

A Twenty-First-Century Shipwreck - Vigier
http://www.newyorker.com/news/sporting-scene/twenty-first-century-shipwreck

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hkleppe
For a different perspective, have a look at this post. A statement posted by
Team Vestas navigator Wouter Verbraak once they got back to civilization:

[http://sailinganarchy.com/2014/12/04/walking-
tall/](http://sailinganarchy.com/2014/12/04/walking-tall/)

Wouters statement was since removed from his facebook-page

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jzwinck
Shipwrecks are all too common even in the 21st century, even without the
stress of competition. I saw a very recent one in Namibia a few years ago:
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/tatyana-k/4691269078/](https://www.flickr.com/photos/tatyana-k/4691269078/)
That's Zeila, a ship which was being towed for breaking apart as scrap before
it got free and went aground on the Skeleton Coast (a place as formidable as
it sounds).

Or how about this?
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/tatyana-k/12695050615/](https://www.flickr.com/photos/tatyana-k/12695050615/)
\- a crash at full speed between two boats last year in Singapore which I also
saw first hand.

Life at sea is dangerous, but irresistible for many people, both sailors and
spectators.

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veb
New Zealand's worst maritime disaster[1] was caused by a container ship that
hit a reef just off the coast - because the captain / navigator were stressed
for getting to port on time and therefore took a different route (a more
direct one) which made them collide with the reef.

The container ship was carrying oil which spilled into the water causing a lot
of distress. Very small "disaster" compared to others in the world like it,
but nevertheless, a really stupid human error which led to the shipwrecking.

[1]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rena_oil_spill](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rena_oil_spill)

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jzwinck
Wikipedia says Rena was New Zealand's worst maritime _environmental_ disaster.
Its overall worst maritime disaster was of course the 2013 America's Cup:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_America%27s_Cup](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_America%27s_Cup)

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aidos
Still too soon, too raw! :) Hopefully the Brits get a team in next time around
so I have 2 teams in the running.

The Wahine, while not the _worst_ maritime disaster NZ has ever had is one of
the more recent [0].

This video [1] showing a ferry bouncing along gives you a good idea of how
rough it can get on the route between Wellington and Picton. I had friends on
there one day when several people were hospitalised with broken bones!

[0] [http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/wahine-
disaster](http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/wahine-disaster) [1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUWascqCBe0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUWascqCBe0)

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rdeboo
There's two types of electronic nautical maps: raster and vector. Raster maps
are basically scanned paper maps, and contain all the data. When you zoom in,
you are basically enlarging the map, it will not show more detail. Vector maps
are contructed by a database. When you zoom in, more detail emerges that was
not visible previously. Like buoys or reefs...

There is no software method to "find obstructions on my route". If you want to
be sure, you need to zoom in at maximum level and follow the route you are
going to sail, otherwise there is a possibility of missing out on information.

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jpatokal
Seriously? Why not? If you've got vector data and can accurately plot your
location and heading, it would seem to be pretty trivial to find and display
all potential risks.

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ahoereth
There was also the sinking of the bounty during sandy in 2012. Impressive
story, long-read.
[http://www.tampabay.com/specials/2013/reports/bounty/](http://www.tampabay.com/specials/2013/reports/bounty/)

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SideburnsOfDoom
In the first paragraph, this clumsiness:

> " Sailors must endure ... unbearable temperatures"

Urgh.

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andyidsinga
and THAT is the spirit of adventure!

