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Sailors rescued 900 miles off shore..

5K views 38 replies 15 participants last post by  capttb 
#1 · (Edited)
#2 ·
"The first Coast Guard District command center quickly found a Polish translator and arranged a conference call with the contact to gather information that would help identify the vessel and assess the safety equipment available to the men aboard."

I love the coasties. This is a remarkable story due mainly to it's uneventfulness. This would have made Steve Callahan's ordeal a non-event had this technology and international cooperation been in place in his time.
 
#8 ·
Great that there was no loss of life, of course... But I'd hardly call setting such a beautiful boat adrift at sea, still floating on her lines, and with the main mast still in the boat, an entirely "happy ending"...

Sure would be interesting to know more details on this one...

If you can find out more like how they came to be in need of rescue. What broke ? the could have, would have, should have, kind of things. Not to pass a judgement but to learn. Thanks for the post, Lou
Just a hunch, but I'd guess being in the North Atlantic, roughly midway between Europe and the US, near the end of freakin' JANUARY, just might have been a factor in yet "another very modern rescue"...

Time to cue the Polish jokes, perhaps? (grin)
 
#7 ·
The Tiberon is a Cabo Rico with a mizzen mast which appears to be missing in the article.
/sailors-rescued-900-miles-offshore/]Sailors Rescued 900 Miles Offshore

Nice out come. The are alive. Sad the boat is lost but as always you can get boats but you one get one life. If you can find out more like how they came to be in need of rescue. What broke ? the could have, would have, should have, kind of things. Not to pass a judgement but to learn. Thanks for the post, Lou
 
#11 ·
From what I read the boat is a respected "blue water" boat. Built in Costa Rica ? She is not an aircraft carrier or tanker, What size was she and what factors made up her demise? I am not know about her size or the exact model year and condition. Was her core rotten? Did "rotten to the core" come from apples or boats? Good day, Lou
 
#12 ·
Winter on the North Atlantic is one of the more unforgiving places to be. If you look carefully as most commercial ships, you will notice the draft numpers for and aft? Used to be (not sure if it still is) that the bottom most number would be labeled "WNA" as in... Winter North Atlantic.. Loading to this line would put the ship at her shallowest depth and giver her the most freeboard to survive the waves from the storms that churn this part of the ocean up during the winter.

While I have no problems with sailing across the atlantic.. it is not something you should do from late fall till mid-spring
 
#14 ·
When I was a kid we sailed from Liverpool to Montreal in early November in a 22,000 ton Cunarder. It was the last run of the season, even for a ship that size. It was scary - the seas were like mountains even from 50 odd feet up. We weren't even allowed out on deck.

Being there in a small boat in JANUARY is simply Darwinism in action.
 
#28 ·
Lin Pardey, What kind of weather and what kind of boats were used in this weather? Just looking for the line. Lin did or did not cross the line? We know our North Atlantic friends crossed it because they left the boat but they left without loss of life. Regards. Lou
 
#30 · (Edited)
Lin Pardey, Larry Pardey, Storm Tactics Modern Methods . Adlard Coles' Heavy weather sailing, I have to think people write the book must go out into some weather. I have yet to read the two books I am in a different book right now. I spend a lot of time here on sailnet. I call myself new to sailing. I am looking at this voyage 900 miles out and trying to see all of the events that made this outcome. Easy to see WNA is the big one. I am pleased with how well the post have been to point out water lines and such. Now I know what WNA stands for. The best Choice Made at 900 miles was to ask for help. Winds for the next day by way of whats been posted look to be beyond the crew and boats ability. They came to be in an bad situation unnesessary. Planes fly into the eyes of storms, HMS Bountys sink. Men climb Everest. Good well equipped sailboats are Quote " capable of dealing with (almost) anything the ocean can dish out" end Quote, Lin & Larry Pardey. I want to explore and learn what made this event. We may be at the end the thread now? The HMS Bounty is for me not that interesting. I will not be on a ship like her. If I keep at it I could find myself on a 40 foot or less and under sail Good day, Lou
 
#34 ·
well.. regarding the fastnet gale... if they had stayed with the boats.. how beaten up or even dead, would the sailors had been if they had been below decks during that aweful event?

I am not saying you are wrong.. you're not.. but I can think that pitchpoling below decks is a good way to break a lot of bones
 
#35 ·
Fershur but if it's that bad, being in a liferaft would be like a few cycles in a clothes dryer.

No matter what, it's a situation best avoided.
 
#37 ·
Have another recent one. Only at 60Nm from land he was rescued because he felt strong pains in the chest. He was 67 year's older.



I confess that guys with around 70 or more and small children (with less than 3 years) on a sailboat on long Ocean passages give me some concern. It is known that both groups need frequent medical care that obviously is not available in the middle of the Ocean.

Some worry a lot about boat seaworthiness but this seems to me a far bigger risk not only to them but to the ones that risk their lives to assist them, not to mention costs that are not paid by them but by all.

...
 
#39 ·
Sometimes you just got to:
Spread your arms and hold you breath
Always trust your cape
Guy Clark
I've seen "experienced sailors" crumble in nasty weather, but I've not seen a Cabo Rico crumble.
I'll admit to being a sissy, at 30-35 kts. I'll turn downwind and run squealing like a little girl who's seen the boogey man for any shelter if available. But I don't know how you can instill people with the confidance that the boat won't sink and the storm will end. Sometimes you just got to lay back, hang on, and wait it out.
 
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