Regarding the sailor who went missing from Dana Point, CA in October and who's Catalina 30 ended up in Hawaii 90 days later.
There has long been a hard and fast opinion regarding bluewater boats, including the fact that vessels such as those built by Catalina are not included in this category mostly for reasons relating to catastrophic structural failure or water intrusion and subsequent crew peril.
I would like to hear experienced opinion and conjecture as to how a non-bluewater vessel made a 90 day ocean crossing to Hawaii intact, with no mast or pilot.
It can be argued that the vessel was in fact dismasted, which dimishes the perceived integrity if the
rigging, however the vessle itself survived. Conversely, it can also be argued that the
rigging was sound, but 1,000 uncontrolled gybes and unnavigated wave crashes may have been able to dismast even heartier
rigs.
How is it that this coastal cruiser did not roll(See interior pictures online, which show some gear still in place) and\or sink while being tossed about in open water for 3 months with no mast?