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BFS Proponent Rescued at Sea

72K views 538 replies 79 participants last post by  krisscross 
#1 ·
This turkey punched his EPIRB and was just picked up.
Here's what he said before he started his passage to Hawaii with NO experience at sea.

"I acknowledge that I am incredibly inexperienced, but I think I can do this. And for some reason, I feel very strongly about doing it single-handed. (At least to Hawaii, anyways) A friend of mine summed it up as "keep the heavy side down, keep the water on the outside, don't run into stuff, and reef early". That's pretty much my plan, to be honest.
My boat is a veteran cruising boat, and I am sure that it is up to the task of crossing oceans, even with me at the helm, alone. I know that I don't truly know what i'm up against, but I am used to identifying and solving problems as they occur, and this is the mindset that I am taking with me. Yes, i'm sure stuff will break. And i'll fix it to the best of my abilities. .... I am not cocky, I do not think this will be an easy trip, given my lack of experience and being alone, but I truly believe that I can do anything that I truly set my mind to. "
**************
The ACTUAL experience is a bit different than the dream.
**************
RJ,
I hoisted the sails back up and started to get going, but I have no steering. the rudder post is broken. not the linkage, but the post. it is broken. if i turn the wheel, everything works, but you can see it turning on the rudder post. it sheared off. it was old, fatigued metal i guess. i dont know. i am on a boat, 700 miles from land, WITH NO STEERING. there is nothing that i can do. i am going to call mayday and try to get rescued. i am going to be activating my EPIRB with the Unique Identification Number 2DCC56C554FFBFF. notify the coast guard with that number, and let them know it is me. I am at 28*21' N, 129*44' W. No matter which way i turn the rudder, or how hard, I loko over the side, and it's staying same position. dead ahead. boat is just rocking too. fear its going to roll over in these seas, because i am beam on to the ocean. i need rescue. this is the lowest ive ever been. i am activating epirb soon. email me right back. call the coast guard. comm still works, so i can stay in touch and wait for rescue.
i am not prepared to drift and drift through hurricane alley until i hit land. the f*&^* rudder post sheared off. there is nothing that i can do. i almost rolled over. get me rescue asap.

ronnie
2:25 PDT- tried emailing you but it wouldnt work. i have called for a rescue. there is no turning back now.

-------------------------

I called the coast guard and gave them all the information, however, they were Already in contact with Ronnie. The Hawaii Coast Guard said Ronnie was getting beat up pretty good, but they were talking to him. I am now waiting on a call from the San Diego Coast Guard.

-RJ
RONNIE ACTIVATED HIS EPIRB

*******************************
And finally:

Ronnie was picked up about 30 minutes ago by a frieght ship headed to Shanghi, China. He is in good spirits but very shaken. The steering on his vessel was destroyed and he was in 20 to 30 foot seas. The official wind report was 35 to 40 knots with gusts higher. The rescue ship ran into Ron's boat on the first attempt, dismasting and crushing the front of the boat. The second attempt they snatched him with a rope and pulled him up. His leg was injured in the hoist when his solar panels smashed him in between the two vessels. It is not broken, just bruised. He has all video in tact and his laptop, which is wet. He called me from a sat phone aboard the ship and was grateful to have been rescued. He is now heading to China, but the capatain is attempting to re-route to Hawaii. I will keep you posted. The journey is not over, but it has taken a twist. One site said that the trip was no longer "eco" friendly, this may be true, but this is just the first leg!
-RJ
Yes, there are small obstacles to him continuing, like, no boat, but were working on that...
He said the mast went under water four times, but his boat did not roll. He admits he was not mentally prepared for this and is happy to be alive.
*********************
That post was from his brother. Ronnie will be crossing the Pacific to Shanghai!

Full details of the continuing saga are on their blog:
Welcome to the Open Blue Horizon | Open Blue Horizon | His,

The boat was a 1961 Palmer Johnson Bounty II
A full keel model with:
Length 40 feet 10 inches
Water line: 28 feet
Beam: 10 feet 3 inches
Draft: 6 feet
Weight: 22,500 pounds
Ballast: 11,500 pounds
Purchased for $30k.


Read the blog. Compare with Zac Sunderland....nuff said.
 
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#4 ·
No matter which way i turn the rudder, or how hard, I loko over the side, and it's staying same position. dead ahead.

Well heck, even us sweet-water puddle sailors know when it is immovable "dead ahead" that's the easiest to compensate with sail trim or drogues. It's when it's gone or jambed to one side it gets tough. ;-)

God bless the folks who rescue fools.
 
#7 ·
I'm glad he was rescued, but in a way I'm also glad that he had to be rescued. Crossing oceans in little boats is not a small undertaking and if he had been successful he would have shown his films to a bunch of other young people and spread the belief that all you need is a positive attitude and you can do anything. A 1961 boat should have been disassembled and inspected prior to setting off on a major ocean crossing. I seriously doubt that they dropped the rudder or replaced all the through hulls or replaced the chain plates or a thousand other things that an experienced sailor would know to do, but I could be wrong. Like I said, I'm glad he is OK, and I'm glad he won't be sending the wrong message to thousands of other young dreamers.

John
 
#8 ·
Here's the latest from his brother:
"Ronnie says the trip is not over, all though the story has changed a slight amount, okay, it is completely different, he still wants to sail around the world. When he gets to Hawaii we plan on scrounging up a sail boat and crew and continuing the journey. There are allot of sites talking trash about how awesome of sailors they are and how much of an idiot Ron is for doing this. I believe he could have stuck it out and suffered much longer, putting him in a much worse situation, but he did what he felt he needed to do to see tomorrow. I don't think any less of him for doing so. He has been through allot in his short life and he had a dream of sailing around the world, sipping a beer and enjoying life. He expected the ocean to be rough, but had no idea. We all make mistakes this was a big one for him. He lost his life savings, all of his possessions, and the boat. This is not an easy lesson to soak up emotionally. If he had thought about only those things he may not have been with us anymore, and for everybody that has read from the beginning and knows Ronnie personally, you can't help but love the guy. This is just another reason why we love him. Who volunteers for the Marine infantry, gets blown up in Iraq, suffers through recovery, has their dad die, tries normal life for two years, has a dream, follows his dream at all costs, prepares for an ocean passage for six months, gets into the ocean, loses their kayak, douses their cabin with gasoline, bilge pump stops working now pumping water out hourly by hand, freshwater contaminated, steering breaks, 20 to 30 foot waves, gets hit by a merchant ship, gets rescued, and is now on their way to China? "
The Situation | Open Blue Horizon | His, Vote, Have, Ronnie,

By the way...I think I found the problem:
"I was going to get a survey with haul-out, but that costs too much money. Besides, from what i've seen, every boat constantly breaks anyways, I'll take my chances on not having a survey."
Wonder how he feels about that now?
 
#14 ·
He expected the ocean to be rough, but had no idea. We all make mistakes this was a big one for him. He lost his life savings, all of his possessions, and the boat.
Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't it have made sense to try crossing the ocean a few times to get an idea how it is BEFORE trying to do it single handed? I know I sure as hell wouldn't try it.
 
#13 ·
Trade your Gemini for a 1961 Palmer Johnson Bounty II and you'll probably have enough cash left over for a couple of years at sea. It's all about choices. :D
 
#11 ·
I haven't read the man's blog and frankly have no interest so I'm not supporting unskilled or unqualified people going to sea and maybe he is an idiot (Jody) but two things from this thread are clear:
  • If he had to do this, then it's better that he does it alone and risks only his own life
  • A broken rudder post can happen to anybody and it wasn't his inexperience to blame for that. The suggestions that he should have been able to sail the boat with a dead ahead rudder (Delirious) thru a 20 to 30ft sea and that he should have stripped and rebuilt the entire boat (JRD22) before leaving are nonsense. I wouldn't have and neither would 95% of sailors.
If there is other info in the blog that makes the above statements accurate then I apologise but I'm still not going to bother reading it.

And, not that I am religious but "God bless the folks who rescue anybody" (Delirious).
 
#15 · (Edited)
[*]A broken rudder post can happen to anybody and it wasn't his inexperience to blame for that. The suggestions that he should have been able to sail the boat with a dead ahead rudder (Delirious) thru a 20 to 30ft sea and that he should have stripped and rebuilt the entire boat (JRD22) before leaving are nonsense. I wouldn't have and neither would 95% of sailors.[/LIST]If there is other info in the blog that makes the above statements accurate then I apologise but I'm still not going to bother reading it.
I beg to differ. A broken rudder can happen to anybody - true - However experienced sailors going offshore consider that possibility and plan on how to deal with it before they take off. They also make dammed sure that all vital systems (and few are as vital as steering) are in tip top shape. Anyone who has spent any time on the water would know that a boat built in '61 is going to need a careful inspection and a lot of upgrading before being anywhere near seaworthy. He wasn't going across a few miles of sheltered water. He was setting out around the world.

I completely disagree with your statement that 95% of sailors would do the same. Just not true. I would say that 95+% of the sailors I know who were planning a trip of that magnitude would spend a lot of time and a lot of money making sure they had a chance of getting to where they were going. I can't think of a single person I have ever sailed with that would be foolish enough to take off around the world on a 47 year old boat that had not been surveyed and carefully upgraded.

I am all in favor of people who want "follow their bliss", as Joseph Campbell says, but there are easier ways to commit suicide, ways that don't endanger rescuers.
 
#16 ·
When many people sailed before there was radios and EPIRBs. They had to fend for themselves. Jury-rigged a new rudder and head for the nearest port for repairs.
Now if you are having trouble, you holler for someone to get you out of the hole that you have dug and fell into.
Life may have been viewed easier in the old days. But it took a stronger minded person to survive those good old days.

Oh! When I used to teach sailing; near the end of the course I would disable the rudder and see if they could steer by using the sails. And come up with another means to steer by.

These thoughts are not to be taken as a put down on the lad. Just thoughts on comparing what was then and now.
It is a good thing that we do have EPIRBs and Radios today... And the AIS is rapidly becoming a godsend.
 
#17 ·
Oh Cam you rabble-rouser you! BFS "Proponent". So does this make you a BFS Opponent?

Look - here's what I said when you first posted this story in BFS:

"Honestly, Cam. I'm looking through his website - and this guy has quite a story. And no one can say he ain't got follow through (i.e. - cajones). Fair winds RJ. Go, man, go!

Definitely BFS."


And I'll stand by it.

Don't forget that very experienced sailor Skip Allan and Wildflower (in the first few pages of BFS). Rescued in roughly the same patch of water while single-handing in similar conditions. Complete polar opposites in terms of experience and knowledge - same result. Are you chumps going to call Skip Allan names?

So - give me a break on harshing this guy all over the place. Was he in over his head? Yeah, he admitted as much. (So was Skip in those conditions.) Should he have known more? Of course - who doesn't? Would I do it? Hell no - that scares the bajeepers out of me.

BUT - he did it. And he was prepared enough to survive it - just like Skip Allan. So just let the lessons stand without all this righteous indignation. You go out big when you feel you're ready to go out big. Sometimes you're right. Sometimes your wrong.

It's all still as subjective as it was before he cast off.

(BTW - you owe me 10 bucks for hi-jacking BFS. I own the trademark.)
 
#20 ·
BUT - he did it. And he was prepared enough to survive it.
Smacky,
I guess I missed something in the translation.
He did not survive with out the assistance of some very brave souls who put their lives in jepordy to go out and get him back safe...........
And, he was not preppared.

I am not sure I understand your statement.
 
#18 ·
I dont have much opinion one way or the other...I admire the spirit even though you can rightly argue the preperation.

A thought that comes to my mind often though is ...How many of this kind of attempts..aka. the tin can being another one or the bottle boat with a plane fuselage straped on, would not be attempted if it wernt for big brothers ability to come after you...or in other words your ace in the hole so to speak.

My guess is far fewer.
 
#21 ·
My point is that the end result was exactly the same for a guy that was UBER prepared and experienced as it was for someone that jumped into it with (by his admission) far too little of these two. The kid at least had enough safety equipment/preparation/wherewithal to be able to call in a rescue and ride/wait it out just as Skip did. At the end of the day - very few people slam Skip. He "just got caught". My hunch is that this kid is going to take a pretty vicious beating (looks like he already is) - for the exact same outcome. Why is that?

As for the brave souls - absolutely no argument there. Period. Still is absolutely right. God bless them. But it goes both ways in both situations.
 
#22 ·
Why is that?
I would guess because one had experience and one had none.
Baby steps, You have to crawl before you can learn how to walk.

I have no problem with people wanting to jump right in a go sailing, (Thats how I learned, thats how many of us learned) but to say, I have no experience in sailing and I want to sail singlehanded around the world just does not make any sense.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Okay - personally, I agree with your last point there. I'm sure as hell not going to try it (at least for a few more months until I get the new cushions in my C27). That's a big, big bite to take in my opinion. But I won't harsh this guy for his decision - just as I won't harsh Skip Allan's for his.

They both went for Big Freakin' Sails - and they both got slammed. It happens. And they both are going back at it. Good on 'em.
 
#24 ·
First...I respect this kid. He served his time in the Marines, was grievously wounded and I thank God for kids like him. He had/has a dream to sail around the world and do it singlehanded for at least major portions. He wanted to go now rather than later in life. No problem with that either.

What I do NOT respect is his total lack of preparation and HIS lack of respect for the sea and what it takes to both prepare yourself and the boat. Remember...his first sail single handed was on a Hobie Cat in protected waters just 6 months ago. He disregarded all the standard advice about buying a boat and getting a survey. He never had the boat hauled and 3 days out on his maiden voyage to Hawaii no less, his self steering broke and he was complaining about 25 knots of wind being too much.
He was simply unprepared for the voyage. You wanna sail around the world without any experience? Great...learn to sail. Get advice on your boat choice and have it checked out throroughly. Test yourself and the boat in discrete jumps...sail to Catalina, sail in a gale offshore, shakedown all your equipment, head down the coast to Baja and then back up to windward. Then plan your first REAL voyage on a reach...not a bash. Work up to it and then go once you are seasoned and know your boats capabilities.
Sure, anyone can lose a rudder...but it is less likely when you get a survey and when you don't assume that a missing zinc simply needs to be replaced.

I have no problem with his punching the EPIRB. Unlike some others, he EARNED the right to be rescued when he put his life on the line for us.
I do wish he had had the sense to respect the sea and prepare himself better. This should serve as a cautionary tale for other dreamers... by all means, live your dream...but the sea does not suffer those who fail to prepare.
 
#25 ·
You know. I think that was very well said.

Lesson learned: Prepare as much as you possibly can and realize the sea is a very unforgiving place. And keep the EPIRB handy. Done.

Now can we get back to talking about how to prepare for and deal with BFS instead of belittling it? You're sucking precious views off my thread, dude. Think of my lost royalties.
 
#34 ·
You know. I think that was very well said.

Lesson learned: Prepare as much as you possibly can and realize the sea is a very unforgiving place. And keep the EPIRB handy. Done.

Now can we get back to talking about how to prepare for and deal with BFS instead of belittling it? You're sucking precious views off my thread, dude. Think of my lost royalties.
Therein the whole problem with BFS as I see it. What's this crap about keeping the EPIRB handy? Where's all that talk about the size of your stones? EPIRB emissions shrink stones. Wanna show some stones, leave the EPIRB on the dock and then prepare as if your life depended upon it.

Having an EPIRB on board doesn't make your boat safer, it just makes it easier to find you when either you, the boat, or both fall apart. This guy was using it like the Mommy button, push it for Mommy to make it better once you realize you're in over your head. BFS? Big ***** Stupid, in this case.

I am glad for this kid's service to our country but I'm not willing to cut him even the slack Cam does. This kid prepared as if he had a safety blanket wrapped around himself.
 
#29 ·
Another question I have is are those conditions typical for that area, or extreme?
Typical. Worse in the winter. Sailing in the protected waters SE of Pt Conception is benign in comparison to the offshore conditions that you will get to the West. Usually that sort of wind/wave condition is to the North of Baja but looks like it was further South this week.

I think the decisions made by this guy were just plain stupid. He deserves a nomination for the Darwin Award. When you decide to set sail around the world without even so much as hauling the boat out; that really says something about how many brain cells a person has. But even if he surveyed it the problem with the rudder might not be seen. Which is why MOST people who set off to sail across oceans usually drop their rudder and inspect or replace it (especially on a 47 year old boat); put in new thru-hulls, check water tanks for leaks, replace fuel tank, re-power, re-rig, new sails, check/inspect windvane, etc. etc. I have more respect for the guy who was rolled last year in the southern ocean (a little; not a lot).

While SimonV did not completely go through his boat before setting off to Australia; he made sure things were working well and went through the boat to check for anything that should be repaired/upgraded prior to setting off (replaced upper shrouds, added second fuel filter, tested windvane, added tow generator, practiced sailing singlehanded, etc.) and the boat he bought had recently been cruised to mexico, HI and back. So he could be reasonably confident that the steering systems were good.

To compare this guy with Skip Allan is absurd. Allan has made several passages from SF to HI and back in the singlehanded trans-pac on an extremely well prepared boat; and I'm sure he probably sailed it crewed prior to that. The conditions he got into were way more severe and he battled it for several days with the boat in full control before even considering abandoning. The wind/wave conditions were worse, and he was looking at 3 more days of it; in addition to the possible loss of control with only a tillerpilot to keep his much smaller craft in control (running under bare poles). The decision he made was based on availability of a rescue; not the outright need for it. His decision was a responsible one given the possibility that the boat might not hold together for another 3 days in detiorating conditions.
 
#30 ·
Two things, I'm dropping the rudder on Oh Joy just because I need to know it's kosher. I would NOT be sailing for Hawaii this late in the year. Remember folks, Hawaii doesn't have really big waves until the Winter comes. I don't think this kid checked the weather very well or he'd have seen that the Pacific low is further South than normal. That and there's a NASTY Hurricane off Baja right now. Not the time to sail SW from San Diego.
 
#31 ·
Well...I was going to say a few things..but I decided not to...

Once again, Larry the Cable guy takes to sea.....I don't care what he did before, he could even have saved his battalion in a war...I don't care....

many priests dress like priests, many rape young boys...the profession doesn't make one good or bad....

Let me just ask this...only because it goes in the minds of many mothers out there....

Let me ask you this...

Suppoose..just imagine for an instance....You are a father of a son, that chose to be a USCG diver, or Heli pilot.....

(Just wear the shoes of this father...if only for 3 minutes...)..

Your beloved son, goes to call a mayday by a BOZO like this....(yes BOZO..because even trying hard, a clown can't be that good)..and dies.....

What would you think??? what do you say???

I say..LET THEM DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These idiots don't deserve the bodies they occupy....God took Courtney from us..and spares this f***g IDIOT?????

There..I had more to say, but I don't.....
 
#70 ·
Well...I was going to say a few things..but I decided not to...

Once again, Larry the Cable guy takes to sea.....I don't care what he did before, he could even have saved his battalion in a war...I don't care....

many priests dress like priests, many rape young boys...the profession doesn't make one good or bad....

Let me just ask this...only because it goes in the minds of many mothers out there....

Let me ask you this...

Suppoose..just imagine for an instance....You are a father of a son, that chose to be a USCG diver, or Heli pilot.....

(Just wear the shoes of this father...if only for 3 minutes...)..

Your beloved son, goes to call a mayday by a BOZO like this....(yes BOZO..because even trying hard, a clown can't be that good)..and dies.....

What would you think??? what do you say???

I say..LET THEM DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These idiots don't deserve the bodies they occupy....God took Courtney from us..and spares this ****** IDIOT?????

There..I had more to say, but I don't.....
Giu has asked me to jump in here with a bit more explanation about what he meant and where he is coming from on this issue. He has received some PM's that were highly critical of the "let them die" message and assumed things that were not true about his feelings. So...here goes my attempt to clarify.
1. Giu supports open ocean voyaging and single handing by those who have competence and have taken care to prepare as best they can. No one can prepare for everything...but an effort should be made to minimize the risk in so far as is possible.
2. This guy did very little to prepare his boat or himself for the voyage he contemplated. As such he had no respect for the sea and devalued his own life and the lives of others.
3. Giu LOST three friends in 1991 to a similar incident. A sailor with similar lack of knowledge and preparation attempted to enter Lisbon harbor in a gale after being warned that the harbor was CLOSED. His boat capsized and Giu's friends went out to save him in a small boat and lost THEIR lives while the "captain" survived.
4. It is in the context of #3 above that Giu says "let them die". Those who go to sea without respect and having been warned should be left to die or survive on their own before they are left to endanger the lives of others.
5. An EPIRB is an easy "out" for these folks and even though no one risked their life in this instance due to a nearby ship...it could just have easily been a situation where someone else WAS placed in a situation where their life was at risk by this guy.

Giu does not say..."don't do rescues at sea"...just, don't rescue the idiots.
Giu would require anyone going to sea to past competency standards as they do in Portugal. He makes the point that Americas lack of such standards results in a lot of these type voyages.
*************
OK...I hope I have more accurately captured Giu's thoughts and intent here. If not, I'm sure he'll let me know! :rolleyes::p
 
#33 ·
Alex, I don't understand most things anymore. What I don't understand the most about this guy is he was a Marine. He was trained that his life depended on his equipment and gear. You check your weapon everyday and the boat should have been checked that closely also. He took off with no survey or rebuild on a 47 year old boat.

I don't want to see people like this die for their stupidity. However, I do think it was justice the freighter hit his boat on the first pass. It will be some time before he goes to sea again.
 
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