Another Keel Lost; Another Capsize

[Robert Tilbury]

the snowflakes are loud today ..
My question

INSURANCE ?

[double u]

did I read this right?
they are 26 & 24 & have 10.090 dollars to their name, 10.000 of which were in the boat?
it's been a while but I still want to mention it: at 25 & 23 we set off (on what turned out to be the first of 3 rtws) in a boat that I had built myself in 4000+ hours of sparetime, we had saved like crazy & worked hard, had read every book, english & german, remotely connected with the subject, were autodidacts (practising sunsights with an oil-dish on our balcony on the 5th floor...) & had no saltwater-sailing experience (we're austrian, this is sorta krauts minus ocean) - the whole thing could have ended just as badly (or even much worse) than this couple's ordeal...
BUT: I seem to see a whole different approach here than ours was, a happy-go-lucky approach.
& btw: yeah, "millenials have it much harder", what with gps, rollerfurling & every imaginable information about any subject whatsoever at your fingertips on the internet (in the 70ies I had to wait for weeks for books I had ordered by mail in the US...)
no judgment here, just sayin'...

[Don C L]

I find most of their sins forgivable in light of their youth and inexperience. How many folks here would have known to replace those keel bolts? How many here would have known to avoid that spot and/or have never run aground? I haven't yet, but I am still not so cocky as to think I never will. The part I still find goofy is having no plan B, no way to return to "go," and no savings... just in case.. Seems like the heart of staying alive just about anywhere is to have some tricks in the back pocket and some cash in the bank... either literally or figuratively... especially sailing. If they ever go out again, I bet they will have more of that stuff next time.
It sounds romantic to sail off and the sea will provide... and maybe it will somehow, it often does... But it reminded me of a family I met once in a homeless shelter I volunteered in. The father quit his job, packed up the family in the station wagon, in Florida, and drove out to California, Santa Barbara no less, with no cash, no contacts, no work and no place to live, thinking he'd just find a place and work when he got here. It wasn't working out for him too well, but they had nowhere else to go.
I don't want to take away from anyone's spirit of adventure and faith in God or the Universe, but would it really spoil the dream so much if you chose to fly with a net?

[Rorzech]

Jesus fed the hoards of people with a few fish and a loaf of bread.Who knows how far they could stretch 90$.

[Lake-Effect]

CF members will fight about ANYTHING.

It's sounding like a resort-town bar on a rainy afternoon.

[pmagistro]

Originally Posted by dochip

Much more compassion is needed than the comments I'm seeing here, all of which are based on a short-on-facts news story that is not published in a marine publication. Don't start judging without real facts. Honor their dreams. I've written to the newspaper to try to see how to contact them to offer assistance. And you who judge so quickly, are as quick to help those in need?

Agreed. I haven't finished the thread but please share what you find, if you haven't already?

[Rorzech]

Tell that to the owner's of La Vagabond

[boatman61]

Whats the problem with just having $90 left when they set out..
2008 I had to let go of a 2001 Bene 331.. by the time I cleared my debts I had £5000..
£3500 went on a Hurley22.. another grand on a dinghy,
TP, 2 batteries and a solar panel.. by the time I sailed for Portugal it was late November and I had £150 left after stores for the trip non stop to Portugal from Brixham on the South coast UK.
No one sails the Biscay in the depth of winter that way..
coast hop with windows maybe but a straight shot.. only fools and the insane..
I can just imagine the posts here had it gone wrong..

[SV Sailfish]

Originally Posted by double u

did I read this right?
they are 26 & 24 & have 10.090 dollars to their name, 10.000 of which were in the boat?
it's been a while but I still want to mention it: at 25 & 23 we set off (on what turned out to be the first of 3 rtws) in a boat that I had built myself in 4000+ hours of sparetime, we had saved like crazy & worked hard, had read every book, english & german, remotely connected with the subject, were autodidacts (practising sunsights with an oil-dish on our balcony on the 5th floor...) & had no saltwater-sailing experience (we're austrian, this is sorta krauts minus ocean) - the whole thing could have ended just as badly (or even much worse) than this couple's ordeal...
BUT: I seem to see a whole different approach here than ours was, a happy-go-lucky approach.
& btw: yeah, "millenials have it much harder", what with gps, rollerfurling & every imaginable information about any subject whatsoever at your fingertips on the internet (in the 70ies I had to wait for weeks for books I had ordered by mail in the US...)
no judgment here, just sayin'...

Built your own boat? 3 RTW's??

Cheers to you!!! Viva Austria!

[Kerry1]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Waaay too much speculation here. In reality all we know is what the new report says and I long ago realized these things are seldom accurate.

I find that most folks, not sailors, general population have about zero idea of how the world works. I mean physically. Many folks can’t master a hammer or screwdriver.

He is 26 and worked selling timeshares. How does that prepare you for dealing with reality?

I think that we sailors, in general, have a far better appreciation of reality, how stuff works, the consequences of when it does not, than the average Joe or Jane. May be different in the third world where things are hard scrabble.

If I were in a survival situation and could pick a buddy it would be a commercial fisherman or a small dairy farmer. Tough as nails and they live survival. A time share salesman, stock broker, grade school teacher, accountant, MBA? Not so much.

My guess is 95% of the American population would fare no better than this couple, if as well. At least they had a dream.

There needs to be an emoticon for a standing ovation. As an ex small dairy farmer (still making a living off a small farm) I hear you. You learn to be a plumber, fencer, accountant, navigator of complex legislation, cow whisperer, veterinarian, builder, roofer, mechanic, engineer, employer, budget advisor...ad infinitum blah blah. But yes you do learn a lot of skills, though master of none- except perhaps surviving. We seem to live in an age where people are encouraged to have intense knowledge albeit in a very narrow field.

[Jim Cate]

In an effort to return to cruising and get away from internet sniping, a couple of thoughts:

IMO, other than as fuel for the anti-bolt on keel crowd, I don't think it matters much if the keel came off or not. The boat was gonna be a total loss either way, grounded hard in quite shallow water in a seaway, in the fog and dark, and a long way from help... which then could not really help the boat when it finally arrived. Nope, poor ol' Columbia was a goner when it struck, keel or not.

And the claim that the markers were not correct... how in the world did they reach that conclusion when they had (according to the report) essentially zero visibility?

It is sad that they have had this setback and I'm sure that it is a devastating blow in many ways... but they had choices, many choices along the way before they made the final error. No outside force drove them into that channel in unreasonably bad conditions. It remains to be seen if they will man up, accept responsibility for their actions and set out again on their life path. Extrapolating from the news report is unfair in the extreme... lets give them a chance to show us what they are really made of before we consign them to the depths of scorn.

Jim

[Rorzech]

That reminds me of that old show "Green Acres" a couple jumping into a totally new environment.

[roland stockham]

I have yet to meet a patient in a care home who regrets the stuff they DID do. So what if you stuff up at least they had a go. But I also say bolt on keels don't belong on cruising boats because you will go aground at some point. At least you will if you go anywhere interesting.

[Robert Tilbury]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

In an effort to return to cruising and get away from internet sniping, a couple of thoughts:

IMO, other than as fuel for the anti-bolt on keel crowd, I don't think it matters much if the keel came off or not. The boat was gonna be a total loss either way, grounded hard in quite shallow water in a seaway, in the fog and dark, and a long way from help... which then could not really help the boat when it finally arrived. Nope, poor ol' Columbia was a goner when it struck, keel or not.

And the claim that the markers were not correct... how in the world did they reach that conclusion when they had (according to the report) essentially zero visibility?

It is sad that they have had this setback and I'm sure that it is a devastating blow in many ways... but they had choices, many choices along the way before they made the final error. No outside force drove them into that channel in unreasonably bad conditions. It remains to be seen if they will man up, accept responsibility for their actions and set out again on their life path. Extrapolating from the news report is unfair in the extreme... lets give them a chance to show us what they are really made of before we consign them to the depths of scorn.

Jim

Best post as yet Jim <<
Agree ,,
Oh hows the wind in tassie today ,, its 55kn here in JB ,

[hellosailor]

Heck, if they'd just run aground on a sandbar with no damage, the next boat flying out blind in the fog would have smashed them to bits anyway. Or they could have sunk in the channel and their mast ripped out the next boat bottom passing over it. There are so many ways to spell "disaster".

Or for that matter, who the heck calls Seatow to say "We lost our keel in a channel entrance, we are in danger of capsize and obstructing the channel" duh? That sure sounds like a reason to call the USCG for an emergency response and notification to all mariners that the channel is obstructed in the fog.

"There but for the grace of god go I." Not to be un-empathic, but really...

I vote for "They got lucky, Poseidon only took the boat and spat back the crew."