Yacht Abandoned - Crew Rescued

[sctpc]

I second what Hud3 says and would like to read your story, and wish you the best in finding Illusion
Stephen

[Wotname]

I would like to add my name to the thoughts of Hud3 and sctpc.

[Jerry Cox]

Surely the point is that they survived, nobody was badly hurt...the guy will mend.
Nobody knows whether they can afford the loss..its not really anyones business how much money they have.
Whats worth noting is how many people come through Bermuda and they cant afford to run the boat. I have been asked on many occasions to help some poor guy who cant pay his bills. Of course I do...but I still gotta eat..
Most cruising folk are very sorted focused and financially sound.
Bottom line should be ...you cant wing it..you cant expect someone else to finance your dream lifestyle...If you aint got the dosh..go get a job..save up...then go...
Its not rocket science.

[cooper]

I hope that your injuries are temporary, you get your boat back, and enjoy many years of cruising in the future.
I look forward to meeting you on the water.

sincerely.


To all those with questions..they are brave enough to have turned up here on line. I suggest that you politely ask your questions, with the due respect of someone who wasn't there and does not have to suffer the consequences.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by cooper

I suggest that you politely ask your questions, with the due respect of someone who wasn't there and does not have to suffer the consequences.

I can safely say that the mods will insist on our best behavior.

Chris and Ann have suffered a devastatating loss. If they are wiling to share their story we must show them what a great community we are.

[Jerry Cox]

I second that...good one Dan

[corkscrew]

So what's the rule of law say if you find an boat adrift with no one around? What about laying on shoreline? How would you register such a find?

[Chris and Ann]

Having read all the recent responses I am amazed at how unfeeling and judgemental so many members of this forum are. You are commenting on a situation that we found ourselves in - believe me you had to be out there!! We are not foolhardy people who ventured out without giving due consideration to the weather. NO ONE predicted the weather we found ourselves in. We had been waiting for a low pressure system between bundaberg and New Caledonia to move south - it tracked toward NZ and then hit an upper system trough reformed and moved north again - took a cruise ship by surprise too. So there we were in 60+knots - how many forum members have ever been out in these conditions. We totally regret having a parachute anchor on board now - if we hadn't we would have had 48 hours of these conditions but would have ultimately been able to sail on to NC without assistance. Chris thought he was doing the right thing in deploying the parachute - it actually deployed beautifully but in 60Kts you are in huge seas and the boat was moving very erratically - he moved when the boat moved and became entangled in the lines - twice around his left leg - above and below the knee. Miracle that he wasn't taken overboard. For everyone who questions why I couldn't just keep sailing - put yourselves in our position. I had a badly injured husband - I am a RN and knew we were in trouble - all the soft tissue behind his knee was crushed - tendons, blood vessels etc - he was in severe shock and I couldn't feel any pulses in his foot - what was I supposed to do - take a punt that he was OK and concentrate on sailing to NC? We were relying on our auto pilot to stop us from broaching - if the auto had failed (only a small auto-helm not designed for these conditions) - how would I have managed in these conditions. I felt that I had no option but to set off the EPIRB - once you do that you are essentially committed to rescue - which is what happened (another terrifying ordeal). So yes we too are asking ourselves if we could have handled things differently - the answer from our perspective is no. The outcome for Illusion if anyone is interested is that she continued to drift and last week, 6 weeks after we abandoned her, she ended up on a reef (with some suspected local assistance) in the Louisiades. she went up on Sunday and was totally stripped - engine, all internal fittings, everything but the bare hull, by monday afternoon. Such wanton violation makes me want to vomit - for the timber fittings to be stripped someone would have had to use an axe - for what - firewood?? So everything is gone - our boat, our personal belongings, our dreams. My message - please get the full story and don't be so quick to judge. Many thanks though to the sailing community who by thought or word supported us through this terrible ordeal. Ann and Chris

[sctpc]

Ann how is Chris now?

[Chris and Ann]

He is doing OK - treated initially for blood clots and soft tissue damage - tendon damage will take the longest to heal but he is up and about - orthopedic surgeon and physio are happy with progrss. Thanks Ann

[marty9876]

Thank you for the follow up. Best of luck to you both with tomorrows dreams.

[Pelagic]

Dear Ann,

I am so sorry for your loss. As someone who has “saved” and also “has been saved” I understand completely what you are going thru.

The second guessing and the self-recriminations about the smallest thing.

The important thing is that you saved Chris and as painful as the loss of Illusion might be….You did the right thing!..... YOU SURVIVED!


This Forum is made up of many types, but I assure you, your cruising Peers on here understand what it takes to survive in those conditions and applaud you, without needing an explanation.

For the rest, forgive them, they are only learning what it takes, some of the more experienced use this as a teaching tool, others pounce like the ship wreckers on a beach with stupid criticisms.

But I assure you, the majority wish Chris and you all the best in whatever direction life now takes you.

[rebel heart]

I've spent years, and have years more ahead, restoring our Hans Christian.

If I thought that my wife would lose her leg, I'd hit the EPIRB, take the chopper ride, and never look back. I'd be willing to bet that the people on this board that don't see it that way are similar to the grumpy (and single, typically) men I see lumbering around the harbor.

Sitting here in San Diego with glassy water, I'd like to think that I would have hove to, gotten down below, and gotten a doctor on sat phone for some advice. The minute the choice came down to "her leg" or "26K pounds of teak, fiberglass, and doo-dads", only a monster would pick the boat. Seriously.. f the boat.

Chris and Ann, I appreciate your posts here. Know that the majority of this community would not question your decision, but only seek the reason behind it to better understand, and hopefully, if faced with a similar situation, enable us to make better decisions. The information you provided sheds light on a number of things. Not the least of which is the fact that it appears there was no way to stabilize Chris's leg without risking more severe damage. Something that ws not clear from the original article. Getting caught in the lines while deploying the para anchor could happen to anyone. Fishermen die every day by getting caught in nets and dragged under. Just bad luck really.
As for leaving, or staying with the boat, I would likely make the same decision you did. It was nice to hear your feelings around the decision. I would like to hear more about what you did to prepare the boat before you left. Are there any steps you now recognize as things you would do differently? Are there things that were done right, even though the outcome was not what you had hoped?
I know that a large majority of people here, including myself, not only welcome you, but share in your pain, and hope, beyond hope, that you will continue to share the knowledge of your experience.

Oh, rebel heart, your boat...That would be a really hard decision. I love my wife, but that is an incredible boat I snuck a peak on my way out last time I was down there I am assuming yours is the only Hans Christian with the mast down.