How often do yachts require rescue on crossings?

[Jammer]

After reading some anecdotal reports and thinking on proper emergency equipment, I find myself wondering how often bluewater rescues become necessary.

Are there any statistics? Does anyone keep a list?

Are there thought to be any common themes that might serve as means to make sense of the contradictory choruses of "go now" and "be prepared?"

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Are there thought to be any common themes that might serve as means to make sense of the contradictory choruses of "go now" and "be prepared?"

It is only contradictory because of the order you presented it.

Think:
Prepare yourself and the boat and go as soon as you can.

Like most car accidents, 90% are probably human error rather than equipment.
On an Ocean crossing, you need to be your own mechanic to continually monitor the equipment.

[NoTies]

As per the thread title, usually only once, most people give up after the first rescue.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by NoTies

As per the thread title, usually only once, most people give up after the first rescue.

Not everyone gives up so easily, see Rimas: https://sailingfortuitous.com/rimas/

[StuM]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Not everyone gives up so easily, see Rimas: https://sailingfortuitous.com/rimas/

Or Captain Calamity: American 'Captain Calamity' sailors rescued for a NINTH time | Daily Mail Online

[tkeithlu]

I don't think we even know how many Water boats">blue water boats are NOT rescued. Read Godforsaken Sea, noting the paragraph about the freighter that docked at Yokohama with standing rigging tangled in its anchor......We all know of boats that simply disappeared, starting with Joshua Slocum in Spray.

[chuckr]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

It is only contradictory because of the order you presented it.

Think:
Prepare yourself and the boat and go as soon as you can.

Like most car accidents, 90% are probably human error rather than equipment.
On an Ocean crossing, you need to be your own mechanic to continually monitor the equipment.

The one thing you forgot was the weather - in our humble opinion the biggest issue one has to deal with -

The year we crossed in 2013 we got 3 boat watches on our ssb - none made it Horta - and we do know that one had a lot of people looking for it - but we heard nothing about the other 2 -

[AJ_n_Audrey]

Originally Posted by Jammer

After reading some anecdotal reports and thinking on proper emergency equipment, I find myself wondering how often bluewater rescues become necessary.

Are there any statistics? Does anyone keep a list?

Are there thought to be any common themes that might serve as means to make sense of the contradictory choruses of "go now" and "be prepared?"

Not sure they are contradictory. You do need experience with your boat and with sailing before you go, but you don't need years of experience to do your first crossing to the Bahamas, for instance. You do need to read a lot about what is really important, talk to real sailors, and address any important deficiencies in your boat or your skills. If you are headed south, you can get a lot of valuable experience just getting far enough south to cross to Bimini, West End or wherever. I had about 18 months of re-fit and prep, plus a month of southbound sailing before my first crossing to the Bahamas, and I would have gone sooner if I wasn't still working.

I would certainly not do an Atlantic passage as my first passage, though. Crossing the GS is a large enough initial challenge in my humble opinion, and then you can decide what larger challenges you want. I think the "go now" piece addresses the "someday" disease that a lot of people get (I know one such person very well - he spent 25 years prepping and never went). It means after you have done the important stuff (not every nice-to-have thing), and you know how to handle your boat, then go. Or else you might not ever go, as someday continues to be "someday" and eventually you're too old and creaky.

That's my two cents.

[hamburking]

I think boat rescues are rare. If a sailboat gets into trouble and requires assistance, it is often front page news...and that happens rarely.

I recall when my wife (now ex) was pregnant. Everyone we spoke with told us of the perils and dangers of being pregnant and childbirth. But really, an extremely high percentage are uneventful, including our own. I point to the continued existence of the human race as proof. But listening to peoples stories, you would think it nearly impossible to have a baby at all.

People love to talk about the disasters, the mistakes, the tragedies. There is little interest in the well prepared and uneventful crossing.

I believe you are always much safer on a sailboat than in a car.

[grantmc]

Originally Posted by Jammer

After reading some anecdotal reports and thinking on proper emergency equipment, I find myself wondering how often bluewater rescues become necessary.
Are there any statistics? Does anyone keep a list?
Are there thought to be any common themes that might serve as means to make sense of the contradictory choruses of "go now" and "be prepared?"

When you sail off there is no 'list' to register with. Outward bound boats clear Customs but that doesn't result in any trip monitoring. Some countries offer a Trip Report process/service and of course there are a number of web sites that do the same.
The reality is that the responsibility is for the Skipper to ensure someone on land monitors the trip and if trip communication stops then S&R authorities are contacted to initiate a search.
Many yachts are rescued and sadly some are just never heard of again.
In the ‘Go now’ vs ‘Be prepared’ argument no ‘Go Now’ proponent has ever suggested ‘Go Now Irrespective of Safety and Preparedness’.
Much depends on the geography of the crossing itself. A trip between say Tonga and Fiji can be undertaken with far less preparation and safety measures than say a trip between Greenland and Iceland.

[SV Sailfish]

And let's not forget these 2 Hawaiian nut cases...

https://www.today.com/news/two-women...st-sea-t118536

Apparently, these two can communicate using mental telepathy with sharks. ("Mental" being the key word here)

The Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, UK Lifeboat crews and others are fast becoming day care for idiots.

,

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by grantmc

When you sail off there is no 'list' to register with. Outward bound boats clear Customs but that doesn't result in any trip monitoring. Some countries offer a Trip Report process/service and of course there are a number of web sites that do the same.
The reality is that the responsibility is for the Skipper to ensure someone on land monitors the trip and if trip communication stops then S&R authorities are contacted to initiate a search.
Many yachts are rescued and sadly some are just never heard of again.
In the ‘Go now’ vs ‘Be prepared’ argument no ‘Go Now’ proponent has ever suggested ‘Go Now Irrespective of Safety and Preparedness’.
Much depends on the geography of the crossing itself. A trip between say Tonga and Fiji can be undertaken with far less preparation and safety measures than say a trip between Greenland and Iceland.

the fact of a sailplan doesnot keep one safe. nor does delorme, spot or other tracking system keep one from deep water disappearance. case in point, richard carr, as yet unfound mid pacific.
richard was also well prepared, not as well prepped physically and psychologically as he perhaps should have been, but prepared. his boat, a union 36 was perfect. so splainme his disappearance with your numbers. these happen, albeit rarely, much more rarely than the calls for assist or mayday.
many find trouble, not so many disappear without a trace.
or do they.

[GTom]

Accidents do happen, mixed bag of human error, weather, hitting floating junk at night, etc. You find accident reports even from "easy" crossings, like the ARC. I might be wrong but I read somewhere a 1-2% chance of loosing your boat (or more!) when crossing the Pacific. Way too much not to have a lifeboat, EPIRB and sat phone/SSB on board.

[JPA Cate]

It is true there are no reliable statistics. I sometimes wonder if better communications these days doesn't lead to more rescues than would have occurred in the 70's and 80's, or if we just hear more about them.

Once we come to grips with the fact that death is the natural end for all living things, fear of it seems sort of irrelevant. It will come in its own good time, in most cases, and is only under our control by choice.

I do think people sometimes do not respect the dangers, for instance, of singlehanding across the Tasman, which is only a short passage (7-10 days). It does not have the 3 to 4 weekness of the crossing from Puerto Vallarta to Atuona...which is a long time to singlehand if you have never done an ocean crossing and know what to expect from yourself. When this sort of voyage is undertaken by someone alone, over 65, well, just let me say I feel some concern, for their well being.

Ann

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Once we come to grips with the fact that death is the natural end for all living things, fear of it seems sort of irrelevant. It will come in its own good time, in most cases, and is only under our control by choice.

I think the scuba diving community, particularly the technical diving and cave diving community, have a refined and healthy attitude about this. I would summarize their attitude as being that:

1. Dives will be made only within the training, experience, and physical capabilities of the divers participating.
2. All risks will be fully understood and appreciated.
3. Unnecessary risks will be avoided even if small. In other words, the dive will be conducted in the safest possible way consistent with the objectives and circumstances of the dive.
4. Necessary risks will be mitigated to the extent feasible.

I think, overall, it's a healthy attitude. It doesn't leave people at the mercy of fear. It doesn't encourage excessive or blind risk-taking. It's a balance I strive for in anything where hazards are involved.

1-2% loss seems unacceptably high. 18th century ships had a loss rate of around 10% on Atlantic crossings. Seems with weather forecasting, modern navigation and communication systems, and diesel engines we could do far better.