Southern Ocean Rescue

[steamgoat]

Alain Delord Rescue | Cruise Liner Rescues Sailor | Photos
Will be interesting to hear full details,the guy got LUCKY !!!!!

[storyinframes]

Yes I agree. Alain was extremely lucky to have been picked up within 72 hours of abandoning his boat.

[Dragon Lady]

They interviewed the rescue ship's skipper on the radio this morning, sounds like the pax on board weren't happy about their holiday being wrecked but everyone was thrilled when they got him on board.
He's a very happy and lucky sailor.

[ElGatoGordo]

Happy ending for sure!

[Hermanns]

Good news indeed - great Story!

[Andrew Troup]

It can't have hurt that Don McIntyre was the expedition leader on the ship. He has as much sailing experience in these particular waters, would be my guess, as anyone alive or dead.

[BoomBrake]

That is great news for Alain Delord and an excellent video of the actual retrieve. Thank goodness he is safe.

Of course Alain Delord is a very experienced sailor and had good reasons to abandon ship. However one quote from the article got me wondering:

“He said there had been very heavy seas and his boat had been hit by a big wave, and his mast had broken into four pieces. And then the boat had been rolled right over the waves and he decided to abandon ship. He had to leave his passport and everything behind and he does not know whether his yacht is still afloat or not."

It is my understanding that you do not abandon ship into a liferaft until your yacht is sunk or sinking. Main reason been chance of survivability is far greater in an intact floating yacht, rather than an inflatable liferaft.

Personally, if she was still intact and water-tight I'd wait in the yacht, make appropriate emergency radio calls, activate EPIRB, provide position and radio updates.

So I have a question for all the CruisersForum experts out there. I'm not questioning Alain and his decision per-say, but what do you think, what would you do? At what point would you abandon your yacht?

[Wotname]

Ya gotta love those single handed frenchies , they seem to like to come undone deep downunder ; perhaps a new generation of "boat people"
Glad to hear Alain is now safe.

[downunder]

I saw a report that the vessel had structual damage, taking on water and he only got off as it was sinking. Google for it.

In that cold water would not leave vessel until it was sinking.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by BoomBrake

Of course Alain Delord is a very experienced sailor and had good reasons to abandon ship. However one quote from the article got me wondering:
It is my understanding that you do not abandon ship into a liferaft until your yacht is sunk or sinking. Main reason been chance of survivability is far greater in an intact floating yacht, rather than an inflatable liferaft.

Personally, if she was still intact and water-tight I'd wait in the yacht, make appropriate emergency radio calls, activate EPIRB, provide position and radio updates.

So I have a question for all the CruisersForum experts out there. I'm not questioning Alain and his decision per-say, but what do you think, what would you do? At what point would you abandon your yacht?

There's a lot of discussion in the archives.

The right time to abandon ship depends on the circumstances. A life raft is a very unpleasant and uncomfortable place to be and so naturally no one in his right mind would bail out to a life raft if the mother ship is still intact and habitable and not in imminent danger of sinking. But it's hard to second guess what happens to others out there in extremis. There are different things which can make a floating yacht uninhabitable -- fire, a major spill of battery acid or diesel fuel in the bilges, etc., etc. Also if you are sure the yacht is going down, then it's best to get out earlier rather than later. Also rescue can be easier from a raft -- sometimes the rescue services ask you to get into your life raft as they approach the scene in a helo. There are lots of different situations, pretty hard to imagine if you're not actually there.

[Hammer]

I think once the boat started getting damaged and has been rolled over completely a few times by waves as stated in the article, I would have probably abandoned to the life raft too.

[stevensuf]

Regardless of what people say, I think when push came to shove, most of us would hop into the liferaft, rather than stay in a yacht that has no mast and has been rolled, especially if the boat has taken on water, what would happen in the next roll? would it right, how are you going to get into the liferaft from an upside down yacht? or would it sink on the next roll?

[roverhi]

Would like to know what kind of boat Alain Delord was sailing in?? Seems like the conditions that caused him to abandon his boat had ameliorated a bit afterwards. Seas were reported down to 4 meters when he was rescued.

[David_Old_Jersey]

I read "Step up to a liferaft" much the same as "the best bilge pump is a frightend man with a bucket" - more illustrative than litteral advice.

On the basis the he left his passport behind my guess is that the exit was in a hurry as did not think boat would be around long (constant rolling, especially with tons of water inside does do a lot of damage, including structural) and / or liferaft might not still be there as a later option. Besides, getting into a liferaft from the water adds to the risk considerably.

IME when the doodah really hits the fan in life no "good" options left - just a variety of sh#tty ones, with no clear cut "best".

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by BoomBrake

(...)

Personally, if she was still intact and water-tight I'd wait in the yacht, make appropriate emergency radio calls, activate EPIRB, provide position and radio updates.

(...)

And I say do not go into this alley. ;-)

She was not intact. The mast was gone, as a minimum.

If the mast is gone, the radio aerial(s) might be too.

He activated the EPIRB.

One does not know what one would do much as one thinks they know.

Maybe there will be a more extensive update on the story. I will be very glad to read and learn.

Very glad the guy is fine. Gods bless the rescuers.

b.