Award for Outstanding Seamanship

[TaoJones]

Susanne Huber-Curphey and Tony Curphey are married cruisers who only live together when they're in port. On passages, they sail solo. That's because they each have their own vessel.

Last February, they departed Bunbury in Western Australia with the intention of sailing to Lautoka, Fiji. Their courses were to take them through the Austalian Bight, south of Tasmania and through the Tasman Sea. Twenty-nine days out on the non-stop passage, Tony's 1958 plywood cutter began taking on water from the vicinity of the boat's transom.

To read the rest of the story, and learn why they were awarded the 2008 Rod Stephens Trophy for Outstanding Seamanship, go to:

BYM Marine & Maritime News

TaoJones

[Wotname]

Nice story and link, thanks for posting it, TaoJ.

[MidLandOne]

Well TaoJones I did not know they had been awarded the trophy so thanks very much for posting this as it adds the finishing touch to the story as we knew it.

By chance my wife and I were visiting Port Nelson in our own boat for maintenance and Galenaia was against the yard's dock when we arrived. We spent several days rafted alongside her and met Tony of course as we clambered back and forth over little Galenaia to get ashore, we being 40 foot so overhanging her alot . His wifes boat was a few berths away in the marina.

There is a photo I have just found of the two boats at Cruising Club of America . I think that photo was taken while we were in Nelson or after we had left as after he was finished at the yard he was moved from under us to a berth beside So Long.

[James S]

This is the first I heard of the award and of this unusual couple...
They've altered a bit my thought of why people single hand.

[waverider]

It goes to show that its always nice to have another boat cruising with you. Even if they are 150 miles away. They saved the crew, saved the boat and he got the girl......Hollywood Movie!!!!!

[Tempest245]

neat story!

The next outstanding seamanship award should go to the pilot of the US airways jet that just made a safe landing on the Hudson River, incredible!

[James S]

Originally Posted by Tempest245

neat story!

The next outstanding seamanship award should go to the pilot of the US airways jet that just made a safe landing on the Hudson River, incredible!

I'll second that!
I'm waiting for the vid of the actual landing...someone in NY must have gotten something!

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Tempest245

neat story!

The next outstanding seamanship award should go to the pilot of the US airways jet that just made a safe landing on the Hudson River, incredible!

Yes, I even thought it might be amusing to start a new thread on CF entitled:

Sully saves 155 lives on Hudson River

(The Captain of the US Air flight was Capt. Chesley B. Sullenberger III, or "Sully" to those who know him.)

TaoJones