Three Canadian Sailors Rescued off Hawai

[jackdale]

Update

Family has joyful reunion after ordeal at sea - Hawaii News - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

[St. Elsewhere]

This is from Horizon Lines . . . .

Horizon Lines Vessel Stages Predawn Rescue of Sailboat Passengers Adrift in Pacific Storm

02.08.2012

For information contact:

Jim Storey Trade Media
Director, Investor Relations Barbara Yeninas
& Corporate Communications BSY Associates
704-973-7107 732-817-0400

HORIZON LINES VESSEL STAGES PREDAWN RESCUE
OF SAILBOAT PASSENGERS ADRIFT IN PACIFIC STORM

CHARLOTTE, NC (February 8, 2012) – Horizon Lines, Inc. (OTCQB: HRZL) the nation’s leading domestic ocean shipping and integrated logistics company, today announced that one of its vessels enroute to Hawaii from the U.S. West Coast rescued three sailboat passengers, including a nine-year-old boy, adrift in stormy seas in the predawn hours of February 8, 2012.

Captain James Kelleher and the crew of the 893-ft. Horizon Reliance containership were directed by the U.S. Coast Guard to alter course at full speed to assist the 33-ft. sailboat and its crew of three. The sailboat, said to be traveling from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to Hilo, Hawaii, was reported to be adrift without power, with all sails destroyed, approximately 411 nautical miles east of Honolulu. Weather conditions were poor, with southwesterly winds gusting to 40 knots and sea swells in the 20-ft. range. Horizon Lines is a member of AMVER, a voluntary program sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard for mutual vessel assistance and rescue.

The rescue took place at approximately 2 a.m. local time and all three passengers are now aboard the Horizon Reliance and reported to be in good health and spirits. The Horizon Reliance is scheduled to arrive in Honolulu at 4 a.m. local time on February 9, 2012. At that time, the rescued passengers, three Canadian males ages 33, 29, and nine, will be medically evaluated and debriefed by Coast Guard and other officials.

“We are thankful the Horizon Reliance was in the right place at the right time to come to the aid of these individuals,” said William A. Hamlin, Horizon Lines Senior Vice President of Operations. “We commend Captain Kelleher and his crew for their skilled seamanship in accomplishing a successful rescue despite very adverse weather conditions.”

About Horizon Lines

Horizon Lines, Inc. is the nation's leading domestic ocean shipping and integrated logistics company. The company maintains a fleet of 20 U.S.-flag containerships and operates five port terminals linking the continental United States with Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The company manages a domestic and overseas service partner network and provides integrated, reliable and cost competitive logistics solutions. Horizon Lines, Inc. is based in Charlotte, NC, and trades in the over-the-counter market under the ticker symbol HRZL.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Here is a photo.



Centre cockpit.

Is that an S2? Hard to tell. Some reports say 32 ft, some 38. There are no 38ft S2's but then, reporters are not known for accuracy.

[Brob2]

Originally Posted by jdoe71

Wow! That looks like a well maintained, ultra seaworthy vessel capable of crossing an ocean for sure.

In Canada we usually call that "endangering the welfare of child" (assuming the assessment a cursory visual inspection gives his valid). I wonder what the skipper's 'qualifications' and experience consist of.

[sailcruiser]

Originally Posted by avb3

Is that an S2? Hard to tell. Some reports say 32 ft, some 38. There are no 38ft S2's but then, reporters are not known for accuracy.

I don't think that is a S2. I've never seen a center cockpit with a port below the toe rail and the transom isn't quite right. SC

[justwaiting]

Originally Posted by Brob2

In Canada we usually call that "endangering the welfare of child" (assuming the assessment a cursory visual inspection gives his valid). I wonder what the skipper's 'qualifications' and experience consist of.

i think that they said in the interview that they had inland sailed as kids. The brother had owned the boat for 4 years, and this was the first time that they had done a journey like this. I asume genuine offshore and out side an acurate weather forcast. Prehaps they were sailors rather than seamen. A couple of comments and facts would tend to support that one was the coment by the owners brother that they had some real cool navigation equiptment when the appreance of the boat does tend to scream defered maintanance. The comments in the interview about the expectated and actual weather forcasts are also illustrating

[malbert73]

Regarding vessel, I didn't realize many gold anodized spars made it out of the 70s.

Of course it is very possible all of the fittings on the mast, and chainplates, and shrouds, were replaced despite the overall tired appearance of the boat. I know of some boats where all of the money went to structure rather than cosmetics. In that case they just ran into some terrible weather that could have damaged many a boat...

Something tells me that may not be the case here. Thank goodness they are alive. I am guessing the loss is on them as I can't imagine you could get an offshore insurance policy on such a boat.

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by justwaiting

i think that they said in the interview that they had inland sailed as kids. The brother had owned the boat for 4 years, and this was the first time that they had done a journey like this. I asume genuine offshore and out side an acurate weather forcast. Prehaps they were sailors rather than seamen. A couple of comments and facts would tend to support that one was the coment by the owners brother that they had some real cool navigation equiptment when the appreance of the boat does tend to scream defered maintanance. The comments in the interview about the expectated and actual weather forcasts are also illustrating

And people worry that possible degradation of GPS signal would actually make the oceans less safe.

I bet we'd cut down on the number of rescues needed if you actually had to learn celestial navigation and build up hours and hours of experience to go offshore.

[justwaiting]

Originally Posted by malbert73

And people worry that possible degradation of GPS signal would actually make the oceans less safe.

I bet we'd cut down on the number of rescues needed if you actually had to learn celestial navigation and build up hours and hours of experience to go offshore.

That's not the point that i was making,, what was going through my head that the comment made by the crew, given the failure of both sails and motor suggests that perhaps their fund may have been better spent on basic maintenance.


Learning celestial navigation is one thing but trying to use it in that sort of weather is another. In that case GPS allowed for an accurate location so the focus was rescue rather than search.

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Amid rain and 90 kilometre-per-hour wind gusts, the rescue was made even trickier after giant waves heaved the sailboat “Liahona” into the container ship "Horizon Reliance".

The "Liahona" sank within seconds, forcing the three Canadians, including a nine-year-old boy, to swim into the cold water for up to 90 minutes.

Aboard were Calgary entrepreneur Brad James and his nine-year-old son Wes, along with Bradley’s brother Mitchell.

More ➥ Three Canadian sailors rescued off coast of Hawaii | CTV Calgary

And ➥ Shipwrecked Canadians call rescue 'incredible' - World - CBC News

Gord, thanks for the second video "incredible." The narrative by the father was very touching. Best, Ron

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by justwaiting

That's not the point that i was making,, what was going through my head that the comment made by the crew, given the failure of both sails and motor suggests that perhaps their fund may have been better spent on basic maintenance.

Learning celestial navigation is one thing but trying to use it in that sort of weather is another. In that case GPS allowed for an accurate location so the focus was rescue rather than search.

And my point was not that a sextant would have helped in this situation, but that GPS leads a lot of underprepared boaters to think crossing a large body of water is as simple as plotting a waypoint....

Not implying that this is the case here necessarily of course. And yes I have a GPS plotter...

[zeehag]

looks a lot like a yorktown 37. they dont usually sink. would like to find out if it is a yorkie..... but is irrelevant to situation.

[Rex Delay]

Originally Posted by zeehag

looks a lot like a yorktown 37. they dont usually sink. would like to find out if it is a yorkie..... but is irrelevant to situation.

I think most anything will sink when the bulb of an 800+' container ship comes down on top of it.

[zeehag]

that would do it for anything, methinks....

[sabray]

Originally Posted by Rex Delay

I watched the entire interview. They were very clear that they all had on strobes.

Where did you get that. They had a flashlight and 2 forehead lights one of which failed. Sounded like the ship was throwing over life rings with strobes. Great interview. Wonder had they waited would it have been better though. That gets in to an area of arm chair sailing I avoid But Im wondering and thinking that out.