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Dumbest passage plan since the BOUNTY sailed straight into Sandy?

14471 Views 77 Replies 36 Participants Last post by downeast450, Apr 3, 2015

JonEisberg

Discussion Starter · Feb 15, 2015

These guys left Newport Friday afternoon on a 43 Nelson Marek they'd bought on eBay for $10K... They were headed for Bermuda, on what was to be the first leg of a trip to Oz, via the Cape of Good Hope and the Southern Ocean...

Here's what they were sailing straight into, as shown on Passageweather on Friday evening... Absolutely mind boggling, how any sane individual could have left with that forecast... The text forecast from NOAA is perhaps even more sobering, featuring "Hurricane force winds, heavy freezing spray, windspeeds to 65 knots, seas to 36 feet", and so on...

They called for Mommy early this morning... Seems somehow fitting, the Coasties plucked them out of the North Atlantic very close to the same spot that RAW FAITH went down... One has to wonder whether these guys, even now, have any clue how lucky they are to be alive...

Coast Guard Rescues Sailors 140 Miles off Nantucket - Western Massachusetts Breaking News and First Warning Weather with WGGB.com ABC 40

There's a thread over on CF that was started prior to their departure, with links to stories in the Newport paper about their prep...

Sailing New England to Australia in February - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

And, in related news, the CG plucked another crew off a trimiran last night, south of Cape Fear...

Those helo crews and rescue swimmers sure are getting plenty of practice lately, courtesy of us yachties...

Coast Guard rescues 4 from damaged sailboat off NC coast | WAVY-TV

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ccriders

· #19 · Feb 16, 2015

Was she a real blond?
John

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ccriders

· #61 · Feb 21, 2015

Shockwave said:
Often, people don't know what they don't know. If you haven't sailed in truly crappy conditions how would you know?

Hasn't everyone seen those films of WWII destroyers out in conditions much like those in the grib crashing up and down on huge waves much like a fishing cork on a windy choppy day? Haven't we all seen photos of naval ships with scalloped top sides courtesy of crashing waves. Haven't we all been caught by a wave and tumbled up on the beach with the air knocked out of our lungs?
How could they not know the power of the sea and the relative inadequacies of their boat?
And, if they were told by CG not to go, then why are they not presented with the bill and forbidden departure until it is paid?
Insurance and beuracracy is not an answer to any of these issues. The first to be denied coverage will be single handers, the second will be mom and pop crews. Next will be any boat over xx years old....
We don't need to dunn everyone who sails a boat, just those that blatantly disregard common sense and good seamanship, after we rescue them.
John

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ccriders

· #63 · Feb 21, 2015

People are going to get into trouble at sea, the whole marine community knows this and have a well found ethic to save seamen in trouble. Nonetheless, I too fear that the actions of some will have a bad effect on all of us. It seems easy enough to build a case of negligence as demonstrated in this case and that the best response is to make these people pay, more as a penalty that cost recovery.
Even the most carefully prepared voyage can encounter circumstances that requires rescue. Our problem is to discern gross negligence and use those incidents to discourage further negligence.
Not an easy task I'm afraid as that old ethic is to save everyone, whatever the cost.
John

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