[flyingwelshman]

A U.S. Navy warship reached a crippled sailboat hundreds of kilometres off the Mexican coast and was preparing Sunday to complete the rescue of a sick one-year-old girl.

"...the sailboat, which does not have steering or communication abilities" - this can't be right. According to the article the sailboat takes on water when the engine runs, so "It's now slowly moving using only the sails." Doesn't mention any issue with the rudder etc. I guess that must be another example of journalistic accuracy in action.

I hope all goes well with the transfer, and with the family's voyage.

 

[TerryBradley]

If it didn't have communication capabilities, how'd they radio the Navy that they had a sick child and needed help? Fox showed several (four) rescue divers jumping from the rear of a C130 and said that they administered medication to the child. Never mentioned a problem with the weather or the boat. (I'm assuming that this is the same story you are referring to after all how many one year olds need emergency attention while sailing on a boat in any given day?) The bigger question in Fox news's mind was: Should they be allowed to sail with an infant on board and/or should they be required to pay the cost of providing the emergency services? HMMM. I'll get my popcorn and THEN let the discourse begin!

 

[dixiedawg]

The reportage here sounds just like when it's a firearm story: minimum BS content of 75%. Clueless reporters spewing sensational, headline-grabbing soundbites for the clueless audience to be thrilled and appalled by.

The ethics question is worthy of debate; it would just be nice if the media would do their job half as well as the Navy does theirs.

 

[christian.hess]

Latitude 38 - 'Lectronic Latitude

 

[PaulinVictoria]

A sailing boat moving only using its sails? How is that even possible?

 

[ericb760]

If it didn't have communication capabilities, how'd they radio the Navy that they had a sick child and needed help? Fox showed several (four) rescue divers jumping from the rear of a C130 and said that they administered medication to the child. Never mentioned a problem with the weather or the boat. (I'm assuming that this is the same story you are referring to after all how many one year olds need emergency attention while sailing on a boat in any given day?) The bigger question in Fox news's mind was: Should they be allowed to sail with an infant on board and/or should they be required to pay the cost of providing the emergency services? HMMM. I'll get my popcorn and THEN let the discourse begin!

Children have been sailing as long as humans have been sailing and by all accounts, this family was well prepared, and, the impression is that the child became ill after some time at sea. I don't see how blame can be placed on the parents.

 

[MedSailor]

Wow, the comments that people are leaving on their blog are horrific! Apparently the fat folks munching cheetoes on their couches watching the news have strong opinions about sailing with kids. Child abuse? Demanding that CPS take their kids away from them permanently....

I'm just going to stop talking now, before the pressure builds and the gasket blows....

Medsailor

 

[manatee]

A sailing boat moving only using its sails? How is that even possible?

It's a pirated Bob Perry design and therefore chock full of PFM*.

Union 36 Boat Review - Practical Sailor Article

In a blog by the late Terry Bingham, a Union 36 owner, Perry is quoted as saying that "the yard went on to continue building the boat, but they marketed it under whatever name the individual broker wanted, so that's why you find the same boat with so many names ... Hans Christian 36, Mariner Polaris 36, Union 36, EO 36-all the same boat. The Mao Ta 36 is a variation on the same hull but built by a different yard. [The Union 36] is a very good boat and in every way very similar to most of my early double-enders. It's a bastard child of mine, and I will continue to feel like the father."

*PFM: Pure F'g Magic

 

[MarkofSeaLife]

But the usa has free speech.

 

[ericb760]

The family has, apparently, been transferred to the awaiting Navy ship and are enroute back to San Diego, having abandoned their boat.

Stranded Family With Sick Baby Boards Navy Rescue Ship | NBC 7 San Diego

 

[MedSailor]

But the usa has free speech.

Yes! But I don't have to like what people say, and I can say what I want back, which is part of the deal.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE free speech, but at the same time I don't like the comments people were leaving on that blog. I think they should have the right to say what they have, but as decent human beings, I don't think they should have exercised their right in the way they did. Pretty crass to judge them so harshly while they are in the middle of a family health crisis.

Medsailor

 

[azguy]

I know it's been done, but seriously, I do not think children of that age should be involved in "around the world" trips...

 

[ravinracin]

Children have be on the sea since humans have been on the sea. Me thinks they are probably much safer there than on the congested highways of this country. You put your children in a car for anything but for what is essential, what kind of a parent are you?

 

[Wonderinlost]

To assist in possible private salvage operation of S/V Rebel Heart amongst the sailing community there has been a fund drive set up if anyone cares to chip in or pass it along.

https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/djWq3

I know If I gotten into some serous crap out there it would be a little nice to see that part of the community does care. To one and their own about opinions.

 

[Fstbttms]

According to this post from a few minutes ago on Cruiser's Forum, the boat was scuttled:

Charlotte from Rebel Heart contacted her sister, Sariah and stated that RH was scuttled by the Navy due to a leak on the boat which made it a navigational hazard. Family are all fine including Lyra. Steaming toward San Diego.

Forum Member's boat and daughter in trouble off of Mexico - Page 34 - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

 

[gamayun]

This breaks my heart in so many ways. They'll recover. The child seems stable and will be fine, too. But we're certainly not going to see the criticism die for a while. That's unfortunate. It is human nature to second guess a situation that's gone bad and requires a rescue. God forbid any of us should find ourselves in something similar. Until we have more to go on, it sounds like this family did everything right that they could; so let's let them heal and give them an opportunity to defend themselves before ripping them apart on something that 99.9% of the public (maybe even 99% of the sailing crowd) will never have the cojones to do. Ever.

 

[Wonderinlost]

Tis a bummer to happen.....

 

[Puddin'_Tain]

I, for one, can't condone taking a child that young off-shore. When little kids get sick things can go south really fast. Being more than a quick car ride from medical help when you have such a young child is just not very smart. Sure kids have gone to sea, and even been born at sea, since humans fist started sailing. But guess what? Many of them also died. In "the old days", say more than a hundred years ago or so, even the best medical care couldn't do much for a really sick kid; being on a boat or on dry land probably didn't make that much difference. But things are different today. The tragedy that almost happened in this case was entirely preventable.

I'm not saying little kids, maybe even infants, shouldn't be taken on sailing trips. But off-shore? No way.

 

[Dog8It]

I, for one, can't condone taking a child that young off-shore. When little kids get sick things can go south really fast. Being more than a quick car ride from medical help when you have such a young child is just not very smart. Sure kids have gone to sea, and even been born at sea, since humans fist started sailing. But guess what? Many of them also died. In "the old days", say more than a hundred years ago or so, even the best medical care couldn't do much for a really sick kid; being on a boat or on dry land probably didn't make that much difference. But things are different today. The tragedy that almost happened in this case was entirely preventable.

I'm not saying little kids, maybe even infants, shouldn't be taken on sailing trips. But off-shore? No way.

If one was to follow this analogy, then no one living in remote areas (say half of Alaska) should even have kids. If this happened on land, it would not even make the front page news. Facts and reality check do not appear to be the forte of most news organizations today.

 

[smackdaddy]

Well - this is going to sting a bit in hindsight:

From CF thread "Arrested for bad seamanship":
Arrested for bad seamanship - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

How long until someone here defends him with an argument such as:

Quote:
Hey guys, stop attacking him! He's out there doing it!