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

[Horror Hotel]

Originally Posted by BandB

No, what he'd regret for the rest of his life is not going with his family. You speak as if it's all over. It's not. There's still reason for concern. Plus his wife and other daughter have to be suffering from the trauma of the situation. And, while he may be acting strong, I'm sure he's suffering too. The hurt he'd cause his wife and other daughter by not being with them is too great. You don't let someone go through the worst time of her life and the memory includes that rather than go with her, you went to save the boat. However logical that might seem to go, the emotions of that would be devastating.



All the material possessions in the world don't matter when those you love need you with them, and you need for your own well being to be with them.

This is just your take on it, we don't know anything for sure. Saying that anyone is traumatized is a unknown. Grated it's not like he could call some buddy's to help him out, but the boat should be stocked enough to keep going. If it were me the minute I was on that navy ship I would be trying to pull something together.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by BandB

I'm sure those who are expert in salvage are trying right now to figure out if there's a reasonable solution.

Those expert in salvage who happen to be out there won't be giving the boat back!
They will have a claim of 90% of the value of the boat or daily tow cost of $5,000 upwards.

Maybe someone could confirm what a professional salvage daily cost would be?

[RainDog]

Originally Posted by cwyckham

I disagree on both counts. Both your sources are non sailors working on limited information. The only people right now who have a clue about the boat are Eric and Charlotte.

The only sources getting information from Eric and Charlotte are the National Guard (they are on the boat) and the family (they are personally talking to Eric and Charlotte). When the people on the boat say there is no steering, it does not make a lot of sense to assume they have steering.

I have no idea what condition the boat or steering is in, but I do not think it is reasonable to start criticizing the people who are actually on the boat for not "sailing the boat home" when the only reliable source of information available at this point states the boat is disabled.

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by BandB

Because the condition of his daughter and being with both daughters and his wife are more important to him than his boat. Certainly if it was me in his situation, I'd be going with my family and to h... with my boat at this time. I might hope to get it back, hope someone will rescue it for me, but only my family matters at this moment. I'm sure they're still very scared for their daughter. Just because she's been transferred does not mean she's completely out of the woods. They thought she was ok earlier to set sail.

He has his priorities right where they should be at this time.

I completely agree. I'm sure Erick has his priorities, they're all about family about now.

As for the negative comments anywhere, who cares? If they really bug you, simply stop reading them. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and most of them aren't really worth a read, much less trying to "equalize" them by calling the writers names and such. It's not some kind of "tally" that any thinking person cares about.

If someone has control of their blog, I'm sure they could turn off the comments or even delete them -- but it's probably not their highest priority at the moment.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by cwyckham

? Context? ?

BandBs post

But right now there are four victims and you just hope the best for them.

[MBLittle]

They seriously need to pull their FB and website ASAP

Sent from my LG-E980 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Tx J]

"Originally Posted by Tx J In regard to the youngest child's illness, which has been given as being a pre-voyage case of salmonella."

Originally Posted by satdiver

There is no way it could be (pre-voyage onset) They had been a sea close to 3 weeks

I didn't use the word "onset". I purposely referred to previous references (by family, commenters and media; I'll let you search for them, as I'm on a slow connection and this comment is a rewrite since my browser crashed just before posting its antecedent, grrr) of the child having had a bout of salmonella or some such while in port, pre-voyage (the big puddle-jump), and its apparent healthy resolution.
I contrasted with my own family's experience with the condition, and a subsequent (later) relapse.

I looked at the Wikipedia entry before even posting ( Salmonella - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ), partly to refresh my memory, and to verify the short incubation period, I maybe should have posted the link before.
We had lived on "La Frontera", the Mexican-US border, and have encountered almost every disease known. In retrospect, I think having a full suite of 'overseas' type vaccinations for border-dwellers might be a good idea.
Nothing personal, but I've noticed many who post online don't read things completely, and maybe we don't write the posts as such either.

In any case, all the best to everyone involved, especially little Lyra and sister.

And it is a damned shame about the abandonment of the boat, maybe it will be recovered.
There have been comments showing confusion about its' position. I think the references to it: "tagging" it, imply that, either by Eric's possible GPS location means (Spot, etc., if aboard), or the Navy placing a transponder aboard, will allow tracking of the s/vRebel Heart for a while..

[sww914]

Some of you bring up insurance. I'm 99% sure that they don't have insurance. Some conversation or another that I had with Eric, it was probably mentioned.
I don't have anything more than Mexican liability. Hull coverage on my boat is so expensive that I could buy another boat every 6 years for what it costs. I don't know of any younger (read hair colored something other than gray) cruiser that have hull coverage. The only people that I know that can afford it are the same people that can afford to stay in marinas all the time, that can afford to eat in the most expensive restaurants in town every day with a couple of bottles of wine, and can afford to pay to have their boat cleaned the minute that they slide into the marina.
I do not fall into that category, nor does Rebel Heart or any of the other kid boats that were here this year. We all eat at the taquerias with plastic tables and chairs.
Insurance usually comes up in conversation, nobody has it. Sitting in your wing backed chair scoffing at the internet is one thing, cruising is another, much less convenient thing.
You might want to keep your "they did it to scam the insurance company" thoughts to yourselves, it's not making you look smarter.

[Horror Hotel]

I have the tiniest liability insurance, I would get dropped if they knew how I used my boat. 3 or 4k a year is not a option. This is why I'm so concerned about his possible deciding to abandon. Us younger folks don't have insurance.

[Tx J]

"Quote: Originally Posted by cwyckham
I disagree on both counts. Both your sources are non sailors working on limited information. The only people right now who have a clue about the boat are Eric and Charlotte."

Originally Posted by RainDog

The only sources getting information from Eric and Charlotte are the National Guard (they are on the boat) and the family (they are personally talking to Eric and Charlotte). When the people on the boat say there is no steering, it does not make a lot of sense to assume they have steering.

I have no idea what condition the boat or steering is in, but I do not think it is reasonable to start criticizing the people who are actually on the boat for not "sailing the boat home" when the only reliable source of information available at this point states the boat is disabled.

C'mon guys, the US Navy are in charge now, possibly overseen by the US Coast Guard (who I suspect still have a presence as primary SAR point).

I think I'll ask my own (now serving) Coasties if they can comment on anything current WRT to this incident, in a general, non-secured, scuttlebutt way (they have 'clearances' which might preclude comment).

Semper Paratus (and Fi).

[atoll]

Originally Posted by sww914

Some of you bring up insurance. I'm 99% sure that they don't have insurance. Some conversation or another that I had with Eric, it was probably mentioned.
I don't have anything more than Mexican liability. Hull coverage on my boat is so expensive that I could buy another boat every 6 years for what it costs. I don't know of any younger (read hair colored something other than gray) cruiser that have hull coverage. The only people that I know that can afford it are the same people that can afford to stay in marinas all the time, that can afford to eat in the most expensive restaurants in town every day with a couple of bottles of wine, and can afford to pay to have their boat cleaned the minute that they slide into the marina.
I do not fall into that category, nor does Rebel Heart or any of the other kid boats that were here this year. We all eat at the taquerias with plastic tables and chairs.
Insurance usually comes up in conversation, nobody has it. Sitting in your wing backed chair scoffing at the internet is one thing, cruising is another, much less convenient thing.
You might want to keep your "they did it to scam the insurance company" thoughts to yourselves, it's not making you look smarter.

yes that would be my supposition as well,hence my response and offer of help ie if he loses the boat he loses everything,sad to see a good bloke get delt those cards.

a few of you may remember the boat before last i salvaged on behalf of the owner,that had been sunk in a cyclone in the mozambique channel in mayotte,after i refloated it and repaired the hole in it we then sailed it 4500 miles to europe,finally sold it and split the difference with the owner,who had abandoed it,then sold it to me for a dollar.

[hellosailor]

"If the SAR boys and girls are looking for some practice missions, how about the 1500 refugees that died in the Med last year"
Lorenzo, that is WAY outside the US's operating areas for SAR. That would invade the sovereignty of a dozen nations and has got nothing to do with our domestic SAR teams training more or less domestically.
Since the ANG SAR group are based in Cali, and RH are Californians, they ANG group probably have a legal obligation to protect and assist them, native to native, under Cali's militia laws. All NG groups (except those in Florida) are state militia first, federalized second.
But don't let that stop you from going out to patrol the Med.

Folks, if the doctors in Mexico said "Salmonella" and the pararescue medics said "Salmonella" and she responded to treatment for Salmonella...let's not go looking for unicorns and other odd infectious diseases or questioning vaccinations. The pros have all apparently said Samonella, no need to bring in alien abductions or anything else to explain it.

I'm sure that when the dust settles in a couple of weeks, we'll all know more without needing hysterical speculation. Knock wood, they're all safe now. Be a good trick if they can also bring the boat back somehow, but I suspect simply not feasible.

IF the Navy hung around, or IF they lent Eric some hands, and IF they got RH in 100% reliable operating condition again, all big IFs, he'd probably still have two or three weeks of solo sailing to reach anywhere. An outright dangerous prospect and I'm sure the last thing either of them would look forward to, especially if there was ANY chance of another gear failure in that time.

Not to mention...insurance is damned unlikely. More than 100 miles offshore, with less than 3 experienced crew on board? And if Eric was solo? No really, what carrier underwrites that? Solo sailing or shorthanded sailing out in blue water?

Unlikely.

[socaldmax]

Originally Posted by BandB

Because the condition of his daughter and being with both daughters and his wife are more important to him than his boat. Certainly if it was me in his situation, I'd be going with my family and to h... with my boat at this time. I might hope to get it back, hope someone will rescue it for me, but only my family matters at this moment. I'm sure they're still very scared for their daughter. Just because she's been transferred does not mean she's completely out of the woods. They thought she was ok earlier to set sail.

He has his priorities right where they should be at this time.

I feel exactly the opposite.

There are 2 parents. Plenty of medical personnel. The presence of the father onboard the frigate makes no difference in the outcome of her medical condition. The mother is there to give moral support and permission for any procedures, if necessary. My stepson once fell from the third floor of a building, destroying both heels upon landing. The doctors were fully capable of taking x-rays, diagnosing his condition, and successfully performing surgery on him while I was on duty, unable to get to the hospital. My presence was not necessary, and my absence made no difference whatsoever to the outcome. Being a parent does not magically bestow upon one a medical degree.


However, the father's presence on the boat may make all of the difference between keeping it and losing it. There are many factors at play here, not the least of which is the current condition of the boat, prevailing winds, ability to steer, remaining fuel available, etc. If the military were willing to let one of the pararescue guys stay onboard then it could be much easier, but I doubt if they'd do that. Perhaps Eric is tired and just wants to get off and possibly get it back another day. Who knows.

Ultimately it's their decision to make, based on their priorities and the actual situation at hand. Getting beyond the initial emotional, knee jerk response of a child needing medical assistance being the first priority - once that need is met to the best of the military's ability, logic can sometimes lead one to decisions that result in an outcome even better than just keeping one's family members alive.

[sww914]

It could be a case of Eric simply wanting go get the F off of the boat and never get on another one. We don't know. I can't know what he's thinking. Some people would move to the middle of a continent and never ever see the ocean again after a huge ordeal like this. I might.

[fryewe]

Originally Posted by socaldmax

Ultimately it's their decision to make...

Bingo!!! A winner.

And I doubt they are reading CF to check on the popcorn munchers' views...

atoll - I hope you can arrange a boat rescue mission. Good luck.