http://www.foxnews.com/world/2...an-for-5-months.html

"I'm grateful for their service to our country. They saved our lives. The pride and smiles we had when we saw [the Navy] on the horizon was pure relief," said Appel. Two Hawaiian mariners and their two dogs were rescued Wednesday after their sailboat strayed well off course during a trip to Tahiti and they were stranded in the Pacific Ocean for several months, the U.S. Navy said.

The USS Ashland, part of the Navy's 7th Fleet, picked up Jennifer Appel and Tasha Fuiaba, both from Honolulu, after they were discovered 900 miles southeast of Japan by a Taiwanese fishing vessel.

The mariners had originally set sail with their two dogs from Hawaii to Tahiti this spring. After having engine problems on May 30 during bad weather, the two thought they could make it to land by using only their sail, according to the Navy.

Two months later, way after when they were originally supposed to arrive in Tahiti, Appel and Fuiaba began to issue distress calls.

"The two continued the calls daily, but they were not close enough to other vessels or shore stations to receive them," the Navy said.

The pair survived so long at sea by bringing water purifiers and over a year's worth of food on board, primarily in the form of dry goods such as oatmeal, pasta and rice, according to Appel.

"I'm grateful for their service to our country. They saved our lives," Appel said. "The pride and smiles we had when we saw [U.S. Navy] on the horizon was pure relief."

The two mariners will remain on board the Ashland until the ship's next port of call. The ship has been on routine deployment for the past five months to respond to maritime situations.


I don't know, but it smells a little fishy to me. Maybe a setup for a movie deal? I find it hard to believe someone sets out on that sort of voyage without a sat phone or epirb, but has a years worth of food onboard?

**UPDATE**
Getting fishier. Apparently they had an epirb onboard and chose not to use it:

https://www.google.com/amp/peo...h-down-in-japan/amp/

This message has been edited. Last edited by: honestlou,

They are in a sailboat.

The engine went out and they they thought they could get there with sailing only? Did they forget how to navigate?
They could have drifted to land somewhere in that much time.

WTF?

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:

I don't know, but it smells a little fishy to me. Maybe a setup for a movie deal? I find it hard to believe someone sets out on that sort of voyage without a sat phone or epirb, but has a years worth of food onboard?

Maybe I'm more trusting than you, but I just assume they are fucking morons.

Ummmm...I'm not exactly Magellan over here, but how the F do you get stranded if you have a SAIL?

People sail around the world every day. Been doing it...oh...for a couple of years now. These nitwits couldn't figure out how to sail a straight line? They didn't even have to know where the hell the line went...with food for a year, they could sail all the way until they saw an iceberg, turn right about 100 degrees, and sail for a few more weeks.

That would have been a better book.

Wtf, no GPS?

Maybe this link will help the landlubbers:

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/doldrums.html

quote:

Originally posted by snidera:

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:

I don't know, but it smells a little fishy to me. Maybe a setup for a movie deal? I find it hard to believe someone sets out on that sort of voyage without a sat phone or epirb, but has a years worth of food onboard?

Maybe I'm more trusting than you, but I just assume they are fucking morons.

The MAJORITY of sailboaters are and horrible mariners to boot!

Most likely they were not set up to take advantage of light winds. If they had a light genoa and a light cruising spinnaker they would have made landfall.

They were smart in that they had a RO water maker, but not smart enough to keep the motor properly maintained.

They were too cheap to buy and set up a SPOT?

http://www.mypilotstore.com/mypilotstore/sep/9371

Long distance dirt bikers use SPOT for emergency tracking and distress calls.

I think if I was going to sail the Pacific, a sat phone would be a must.
Sounds like stupidity mixed with piss poor seamanship.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
The MAJORITY of sailboaters are and horrible mariners to boot!

Not that sailors can't do stupid stuff (witness the article under discussion), but I've seen far more blatantly stupid, careless and irresponsible operation of watercraft out of power-boaters than I have sailboaters. I've owned and operated both.

As to the article in question: Those aren't sailors. Sailors know how to, you know... sail

GPS? GPS' aren't too be trusted--for any number of reasons. No responsible sailor would set out on a journey like that without knowing how to use a sextant.

quote:

Originally posted by gloucestermen:
Maybe this link will help the landlubbers:

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/doldrums.html

Mr. Gibbs: Then, on the fourth day, he roped himself a couple of sea turtles, lashed ’em together and made a raft.
Will Turner: He roped a couple of sea turtles.
Mr. Gibbs: Aye. Sea turtles.
Will Turner: What did he use for rope?
Jack Sparrow: Human hair. From my back.

5 months with no wind?

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
The MAJORITY of sailboaters are and horrible mariners to boot!

Not that sailors can't do stupid stuff (witness the article under discussion), but I've seen far more blatantly stupid, careless and irresponsible operation of watercraft out of power-boaters than I have sailboaters. I've owned and operated both.

As to the article in question: Those aren't sailors. Sailors know how to, you know... sail

GPS? GPS' aren't too be trusted--for any number of reasons. No responsible sailor would set out on a journey like that without knowing how to use a sextant.

I run a lot of yachts, around 150 different yachts each and every year. Sailboats by far and wide are the most neglected segment of the boating industry. Preventative maintenance is not in 90% of sailboat owners vocabulary. That INCLUDES maintaining their safety items. I have run well over 100 different sailing yachts as I do Captaining for some of the largest yacht shipping companies in the world. 90% of them are in such horrible shape mechanically that it just boggles my mind and I'm afraid to run them 2 miles to the freighter. Most sailors are not great seamen either, they think nothing of leaving the sailboat on autopilot all night long in the ocean with nobody standing watch.

In the past week I have run a brand new $1.1mill 50' Solaras and a 2006 56' Spirit SY. The Spirit is a custom built, no expenses spared sailing yacht.....this particular one I ran was so ill maintained I honestly thought it was a 1986 not a 2006. It truly was a complete shame. Both of these boats are true open ocean racing sail yachts with 80' masts, carbon fiber masts, top of the line rigging and everything else, no expenses spared builds. I have also run the super sailing yacht drumfire.

http://www.solarisyachts.com/yacht-en-50-1-10.html

https://spirityachts.com/saili...e-classic/spirit-56/

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
The MAJORITY of sailboaters are and horrible mariners to boot!

Not that sailors can't do stupid stuff (witness the article under discussion), but I've seen far more blatantly stupid, careless and irresponsible operation of watercraft out of power-boaters than I have sailboaters. I've owned and operated both.

As to the article in question: Those aren't sailors. Sailors know how to, you know... sail

GPS? GPS' aren't too be trusted--for any number of reasons. No responsible sailor would set out on a journey like that without knowing how to use a sextant.

I run a lot of yachts, around 150 different yachts each and every year. Sailboats by far and wide are the most neglected segment of the boating industry. Preventative maintenance is not in 90% of sailboat owners vocabulary. That INCLUDES maintaining their safety items. I have run well over 100 different sailing yachts as I do Captaining for some of the largest yacht shipping companies in the world. 90% of them are in such horrible shape mechanically that it just boggles my mind and I'm afraid to run them 2 miles to the freighter. Most sailors are not great seamen either, they think nothing of leaving the sailboat on autopilot all night long in the ocean with nobody standing watch.

In the past week I have run a brand new $1.1mill 50' Solaras and a 2006 56' Spirit SY. The Spirit is a custom built, no expenses spared sailing yacht.....this particular one I ran was so ill maintained I honestly thought it was a 1986 not a 2006. It truly was a complete shame. Both of these boats are true open ocean racing sail yachts with 80' masts, carbon fiber masts, top of the line rigging and everything else, no expenses spared builds. I have also run the super sailing yacht drumfire.

http://www.solarisyachts.com/yacht-en-50-1-10.html

https://spirityachts.com/saili...e-classic/spirit-56/

Yeah, but did you have one of those sexyaunt thingies to tell you where to go on those fancy things?

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
The MAJORITY of sailboaters are and horrible mariners to boot!

Not that sailors can't do stupid stuff (witness the article under discussion), but I've seen far more blatantly stupid, careless and irresponsible operation of watercraft out of power-boaters than I have sailboaters. I've owned and operated both.

As to the article in question: Those aren't sailors. Sailors know how to, you know... sail

GPS? GPS' aren't too be trusted--for any number of reasons. No responsible sailor would set out on a journey like that without knowing how to use a sextant.

I run a lot of yachts, around 150 different yachts each and every year. Sailboats by far and wide are the most neglected segment of the boating industry. Preventative maintenance is not in 90% of sailboat owners vocabulary. That INCLUDES maintaining their safety items. I have run well over 100 different sailing yachts as I do Captaining for some of the largest yacht shipping companies in the world. 90% of them are in such horrible shape mechanically that it just boggles my mind and I'm afraid to run them 2 miles to the freighter. Most sailors are not great seamen either, they think nothing of leaving the sailboat on autopilot all night long in the ocean with nobody standing watch.

In the past week I have run a brand new $1.1mill 50' Solaras and a 2006 56' Spirit SY. The Spirit is a custom built, no expenses spared sailing yacht.....this particular one I ran was so ill maintained I honestly thought it was a 1986 not a 2006. It truly was a complete shame. Both of these boats are true open ocean racing sail yachts with 80' masts, carbon fiber masts, top of the line rigging and everything else, no expenses spared builds. I have also run the super sailing yacht drumfire.

http://www.solarisyachts.com/yacht-en-50-1-10.html

https://spirityachts.com/saili...e-classic/spirit-56/

Yeah, but did you have one of those sexyaunt thingies to tell you where to go on those fancy things?

Absolutely. Her and my little brother both lay on the deck next to each other and share it! They put it right up to their face and see stars with it! Then they read to each other out of this book under the moonlight! I find them to be complete slobs though.


But on a serious note. There is wind because you can see it on top of the waves, yet they have the sails all in and the mainsail is even lashed to the boom. Then they have 2 good sized dogs which go to the restroom where???? And, they were planning on going to Tahiti with them on board. These people have several screws loose.

I would probably get a radio I could talk to aircraft on too.

Coming soon to a theater near you.

There's gotta be more to this story, too many questions

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:
Yeah, but did you have one of those sexyaunt thingies to tell you where to go on those fancy things?

Laugh all you want at the old tech, but, when you're out in the middle of the ocean with no help in sight and your GPS pukes: If you don't know how to do celestial navigation you're pretty much screwed.

Besides: Just like idiots with cars that drive off the ends of roads into rivers because "their GPS told them to," boaters run into all kinds of things when all they know how to do is use a GPS. I never learned celestial navigation, because we never got so far from land as to have made it necessary, but I did learn piloting and dead reckoning--and used it.

Keeping your head buried in the cockpit is a good way to run into things.

These people weren't sailors, or mariners of any type. No doubt they heard or read some stories about the wonderfulness of the cruising life, disregarded all the bad points (such as there's a lot of hard work and skill involved--if you don't want to die out there), bought a boat and set off. IOW: Idiots.

Did you see the condition of that hull? Even had they managed to get that boat under sail, it wouldn't have been going very fast.

I would imagine the Navy sank their boat so as to prevent it becoming a hazard to navigation.

quote:

Originally posted by charlie12:
I would probably get a radio I could talk to aircraft on too.

No, you wouldn't. Disallowed.

What you would get, if you had any sense, would be an EPIRB

quote:

Originally posted by charlie12:
I would probably get a radio I could talk to aircraft on too.

That happens in Hollywood, only.