EP. 34 Knockdown mid Atlantic! Crossing the Atlantic Solo from East to West, Contessa 26, Pt 8 

fantastic. just keep cool control like you allways have. I love your channel and wave rover ...

A great and brave sailor- so much to learn from him. A very humble and intelligent man.

So sorry this happened. Your are a calm thoughtful person. Amazingly so after the knockdown. Wave a Rover is a sturdy strong boat. Best of luck in your future endeavors.

She's now a Rogue Wave Rover and lived to tell the tale. Some comfort in passing that test.

Like many things you make it look easy. Can’t imagine the years it takes to develop that level of skill and confidence

Ok. I am buying a safety harness this year. A few close calls and watching this episode convinced me.

I still remember the debate in the scientific community over rouge waves. There were some well credentialed disbelievers, none of them sailors of course. They got put in their places when a few oil rigs got hammered by huge waves and everything was recorded on each rigs data monitors. Suddenly thousands of years of what the scientists called “sailing lore” become scientific fact pretty much overnight. All it took was the publication of one study on the oil rig data.

Wickedly tough little boats those Contessa they really can take a beating.

Great recovery, you have a very stable disposition, ideal for a solo. Safe travels.

You were remarkably cool during this episode

I owned a Contessa and sailed in Lake Champlain, N.Y. I would drive down from Montreal each weekend. I was told that one Canadian Doctor sailed her from Canada to Australia. I did not believe it. Watching you I can now believe it. BTW I was an engineer on cargo ships for many years in British, Indian and Canadian merchant marine. I am envious of you! I should have sailed away like you. Good Luck! P.S. I named the vessel with water from the country of my birth, Pakistan. It was water from the river Indus!

I'm a new sailor trying to learn how to properly use a radio at sea. Your video had been the best demo I've found so far. Thank you!

Great to see a single handed small boat doing great passages. Inspired. Follow your dreams.

The sea is awe inspiring and sometimes fearful place at times! Very few men have the courage to sail the vast expanses single-handedly! My adventures are confined to land but still adventures nonetheless! And the best part is, I get to share them with the woman I love! Thank you for the inspiration!

Great job Captain. It’s the journey...you’ll have many wonderful stories to share. 👍👍👍

Hi. I have been watching for your next video. Sorry about the damage from the knockdown but glad to see that the little Contessa held up well. Looking forward to your follow up video.

What an adventure, Wave Rover! Thanks for letting us share it with you from our coach!

That’s a strong boat.

Glad to see you on here telling us this story. Stay safe.

It's good that you didn't get injured. Too bad that you've lost one of your solar panels. Stay safe always!

The sea is so vast and amazing to be sailing in such a little boat. A great video. A big thank you.

Good to see your okay and still smiling, things just a little wet in the cabin, your preparation saved the day, may you have far winds from now on.

Glad you made it through that incident in relatively good condition. Looking forward to the next installment.

Hey, the first video of yours I've seen. Subscribed. I'm only just having my first sailing lessons so appreciate how you talk through and explain your actions. Being able to listen to your radio conversation to the other boat was great for example looking forward to watching more!

you must be a remarkable guy! at least you have still got your specs...!Stay well and safe.

Thank you. Glad your safe. Hell of a alarm clock that wave was.

A novice here just completed my VHF course a while back and was great to see a full real world conversation. Really good protocol from both sailors too as far as I can tell. Must be nice to have a chat and what great timing. Still in awe of solo crossings.... well any crossing to be honest!

Glad you recovered from that with relatively minor damage. You're proof that it doesn't take crazy money or a huge boat to circumnavigate the globe, just skill with loads of determination and courage. Sail on safe!!

Glad to learn you weren't injured and the damage to Wave Rover wasn't 'voyage-ending'. Carry on!

I can just concur with most of the comments on here. Glad you’re ok and tough little ship you’ve got there👍⛵️ Warren s/y Legend 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

For safety reasons it's best to stow everything properly when underway. Having a knock down is bad enough without having a sink full of dishes, or anything, flying around the cabin. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worse.

Awesome boat and great video. Thanks for sharing.

You're doing very well. Bless you!

My word, friend, that's a small ship for that distance. Bravo!

wow! that's an event you'll never forget. glad you are ok.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for inspiring others with your knowledge - Jesus has given you a great gift to share - GB - Steve - Rivers of Life Church - Oxford UK

A really enjoyable and learning video thank you :)

Well done. Keep your spirits up and keep safe

Gosh this is really good. Thanks

im enjoying your videos very much , please keep them coming

re-watching this episode after watching current new Wave Rover build. It's so cool to see all the the egineering going into the new boat to avoid this in the future ! Crack on, and apply lots of thickened epoxy on the spiffy new build.....

Must be nice to hear a friendly voice after a near capsize like that?

OMG! I'd be panackiing under such a scary situation. Your channel is doing great. Loads of views. Well deserved.

Glad to know you weren't injured. Best wishes.

You and that bloody hatch not being securely shut 😆. Glad your safe and sound tho.

On the plus side you now know that Wave Rover has several self-deploying trailing lines for heavy weather! Seriously, glad you're safe...

Stay safe where all with you

Bravo sailor. Bless you.

Great video and shooting and voiceover and everything really.

Hi good to see how cool you keep things, I would like to say one thing I like all the modification you have done but I think you need to have a stronger locking on your hatch as you must remember that isn't the first time that it has come open, I'm not criticising your work I think it's well done just want you to stay safe and love the vlogs so stay safe and happy days

Whoo that seemed like a long time to not get some details about the knock down. Thankfully you are safe and repaired. On to Canada now I understand. Fair winds and safe seas

Well done and how cool you are.

This man is gutsy. Great videos.

Your a legend keep at, love the videos;)

Wow! Like they say of sailing: 98% tranquility, 2% terror. Stay safe, fair winds. SV Lola

Wave Rover is now Wave Roll over 🌊⛵ that lil bad boi popped back up like a pitbull !!!! Tablet,shrouds,solar panels ,soaked tighty whities YOUR ALIVE do to you know and have fitted Wave 👏 another story for the books be blessed 🌬️💨⛵🤙🏼 Your not far from Puget sound you have options in a pinch 👌🏻

His skill and confidence are generic transferable. Tha is why he makes the videos

Sorry to hear about your knockdown. Glad you are ok. Stay dafe.

Love your videos

You are brave

love the flexibility of the lashings on the >Mark 3 - proven to be far superior to a solid mounting.

Great how you kept your cool. I've noticed your lifelines and some rust stains. Recently I checked mine (they looked the same as yours) and underneath the vinyl the stainless steel wire was completely corroded! Many strands in many places just broken in two. I recommend you replace them. Stay safe.

So this is the scary experience you went through... But with your Canadian phlegm you make it look as nothing 💪, glad to know it's part of the past now...good luck with you voyage back home!

Your an amazing dude stay safe.

I realize this is not real time but the cabin top solar with the broken stern rail one would be a good idea. No shadows.

Rogue waves are my biggest fear. Well, that and loss of keel. Pretty much everything else you can prepare for or work around. But a rogue wave can sink a ship or incapacitate you in seconds with no warning.

Excellent video 👍👍

Glad you are ok.

I have watched all your vlogs and really enjoyed them. I was knocked down, with mast head under water, in a Contessa 32'. It does make a bit of a mess down below. I agree with "hooking on" with a harness when necessary but you have a long tether and the jack stay is on the deck. If you go overboard what is your plan to get back on board? Also, you will know about the Corona virus but will Panama permit entry? The canal is/was closed and friends are stuck there at the moment. Best of luckband stay safe.

If u have a strong small watertight hull and likely can take the mast down before heavy weather you can just roll and wait it out i think, bigger boats might break and sink and loosing there masts.

It's amazing unbelievable story

Please make a better latch for your main hatch! I realize you’re working with what you’ve got aboard, but do consider an overbuilt latch when you’re in port next, along with a back up device.

Very brave man . That is a small boat

The ‘stern pulpit’ is called the pushpit

What righted the vessel was it ballast weight of the hull plus stored water and provisions etc , the wind or just luck. Forgive me I don’t sail but I was really fancying it up until this video.

Must of been a heck of a wave. Why one should strap in even in the cockpit.

Stay safe. A knock down is never a fun experience have experienced one stood in the cockpit, this is a good reason to stay below deck unless it is necessary to go on deck. You have the boat well setup for such an event, I am sure you will learn lessons from this. I assume the push pit damage is the result of the surface area of the solar panel and the wave. This is not a criticism more a question or observation. Solar energy is good you have a finite budget and you need to put panels were you can. This is more a comment for all of us to consider when placing panels.

Sir you are ‘Super cool’ one calm dude.

good argument for not mounting solar panels to anything likely to be pushed under water ........

I'm sure you were a little rattled after something like that. Glad you made it.

this is insane. i am looking for a 40-footer to cruise the east coast and he is crossing the atlantic on a 10m boat.

belay those sheets sailor !!

I must say you suffered remarkably little damage from a 90 degree knockdown. The solar mount probably was a bit too strong, causing the damage on the pulpit. The panel got smashed anyway, so I could imagine that you make a less sturdy panel mount once you are ashore again. Fair winds and stay safe!

Wow! Sorry to learn of the knock down. I figure the big wave was the force and the solar panel applied it very evenly to the rails and thus the result. Had you been using the tablet continuously 24/7 - hence it being in that stowage overnight? I would have thought with the ritzy VHF you would have just logged your position every 12 hours and transfer to paper chart, with the tablet just being used for verification and close to shore navigation. Glad the damage was not mission critical and importantly that you are OK.😀👍⛵️

Well at least you weren't unmasted. To bad it destroyed your plan. When do you expect your new boat will be completed. Anxiously await its voyage.

All grace that the damage was not even more severe. Mast stays held. Impressive. maybe thoughtfully over engineered? Stay well on your journey. Fair winds.

Oof :/ Was that the second or third time you took water through the hatch? Fool me once...

That would be enough for me to pee my pants and get some religion - all at the same time! (I was knocked down off of Cape Cod back in the 1980's - an experience I don't wish to repeat). Taking a dose of seawater in the cabin sucks, but at least your hull and rig remained intact. Happy you're safe, Alan!

Very gald you are safe... no doubt due to the well thought out and simple systems you've implemented. Anything you'd change now after that experience?

Hence a sextant. Good adventure.

I’m glad your ok

Gosh, one and a half miles and the overtaking cat couldn't see him, even in daylight and with a full sail. Definitely going to add an AIS transponder on my boat.

For you an occy strap is a "secured hatch"? wow.

Considering the boat and all the equipment has been sold did he realise the enormity of how it could’ve turned out, out there in the ocean.

Great

The more I read/watch about bluewater passages, the more it seems full-keeled boats suffer knockdowns to a higher degree than fin keeled boats. Seems the shallower draft coupled with the ballast being closer to the centerline of the boat (less self righting than a fin) and the huge underwater surface area seems to be caught by undercurrents and spins the boat over.

good vid, as they say a fair sea doth make a sailor not. Looks like i need to add a spare tablet and stronger attachment to my inventory, i already have a sextant in case of a full electrical failure. Also is there a reason you have your solar panels so far inboard and would it have helped if you could have stowed them in an upright position at night? ie if you had them further outboard the pivot point would allow you to have them angle inboard in a stowed position.

I've enjoyed and learned so much through your adventure. Did you do anything to exercise as you went? Or is the work physical enough that it doesn't matter?

So very sorry to see all your damage. How did your batteries do under the floor board. How are your ribs. Hope you feel better already

Yes, that was an adventure! Do you know what hit the solar panel to make it crack? And is your boat self-righting at all heel angles?