CF Member Rescued After Being Lost at Sea For 66 Days-Merged

[jongleur]

Does anybody remember reading the book
about a trimaran called "Trinity" which
capsized off northern California with 3
people on it. Only 2 of them survived
to be rescued, then only one survived
soon after rescue?

I'm sure it was in Dewey Decimal System
910.2.

Yes, this is germane to the topic.

[charliehows]

good seamanship (wouldnt have gone out in that unfortunate boat) vs dumb luck...damn it, you need 'em both - but this dude might be down to his last of 9 lives.

[medevicerep]

The reporting on this has been atrocious. Can't these lazy reporters call an experience sailor for some input? CNN reported that he was found on a "capsized" boat. How can a monohull not self right? How can a man survive for 66 days perched on a capsized boat in the Atlantic? The facts are starting to drip out but I have a lot of questions;

1. Why did he not file a sail plan with a friend or family member? His father reported him missing after 6 days!

2. How did "all" of his electronics fail? Did he not have a ditch bag with an EPIRB or at least a hand held VHS radio?

3. He said that he had one months provisions of food aboard. For a day trip?

4. He said he was going out to the gulf stream to fish. I have been sailing for only a few years but single handed sailing and fishing don't really go together do they? I have heard of trolling while cruising but active fishing and trying to handle a 30 foot plus sailboat single handed in the gulf stream is difficult at best.

5. He looked pretty healthy for a guy who spent 66 days at sea living on pancakes, raw fish and rain water.

6. He hailed a passing freighter with a whistle and waving. No flares?

7. A sailboat his size must have had an engine. That failed too?

I am not letting my wife see any of this coverage or else she will never let me out on the water alone again.

[EzzyD]

Originally Posted by medevicerep

The reporting on this has been atrocious. Can't these lazy reporters call an experience sailor for some input? CNN reported that he was found on a "capsized" boat. How can a monohull not self right? How can a man survive for 66 days perched on a capsized boat in the Atlantic? The facts are starting to drip out but I have a lot of questions;

1. Why did he not file a sail plan with a friend or family member? His father reported him missing after 6 days!

2. How did "all" of his electronics fail? Did he not have a ditch bag with an EPIRB or at least a hand held VHS radio?

3. He said that he had one months provisions of food aboard. For a day trip?

4. He said he was going out to the gulf stream to fish. I have been sailing for only a few years but single handed sailing and fishing don't really go together do they? I have heard of trolling while cruising but active fishing and trying to handle a 30 foot plus sailboat single handed in the gulf stream is difficult at best.

5. He looked pretty healthy for a guy who spent 66 days at sea living on pancakes, raw fish and rain water.

6. He hailed a passing freighter with a whistle and waving. No flares?

7. A sailboat his size must have had an engine. That failed too?

I am not letting my wife see any of this coverage or else she will never let me out on the water alone again.

I agree that the reporting is atrocious...

Yet... the story is a great story if your wife (or any other person sees it).

Can you not say something to your wife along the lines of:

"Look, I believe I have more experience and skill then this guy when he went out day fishing. I have better safety equipment.... and most important I have you to return to.... so.. Nothing to worry about. eh?"

[rognvald]

I just viewed the video interview of the "lost sailor" posted by Maine Sail. A few choice lines by the sailor in the video follow were:
1. He attempted to "raise a mast" on the boat. Did he have a bucket
truck available?

2. He referred to the "lines that hold the mast to the boat," that were
like "guy wires on a radio tower."

3. And, in his creative will to survive he was going to make a
"jerry mast" and a "jerry rudder." Who the hell is Jerry?

4. And since the fish just "went away," in his home base he thought he would go out to the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream to catch fish even
though the weather report "wasn't good" but he "judged the
weather by the skies." So, he went offshore because you'll
never be a good sailor unless you go "offshore." To sail or fish?

Look, boys and girls. This is another sad example in a long list of obviously incompetent people who throw all caution to the wind and rely on the CG to save them from their pathetic endeavors. If we don't wake up and do something proactive to stop these ridiculous adventures made by those who are clearly incompetent, we are going to be inundated with government regulations that will surely create unnecessary obstacles to serious, competent sailors who desire to head offshore. This is another example of a group of people in our society who "want it and want it now" irrespective of any skills or ownership of a competent well found boat as Geek mentioned in a previous post.(Did I mentioned "competent" enough times?
When is this going to stop?

[snort]

Originally Posted by rognvald

When is this going to stop?

When they stop giving free helicopter rides.

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by medevicerep

He said that he had one months provisions of food aboard. For a day trip?

He was a liveaboard, the boat was his home, so not unusual to have food stores aboard.

But once he was safely aboard the cargo ship I dont think the USCG should have picked him up. Life and limb were no longer in jeapordy; let him find his own way home.

[The Apprentice]

It all makes for interesting reading....and does leave a lot of question to be answered..


It appears he was really more interested in talking to the press following his 'rescue' than seeking medical treatment...


Hmmm.....He looks darn healthy for being at see for the 'reported' time that's for sure...


Have a look at the following link as reported of the incident in the Australian Press...


Sailor Louis Jordan who survived 66 days at sea by eating raw fish, reading Bible, hits back at doubters

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by Kevin84

As far as I can tell, yes it is. It's not only his ability as a sailor though. Unless he had recently done a complete keel to masthead and stem to stern refit, Angel was in very poor condition. She had soft decks, numerous leaks, her rig was loose (you could not get the stays to tighten) and even had possible hull delamination. Sadly, I told Louis (assuming this is the same person) that Angel was in no condition for offshore use. Unfortunately some people learn things the hard way. Regardless, I'm very glad he's alive and will give him credit for having the balls to survive out there for as long ss he did.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Kevin was this your listing? If so, it paints a different picture than your post above 1963 Pearson Alberg 35 sailboat for sale in South Carolina

[colemj]

Originally Posted by rognvald

Geek,
How can you be so naïve? These are very UNIMPORTANT issues. However, if he had Satnav, SSB, Radar, Electronic navigation, inverter, AIS, Big screen TV, Manson anchor, electric winches, Bose stereo system, on board watermaker, bow thrusters, dyneema lifelines, and a well worn 45 of "Purple Haze," by Jimmy Hendricks he would have definitely avoided capsize.

Well, if he had an epirb...

Mark

[Kevin84]

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

Kevin was this your listing? If so, it paints a different picture than your post above 1963 Pearson Alberg 35 sailboat for sale in South Carolina

No, not mine. Never seen it before actually. Scammer maybe?

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[RKsailsolo]

Originally Posted by Adodero

Wait, what? Who is attacking his religion?

Amen.

What's really intriguing about this story is the zig zag thread drifts revealing how many different ways people perceive the same thing. But the thing is the rub. Whatever shape that thing takes on due to incredibly poor reporting drives the zigging and the zagging.

[bob_77903]

Originally Posted by rognvald

I just viewed the video interview of the "lost sailor" posted by Maine Sail. A few choice lines by the sailor in the video follow were:
1. He attempted to "raise a mast" on the boat. Did he have a bucket
truck available?

2. He referred to the "lines that hold the mast to the boat," that were
like "guy wires on a radio tower."

3. And, in his creative will to survive he was going to make a
"jerry mast" and a "jerry rudder." Who the hell is Jerry?

4. And since the fish just "went away," in his home base he thought he would go out to the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream to catch fish even
though the weather report "wasn't good" but he "judged the
weather by the skies." So, he went offshore because you'll
never be a good sailor unless you go "offshore." To sail or fish?

Look, boys and girls. This is another sad example in a long list of obviously incompetent people who throw all caution to the wind and rely on the CG to save them from their pathetic endeavors. If we don't wake up and do something proactive to stop these ridiculous adventures made by those who are clearly incompetent, we are going to be inundated with government regulations that will surely create unnecessary obstacles to serious, competent sailors who desire to head offshore. This is another example of a group of people in our society who "want it and want it now" irrespective of any skills or ownership of a competent well found boat as Geek mentioned in a previous post.(Did I mentioned "competent" enough times?
When is this going to stop?

Its a shame that we're not all as brilliant and mistake free as some on this forum.
I can't cast the first stone, but guess some on here feel they can.

Jury rig - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Steve1944]

Originally Posted by tho52mas

wow...got on aftyer 7 years....was in Cleveland when a storm came up. I was out but made it back to the dock just as it hit. Went through a racing fleet to do it (they turned in to me!! I has about 6 skippers...all sailboat owners, onboard and asked what to do..law says racers have right of way...but they turned in to me and the sky was BLACK) anyway after the storm passed they towed in 5 boats, all sunk but floating, with one upside down. We waved to them and they ignored us. The point is these were all 30'ers, some 27...with fixed keels...and one was flipped over, and barely out of the water. So I suspect that the water volume probably equalizes or surpasses the keel weight which will not allow it to upright itself.

Racers DO NOT have the right of way by any nautical law.

Otherwise, this is an interesting post. I have never in my life passed a sailboat without waving and having some form of recognition returned. It's almost a nautical law.

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by bob_77903

Its a shame that we're not all as brilliant and mistake free as some on this forum.
I can't cast the first stone, but guess some on here feel they can.

Jury rig - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I can still tell black from white/fools and idiots from measured adult thinking. So why not tell it like it is. There is no relativism or ambiguity in play here.

Rognvald, perhaps we should look at some sort of self policing in the cruising community much like what the diving/caving community has put in place to avoid entanglement with big brother. The diving community approach has been extremely successful for 60 years or so.