Beneteau 527 “Time Aut” Abandonment - Exhausted Crew

[RunAgroundHard]

Interesting Mayday and abandonment of what appears to be a sound yacht. Comments from other sources linked below.

I am reminded of the yacht “Mistral” in the film “The Perfect Storm”, which is abandoned. Except in real life, the yacht in that storm survived, including all hands. Google Ray Leonard Satori Westsail 32, for the actual story.

Curious why such a seaworthy vessel that the Beneteau is, crew by a skipper who had sailed thousands of miles, ran out of steam.

Anyone know more or have a point of view. I think open discussion on a forum like this is healthy, even if we do not agree.

Readers React to the Abandonment of Time Aut at Sea | Cruising Compass

How a Perfectly Good Sailboat Was Needlessly Abandoned at Sea | Cruising Compass

 

[fredrussell]

Curious indeed. Be interesting to see how the insurance claim (assuming there is one) works in this instance. Could the insurer decline the claim due to discrepancies between claimed (by crew) and reported (by coastguard) weather conditions leading to abandonment?

Edited due to me being a numpty and getting my imperial and metric measurements mixed up.

 

[Supertramp]

Having listened and read my sense is that we have not got the full story. It would be useful to have the skippers account. And also what decision process led to the Mayday. The fuel question makes no sense. 198 gallons is a LOT of diesel - two days solid motoring would not really dent it. He appearred to be in port for 39 days before this voyage which is ample time to prepare all aspects. It would be useful to have the skipper's account and the event and decision process culminating in a Mayday.

What is interesting and disturbing is that any of us involved in an incident could have the events picked over by journalists and judgements made and publicised without the full facts.

 

[Blueboatman]

Gulf Stream? Shallowish off Hatteras? Wind over Gulf Stream current? Add in inexperience and chronic seasickness? And a deepening Norther and energy sapping cold..??
The linky suggests 198US gallons of fuel on board so that’s what, more than 700l.
I’m sure more details will emerge.

Poor blokes then and now ashore

 

[fredrussell]

Gulf Stream? Shallowish off Hatteras? Wind over Gulf Stream current? Add in inexperience and chronic seasickness? And a deepening Norther and energy sapping cold..??
The linky suggests 198US gallons of fuel on board so that’s what, more than 700l.
I’m sure more details will emerge.

Poor blokes then and now ashore

Ah, apologies- I got my litres and gallons mixed up, I’ll amend my earlier post.

 

[Blueboatman]

Ah, apologies- I got my litres and gallons mixed up, I’ll amend my earlier post.

I can never remember US Vs UK gallons !

Someone is going to find a very nice boat out there bobbing along, with furled sails and fuel enough ..

 

[RunAgroundHard]

In June 2022, "Escape", a CNB 66 was also abandoned after the tragic death of the 2 owners (husband and wife). The crew called for the helicopter and they were taken off the vessel with the casualties. "Escape" was recovered and returned to a base on the east coast of the USA. Hence, it is very likely that "Time Aut" will be recovered because it's location is known and the current and winds in that area are well understood.

The reason I mentioned "The Perfect Storm" yacht scene is the directors dramatisation of a sailing yacht abandonment, was because the crew freaks out and demands to be rescued despite the skipper's claim that the boat will survive, which the crew reject and sends the mayday, their reason, they are exhausted and terrified. In the film it did get a lot worse, unlike here where the weather gets better.

Time Aut web pages, adds nothing to the story beyond being a platform to advertise the voyages of the vessel sailing

An expiation of their December trip is given sailing

... we will be sailing south from St. Lucia towards Trinidad and Tobago in the first half of 2024, before arriving in the Bahamas along the Windward and Leeward Islands towards Martinique, Antigua and Cuba towards the end of June.
From there we will sail along the scenically very beautiful US East Coast, starting with Florida and using the ICW Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway and various bays such as Cheasepeake Bay to New York / Maine / Halifax, possibly also to the mouth of the St. Lawrence River.
In November / December we will be back in the Caribbean to prepare for the passage through the Panama Canal towards the Pacific. We will make stopovers on the ABC islands Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) and the Sin Blas Group, which is still very untouched by tourism.

Time Aut AIS was on hence relatively straight forward to find I would have thought.

Ship TIME AUT (Sailing Vessel) Registered in Austria - Vessel details, Current position and Voyage information - IMO 0, MMSI 203245311, Call sign OEX5311

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Loose Cannon writes up an interesting article but the comments are the nuggets of gold from people who sail in those waters. It appears that Time Aut sailed right into the middle of the Gulf Stream and then turned south directly into it, the wind backed and 20 kts over a strong current. Apparently it is a difficult stretch of water to sail in and this is not the recommend passage.

Why Was a Perfectly Good Boat Abandoned at Sea? (Videos)

From the comments section of the article: -

We have done this route many times over the last decade in a similar sized boat. This was a wreck of a passage plan. So many bad decisions.

One additional thing that wasn't mentioned above , the route they sailed took them right out into the middle of the Gulf Stream! WHY??? Not only does it set you to the north at 2.5 to 3.5 knots here, but after the front passes, and the wind clocks to the north you are left with a 20+ knot wind straight against the strong current. Even if the waves were 10 feet or less, they would have been extremely steep and close together. Not at all a situation tenable for a light weight, flat bottomed boat like this.

Having single-handed down or back from New England to Miami 8 times between my age at 58 to 77, this is beyond strange. Going south is more challenging in terms of route, as one either goes between the stream and the land, so lots of small boat traffic, or goes straight through the stream to be to the East of it so that it is not an issue. From the track of this boat, it appears they tried to go south into the stream. Not very smart...and I am being charitable.

 

[Roberto]

people who sail in those waters.

So called North Wall Effect
https://www.vos.noaa.gov/docs/north_wall.pps

 

[RunAgroundHard]

@Roberto

Excellent. Thanks for looking that up and sharing.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

… What is interesting and disturbing is that any of us involved in an incident could have the events picked over by journalists and judgements made and publicised without the full facts.

I don’t consider it disturbing at all, why should it be. The skipper used the public domain to advertise the boats trips, and offer opportunities to sail with him on the boat for a share of the expenses. No one was killed and there is no suggestion of criminal activity. The rescue elevates the interest in boat, crew and situation and naturally is of interest, which is exploited by folks who participate in sailing commentary on public domain media.

This is nothing new and predates the internet and modern media. The speculation around Crowhurst filled column inches in its day, eagerly read and opined upon in club bars within and beyond the sailing fraternity. It’s the way it is.

 

[Supertramp]

I don’t consider it disturbing at all, why should it be. The skipper used the public domain to advertise the boats trips, and offer opportunities to sail with him on the boat for a share of the expenses. No one was killed and there is no suggestion of criminal activity. The rescue elevates the interest in boat, crew and situation and naturally is of interest, which is exploited by folks who participate in sailing commentary on public domain media.

This is nothing new and predates the internet and modern media. The speculation around Crowhurst filled column inches in its day, eagerly read and opined upon in club bars within and beyond the sailing fraternity. It’s the way it is.

I agree that it is how it is and setting up a website to hire crew spaces certainly implies competence and responsibility.

But some the readers reactions seemed to contain judgement without questioning or adding to the facts.

Not on this thread where people are seeking to understand rather than judge.

 

[saltybaby123]

I know this post might be a little old but I just came across the story and found it interesting, as I had been applying as interested crew. He was asking for money to join as crew. I couldn't afford what he was asking for, so that is why I did not join. I find it interesting, that perhaps they ran into difficulty when he was charging so much because he was so experienced and it was such a safe and luxurious boat.