Forum Member's Boat and Daughter in Trouble off of Mexico

[Randy]

Originally Posted by sww914

So, if Eric abandons ship with the girls, is there any way we can save their boat? Do you think that pangas have the range when filled with gas? Is anyone willing to go for a 3 day panga ride, fix the boat and a 10 day sail back? Can we raise the money? Could we raise the money to pay for fuel for a sportfisher to make the run out?

Oh yeah, then rescue a panga and a sailboat! I was involved in rescuing something similar to a panga in the Gulf of Aden that was drifting 50 mi from shore. 900 mi offshore is no place for anything like that.
Eric will figure it out, I thought I'd read that Rebelheart was making way again and a frigate was about to meet up with it.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by sww914

So, if Eric abandons ship with the girls, is there any way we can save their boat? Do you think that pangas have the range when filled with gas? Is anyone willing to go for a 3 day panga ride, fix the boat and a 10 day sail back? Can we raise the money? Could we raise the money to pay for fuel for a sportfisher to make the run out?

logistically it would be better to have a yacht that is leaving panama or mexico on its way to the marquesas home in on a spot beacon and drop a crew off,i'm game if a skipper is needed

[minaret]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

I'm down with your suggestion, sww914, but my fear is that Eric is too responsible to just abandon Rebel Heart to the wind and waves. He will more than likely open the seacocks after they've removed any irreplaceable treasures they can and be the last person off the vessel.

If not, and she's left to her fate, there's every chance the navy will use her for target practice. ::shudder::

It's still my hope that he will stay aboard and will sail Rebel Heart back to Cabo. There's really nothing more he can do to assist his family in the medical sense, but the media shitstorm that will surely greet them when they return to San Diego could well require that he's there to try to protect them from the assault.

I'm glad I've never been in the position he's in now and faced making a very, very difficult choice regarding the continued existence of my vessel.

TaoJones

PS: If Tamiko is your wife, sww914, she rocks! Her putdown of the "turdnibblers" is classic.

Would it potentially be wiser for him to divert to Hawaii? At least there he could put the boat in a relatively cheap slip and get affordable air fare to San Diego and back. Wouldn't it be an easier trip from his current locale? Cabo is 900 miles upwind for him, right?

[Cap Erict3]

A sad circumstance.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by minaret

Would it potentially be wiser for him to divert to Hawaii? At least there he could put the boat in a relatively cheap slip and get affordable air fare to San Diego and back. Wouldn't it be an easier trip from his current locale? Cabo is 900 miles upwind for him, right?

the galapagos islands would probably be a better bet

[Gadagirl]

Originally Posted by atoll

logistically it would be better to have a yacht that is leaving panama or mexico on its way to the marquesas home in on a spot beacon and drop a crew off,i'm game if a skipper is needed

This is an awesome idea! Anyone in contact with him to relay the information?

[satdiver]

Originally Posted by atoll

the galapagos islands would probably be a better bet

You don't make bets when you have children on board. I don't have kids and I know that much.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by minaret

Would it potentially be wiser for him to divert to Hawaii? At least there he could put the boat in a relatively cheap slip and get affordable air fare to San Diego and back. Wouldn't it be an easier trip from his current locale? Cabo is 900 miles upwind for him, right?

Hawai'i might be a better choice, minaret, but the truth is that from where they'd gotten to, there are almost NO good options, and it is for that reason that Eric could well decide to abandon Rebel Heart. And if some commenters have been merciless already, just imagine what would happen if he let his family leave and stayed aboard his vessel in an attempt to save her. Yikes!

They reached the trades several days ago and were making good westing along with a little southing. Just beating his way back out of the trades would be a difficult task. Then he'd likely be back in the light airs that had bedeviled them before they reached the trades. Clawing his way back uphill to Cabo would be a real chore.

I don't know, yet, but I suspect the speculation about them losing "power" and steering have been overblown suppositions made by unaware landlubbers. Chances are that when they decided to make the call for assistance, they had already turned toward Cabo and began burning their limited supply of diesel. I suspect that the so-called loss of power was simply running out of fuel.

And I doubt the "loss of steering" was anything like a lost rudder. After all, recent reports are that power has been restored and they were making way toward Cabo to meet the frigate this evening. To me, that might well mean that the ANG dropped additional diesel and that whatever the difficulty was with the steering, it was quickly dealt with once the medical emergency was under control.

TaoJones

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by satdiver

You don't make bets when you have children on board. I don't have kids and I know that much.

You know less than you think, I believe. I do have a kid, and you make bets every day with them, whether you're on land, or at sea. Life is not inherently safe, and there are dangers for children all around. A totally risk-free life is impossible to achieve, and would be a worthless life even if you could achieve it. You take them in cars, you let them ride bicycles, you let them cross the street by themselves -- it is endless. Offshore sailing is not very dangerous, and hour for hour is probably less dangerous than being in a car. Obviously parents should try really hard and should be constantly vigilant to keep their children as safe as possible. But you can't cut them off from life in the process.

[dpddj]

Well, they made the DRUDGE Report, top left column DRUDGE REPORT 2014®. Whole world will be aware of their predicament.
Lot's of good vibes going their way.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by satdiver

You don't make bets when you have children on board. I don't have kids and I know that much.

you must have misunderstood what we were discussing.

from the vessels current position the galapagos is the closest land mass that eric could single hand to with favourable conditions should he chose to stay on board by himself without having to motor 900 miles to windward.

currently the winds are mostly northwesterly to the south of him for the next week,a fairly easy passage,then good connections to flights home,and a safe anchorage to leave the boat in till at least july

[Wotname]

While we are waiting for the next stage of this unfortunate event to be relayed to us, I would like to welcome and thank JPK for his first post on CF.
Thanks matey!

Originally Posted by JPK

I've been a long-time lurker here, and have enjoyed and learned a lot from Eric's posts (along with so many others here). I thought this would be as good a time as any to join the forum so I can wish Eric and his family the best in this tough time. I hope all ends well, Lyra is OK and you're able to resume your adventure.

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Good for you, Bob.

I'm afraid I don't have the stomach to tangle with people who've never been out of sight of land (or who've never been to sea at all) but who nevertheless don't hesitate to declare people they don't know, doing something they don't have the slightest clue about, to be "idiots". And who furthermore presume that anyone finds their opinions interesting!

A bit of thread drift -- but does it bother no one that Eric & Charlotte's blog is used, as if, against them, in public, and to a mass audience? Every blog post analyzed and commented on by strangers? Every family photo peered at? This is exactly why I do not have Facebook, and would never keep a publically accessible sailing blog. I have never been able to understand the naive exhibitionism of our age.

Exactly!

[RainDog]

If the national guard is to be believed, they have no steering, so that kind of limits your options I would guess.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Let the Arm-Chair Cruising Begin...

So Eric is going to transfer his wife and daughter to the Navy boat and then single hand to Hawaii or the South Pacific? Hello...he just almost lost his Daughter and he's then going to say goodbye and sail on for 30 more days? Give me some of what you guys are smoking. Reality Check Time because if I tried something like that my wife would....well....I would be "Single" and not just Single handing!

[minaret]

Originally Posted by atoll

you must have misunderstood what we were discussing.

from the vessels current position the galapagos is the closest land mass that eric could single hand to with favourable conditions should he chose to stay on board by himself without having to motor 900 miles to windward.

currently the winds are mostly northwesterly to the south of him for the next week,a fairly easy passage,then good connections to flights home,and a safe anchorage to leave the boat in till at least july

Sure, but if he makes the Galapagos alone, what then? I expect it's expensive to keep a boat there long term, if it's even possible, and airfare in and out costs a fortune from SD. Same for the Marquesas. Just seems like Hawaii might provide options the other destinations don't, or at least be more affordable.