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Gadagirl · 22-07-2023, 14:06

https://news.yahoo.com/australian-ma...180851766.html

Apparently he had an eprib and contemplated pushing the button. But States there are protocols before resorting to that. He was close to that point, but the tuna boat and their helicopter showed up first. He had contact with relatives the entire time.

"Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock — the Australian sailor who made headlines for being rescued after nearly three months at sea with his dog, Bella — says he had his “finger ready on the SOS button” and had been in contact with his family during the ordeal but chose not to call for help despite being stuck in the Pacific Ocean."

**JPA Cate** · 22-07-2023, 14:32

Just as internet chats are different from face to face visits with family, sending family messages is different from having human company. Unless he chooses to tell someone about it, and he may very much not want to talk about it, to me, we should not be angry at or blame Tym.

For some people, asking for help is just what s/he doesn't want to do, but having it offered and accepting it, while hard enough to "give up", might be okay. He was still a long way from the Marquesas, and perhaps unsure where he needed to go. And that was just one problem. He still felt himself responsible for caretaking the dog and himself.

When you know how draconian the quarantine is for dogs and cats in Australia, you can understand that he thought it better for the dog to be re-homed than have to go through with the long isolated quarantine, especially after having been so close.

Did he make mistakes? Possibly. Who among us has not?

Three months is a long time at sea, with long lonely nights.

I hope he accomplishes his own healing; it is traumatic to "lose" your boat, even when you agree to abandon it.

**boatman61** · 22-07-2023, 14:47

Yup.. onwards and hopefully upwards..
But hope he keeps his future trips coastal..

double u · 23-07-2023, 04:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

He might be a nice enough guy, but please don't come telling me what a great sailor he is.

Setting out across an ocean with no epirb? No communications gear at all, apparently? With a standing mast he could not jury-rig any way to get the boat moving to a destination? Nothing at all? Doesn't anybody else find this exceedingly odd?

People have lost rudders--and sailed to port. People have lost masts--and sailed to port. Being a good sailor means being prepared for the time when your boat breaks. You FIX IT. You MAKE it work. You do whatever it takes.

Drifting around helpless and hopeless for months? Does anybody who has ocean sailing experience really consider that realistic? Something else is going on here other than a "skilled" sailor shipwrecked out on the ocean. I don't know the rest of the story, but there is something, I am sure.

Anybody remember that story of the two women from Hawaii rescued while drifting at random in the middle of the Pacific a few years ago? I'm seeing a riff on that theme.

...shades of Donald Crowhurst, minus the race?
as with the story of the 2 women: "something else" went on here! Mental disturbance? Who knows...

akopac · 23-07-2023, 13:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikereed100

As you are familiar with Tym and his story maybe you can clear up some questions that popped into my head when reading about this.
1. "He was sailing fine" as you say. Good, that makes sense. The photos seem to show a boat in fairly seaworthy condition. Mast up, rudders intact. Man and dog apparently fit and well fed. But 3 months at sea and he only made roughly 1200 miles from La Paz? That's about 13 miles/day for an average of about 1/2 knot.
2. As he had a working Inreach I assume he was not "lost" as reported in the media?
3. The boat was reportedly damaged by a couple of waves in or near the ITCZ, but surely he was well north of the ITCZ 3 months ago? If the boat was not damaged by waves, why was he still messing about in the Eastern North Pacific in hurricane season 3 months after leaving Mexico?

I'm sure a lot of the confusion is due to the media getting most of the facts mixed up, but I just can't make the math work. Maybe you can help clear things up?

He was stuck in a high with no autopilot for 3 weeks 250 miles off Baja.

**boatman61** · 23-07-2023, 15:56

That would have been a good time to turn back and get the TP repaired and buy a back up, a lot easier than trying to carry on for at least another 3000nm to the Marqueasas.

Custom30 · 23-07-2023, 16:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by akopac

He was stuck in a high with no autopilot for 3 weeks 250 miles off Baja.

If you leave La Paz that time of year in a boat not ready to handle Calvin.
If you leave La Paz without at least a cheap sextant and tables.
If you leave La Paz dependent on an electronic steering system without redundancy.
If you leave LaPaz alone and loneliness is an issue (with a dog?).

The video clearly shows rudders aligned and intact, sail piled, rig with tension. He says he went up the mast, which means he has one halyard, or steps as to rig a downwind sail. If his satcom device survived, a spare handheld GPS turned on once a day for a fix would last a long time. Also, his whereabouts don't jibe with the storm and drift time. Or with the above and him sailing part time. The timeline is way off.

Saying he is a lifelong sailor makes it all smell worse. Sorry, lots wrong here.

double u · 23-07-2023, 21:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Custom30

........... Sorry, lots wrong here.

Absolutely!!!
he is entirely within his rights if he does not, for whatever reasons, wants to tell the true story (but this gives us the right to wild speculations, no?). My bet is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia

"stuck in a high" - we have done too many miles (including a rtw in a Wharram cat) to buy that.

double u · 23-07-2023, 22:11

to quote his quotes in the article:

"Shaddock said he was definitely “entertaining the idea” of continuing to figure things out on his own"
"... I very much enjoy sailing, and I love the people of the sea,” “It’s the people of the sea that make us all come together. The ocean is in us. We are the ocean.”

Hmmm...
btw: Garmin in reach has a built in GPS - so much for "lost"...

El Pinguino · 24-07-2023, 01:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by double u

to quote his quotes in the article:

"Shaddock said he was definitely “entertaining the idea” of continuing to figure things out on his own"
"... I very much enjoy sailing, and I love the people of the sea,” “It’s the people of the sea that make us all come together. The ocean is in us. We are the ocean.”

Hmmm...
btw: Garmin in reach has a built in GPS - so much for "lost"...

Hmmm indeed .

Getting stuck in the middle of a stationary high without an engine or not much fuel is not 'crossing the doldrums/ITCZ'.

Highs in the Great Australian Bight come and go so getting glassed out is not a big deal.

Finding yourself in the middle of the 'south east pacific high' - f'rinstance - is not quite the same game. When you are in it - you are in it.
However, I bow to your superior knowledge.

double u · 24-07-2023, 04:07

he was nowhere near the "South East Pacif high" (as you well know, EP), & nowhere near the semistationary NE-Pac high either...
https://apollo.nvu.vsc.edu/classes/m...ace_press.html

akopac · 24-07-2023, 13:53

[QUOTE=double u;3804418]he was nowhere near the "South East Pacif high" (as you well know, EP), & nowhere near the semistationary NE-Pac high either...
https://apollo.nvu.vsc.edu/classes/m...ace_press.html[/

I’m no longer posting on this thread as it has deteriorated to the point of being unsupported media driven speculation with a few individuals pushing unsupported agendas. Tym was relatively quit a ways along when he was picked up. His last reported position to me was N 10.485754° W 123.106828° and he expressed he was heading South on 7/10/23. The ITCZ was just under him at that point I believe.

double u · 25-07-2023, 04:25

...how many hundreds of cruisers, some of the engineless, have crossed the East Pacific (including the ITCZ) to the Marquesas, without drama or getting "stuck in a high"? Taking the incredulous story the guy tells at face value...how "supported" is that?