Episode 133 - The Quest

[Cameron H. 23786]

Correction: It would take JCVD only 2 months to get from New York to Thailand.

 

Assuming they went through the Suez Canal, it's about 12,120 nautical miles from New York to Bangkok.

 

I know they didn't go to Bangkok, but I felt like making it that distance covers every island 'near Siam' they could be going to. In the 1920s Thailand included Cambodia as a vassal state, so the secret island could be as far away as Phu Quoc, I think it's more likely to be somewhere in the Andaman Sea - Bangkok more or less splits the difference.

 

I estimate the speed of the boat to be about 9 knots.

 

I'm not sure what sort of boat they were travelling in. But I thought it looked a lot like the SS St Fergus, which was a cargo ship built in 1913 (I think gun runners/pirates are probably not getting a brand new ship). The St Fergus was a steam ship, but we don't see JCVD shoveling coal and I doubt that opportunity to flex (with all the sweat and the coal dust) would have been missed, so I've assumed that the ship was diesel.

 

The 1910s-built diesel ships of the East Asiatic Company (A Danish company that had cargo ships in and out of Bangkok in the 1910/20s) had an average service speed of 11 knots. These were well maintained and properly crewed ships, though. So I've made it 9 knots to account for lack of engine maintenance and also to account for the size of the ship. It's pretty small compared to other ocean crossing cargo ships of its day. The St Fergus sailed around the UK and Ireland, it didn't cross the Atlantic.

 

So, 12,120 nautical miles at an average speed of 9 knots is 57 days, add in 3/4 days for refueling stops and that makes it approximately 2 months.

 

Well done, my friend!

 

Did you also happen to notice (since there isn't a significant time jump or edit to indicate otherwise), that immediately after JCVD is captured, they seem to be, based on the setting sun, on a northwest bearing? Which seemed odd to me, considering, y'know, Canada being in the way and all...

 

However, assuming it was a time of year that such a course was even amenable (i.e. no ice packs), they could have been attempting to reach the Pacific by braving the treacherous Arctic waters of the Canadian Northwest Passage. This would have shaved a considerable amount of time off of their journey and would have been much faster than either the Panama or Suez Canals.

 

Navigation: There ain't nothing nerdy about that!

 

[firsttimecallerlongtimelistenr 3590]

i am way behind this week so i only just finished listening ... this movie makes no sense in terms of story telling ..

 

it starts with JCVD in the bar .. has a fight ... bartender asks "where did you learn to fight like that?" to which JCVD answers "it was long ago ... " and then suddenly we are in Tibet 1925 ... thats all fine but ...

 

much like daredevil this whole movie is basically a flash back and the flash back was triggered by the bartenders question but in the movie we never get to see JCVD learn to fight. as mentioned in the podcast they skipped that whole part .. so he spent 90 minutes telling a crazy story and skipped the actually part that would have answered the very specific question "where did you learn to fight?". i mean really this movie could have ended after the MTI scenes cause that was the answer to the question.

 

and then we learn he was reading it all from a book? that totally confused me ... did he have a book when he entered the bar ... or was the bar scene in the book too and ... it just made no sense

 

also i was terrified there was going to be an irish fighter in this .. especially after the irish cops ... imagine what they would have dressed him like ....

 

[Timbosteron 73]

Correction: It would take JCVD only 2 months to get from New York to Thailand.

 

Assuming they went through the Suez Canal, it's about 12,120 nautical miles from New York to Bangkok.

 

I know they didn't go to Bangkok, but I felt like making it that distance covers every island 'near Siam' they could be going to. In the 1920s Thailand included Cambodia as a vassal state, so the secret island could be as far away as Phu Quoc, I think it's more likely to be somewhere in the Andaman Sea - Bangkok more or less splits the difference.

 

I estimate the speed of the boat to be about 9 knots.

 

I'm not sure what sort of boat they were travelling in. But I thought it looked a lot like the SS St Fergus, which was a cargo ship built in 1913 (I think gun runners/pirates are probably not getting a brand new ship). The St Fergus was a steam ship, but we don't see JCVD shoveling coal and I doubt that opportunity to flex (with all the sweat and the coal dust) would have been missed, so I've assumed that the ship was diesel.

 

The 1910s-built diesel ships of the East Asiatic Company (A Danish company that had cargo ships in and out of Bangkok in the 1910/20s) had an average service speed of 11 knots. These were well maintained and properly crewed ships, though. So I've made it 9 knots to account for lack of engine maintenance and also to account for the size of the ship. It's pretty small compared to other ocean crossing cargo ships of its day. The St Fergus sailed around the UK and Ireland, it didn't cross the Atlantic.

 

So, 12,120 nautical miles at an average speed of 9 knots is 57 days, add in 3/4 days for refueling stops and that makes it approximately 2 months.

 

Even though I think your calculation of the distances and time is correct, they would never have used the Canal because it was way to expensive. During that time the canal was a financial disaster. Most of the ships still went around the south of Africa because you had to pay a lot of money to get through the canal (and you couldn't get through the floodgates unnoticed), because the company needed every franc they could get.

So, maybe rich pirates might have used the canal but I don't think smuggling those weapons would have made enough money.

 

Edit: I just read that around 1900 the average time saving using the canal instead of going around Africa was only 30 days: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sueskanal (article in German).

[firsttimecallerlongtimelistenr 3590]

and the line "and in the end we all did just fine" reminded me of homers great delivery of "neat little package!"

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps41x1AVjMA

[Lando 2019]

 

I want to see a supercut of that where they high five and then it just cuts back and forth repeatedly at them staring into each others eyes.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

I want to see a supercut of that where they high five and then it just cuts back and forth repeatedly at them staring into each others eyes.

What would be your song choice? The one that came to mind for me was "How Do I Live?"

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

What would be your song choice? The one that came to mind for me was "How Do I Live?"

 

"How Do I Live" would be pretty good...

 

Although, personally, I'd maybe go in this direction.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDIvpDTGepI

 

ETA: God, I've never actually tried to sit through that whole song. Yikes!

[Lando 2019]

Good question Tayloranne. I think I'd have to go with some classic Air Supply

 

Now I wish I knew how to make music videos from movie clips because I would be making suggestive Tango & Cash videos all day today.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

What would be your song choice? The one that came to mind for me was "How Do I Live?"

Easy. Harry Nilsson. Always.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bQGRRolrg0

[jarrycanada 2483]

 

I want to see a supercut of that where they high five and then it just cuts back and forth repeatedly at them staring into each others eyes.

 

what about like this,

 

 

[Lando 2019]

 

what about like this,

 

 

 

The slow mo really highlights Stallone's sex eyes.

[Amy the Gorilla 732]

I just saw the HDTGM Facebook post ofa picture of JCVD with pleated pants on, and someone in the comments was like "He needs all those pleats, otherwise splits would bust a hole in the crotch of his pants." (I'm paraphrasing) and this came to mind immediately.

 

 

Hehe... Gusset is such a great word by the way.

[jarrycanada 2483]

I just saw the HDTGM Facebook post ofa picture of JCVD with pleated pants on, and someone in the comments was like "He needs all those pleats, otherwise splits would bust a hole in the crotch of his pants." (I'm paraphrasing) and this came to mind immediately.

 

 

Hehe... Gusset is such a great word by the way.

 

Hold on a second, I've got something for ya.,

I made this sometime ago.

 

[taylor anne photo 11311]

Good question Tayloranne.

Idk why but I'm really starting to think I should actually put the spaces between my names now. I swear all those years ago it wouldn't let me do that and I never rebranded myself.

 

Or the change could cause anarchy and the forums would burst into flames.

[Cameron H. 23786]

Okay, we haven't done this in a while...

 

Fuck/Marry/Kill

 

Frank Dux--Bloodsport

Chris DuBois--The Quest*

Col. Guile--Street Fighter

 

For me, it would be:

 

Fuck -- Frank Dux (I'm totally down with his flexibility and stamina)

 

Marry-- Col. Guile (He's incredibly faithful to his friend Charlie, so I can only assume that would translate to a loyal husband.)

 

Kill-- Chris DuBois (He doesn't really bring much to the table. He doesn't have the youthful athleticism of Dux, doesn't have a steady job, and his loyalties seem to bounce all over the place [i'm doing this for the kids! No, I'm doing this for Maxie! No, I'm doing this for me! No, I'm doing this for Dobbs])

 

 

 

*Was it ever discussed what exactly the titular "quest" might be? According to the definition I looked up, a "quest" is "a long arduous search for something." What exactly was he searching for? Is it just for a way home? That seems like it's cheating somehow. He doesn't need to search for a way home, he just needs to escape and hitch a ride. Oh, fuck--is it something intangible like self-respect? Fuck that!

 

[Cameron H. 23786]

Idk why but I'm really starting to think I should actually put the spaces between my names now. I swear all those years ago it wouldn't let me do that and I never rebranded myself. Or the change could cause anarchy and the forums would burst into flames.

 

You mean you would be, "Taylor Anne?"

 

[FisterRoboto 7499]

 

You mean you would be, "Taylor Anne?"

 

No, dude. It's Taylo Ranne.

[Cameron H. 23786]

No, dude. It's Taylo Ranne.

 

You don't mean, as in, the Knights of Ranne...?

 

Oh, fuck...

 

[Lando 2019]

Idk why but I'm really starting to think I should actually put the spaces between my names now. I swear all those years ago it wouldn't let me do that and I never rebranded myself.

 

Or the change could cause anarchy and the forums would burst into flames.

 

I was not sure if it was a thing like the name Leeanne and all of its single word permutations or you did not leave spaces.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

No, dude. It's Taylo Ranne.

You don't mean, as in, the Knights of Ranne...?

 

Oh, fuck...

 

Actual photo of me once the boards go into absolute chaos

 

 

I was not sure if it was a thing like the name Leeanne and all of its single word permutations or you did not leave spaces.

Oh it wasn't even just you that brought on this line of thinking! It hit me after I think Dan or maybe even Paul in the threads a couple of months ago just went "Tayloranne" that I was like oh wait this looks odd to me lol.

 

But I'm really liking this whole "Taylo Ranne" thing...

[Lando 2019]

No, dude. It's Taylo Ranne.

 

 

 

[DanEngler 5249]

Oh it wasn't even just you that brought on this line of thinking! It hit me after I think Dan or maybe even Paul in the threads a couple of months ago just went "Tayloranne" that I was like oh wait this looks odd to me lol.

I said "Tay Loranne" but "Taylo Ranne" is, in hindsight, the obvious better choice.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

I said "Tay Loranne" but "Taylo Ranne" is, in hindsight, the obvious better choice.

Ha you did! And it was Fister just above you that put the two names together!

 

I'm suddenly loving all of the different variations so have at it.

[firsttimecallerlongtimelistenr 3590]

one of my fav moments ...

 

[taylor anne photo 11311]

The edit has been made.

 

The ministry has fallen.

 

They are coming.

 

They are coming.