One very lucky US singlehanded sailor

[Concerto]

Just come across these reports of a rescue attempt between the US coast and Bermuda of a singlehanded sailor in a Legend 41 in very rough seas after his boat was damaged - possibly having rolled.

Worse Things Happen At Sea

Worse things happen at sea >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News

 

[andyb28]

What do you think about the report from the boat that found them?
It read to me like they didn't help the guy due to overthinking what could gone wrong?

 

[ctva]

What do you think about the report from the boat that found them?
It read to me like they didn't help the guy due to overthinking what could gone wrong?

First rule of first aid is don't become another casualty.

Armchair rescues are very easy to perform.

 

[bikedaft]

What do you think about the report from the boat that found them?
It read to me like they didn't help the guy due to overthinking what could gone wrong?

no, i thought they managed to keep a bad situation bad, rather than it becoming terrible. it must have been very hard for them to leave. but a person not interacting on another boat miles from land is tricky for 2 people to deal with - very high risk of one or both of them also becoming casualties - you need lots of people.

 

[jlavery]

no, i thought they managed to keep a bad situation bad, rather than it becoming terrible. it must have been very hard for them to leave. but a person not interacting on another boat miles from land is tricky for 2 people to deal with - very high risk of one or both of them also becoming casualties - you need lots of people.

Agree. Only two of you. One goes aboard, situation deteriorates, can't get back or occupant turns out to be a nutter. Now things are really bad. Need more people in order to safely help.

 

[andyb28]

Thank you, I understand and appreciate the other points of view raised.

 

[Seven Spades]

I would say without a doubt the yachtsman in distress was in shock. Any normal person would have tried to cut loose the debris in the water, would have tried to communicate with the cat and would have got into their dinghy or life-raft once help was on the scene.

I might have attempted to stream my tender on a long line. From the description it does not sound as though the casuilty would have even attempted to board it.

It is a horrid situation, the man was rescued but how would they feel if the boat had foundered before the coast guard had arrived and the man drowned? I would not have liked to make the call to leave.

 

[Stemar]

how would they feel if the boat had foundered before the coast guard had arrived and the man drowned? I would not have liked to make the call to leave.

There's no indication that the boat was low in the water, and they would have been facing severe weather had they stayed. Look at the 79 Fastnet, Yes, some boats sank, but most of the ones that were abandoned were found later. Conditions were too bad for a rescue by a couple on a cat, but not so bad as to put the damaged boat at further risk and hep was on its way. As ctva says, first rule of first aid is don't become another casualty. I think they made the right call.

 

[Seven Spades]

Unless I am mistaken the report said that the boat was missing some hatches. It would not take long to sink if that was the case and caught in a f10

 

[steve350]

I would not have liked to make the call to leave.

Looks as though it was a good call by Time Bandit skipper to leave when he did. He commented, "There are a few boats here in Bermuda that got caught in the storm we wanted to get in before it hit. One had 52 knots and 26’ seas and was hove to for 36 hours. Happy we dodged that."

 

[Seven Spades]

I had not said it wasn't the right call, just a difficult one that may have left them traumatised should anything have happened to the man. Psychologically leaving some one in that situation who subsequently drowns would be something that would be difficult to get over. I think that they call it "survivor guilt" these days.

 

[steve350]

I had not said it wasn't the right call, just a difficult one that may have left them traumatised should anything have happened to the man. Psychologically leaving some one in that situation who subsequently drowns would be something that would be difficult to get over. I think that they call it "survivor guilt" these days.

Yes, it's possible the skipper could have experienced some degree of psychological trauma if the situation had resulted in the other sailor drowning. The skipper himself mentions feeling a sense of unease as he bore away from the distressed vessel. This despite doing all he could to assist without compromising his own safety, and being advised by the coast guard to continue with his passage. Certainly an unpleasant situation to find oneself in.

 

[Poignard]

Whoever made the bimini did a good job.

Sails gone, boom gone but the bimini survived!

 

[jamie N]

Absolutely the right call was made. It would've been very easy for that to become a 3 person/2 boat tragedy: prop fouling on the stricken boat's sheets, they're swiftly drawn together and collide holing both, all with a load of weather due.
Besides which, it was on the USCG advice to leave for a safe port.
Cheers for sharing.

 

[Dutch01527]

Difficult decision for catamaran skipper. Given the non responsiveness of the casualty something was seriously wrong and a judgement could have been made that not attempting a rescue could be life-threatening to the casualty.

Always difficult to judge how bad wind and wave conditions are from a video. Experience, capability and confidence of the crew availble to attempt a rescue would also be a big factor in deciding if a rescue attempt should be made.

As it turned out the no one died or was injured after the boat was discovered so the right decisions were made.