65-Year Old Woman, Newlywed, Lost at Sea near Land's End

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by foolishsailor

My understanding is that she was warned by the sellers not to go and they stated when interviewed that is was obvious that she had sailing experience but that it also was obvious that it had been a long time since she sailed. It may sound harsh but the sea is a harsh mistress and she doesn't have time for fools. It was foolish for this person to not heed the advice given her and to think her skills were greater than they were. She didn't deserve to die for these mistakes, but we all know how harsh the justice is that the sea metes out to those who don't fear her enough...

There are about 500 pages of speculation about this on YBW, and the conclusion is no one really knows anything about what happened. It is not clear that she had inadequate skills; after all she made it successfully from Falmouth around the Lizard to Mousehole -- very tough water. Maybe it was a foolish, reckless passage under the circumstances, or maybe really it wasn't -- we just don't know. The weather wasn't all that bad. I would do that passage on my boat in that weather and not feel that I was risking my life.

The most likely theories: 1. she went overboard; 2. heart attack or other medical problem; 3. collision with a ship.

Also possible, I guess, that she lost control or got confused and got swept onto rocks.

At least half of those possble scenarios might not be the result of her unpreparedness or lack of skill.

But yeah, in any case, the sea is a harsh mistress, as they say

[conachair]

Originally Posted by GaryMayo

The best story I have seen so far is here

Mary Unwin: She insisted on sailing solo round Land's End on the yacht she'd just been given, Now she's vanished | Mail Online

Very slight drift Gary, but in the UK the mail is seen as a bit of a joke, any resemblance to facts is purely coincidental.

[Bluewaters2812]

Originally Posted by conachair

Very slight drift Gary, but in the UK the mail is seen as a bit of a joke, any resemblance to facts is purely coincidental.

All journalism in the UK is a joke but the Mail is probably the most reliable of the big one's imo.

[IslandBorn]

Stormy nights in big seas with lots of water coming over with no visibility and unexpected drops in unexpected directions while trying to reef sails or do work on the deck, I think it would be simply suicidal not to wear a harness. Because there is going to be a time when you lift off the deck just like the stove pitches or drops out from under pots of food. And I'm sure that's what happened to a lot of those guys with their zippers down. We wore harnesses with a 2nd carbiner at about 3 feet from the harness attached to cables running down the centerline port and starbord. Being short hanked on in this way gives a better chance of getting back aboard or not going over. After 5 years crossing oceans with one passage 42 days and one with seas up to 45 or more feet, there's no doubt in my mind that is safest. I think it foolish, and just playing the odds to be alone on a nite watch not hanked on. But I'm a scaredy cat. I don't gamble with the obvious. I suspect this unfortunate women and her boat were not prepared for the challenges she took on.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by boatman61

A lot of speculation and no facts... but if wreckage has been found... be honest guys... don't matter a damn if you were hooked on or not...
Your screwed...
Condolences to the family... and I apologise for what follows but...

Personaly... would /do not ever hook on to anything more than a beer or a rum...
64 n so far... so good....

the boat may have broken up after she went overboard, with no one to steer it.

[GaryMayo]

RIP if she is gone. Look into the actions of the husband in the weeks leading up to this is what I would be doing as an insurance investigator

[GaryMayo]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

There are about 500 pages of speculation about this on YBW, and the conclusion is no one really knows anything about what happened. It is not clear that she had inadequate skills; after all she made it successfully from Falmouth around the Lizard to Mousehole -- very tough water. Maybe it was a foolish, reckless passage under the circumstances, or maybe really it wasn't -- we just don't know. The weather wasn't all that bad. I would do that passage on my boat in that weather and not feel that I was risking my life.

The most likely theories: 1. she went overboard; 2. heart attack or other medical problem; 3. collision with a ship.

Also possible, I guess, that she lost control or got confused and got swept onto rocks.

At least half of those possble scenarios might not be the result of her unpreparedness or lack of skill.

But yeah, in any case, the sea is a harsh mistress, as they say

YBW ?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by GaryMayo

YBW ?

YBW.com, a UK local sailing forum many of us here also follow for local info.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by GaryMayo

YBW ?

YBW.com, a UK local sailing forum many of us here also follow for local info.

here is the thread
Missing yachtswoman in South west. - Yachting and Boating World Forums

[conachair]

Originally Posted by Bluewaters2812

All journalism in the UK is a joke but the Mail is probably the most reliable of the big one's imo.

Ouch!

Banged my head as I fell on the floor after reading that.........

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by atoll

here is the thread
Missing yachtswoman in South west. - Yachting and Boating World Forums

When I click on that link for some reason I get this message:-

You have been banned for the following reason:
No reason was specified.

Date the ban will be lifted: Never


I think that's me fifth lifetime ban........

[Bluewaters2812]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

When I click on that link for some reason I get this message:-

You have been banned for the following reason:
No reason was specified.

Date the ban will be lifted: Never


I think that's me fifth lifetime ban........

That's because you probably had the prefix "*&^&&%$$£% you, let me in" hehe.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

When I click on that link for some reason I get this message:-

You have been banned for the following reason:
No reason was specified.

Date the ban will be lifted: Never


I think that's me fifth lifetime ban........

i did notice you in the lounge a few weeks ago.......you must have gotten too boaty in your arguments lol
i hardly ever post there as some twat allways wants to fight

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

You guys advocating jacklines on the center line, how did you stay clipped on while you climbed out of the cockpit and past the dodger to get to the jackline?

I don't have a dodger.

You could have a "static" line, however, either side of cabin top. Clip onto that on the high side with the tether (taken from the cockpit padeye) and then transfer to the jackline.

You are going to be untethered for a couple of seconds each time, but you will be likely low and flat and level atop the coach house.

Not ideal, but I'm safer on the centerline than the sidedeck if the boat broaches or falls off a wavetop and I'm on the new "lee" sidedeck.

In the old photos and films of the last cargo sailing ships (1910-1939), everyone is hanging on to a centreline jackline when the sea is washing the deck in the waist.

[IslandBorn]

Some info someone might find useful regarding hanking on: With our layout we hanked on before we climbed out of either the companionway amidships or the cockpit aft because we had a static line either side running all the way from the bow aft to stern cleats. We were only unhanked switching sides, usually from safety of the cockpit. As I said in an earlier post above we had 2 carbiners on the safety harness line. One at about 3 feet from the harness which allowed a person to short-hank on to do sail work and thus greatly reduce the chance of going over and dragging.