Sailboat in Dire Situation Off Hawaii

[AnchorageGuy]

Fortunately they have been rescued. Ship rescues 3 sailors stranded off Hawaii coast. Since none of us were onboard, none of us can say what condition the boat and crew were in and what the circumstances were that put them in this position. We can only thank those that came to the rescue and hope someone will do the same for any of us if we might need it. Chuck

[hlev00]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

“Despite surviving a hurricane, Walkabout may still be afloat and drifting according to one report today. By the time her crew was rescued this morning, they had reportedly bailed her out and she was no longer in danger of sinking. As you can see, when this image was shot on Sunday, the sloop's rig was still intact. “ ...

This looks like another good demonstration of staying on your boat as long as possible. "Walkabout" stayed afloat until they needed to be rescued. They might not have faired so well if they had managed to get the USCG life raft and decided to abandon ship.

Shouldn't they have scuttled the boat?

[scuba0_1]

Hard to say without a life raft or dingy and a open door if they got into another storm and then called for help what would the out look be. Hard to say buy I bet the believe they did the right thing. They lived thru a hurricane. Glad there safe.

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[Sailor_Hutch]

Originally Posted by scuba0_1

Hard to say without a life raft or dingy and a open door if they got into another storm and then called for help what would the out look be. Hard to say buy I bet the believe they did the right thing. They lived thru a hurricane. Glad there safe.

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For them to go on, we would be assuming they had the fuel to continue ... since they were dismasted ... and that their diesel was operable after a pretty good bashing...

[scuba0_1]

I'm glad there was a boat nearby I was worried they were taking on water and their batteries were going to die and then what would they do with no life card and no dingy. Scary for sure...

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[Glenn.Brooks]

And unfortunately only three days downwind to KAuai. So close yet so far...

[roverhi]

Assumed they were leaving Hawaii not sailing to Hawaii. Bad decision on the part of the skipper. Have crossed the Pacific hurricane lane twice during hurricane season. Kept track of depressions in the Gulf of Panama and any weather moving west. If there was any significant weather, plan was to heave to/bore holes in the ocean well north of 20N till it passed. Did have to make a go/no go decision on the sail to the Marquesas that made it very interesting when the low in the Gulf of Panama turned into a Cat 3 hurricane and started beating feet west after we decided to go.

FWIW, the nasty weather generated in the Gulf of Panama either heads West or North. For the ones that head West, they typically stay well within 10N-20N until getting close to the Hawaiian Islands. They are well forecast/tracked so it's easy to steer clear if one should looks like it will threaten.

[Glenn.Brooks]

Originally Posted by roverhi

Assumed they were leaving Hawaii not sailing to Hawaii. Bad decision on the part of the skipper.

Initially the boat was reported as leaving Oahu for the west coast- an Incredibility poor decision if so, given the forecasted track and all the model predictions. However, a poster earlier today mentioned the boat actually departed SF Bay Area and was inbound to Oahu- which makes more sense from the standpoint of being at sea for two weeks or so and getting caught in the storm which developed out of nothing and passed North of hawaii in a matter of 7 or 8 days.

At least the boat will drift down to Kauai or perhaps Maui and maybe they will be able to go out and get it in a week or so. This happened in 2012 when one of the singlehanded transpac skippers enroute Hanalei bay needed emergency medical evacuation in the same general area and was picked up by an east bound container ship. Two weeks latter a couple of SHTP finishers went out 50 miles or so off Maui and brought the boat into Oahu for the skipper- who caught up with it after treatment in SF.

[Jud]

Originally Posted by roverhi

FWIW, the nasty weather generated in the Gulf of Panama either heads West or North. For the ones that head West, they typically stay well within 10N-20N until getting close to the Hawaiian Islands. They are well forecast/tracked so it's easy to steer clear if one should looks like it will threaten.

Which raises what is the only interesting and relvant question (to me) about this incident: how did they find themselves in the path, or at least nearby, a well-charted hurricane, while en route to Hawaii? I can only surmise: (1) they didn't pay attention to any wx info, assuming benign conditions (and hurricanes are, of course, rare in Hawaii); or (2) they didn't have access to wx info/gribs (either b/c their equipment was working; or they didn't know how to use it; or they didn't have any to begin with).

I'm not second-guessing them, but I do find it quite incredible that they ended up in the path of a well-charted hurricane in a fairly-well traveled area (commercial traffic, lots of weather info available). I remember heading north from Hawaii a few years back, helping with a Vic-Maui race boat delivery, we checked gribs daily and made course decisions based on that, and especially checked wx when closing with the N. American coast.

How did s/v Walkabout find itself near a well-charted hurricane, when advance knowledge of it surely could have allowed them to radically alter course (i.e., north), well away from its path? Inexplicable to me, unless they simply never checked forecasts (for whatever reason, as I surmised above). I really would like to know what they were doing/thinking as they were approaching Hawaii, 450 nm out, before the situation deteriorated.

[robert sailor]

I'm sure given a little time more information will be forthcoming until then its all speculation. I can say without a doubt that those folks lived through a hell of an experience which very few others could even dream about.

[Blue Skye]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

I'm sure given a little time more information will be forthcoming until then its all speculation. I can say without a doubt that those folks lived through a hell of an experience which very few others could even dream about.

+1 been in some sh***y situations crab/halibut fishing off Kodiak island, but thats a different level than i ever care to experience

[Cavalier]

HONOLULU — A container ship crew on Monday rescued three men who were stranded in a sailboat off the Hawaiian islands for about 24 hours as Hurricane Julio battered their vessel with giant waves and high winds that ripped off one of its hatches.Th...



Associated Press - Tuesday, August 12, 2014



Read the full article at:

http://www.bing.com/r/2/AA4Td0g?a=1&m=EN-US

[Palarran]

Here is a video link. The boat looks wrecked. I'm glad they got off.
DVIDS - Video - Sailboat caught in Hurricane Julio

[BZT54]

Originally Posted by Jud

Which raises what is the only interesting and relvant question (to me) about this incident: how did they find themselves in the path, or at least nearby, a well-charted hurricane, while en route to Hawaii? I can only surmise: (1) they didn't pay attention to any wx info, assuming benign conditions (and hurricanes are, of course, rare in Hawaii); or (2) they didn't have access to wx info/gribs (either b/c their equipment was working; or they didn't know how to use it; or they didn't have any to begin with).

I'm not second-guessing them, but I do find it quite incredible that they ended up in the path of a well-charted hurricane in a fairly-well traveled area (commercial traffic, lots of weather info available). I remember heading north from Hawaii a few years back, helping with a Vic-Maui race boat delivery, we checked gribs daily and made course decisions based on that, and especially checked wx when closing with the N. American coast.

How did s/v Walkabout find itself near a well-charted hurricane, when advance knowledge of it surely could have allowed them to radically alter course (i.e., north), well away from its path? Inexplicable to me, unless they simply never checked forecasts (for whatever reason, as I surmised above). I really would like to know what they were doing/thinking as they were approaching Hawaii, 450 nm out, before the situation deteriorated.

Whatever the case maybe I am sure they will tell you Murphy was onboard....

BZT

[dannc]

Originally Posted by Palarran

Here is a video link. The boat looks wrecked. I'm glad they got off.
DVIDS - Video - Sailboat caught in Hurricane Julio

Wrecked and listing to port.

What is interesting/educational about the video is just how hard it is to see a boat in those sea conditions. Conditions which had improved from the worst of the storm.

Later,
Dan