Anyone else see

[sailaway78]

Anyone else see a Nat'l Geo. Explorer program about a sailboat called the Trash Man.Boat was lost somewhere offshore approx. Cape Hatteras, according to the program. I didn't get in on the first, and got so disgusted with it I didn't even watch the finish. The script writers included just about everything bad that could possibly happen. There were five aboard, heading for Florida. They got caught in a storm, then one of the female crew fell, and hurt her back, and cut up her legs pretty bad. They called the coast guard for a heading to the nearest hospital. Then the engine won't start, and they said it had not been running right before they left. And I think I heard something about one of the crew sobering up enough to be of some help. They work on the engine, but can't get it to start. Then the ports get blown out. Boat starts flooding, then coming apart. Winds were 60mph. ( They stated mph not knots.) They decided to abandon, and proceeded to inflate the life raft without having it tied to the boat. Lost the life raft. Then took to the dinghy after losing it and having to swim for it. ( I know, sounds sort of iffy in 60 mph winds) When they abandoned the boat, left their EPIRB in the sinking boat. Tried calling a mayday after the boat was partially submerged, and supposedly the VHF was already shorted. Somehow they all five made the dinghy. Now they have no survival supplies of any kind. No life jackets, no water, no fishing gear, no nothing. They were hanging on the dinghy, with it upside down, and said they were afraid to try to get in is because it might flip. This is where I just gave up and turned the thing off. Is it possible this many things can go wrong on one trip, with a supposedly knowledgable crew. Would Nat'l Geo possibly take a little literary freedom with a story to make it more interesting.

 

[Dave Groshong]

was that the one that was a

Westsail 32 that was doing just fine, the crew just frieked out and abandoned ship and then they forced the Captain to abandon ship too!The boat was recovered later. It would have been much safer to stay aboard!

 

[sailaway78]

Don't think so

Don't think it was that boat. This one sank, supposedly. Said they were 100 miles offshore, in the gulf stream. I can easily imagine the gulf stream getting rough enough to tear up a boat. Just all the other things that went wrong seemed like a script overkill.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Westsail32

Was the Satori which survived the "Perfect Storm" despite being abandoned by her crew

 

[Ross]

What good would the story be if the crew hung in

did their damage control, saved their boat and themselves and sailed into port somewhat battered and bruised but intact?

 

[sailortonyb Allied Mis]

Saw it before

Dont remember what channel it was. It was a while back. I think they started off with 5 people. 3 men and 2 women. They hit a bad storm and were dismasted and water was just pouring in rapidly and filling ythe boat. No time for repairs. The dismasting is how one of the women was injured. They lost the life raft when it blew away on them. Probably didnt have it atached to the boat. They did radio the CG and gave their position, somehow the CG 'forgot' to respond. Later on the 2 surviving people sued the CG and all victims were awarded an undisclosed amount. They were in the water with their inflatable dinghy because the water was much warmer than the air temp. A brush with sharks made them immediately jump into the dinghy. The cold air was better than sharkes. Long story, but 2 men drank salt water, hallucinated and were eaten by sharks. The woman with the injured leg also died in the boat and was put overboard. Eventually, they were found by accident by i think a Russian freighter. I think the show I saw it on was "I shouldnt be alive" or something like that.

 

[texastom]

Satori lives on in Texas

Yes, the Westsail 32 was the Satori and it was in the "Prefect Storm". The boat was found by the owner off the coast of S.C., I believe, in pretty good condition. There was some problem with salvage rights and the boat was eventually sold to a guy in Texas. It is now docked in my marina and in fact I look at it from my cockpit everytime I'm on my boat. Still has the Satori name but never see anyone on it.TomS/V At Last

 

[MoonSailer]

The Book "Albatross" the boat Trashman.

Nice and Easy it sounds like the sailboat Trashman a 58' boat that sank in 1982?? A surviving woman wrote a book about the adventure. "Albatross" Amazon.com has the book. The boat sank and three people died out of a crewof 5. The book doesn't get good reviews but might be worth reading. Google sailboat trashman.

 

[sailortonyb Allied Mis]

Moonsailor....and TexasTom

You are correct although I dont know the year. Anyway, that woman is now a motivational speaker. I have read an article about that fateful trip and also a Tv show. The show was very dramatic, especially concerning the shark attacks. In both cases, that woman was not portrayed very well. Tom: I think we met one morning at breakfast with Martin from Ms. and Paul another Brit now in Legend Point.Was that you?Tony B

 

[texastom]

I don't believe it was me

Tony B.,I think you may be thinking of another Tom. I usually eat breakfast at Skipper's when we are at the boat but I don't remember meeting. We keep our boat at Portofino Harbour. My brother-in-law use to keep his boat at Legend Point but they have moved to Atlanta now. They had a Catalina 30.If you are in the Portofino Habour Marina some weekend stop by our boat, we are on Dock E, slip 11. My personal email is in the members directory on this site if you want to get in touch with me.TomS/V At Last

 

[sailortonyb Allied Mis]

Texas Tom

I will stop by and look you up. I guess it wasnt you. The Satori was at the end of their pier. I thought his name was also Tom, I am bad at remembering names. I think he is a 500 Ton Capt in the oilfields. I'll swqing on over when I get a chanceTomny B

 

[Jim]

Sound like a good story.

Murphy's Law, anything that can go wrong will go wrong, but not at the same time. I want to buy a life raft for long trips outside. I am going to use the life sling line to tie it down until we get in it. I have read too many time about it getting away.Ross, is right to stay with the boat but not on it. If it is going down you don't want be in it when it goes. If it looks like dewater efforts are failing GET OFF!

 

[MoonSailer]

Climb Up into the Life Raft

It is supposed to be good advice that you don't abandon ship until you have to climb up into the life raft. Just think about it!!!! Unless the situation is hopeless the sailboat is the best place to be. Food water clothing maybe electricity. And the boat would have to be more comfortable than a life raft. If the waves are large enough to roll a sailboat just think what they would do to a life raft. Even hope of rescue is greater in the sailboat. The mast is a radar target and the boat is much larger. Yep the boat would have to sink under me before I would climb into a life raft.  Intentionally dismasting a sailboat....would this be a useful survival tactic????

 

[Ross]

Remember! Murphy was an optimist.

Most coastal sailboats have huge cockpits. When I bought Bietzpadlin the cockpit was 8 feet long and 6 feet wide and 2.5 feet deep with 2-3/4 inch drains. It would have held a couple of tons of water and the companion way was a foot below the coamings. I corrected that.

 

[MoonSailer]

Pearson 323 small cockpit

My Pearson 323 has a small cockpit just barely comfortable for four adults. The the small companionway is a pain in the knees to climb in and out. Two drains and probably needs four. We haven't been pooped yet. I got real nervous at the mouth of Mobile Bay. I was standing in the cockpit looking up at the tops of some waves. The cockpit is dry under most conditions but a few splashes make their way into the cockpit even with a dodger. We know it is a rough day when the bottom of the jib gets wet. I have looked at some large cockpits with envy. But crewing on a Beneteau with a huge cockpit reminded me of the dangers. A crew member fell across the cockpit and almost went overboard. This was in gusty conditions but in a lake!!!! I would not want to be out in the ocean with a huge cockpit. I have always felt nice and snug in my cockpit. They need to make a convertible cockpit that expands at the dock or anchorage and is nice and snug at sea. I guess you might make some waterproof storage boxes that bolt into the cockpit to reduce it's size while at sea.