Sailing New England to Australia in February

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

Is that the boat? Quest? I saw that on eBay. Not my first choice for a half circumnavigation.

No, QUEST is a sister ship, another Nelson Marek 43... I'm just assuming the underbody of SEDONA is similar...

[Exile]

Originally Posted by Jon Eisberg

No, QUEST is a sister ship, another Nelson Marek 43... I'm just assuming the underbody of SEDONA is similar...

Not exactly encouraging, is it? Rather than looking forward to saying "I told you so," I'm still holding out hope they're holed up on the e. coast somewhere. If not, then maybe look forward to Boatman saying "I told you so" if we find out they've arrived safely in Bermuda!

[Sand crab]

I think Quest has a longer keel than the one in the drawing. Maybe a different shape too. Anybody know the draft of the Sedona?

[Jon Eisberg]

Good news...

They're alive:

Australia-Bound Sailors Rescued At Sea During Blizzard « CBS Boston





And, in related news from the North Atlantic in February:

Coast Guard rescues four boaters off Bald Head Island



Published: Sunday, February 15, 2015 at 12:08 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, February 15, 2015 at 12:14 p.m.


BRUNSWICK COUNTY | The Coast Guard rescued four people Saturday from a sailboat after its sails were damaged in high winds about 60 miles southeast of Bald Head Island, according to a news release.

An emergency locator beacon alert was received about 6 p.m. from the 40-foot trimaran Trio, homeported in Pensacola, Florida, the release says.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from the Elizabeth City air station arrived at 8:15 p.m., hoisted the four people up and took them back to the air station in good condition. No injuries were reported.

The rescued boaters were identified as Trio owner Frank W. Rawley, 55; Douglas Rider, 58; Lorette Medwel, 55; and a 14-year-old boy. They had been sailing from Beaufort to Pensacola.


http://www.sailnet.com/forums/news-f...-wect-tv6.html

Those CG rescue swimmers are getting plenty of practice lately, thanks to us recreational sailors...


Hope they at least had the presence of mind to set that tri on fire, before stepping off...


;-)

[Sailmonkey]

Who'd u thunk......


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Island Time O25]

They could've saved ten grand and lots of trouble if they just read this forum once in a while.

Great kudos to CG guys!

[Jason Flare]

I wonder if they would have left in the first place if they didn't have someone to rescue them.

[Coastal]

What incredible skill, bravery and resources it must take to manage that sort of rescue. Just incredible. So very grateful no one lost their lives. Now, I have to just stop paying attention because Jason, I’m sure, will continue to “worry" me. He’s bound to be looking for a new ride as soon as he thaws out!

[Julie Mor]

Originally Posted by Jason Flare

I wonder if they would have left in the first place if they didn't have someone to rescue them.

Or if when the CG boarded them earlier the CG said, "When you guys call for help, we won't be happy about rescuing you."

What I couldn't understand was the media reporting several days ago they had postponed their trip due to weather. Then they went out into this?

[tartansail]

Kudos to the CG crew for a job well done. I can't imagine going out in those conditions. So glad that no one was lost.

Originally Posted by Julie Mor

What I couldn't understand was the media reporting several days ago they had postponed their trip due to weather. Then they went out into this?

[Pure speculation] These guys may not have sailed up in these waters, but they knew that they were going to be late in the season for sailing eastbound from SA to Australia. With a couple of delays already pushing their schedule back I wonder if they felt the need to push their luck for 600 miles now to have a chance of success in the several thousand mile transit of the Southern Ocean in the austral fall. [/Pure speculation]

[JPA Cate]

Great job the men are safe!

We'll probably never know why they went out into that forecast. I, personally, wondered if their visas were up and they couldn't extend them from within the US. It wouldn't be the first time someone left into bad weather for that reason. I also think it is hard for people who've never seen a blizzard to imagine what this storm would have been, at sea. I only know it would be horrible.

Ann

[bob_77903]

I'm grateful there was no loss of life.

I hope I never need to use the USCG, but am glad there there if I do....Bless you Boys

[RTB]

Originally Posted by Coastal

So very grateful no one lost their lives. Now, I have to just stop paying attention because Jason, I’m sure, will continue to “worry" me. He’s bound to be looking for a new ride as soon as he thaws out!

Hopefully you, or someone else, will stop him from making another mistake in the future. I had a friend that lost his boat off the Mexican Coast on his way to Hawaii. I wish someone would have stopped him. He wasn't ready, and neither was the boat.

Ralph

[JulieMac]

I'm really glad to see a happy ending. I'm sure the skipper who lost his boat can't be pleased.

That said, I hope this sailor will learn from this terrible experience. He should be happy he didn't lose his and his father's life. Heading out into a winter gale with an untrained crew and illprepared boat was beyond foolish. Luckily, the CG was available to come to their aid.

Should he have the right to risk his life? Perhaps, but I'm in the camp who says there should me more oversight into such voyages. Remember the Bounty sailing across the path of a hurricane?

If the CG is expected to rescue ships off our coasts, does the requirement for filing the equivalent of a flight plan and weather window make sense?

[JulieMac]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Great job the men are safe!

We'll probably never know why they went out into that forecast. I, personally, wondered if their visas were up and they couldn't extend them from within the US.
Ann

I'm not sure about that, but I doubt it.

Wouldn't it have been good for the CG to have called the Aussie Embassy in the area before the sailors left? Perhaps they could have been dissuaded from leaving in such hostile conditions, and put on notice their next of kin.