reports sailing hard on the wind with one reef in the main, one in the jib and making good mileage South towards Stanley, Falklands. He sends thanks to his amateur ham radio operators - Luis in Mendoza, Argentina for providing the voice recordings and Ron in Vancouver for providing terrific weather reports.
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 335 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 752 nmi. Listen to Glenn's report.
Day 212 Monday, April 21, 2008 46.32 S, 52.27 W
1200 UTC Covered 31 nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 3 knots. Wind is from the NW at 20 knots with a 3 metre swell from the NW. Barometer is 1007. Temperature is 16 C with 100% cloud cover. Glenn reports the smell of smoke from a fire in Argentina and the sight of kelp in the water which indicates land nearby. Also reports challenging sea conditions with winds of 40+ overnight . He 'hove to' for the better part of the night and is fighting his way towards Port Stanley in the Falklands.
Note: "Heaving to" is one of the many techniques sailors use when the weather gets too wild for comfort, or simply to take a break from the helm. As the wind and waves get higher, the crew might choose to heave-to as a way to slow the boat down and ease the motion through the waves. By slowing or stopping the boat, the crew can gain a chance to rest, to make necessary repairs or adjustments to the rig, or even simply to make lunch. The goals of heaving-to are to have the bow pointing into the oncoming waves as much as possible, to prevent the boat from moving backward or making too much leeway, and to reduce the motion of a boat so the crew can rest. (The ultimate goal, of course, is to keep the boat afloat and undamaged!) The most common method of heaving-to is to come about from port tack without releasing the jib sheet. With the main sheeted in tight, immediately put the rudder down - being careful in the process not to come about again. At this point the boat should be in a stable condition; the main will fill, overpowering the jib which is holding the bow down. As the boat begins to move forward, the rudder will turn the bow to windward, luffing the main. As the boat slows, the jib will push the bow down again and the pattern will repeat. Listen to Glenn's report.
(Courtesy wiki.saewyc.net)
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 369 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 784 nmi.
Day 211 Sunday, April 20, 2008 46.05 S 52.02 W
1200 UTC Covered 22 nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 4.5 knots. Wind is from the N at 25 knots with 1.5 - 2 metres swells from the N. Barometer is 1020. Temperature is 16 C with 100% cloud cover.
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 400 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 815 nmi.
Day 210 Saturday April 19, 2008 46.13 S 50.50 W
1200 UTC Covered (-13) nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 3 knots. Wind is from the SW at 35 - 40 knots with 5 - 6 metre swells from the SW. Barometer is 1007. Temperature is 12 C with 100% cloud cover.
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 422 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 835 nmi.
Day 209 Friday April 18, 2008 47.01S 49.58 W
1200 UTC Covered 40 nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 4 knots. Wind is from the NW at 20 knots with 2 - 3 metre swells from the NW. Barometer is 1007. Temperature is 13 C with 100% cloud cover.
In the News - Today in the UK, The Portsmouth News ran a short piece about Glenn. Both of Glenn's parents were born and raised in Portsmouth and he has lots of family there keenly watching his daily progress and sending their love and support. Glenn grew up listening to stories of single handed sailors; Sir Francis Chichester, Sir Alec Rose, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Chay Blyth, some of whom came from Portsmouth and apparently some of that rubbed off. The reporter got Glenn's mom's name wrong - it's Maureen and her five sisters Mary, Jean, Pam, Pat and Kath as well as other aunts and uncles and cousins all are all cheering him on and "proud as punch" one of the aunties said. This from Glenn about his connection to his family in Portsmouth. "I'm a proud Canadian from Victoria B.C., but the salt that runs deep in my veins comes from my roots in old Portsmouth, the home of my mother and father and all my relatives. Long live "Pompey". Read the article in the Portsmouth News
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 409 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 828 nmi.
Day 208 Thursday April 17, 2008 47.04 S, 48.32 W
1200 UTC Covered 74 nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 5.5 knots. Wind is from the S at 20 - 25 knots with a 2 - 3 metre swell from the S. Barometer is 986. Temperature is 13 C with 100% cloud cover.
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 449 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 867 nmi.
Day 207 Wednesday April 16, 2008 46.20S, 47.05 W
1200 UTC Covered 23 nmi in the last 24 hours at 5.5 knots. Wind is from the SW at 20 knots with 1 - 2 metre swells from the SW. Barometer is 1001. Temperature is 14 C with 100% cloud cover. At the time of writing Kim Chow has her rail in the water and they are flying along at about 6 knots. Water's everywhere and soon he'll have to mop up down below to keep the condensation under control. He's had radio contact with 2 sailors in Uruguay who are heading for South Africa and waiting for a weather window. And, he's in touch with his ham radio buddy in Stanley, Falkland Islands. These conversations go a long way to lifting his spirits. He's had company alongside today - black billed albatross and grey petrels. Glenn reports the sad loss of his cherished headlight, an essential tool for making headsail changes in the black of night. Fortunately, he has a spare. "At this moment," he writes, "I'm eating porridge, drinking tea and listening to BBC" - definitely showing your British heritage old chap. He and I had a 45 second satellite phone connection this morning which was, well ... brief but nice to hear his voice just the same.
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 520 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 938 nmi.
Check out the May issue of Yachting World (UK) magazine which published my short article about Glenn.
Day 206 Tuesday April 15, 2008 46.48S 46.08 W
1200 UTC Covered 44 nmi in the last 24 hours travelling at 3.5 knots. Wind is from the SW at 30 knots with a 3 - 4 metre swell from the SW. Barometer is 993. Temperature is 12C with 75% cloud cover. Distance to Falklands waypoint: 536 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 950 nmi.
Day 205 Monday April 14, 2008 46.04 S 44.37 W
1200 UTC Currently travelling at 5.3 knots. Wind is from the W at 20 knots, with 1.5 - 2 metres waves from the W. Barometer is 997. Temperature is 18C. cloud cover is 75%. Glenn reports large grey thunder clouds dotting the horizon that occasionally pass over him and deliver rain and hail on the deck. "short lived and manageable" he says. Aside from periodic squalls, he can arrange his sail plan to sustain 4 - 5 knots of boat speed which he feels is optimum for the boat and for him. Distance to Falklands waypoint: 599 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 1010 nmi.
Day 204 Sunday April 13, 2008 46.14S 44.41 W
1200 UTC Covered 46 nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 3.5 knots. Wind is from the W at 5 - 10 knots with a 2 metre swell. Barometer is 997. Temperature is 13 C with 50% cloud cover. Glenn reports lots of albatross and petrels around the boat the past 2 days in the midst of a bank of ominous black clouds sitting low on the horizon. Today, he has fine weather, perfect for drying out bedding and wet gear in the cockpit.
Listen to Glenn's report
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 604 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 1016 nmi.
Day 203 Saturday April 12, 2008 No report available.
Day 202 Friday April 11, 2008 43.54S 44.18 W
1200 UTC Covered 67 nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 7 knots. Wind is from the W at 20 knots with a 1 - 2 metre swell from the W. Barometer is 997. Temperature is 14 C with 100% cloud cover.
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 709 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 1127 nmi.
Day 201 Thursday April 10, 2008 43.47 S 42.57 W
1300 UTC Covered 20 nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 4 knots. Wind is from the W at 20 knots with a 2 metre swell from the W. Barometer is 1001. Temperature is 17C with 100% cloud cover. Glenn reports rough seas and slow progress in the last 24 hours. His spirits are good and he's looking forward to making more westing in the the next few days.
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 757 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 1172 nmi.
Day 200 Wednesday April 9, 2008 43.45 S 42.19 W Interim position
Listen to Glenn's report.
Day 199 Tuesday April 8, 2008 43.03 S 42.17 W
12:00 UTC Covered 75 nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 3 knots. Wind is from the NW at 20 knots with a 2 metre swell from the NW. Barometer is 999. Temperature is 18 C with 100% cloud cover.
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 808 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 1226 nmi.
Day 198 Monday April 7, 2008 42.53 S 42.14 W
12:00 UTC Covered 60 nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 3 knots. Wind is from the W at 40 knots with a 3 metre swell from the W. Barometer is 1004. Temperature is a balmy 20 C with 40% cloud cover. Glenn reports all's well on KimChow. He's starting to head South and Southwest and anticipates passing the Falkland Islands in about 2 weeks. At the moment the ride is fairly slow and comfortable. The forecast is for heavy weather in the next 24 hours.
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 883 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 1300 nmi. Listen to Glenn's report.
Day 197 Sunday April 6, 2008 41.12 S 40.32 W
12:00 UTC Covered 55 nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 4 knots. Wind is from the SW at 10 knots with a 1 metre swell from the SW. Barometer is 1005. Temperature is 19 C with 50 % cloud cover.
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 943 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 1361 nmi.
Day 196 Saturday April 5, 2008 41.50 S 39.41 W
12:00 UTC Covered 65 nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 3 knots. Wind is from the N at 10 knots with a .5 metre swell from the N. Barometer is 1005. Temperature is 10 C with 40% cloud cover.
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 946 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 1361 nmi.
Day 195 Friday April 4, 2008 41.50S 38.15 W
12:00 UTC Covered 57 nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 6 knots. Wind is from the N at 15 knots with a 1.5 metre swell from the N. Barometer is 1011. Temperature is 16 C with 100% cloud cover. Glenn reports a busy night on deck without much sleep. By mid morning Kim Chow was moving well at about 5.5 - 6 knots on a good heading of 270 true. Glenn's been busy on the ham radio the past few weeks making new contacts in the Falkland Islands and South America, both of whom will be invaluable in making a safe rounding of the horn.
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 986 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 1398 nmi.
Day 194 Thursday April 3, 2008 41.48 S 37.00 W
11:30 UTC Covered 126 nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 4 knots. Wind is from the N at 25 knots with a 3 metre swell from the N. Barometer is 1007. Temperature is 18C with 100% cloud cover.
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 1030 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 1439 nmi.
Day 193 Wednesday April 2, 2008 41.50 S 34.19 W
11:30 UTC Covered 100 nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 5.5 knots. Wind is from the NW at 15 knots with a 1 metre swell from the NW. Barometer is 1020. Temperature is 18 C with 25% cloud cover.
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 1118 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 1521 nmi.
Day 192 Tuesday April 1, 2008 40.54 S 32.00 W
11:30 UTC Covered 62 nmi in the last 24 hours at a speed of 4 knots. Wind is from the NW at 20 knots with a 2 metre swell from the NW. Barometer is 1020. Temperature is 18 C with 100% cloud cover. As Glenn heads SW towards the Falkland Islands, he'll begin to feel cooler temperatures. Currently, the sea temperature is about 14 C. As he travels south, that will decrease to about 10 C. Air temperatures will, on average, be within 2 degrees of the water temperature. Currently the air temperature is around 12 C to 16 C. As he heads south, it will dip to about 8 C - 10 C. Glenn reports a fine day yesterday with a pleasant 17 C in the cabin. After the usual round of laundry and chores to deal with the after effects of robust seas and the resulting condensation down below, he enjoyed some time relaxing at the spa in the cockpit.
Check out the March issue of Latitude 38 magazine for an article about Glenn and his circumnavigation. He also appears on the front page of Winlink.org.
Distance to Falklands waypoint: 1217 nmi. Distance to Cape Horn: 1618 nmi.
|
