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Florida man arrested after trying to cross Atlantic in hamster wheel vessel

bbc.com

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Re: Florida man arrested after trying to cross Atlantic in hamster wheel vessel

#41

Post by quitit »

PlunderBunny wrote: post #34

I wonder if someone can do some back-of-the-envelope maths to figure out how much energy (calories) he would need to burn to cross the Atlantic, and therefore how much food he would need. I suspect his voyage isn't possible, even in calm weather, because the amount of energy required increases the amount of food required, which increases the weight, which increases the amount of food... a rocket liftoff problem with…

One could form an impressive list of the ways he would certainly die, there's always drowning, exposure, sleep deprivation, thirst, hunger and all of the intricacies that could be grouped under catabolism processes.

The seafaring types might have a definitive answer.

Re: Florida man arrested after trying to cross Atlantic in hamster wheel vessel

#42

Post by lolc »

This guy would have died if he managed to get off shore enough to be past anybody noticing him. He'd be blown along by the winds mostly, being so high and light. So if he didn't plan it well, he has no chance. And by the article, he didn't plan at all.

Check out "Naufragé volontaire : Sans vivres sur l'Atlantique" by Alain Bombard[0] if you want to read what a crossing on a small vessel entails.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Bombard

Re: Florida man arrested after trying to cross Atlantic in hamster wheel vessel

#44

Post by CapitalistCartr »

PlunderBunny wrote: post #34

I wonder if someone can do some back-of-the-envelope maths to figure out how much energy (calories) he would need to burn to cross the Atlantic, and therefore how much food he would need. I suspect his voyage isn't possible, even in calm weather, because the amount of energy required increases the amount of food required, which increases the weight, which increases the amount of food... a rocket liftoff problem with…

MREs are only meant to be eaten for up to three weeks, but casting caution to the winds . . .

At four MREs per day (510 to 740 grams ea.), plus six liters of fresh water, one week supply would weigh 60 kg. Making five knots for 10 hours per day would be generous. At that blistering velocity, 4500nm would take thirteen weeks, needing 780kg of food & water. Which would prevent his wheel from turning. Of course, if he knew how to plot a course, he'd have the winds at his back.

Re: Florida man arrested after trying to cross Atlantic in hamster wheel vessel

#45

Post by lolc »

PlunderBunny wrote: post #34

I wonder if someone can do some back-of-the-envelope maths to figure out how much energy (calories) he would need to burn to cross the Atlantic, and therefore how much food he would need. I suspect his voyage isn't possible, even in calm weather, because the amount of energy required increases the amount of food required, which increases the weight, which increases the amount of food... a rocket liftoff problem with…

Actually, Alain Bombard[0] demonstrated that one can live off the land on sea :-)

Not that this Florida man had any chance of repeating the achievement.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Bombard

Re: Florida man arrested after trying to cross Atlantic in hamster wheel vessel

#46

Post by JumpCrisscross »

criddell wrote: post #20
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Morons will need search & rescue on the CG's taxpayer-supplied dime, then maybe need medical care at public expense, too This sounds like something adults should be allowed to opt out of. As long as the rest of us can be mature enough to not call for heads when some of them inevitably die, there shouldn’t be moral hazard. (Or maybe you’re rescued but you foot the entire bill.)

Adults who are rational and mentally healthy, sure. If a person were on top of a tall building wearing a bed sheet as a cape, letting them jump would be a similar moral issue in my eyes. If this person was warned that he would not be rescued and the next day sent out a distress signal, do you really think coast guard and other agencies would ignore the call for help?

> do you really think coast guard and other agencies would ignore the call for help?

Arizona's stupid motorist law, which "states that any motorist who becomes stranded after driving around barricades to enter a flooded stretch of roadway may be charged for the cost of their rescue," is the model legislation here [1].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stupid_motorist_law

Re: Florida man arrested after trying to cross Atlantic in hamster wheel vessel

#47

Post by warrenm »

qingcharles wrote: post #29

70 miles off shore is international waters. Most countries limit extends 12 miles these days. (excluding resource extraction) Why does the coastguard have jurisdiction? Because it was launched from the USA? At what point is your vehicle a ship? i.e. is a surfboard a ship?

pretty sure, USCG jurisdiction extends to at least 200nm from the coastline - per https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/data/us-maritime-limits-and-...

Re: Florida man arrested after trying to cross Atlantic in hamster wheel vessel

#48

Post by mikestew »

fnordpiglet wrote: post #27
mikestew wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Had he ever demonstrated that could get further than his own state, you might have a point. But those reading TFA all the way to the end know that it’s not the first time the Coast Guard has pulled him out of the water, and it’s not been far from where he started.

What wasn’t clear from the article is if he needed to be pulled out of the water or if the coast guard “rescued” him because they just assumed he was insane. (Which seems reasonable). He does however seem to not want to be rescued and allows to hamster wheel himself to a probable death. I do wonder why he isn’t allowed to, people do all sorts of insane things and die doing it and they’re allowed to, such as difficult…

"In 2021, he was arrested after being rescued while trying to ride from Florida to New York after drifting 30 miles south of his departure point."

For those not familiar with U. S. geography, New York is north of Florida, not south.

Re: Florida man arrested after trying to cross Atlantic in hamster wheel vessel

#49

Post by slowmovintarget »

junar wrote: post #12

Criminal complaint: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23937421-baluchi

> USCG officers then approached BALUCHI and the Vessel in a USCG small boat. USCG officers informed BALUCHI that he needed to disembark the Vessel onto their small boat since they were terminating his voyage due to it being manifestly unsafe. BALUCHI replied that he was armed with a 12-inch knife and would attempt to commit suicide should the USCG officers attempt to remove him from the Vessel. The USCG officers then returned to the USCG Cutter VALIANT, which remained on scene.

...

> On or about August 27, 2023, the USCG Cutter VALIANT continued to make efforts to disembark BALUCHI utilizing their small boat. However, BALUCHI displayed two knives and threatened to hurt himself if officers boarded the Vessel. Moreover, BALUCHI threatened to blow himself up, along with the Vessel. USCG officers believed this to be a valid threat, as they observed BALUCHI holding wires in his hand. USCG officers contacted the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit at Kings Bay, Georgia to determine blast and fragmentation radius of the alleged bomb.

> On or about August 28, 2023, the USCG Cutter CAMPBELL arrived on scene with the USCG Cutter VALIANT to provide support. The USCG Cutter CAMPBELL launched a small boat to attempt to deliver food, water, and predictions of the incoming hurricane to BALUCHI. USCG officers again ordered BALUCHI off the Vessel, but he again refused. It was then that BALUCHI informed the USCG officers that the bomb was not real.

The complaint goes on. The Coast Guard spent a week on this guy. Seems like he wasn't obeying the rules and earned his arrest at a minimum. All of this while a hurricane was on its way.

Re: Florida man arrested after trying to cross Atlantic in hamster wheel vessel

#50

Post by fineIllregister »

alex_lav wrote: post #31
bell-cot wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a generality , "unsafe voyage" is a reasonable thing to outlaw. Morons will need search & rescue on the CG's taxpayer-supplied dime, then maybe need medical care at public expense, too. Plus too-trusting friends & family who are along for the ride on their SS Davey Jones, collisions with other boats, cleaning up the wreckage and oil slicks, etc., etc. Vs. this guy's "water wheel" seems to fairly-mostly avoid those…

> As a generality, "unsafe voyage" is a reasonable thing to outlaw. Morons will need search & rescue on the CG's taxpayer-supplied dime, then maybe need medical care at public expense, too. Of all the stupid things regular people can do to add strain/cost to the united states' social systems, "unsafe voyage" seems pretty low on the list, both in cost and frequency. I'd guess that injuries as a result of accidental gu…

> I'd guess that injuries as a result of accidental gun discharge and/or fireworks easily 10x-100x yearly spend on search and rescue.

Fireworks are illegal in many states. Guns are regulated and there's widespread efforts for more.

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