Yacht Evacuated Off Cape Sable Island (Canada)

[jackdale]

Nine on a 35 foot yacht?

One person is dead, three are missing and two people are in critical condition after a yacht ran into mechanical problems south of Nova Scotia's Cape Sable Island.

A search was continuing Tuesday morning for those who had been aboard the vessel.

Yarmouth Regional Hospital officials said two men pulled from the water were in critical condition, but could not elaborate further on their injuries.

The approximately 35-foot yacht had been carrying nine people, authorities said, when it reportedly rolled, about 150 kilometres off Cape Sable Island, or Cape Island as it's known, on Monday night.



Read more: Cape Sable Island yacht accident leaves 1 dead, 2 badly hurt, 3 missing

[Mystic1]

Just saw this on CTV News. The report indicates the yacht was caught in gale force winds and high seas (apparently typical North Atlantic winter conditions). The report also indicates that the crew were from an "eastern block" country, and the question was raised as to why they were sailing the North Atlantic at this time of year.

[Faster]

Nine on a 35 footer???

[Tim R.]

Strange. The north Atlantic is dicey enough in the summer with fronts developing out of nowhere. Why would anyone be there this time of year unless going out on limited commercial fishing runs.

As for 9 people on a 35ft. boat, this is the media and they get this stuff wrong all the time.

[jackdale]

Human Smuggling

The Canadian government says a yachting accident off the coast of Nova Scotia that has left one dead and three missing is being treated as a human smuggling attempt.

Search-and-rescue crews have found no sign of three missing sailors amid high seas and bad weather after the SV Tabasco 2 ran into mechanical troubles amid high seas and bad weather.

One other person is confirmed dead and five more were rescued from the yacht, which floundered in the frigid Atlantic Ocean Monday night.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said some of the survivors have asked for refugee status.



Read more: Toews links N.S. yacht accident to 'human smuggling' | CTV News

[SloopJonB]

One would have to be a fool to be out there in winter in a 35 footer, 9 aboard or not.

[Maine Sail]

It has been blowing pretty hard here for the last two days with winds gusting over 50. Off Sable that could mean seas of 30+/- feet and darn short & steep....

The only Tabasco 2 I can find on-line is a Lagoon catamaran out of Croatia somewhere?? 9 could fit on that but they'd have to have a death wish to cross that far North this time of year....

[Faster]

News graphics show a power cruiser.. but that doesn't mean much, of course. The CG specialist is quoted in the news bits as the boat being the worst he's ever been inserted on, and that the seas were 3-4 storeys high.. They were in the water and the pilot had a difficult time staying on station.

There was also speculation they were dropped onto the smaller boat from a larger vessel. Either way it's madness... but our Coast Guards always come through, don't they??

[jimjazzdad]

The yacht was about 80 miles south of CAPE SABLE ISLAND (which is not the same as Sable Island ... Cape Sable Island is off the Southwestern end of Nova Scotia) so it appears the sailboat may have been headed for the US. Nine male Eastern Europeans onboard. One report gave the vessel's name as S/V Tabasco. Three were take off by a tanker (FSL Hamburg) that responded to the MAYDAY. Apparently 3 more were lost in the water during this rescue attempt. 3 remaining crew were taken off by a Canadian SAR helocopter, but one of these died enroute. The search for the 3 in the water has been abandoned as there is now no chance of survival in these cold waters after more than 24 hours. SAR techs that were aboard the vessel said it looked like it may have been rolled several times. At the time of the chopper rescue, the wind was gusting to 45 knots with snow squalls and the seas were stated as being "three stories high". It sounds like the 5 who survived were very lucky...

[BubbleheadMd]

Why all the consternation about 9 people on a 35 foot boat?

The 35 footer I race on is allowed 10 crew. Assuming 2 were on watch, there were enough bunks below for the remaining 8. The boat was not overloaded or unsafe.