Abandoned - why?

[moseriw]

Why do I start this thread?
I want to pin it down to the point.

OK I have never ever been in such a live threatning situation but as I go in for passages I want to prepair myself for the worst.

So I am thinking about what ever can happen:

1.) making water
as long as I have electricity I am able to pump out 4000 GPH and
I will buy an extra petrol powered pump that can do 1000 GPH
--- clear decision if it is not enough - abandon
2.) loosing rig
-- if I can get rid of the debris and the hull is not damaged
-- I will get out my (previously store under deck) 6m spinnaker pole and
-- build an emergency rig with prepared fittings and running riggings.
3.) engine failure
-- hell I got a sailing boat so what?
4.) loss of rudder and steering
-- I will carry a drogue that enables me to rig an emergency steering

gear
5.) mental brakedown
-- emergency plan: rig the drogue, take some pills and go to sleep
-- wait 48 hrs in hope that the sea is calm again. then consider repairs.

####################
As far as we know 90% of the abandoned boats did survive the mess without making too much water.

So the question:
Is it, in most caees of course, mental breakdown that make people abandon their homes?

[GordMay]

Francesco Schettino, captain of the Italian cruise ship “Costa Concordia”.

[StuM]

> Is it, in most caees of course, mental breakdown that make people abandon their homes?


I'd suggest, in descending order of frequency:
1. Because boat will sink before much longer (obviously talking about monohulls)
2. Boat is incapable of being controlled for some other reason (unable to jury rig sails or steering, inverted multihull etc)

3. Inability of crew to continue for some reason (including but not limited to mental breakdown)

[a64pilot]

Thankfully I have never been in real BAD weather, but I can see where at some point a decision is made to hell with the boat, we need to get out while we are still alive. I’m not killing my Wife to save a boat, maybe. But as I said I’ve never been in that situation.

[redneckrob]

Most people I took off a boat were
1. At least moderately hypothermic (even in Hawaii)
2. Extremely sea sick
3. At least bruised and battered if not more seriously injured
4. Reasonably sure their boat was going to sink, or thinking that conditions might degrade later to the point that sinking was possible and at least had the courtesy to us to allow us to attempt to get them off during the light or before the storm got worse and they ended up putting our lives at risk trying to rescue them.
5. Very scared due to the natural physiological reaction that 99% of non-sociopath human brains have to that set of sensory inputs.
6. An appreciation of the value of things versus human life, in fact many commented something along the lines of "I can always get another boat".

I never questioned one if them for calling us to rescue them. The only ones I was peeved with were the ones who resisted calling us because they were either too attached to the object that was their boat or perhaps just stubborn, resulting in me and my aircrew having to experience some of that same fear in the middle of the night in 30' seas trying to pull a now injured or so tired/sick as to be useless in helping survivor from a boat with a wildly swinging mast trying to swat us out of the air. Don't be that guy.

[Paul L]

Injury, sickness, fatigue, hypothermia.
I have friends who did a helicopter pickup after they were essentially hypothermic from trying to dewater the boat for hours in cold water and injured.

[sailorboy1]

I bet that in most life threatening types of issues such as big flooding:

There is no time or ability to “break out” equipment.

Btw what is the OPs plan for a major fire? In the last 4 months 3 boats have sunk in the harbor i was just at. All started with a fire.

And we only know about the 90% of boats that we know about and that really is a small number of boats.

[moseriw]

Well OK - fire is one thing. I think it is out of discussion as in almost all cases there is hardly a chance to get it under control. So I'd say - abandon.

What I "earn" out of the discussion is "big flooding" and I say NO this is not the main reason why boats are abandoned.

I try to read as much as I can about those rescues to learn as much as I can.

And out of my researches the most cases are:

engine failed - loss of electricity
rudder failure

I hardly ever heard about a lost rig.

That is why I believe that the main reason is mental breakdown.

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by moseriw

Well OK - fire is one thing. I think it is out of discussion as in almost all cases there is hardly a chance to get it under control. So I'd say - abandon.

What I "earn" out of the discussion is "big flooding" and I say NO this is not the main reason why boats are abandoned.

I try to read as much as I can about those rescues to learn as much as I can.

And out of my researches the most cases are:

engine failed - loss of electricity
rudder failure

I hardly ever heard about a lost rig.

That is why I believe that the main reason is mental breakdown.

What you should have "earned" out of the discussion is not to be a jackwagon and put your eventual rescuers at additional risk because you're trying to be a tough guy! Hypothermia isn't "mental breakdown". Severe seasickness isn't "mental breakdown". A broken arm isn't "mental breakdown". If anything "mental breakdown" is thinking I'm tough and everyone else is a mental weakling, right up to the point I put other's lives in danger due to my stupidity. Again, please, don't anyone be that guy.

[slug]

Originally Posted by moseriw

Why do I start this thread?
I want to pin it down to the point.

OK I have never ever been in such a live threatning situation but as I go in for passages I want to prepair myself for the worst.

So I am thinking about what ever can happen:

1.) making water
as long as I have electricity I am able to pump out 4000 GPH and
I will buy an extra petrol powered pump that can do 1000 GPH
--- clear decision if it is not enough - abandon
2.) loosing rig
-- if I can get rid of the debris and the hull is not damaged
-- I will get out my (previously store under deck) 6m spinnaker pole and
-- build an emergency rig with prepared fittings and running riggings.
3.) engine failure
-- hell I got a sailing boat so what?
4.) loss of rudder and steering
-- I will carry a drogue that enables me to rig an emergency steering

gear
5.) mental brakedown
-- emergency plan: rig the drogue, take some pills and go to sleep
-- wait 48 hrs in hope that the sea is calm again. then consider repairs.

####################
As far as we know 90% of the abandoned boats did survive the mess without making too much water.

So the question:
Is it, in most caees of course, mental breakdown that make people abandon their homes?

Gee... if you have insurance just jump over the side and get a new boat

One of the reasons you read about the superhuman adventures of. French singlehanders is that they have no insurance

[zeehag]

we just saved a man and boat --- rudder failed and he was being pushed by winds into lee shore of ROCKY CLIFFS ....
no he didnot jump ship no he didnot die no he didnot litter ocean with his boat and run away .. he toughed it out until mexican navy got to him and towed him into safety, JUST IN TIME. (he did have a ditch bag into which he was throwing his effects) and put an anchor down with 200 ft chain. he was using drogue to steer boat. both drogue and anchor helped slow his progress into the cliffs and he was in miserable chop with rebound from cliffs, winds were 25 kts.......had he left boat, he would have died. time of day---took 14 hours to rescue this boat and man. he was rescued at dusk. after dark the rescue boat was able to see his strobe and flares. i was in constant contact with rescate , him, and others simultaneously. it was not easy to watch without eyes or ability to grab his boat out of danger. i wanted scotty to beam him out of there.
i was always taught never leave the ship err boat.. you are more easily seen with a boat under you, even if it is not above water it can be seen. always step UP to the lifeboat.
this man exhibited responsibility for his actions and a desire to save his life and boat. yes he was afraid for his life. yes he was afraid for his boat. yes he was in severe and extreme danger and was together enough to realize out of boat, die.

itis difficult to keep your head together enough to maintain your sanity in a severely dangerous situation. yes itis possible to keep your head about you in these situations. it is not responsible to leave your boat to become a danger to others.
in the heat of panic, BREATHE!

ps this man and boat are anchored in a safe anchorage awaiting consultation and resources for repair of rudder which, with formosas removal and replacement can be done in water..