Plucky Rockall adventurer prepares to leave islet

Brit adventurer Nick Hancock is preparing to leave the North Atlantic islet of Rockall, short of his planned 60-day stay but probably after he breaks the two existing occupation records. Nick Hancock and his survival podule atop Rockall. Pic: Nick Hancock Not long now: Nick Hancock and his survival podule atop Rockall …

[Anonymous Coward]

Brit adventurer?

This guy had two things to do: securely attach everything to the rock, and wait. He failed the first part. Lack of preparation? Amateurism? Suddenly that 60-day objective was never a true goal...

[Juan Inamillion]

Re: Brit adventurer?

Have you ever been in a serious storm at sea? You can tie things down as much as you like but if the elements want to rip it away there's very little to stop it. You really have no idea of the power until you're in the middle of it...shitting yourself....

I'd say the 60 day goal was a target rather than an objective (pedant alert), probably ambitious knowing the records were well short of that, but you can't blame someone for not trying!

All in all I think I'd say 'If you can do better mate...'

[Alan Brown]

Re: Brit adventurer?

"You can tie things down as much as you like but if the elements want to rip it away there's very little to stop it"

And it's surprising how high the water can reach. A friend of mine was working halfway up one lighthouse in northern europe (over 100 feet above the water) and got himself (and all his test equipment) soaked by a rogue wave.

[Cynic_999]

Re: Brit adventurer?

Yes, I have been in a serious storm at sea (75 kt winds lasting 5 hours) - in a 31 foot yacht at night. The sound is perhaps the worst aspect, it is so loud it stops you thinking straight and inhibits communication. However, despite the fact that I had had no previous experience of such a storm, I had been able to get sufficient knowledge to ensure that everything was lashed down securely enough that there was no damage and insignificant loss of equipment (just one danbuoy broke away and went adrift).

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Brit adventurer?

"You can tie things down as much as you like but if the elements want to rip it away there's very little to stop it."

Okay, but in this case the straps were fine. However he allowed a weak link in the connection between the barrels and their handles, which was the failure point. Easy to point out after the fact, I know. Still, had he strapped up the barrels themselves, rather than just the handles, he might have retained that food.

[Rich 11]

Re: Brit adventurer?

If he lost a load of food it seems quite reasonable he'd want to leave before he started going hungry. He wouldn't want to risk a safe departure by being too weak to climb down safely.

[NogginTheNog]

Re: Brit adventurer?

You of course will be out there on the very next boat to show him how it's done eh??

Keyboard warriors...

[Mr Common Sense]

Re: Brit adventurer?

Presumably you'll be paying for this new expedition and an internet connection out there?

[lawndart]

says:

I never realised the Antarctic stretched so far north.

Have they been reading the reciprocal compass heading again?

[Graham Dawson]

Re: says:

Given how far the Antarctic ice sheet has spread the last couple of years, perhaps they're just playing safe.

[ian 22]

What are those plaques in the piccy?

Commeration of The Vulture's occupation of the Rock? Does one say "Property of Her Brittanic Majesty"? Or perhaps "gid orf moi Rock"?

[Lester Haines]

Re: What are those plaques in the piccy?

British government plaques, although I think Greenpeace put something up there too. We were too busy being extremely pleased with ourselves atop the rock to bother with flag-waving plaquery. "Get oorf moi rooock" would have been a good move, though.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: What are those plaques in the piccy?

" although I think Greenpeace put something up there too."

I hope our man put his time to good use and chiselled it off and threw into into the sea after crapping on it.

[Buiatra]

Re: What are those plaques in the piccy?

"Hemingway was here"

[Destroy All Monsters]

Re: What are those plaques in the piccy?

"Why won't you stay ... a little bit longer?"

and

"Waterhouse was here"

[Crazy Operations Guy]

"British Antarctic Survey"

I think they might have gotten a little lost....

[WaveSynthBeep]

Re: "British Antarctic Survey"

Currently en route from St John's Newfoundland to Immingham then Freidrikshavn for waste disposal, refit and resupply. It's a bit nippy down south at the moment hence a good time to take out the trash, do some DIY and then do a big Tesco run.

[WaveSynthBeep]

Re: "British Antarctic Survey"

Ah, appears the diversion via St John's is a research cruise to measure water circulation fluxes in the subpolar North Atlantic.

Here's our plucky adventurer from the James Clark Ross end of the telescope:

http://ukosnap.wordpress.com/2014/07/08/fantastic-views-of-rockall/

[Al Jones]

Re: "British Antarctic Survey"

How long has that windmill been up there???

[Destroy All Monsters]

Re: "British Antarctic Survey"

Here's our plucky adventurer from the James Clark Ross end of the telescope

If I didn't know better, I would say "shopped"!

[Brian Miller]

Watch out for sneaky Argentinians...

And now Argentina makes a sneaky move for the rock in response to the Falklands...

As for RRS James Clark Ross, why shouldn't they be in the neighborhood? The antarctic is cold! Actually, I'm surprised they aren't in Tahiti or some such.

[RockBurner]

"although I think the pod will survive the fall, the shock of hitting the water may crack the hatches, and if the pod were then to roll, it would fill with water and be lost".

Oddly - I'd assumed the survival pod was a life-raft as well (in case it got swept off into the ocean by heavy seas.... something that nearly happened). Obviously not.

[Sir_Hops_A_Lot]

So, the previous record-holder was up there with what....a tent and sleeping bag?

And I'm guessing, before that, the SAS guy got to the rock, jumped in the water and wrestled the biggest octopus he could find back to it. He then used the octopus to strap himself to the windward side and spent the next 40 days daring Neptune to knock him off. Finding Neptune a laughably over-rated opponent, he got bored and left.

This guy (rather impressively) drags a small apartment complex up there, enjoys an extended vacation in what passes for the "Rockall Lap of Luxury" and every one's prepared to concede him the record?

Shouldn't circumstances count for something?