Bad
weather, issue with
propulsion and
steering control,
motor not working and "partial rudder". Fatigue also a factor.
Reference:
Riječki kapetan spasio četvero jedriličara i psića na olujnom sjevernom Atlantiku / Novi list
https://www.total-croatia-news.com/l...oatian-sailors
Novi List writes that the MV Sunda ship, commanded by Rijeka
captain Ivan Versic, rescued a
family and
skipper from a storm in the middle of the Atlantic last week. Specifically,
Captain Versic, two other Croatian sailors, and a Filipino crew were involved in the
rescue. The action concerning the first
deck officer Ivan Moro from Sinj and the second
deck officer Sasa Katavic from Kastela was carried out on January 10th. MV Sunda was informed that a sailboat with four crew members and a small dog was stranded due to an
engine malfunction.
The
rescue operation took place on January 10, when MV Sunda was informed that an 11.4-meter long
boat with four crew members and a small dog was being floated by the French Bulldog
due to loss of propulsion and partly rudder. The yacht was carried by strong east winds of strength 6 to 7 and the waves were four meters high.
We made contact through VHF radio and found out that everything was fine with the crew, only they were tired. We agreed to delay the rescue for the next morning due to inclement
weather and nightfall. Shortly after that, we made the first visual contact with the
boat, and we were nearby all night in case of an
emergency, explained Captain Versic.
The next morning, due to bad weather, the crew was forced to interrupt the rescue operation five times, but consistently looked for the most suitable course to get closer to the sailboat in the safest possible way. The waves were four meters high.
We managed to stop close enough to the boat to give them a 'Line Throwing App' and slowly, around 15.05, they made it next to us. We managed to keep the boat there for ten minutes until the crew was moved to our ship, said Captain Versic of the rescue mission.
Our Good Captain Ivan Versic, with his officers and crew members of M/V Sunda, recovered from the middle of the
Atlantic Ocean, a
skipper along with a
family of four members due to engine
malfunction of their sailing boat. Congratulations to all our crew members for this successful, safe, and rescue operation! said the Seastar team in a Facebook post.
Perhaps they had been listening to and singing along with
India Arie's song titled Rollercoaster, a snipet of her lyrics copied below.
Let me off this roller coaster
I don't wanna ride no more (I don't wanna ride no more)
I don't wanna ride no more, I don't wanna ride no more, no more
Let me off this roller coaster
I don't wanna ride no more (I don't wanna ride no more)
I don't wanna ride no more, I don't wanna ride no more, no more
'Round and 'round and up and down
Yeah, it's making me nauseous
Let you take me on this ride
I've got to be more cautious