Tragedy Strikes.

[bill352]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

So what would an average cruiser or fisherman have aboard that could be used to tag Dagny?

If nothing else, whoever found her could lay alongside for an hour or two and report an accurate position along with drift direction and speed.

[Prairie Chicken]

Didn't Dagny have InReach on board? If it still has power, getting aboard & activating it may work.

[Sandero]

I would think that depending on the sea state... it's pretty hard to "grab" a boat when there is no one on it. Not impossible for sure... but it can be dangerous... just getting a person on board... can be extremely difficult. This is unlikely to be like a loose boat in a snug harbor with no sea and no wind to speak of... that you can come along side and hold onto the life lines and climb aboard with a few lines.

How WOULD one capture for a tow... a yacht in the ocean when no one is aboard?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Sandero

I would think that depending on the sea state... it's pretty hard to "grab" a boat when there is no one on it. Not impossible for sure... but it can be dangerous... just getting a person on board... can be extremely difficult. This is unlikely to be like a loose boat in a snug harbor with no sea and no wind to speak of... that you can come along side and hold onto the life lines and climb aboard with a few lines.

How WOULD one capture for a tow... a yacht in the ocean when no one is aboard?

How? As you said: with great difficulty and danger.

I am stuffed if it would be me going untethered over the lifelines. But I can't see how it could be done tethered.
I am certainly not risking my life for an old boat with little payout.

But if there are live, incapacitated children on board in a rescue situation then, ummm, a man must be a man.


Mark

[Prairie Chicken]

Agreed Sandero. Getting aboard would be the difficult part. The boat was left by Gil in a manner that he could board from his dinghy, but at sea would likely be a significant challenge. It would really all depend on the sea state.

[Sandero]

If the anchor is hanging down could the line be snagged somehow and used as a tow and then perhaps try to boat via a dinghy?'

Or maybe board from a dink with a heaving line?

[Pelagic]

in this case....the towline is already attached in the form of a dangling anchor and line..

Use a boat hook or grapple to catch that line so as to get a bight around it then slowly pull forward to reeve up the ground tackle to just before the line turns to chain.

Tie off the chain to your stern , so that it dangles safely and slowly pull the boat towards your stern with the anchor line while keeping the boat oriented into any swell, until close enough to safely transfer a person over your stern and across the pulpit.

If too lively, put a tender in the water with a long tow line and drape the tender across the drifting boat to make a transfer

Person on drifting boat should be prepared to stay onboard to keep rudder active, protect bridal from chaffed.... if you decide to tow.

But if possible, better to get the drifting boat moving under its own power to get it into a safe haven.

This is when you feel good about teaching your partner on how to sail your own boat by herself, while you sort out the drifting boat

[Yukon Cornelius]

Originally Posted by HappyMdRSailor

Right???

Get back to FL where there's infinitely more resources...

Chris Parker's estimate puts the boat about 45NM off the coast of Jacksonville (well clear of the Gulf Stream) by Tuesday. By tonight, it looks like the winds lose any easterly component, and start slowly clocking westerly by Thursday.

It seems to me that the next two days would offer the best chance for recovery from the US east coast. If the boat wanders back into the Gulf Stream sometime after Thursday, you might as well start making plans for Portugal.

[vjm]

The assumption that the anchor is attached may not be warranted. Rode could have chafed through at anchorage.

[Littlechay]

Tagging,

The easiest would be an AIS MOB locator from a lifejacket such as a mcmurdo smart find.

Manoeuvre up to the drifting boat with somebody on your bow. Try to position your bow as you would for a crew transfer ie approach at about a 30 degree angle to the other boat aiming to put your bow near the centre of motion of the target. Usually a well timed step across is all that's required but in this case toss the beacon into the cockpit.

You loose a beacon of course. Depending on your own plans you might not be able to afford that.

Chris


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[gilgsn]

West-End Bahamas And a Possible Sighting. - SV Dagny

Gil.

[Salty Mike]

How to board? The way the pirates did it, swing on a rope from your mast Tarzan style.

[laika]

Still pulling for you, Gil. Your attitude throughout all this has been awesome.

[williamtl]

Tomnod has a SAR page. The link is at the very bottom of the home page if you want to check out the full detail. It states the following requirements:

Only those who meet the following criteria will be considered. *
Check the box if your answer is "yes."
Are you directly involved with the Search and Rescue mission?
Can you provide precise coordinates (within 20km) for the search area?
Can you provide ground information (i.e. videos, pictures and/or statements) for our global online community?
Is the object of interest larger than a small group of people?

I think the second question (position within 20km) would rule out the search for Dagny bring accepted. :-(


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[a64pilot]

I'm on Marina Wifi so can't look anything up so I don't know what Tomnod is.
But there are trackers put on shipping containers that last for months, and I assume report position every so often as that is their purpose.


I'm hoping she gets into shallower water and the anchor snags



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