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Celestialsailor · 23-02-2009, 22:42

I'm feeling that the author of the article was sensationalizing the piece. Modern day journalism does this. Rarely do I see an honest and straight styled writer. It's easier for a paper to sell BS than it is the boring truth..."Dead baby in dumpster...news at 11:00!!!

Extemporaneous · 24-02-2009, 17:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by anotherT34C

The tender-as-rudder thing would probably work to a degree. I think I would try and fashion something with plywood and c-clamps first.

What do you do if your rudder is stuck hard over (for whatever reason), though? Think of any way to negate it? What if you dropped a sail overboard and wrapped the rudder (assuming a spade or a skeg) from both sides? I'll bet Stuart Armstrong has a list of things that don't work.

I like the wrap the rudder with a sail.

Extemp.

svHyLyte · 25-02-2009, 08:38

A more accurate summary of the events of s/v Sara appears at BYM Marine & Maritime News

Palarran · 25-02-2009, 10:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by anotherT34C

The tender-as-rudder thing would probably work to a degree. I think I would try and fashion something with plywood and c-clamps first.

What do you do if your rudder is stuck hard over (for whatever reason), though? Think of any way to negate it? What if you dropped a sail overboard and wrapped the rudder (assuming a spade or a skeg) from both sides? I'll bet Stuart Armstrong has a list of things that don't work.

I have no basis to second guess this, nor the expearence. But thinking of ideas, could you use Kanani's para anchor tied to your main halyard during a calmer period which would lay the boat over on its side. Then you could get to the rudder without going under the boat.

Kanani · 25-02-2009, 10:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

A more accurate summary of the events of s/v Sara appears at BYM Marine & Maritime News

There is always 3 sides to every story......

I have a very close friend that had a similar incident, 100 miles off the coast of Costa Rica. He had a few encounters with ship traffic that attempted to help him and he tried to the best of his ability to limp to safe harbor. I will state now that he was NOT mechanically inclined and that was his biggest failure.

After about 3 attempts to get his engine running he sent a message via the captain of a freighter, requesting assistance, to be towed to port. The captain of that freighter notified the Coast Guard that there was a vessel in distress with no means of making his way to safe harbor.

I was the 1st person that the CG called because I was listed on his EPIRB (which was never activated) registration as his emergency contact. I told the CG that I would fly to Cost Rica and arrange for a tow for his vessel. My actual plan was to fly down and find a fisherman that I could pay to take me out there to straighten the situation out and get him to port.

The CG ignored my statement, they talked Walter into abandoning his vessel. They told him that he was in a "Very remote area" (sound familiar to this story???) and his chance of being rescued if conditions worsened were very slim. They told him that there was a freighter in the area that was willing to take him off of the boat and that this may be his last chance for survival. He was also informed that there was a storm coming his way (which was not true).

I hate to bad mouth the Coast Guard and I know that their first priority is the safety of the skipper & crew but sometimes they sensationalize the situation, the same way that the media does, in an effort to effect a rescue while conditions are more "Convenient" (I'm not saying that's all bad either).

Some of the stuff that I read on this rescue sounds a lot like what my friend went through. It seems that there was a chance of this vessel to make it to Bermuda (judging by their track) in a week or so (or at least close enough to get help). It seems that a transfer of food and water may have made the difference. I am very suspicious of why they abandoned that vessel. I just wonder if they weren't talked off and caved in due to fear that may have been placed in them. Possibly being told that there was very little chance of another ship being in their area and that weather was deteriorating.......I don't know....just a little suspicious..... Like I said in a prior post.....there seems to be some parts of the puzzle missing here.

Kanani · 25-02-2009, 10:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by rigamarole

I have no basis to second guess this, nor the expearence. But thinking of ideas, could you use Kanani's para anchor tied to your main halyard during a calmer period which would lay the boat over on its side. Then you could get to the rudder without going under the boat.

In a word....."NO".....in 2 words......"HELL NO".......

. If the weather were calm, there would be NO reason not to go under the boat, other than the lack of experience in free diving or lack of tools and mechanical ability to do anything once they got there.

Lack of mechanical knowledge of ever facet of a cruising sailor's vessel is a liability and adds a tremendous amount of risk when crossing oceans.

MarkJ · 25-02-2009, 16:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kanani

risking your life during a boat-to-boat transfer. That was the most dangerous part of their entire experience..

Current court case where 4 people died after yacht sunk. DEsigner and boatbuilder facing criminal charges.

Quote:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25104653-12377,00.html

ONE of two men who survived a fatal boat capsize off the New South Wales north coast has told a Sydney court how the ship sent to rescue them "creamed" them by going straight over their heads.
…
Mr Rogers then clipped himself to Mr McDermott and the pair spent more than seven hours in the water before being spotted by a rescue aircraft.

Deemed too dangerous to rescue the pair from the air, a nearby ship was redirected.

"Unfortunately, the course was a little bit too accurate," Mr Rogers said.

"Brian yelled out: 'Oh, it's a ship' and I looked up and a 50,000 tonne cargo ship ran over us.

"It's just literally creamed us.

"We went tumble, tumble, like you were in a tumble drier, straight underneath the ship."

The pair surfaced about three quarters of the way down the side of the ship, he said. It then took 11 attempts to get them on board.

"Brian was well and truly incapacitated at that stage," Mr Rogers said.

Tempest245 · 25-02-2009, 17:06

Herb Hilgenberg to the Rescue again!!!

rescued....300 miles from Bermuda....so close, yet so far!

I wonder where the ship is now?

Greenman · 20-03-2009, 18:09

Has there been any news on what fouled the rudder or steering mech?

captain58sailin · 20-03-2009, 21:41

I have used a 5 gallon bucket over the side to steer a boat that had lost it's rudder, I don't think it would have counter acted a hard over rudder. It is easy to second guess those involved, and the news stories don't give nearly enough information to make any kind decision about what should or could have been done to correct the problem. I shouldn't think they spent the whole time playing cards.