# 5000 Miles off course



## cb32863

Finally got picked up..... 
US Navy rescues sailors and their 2 dogs lost at sea for months - ABC News


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## MarkofSeaLife

> Appel said they survived for so long at sea thanks to the water purifiers on the sailboat and the year's worth of food they had on board, including oatmeal, pasta and rice.


But no EPIRB?

Questions: why is there a person up the mast in the photo?

Why couldn't they sail to land in all that time?

Why is there a scum line on the unpainted fibreglass... But the antifouling has none and looks new? Jeeeze an I becoming a conspiracy theorist? Lol

They look fine and fit.


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## cb32863

I am wondering a thing or two myself. If there was power for the water-maker, why didn't they have navigation? And yeah, that growth line is very odd..... No compass either to at least have an idea what direction you were going?


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## roverhi

Strange situation. Losing the engine shouldn't be a big deal on a passage for a sailboat. Horror of horrors, you have to actually sail. They supposedly continued to sail but somehow ended up way west where they could have gotten by just drifting. From the picture of the boat appears they had no headsail or what was the condition of the mainsail. From the fouling half way up the topsides looks like they had spent a lot of time without a steadying sail to stop rolling. Good thing they were so well provisioned.


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## capta

Oh come on now. 5000 miles? I'd just have to attribute that to continental drift. There's no other rational explanation.


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## Rhapsody-NS27

scum line looks like they were heeled over for quite a while.


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## RegisteredUser

That scum line looks like it is there/created from a rope/net/other material slung along the side of the boat.


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## smackdaddy

Nice choice of t-shirt for a SAR case...


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## roverhi

Just saw better pic's of the boat. Looks like the headsail is furled with no indication that there was anything wrong with it. Main looks to be gasketed in place but could problems. In the time they were out, could have drifted a couple thousand miles as there is a fairly strong current near the equator. Still, when you are headed south to Tahiti, how do you get so far west?? Did they not have a compass and, obviously, no GPS. Actually shouldn't be so positive about no GPS. Just had a GPS lie to me. It showed me 60 miles east of my actual position after a 24 hour run.

A boat in a rolly anchorage will get scum quite high up the hull. Haven't seen the other side to see if it's also scummy. If it was only one side that's scummy would show that they spent a lot of time on one tack.


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## MarkofSeaLife

Rhapsody-NS27 said:


> scum line looks like they were heeled over for quite a while.


I agree. We had one when we finished the Pacific. Not that high.

My point was the blue antifouling looks NEW.


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## hellosailor

I don't understand the reason for a rescue. They had food and water (apparently a manual one?) and covered 5000 miles, with less than 1000 more to go until they would have hit Japan. And China beyond that. So, you know? "Hiya ladies, keep on that-a-way."

Folks like that are why car drivers are mostly required to have licenses these days.


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## Rhapsody-NS27

roverhi said:


> could have drifted a couple thousand miles as there is a fairly strong current near the equator.


Drifting a-la-Rimas haha



roverhi said:


> Still, when you are headed south to Tahiti, how do you get so far west??


The same way Rimas drifted from Fiji to Saipan. Just keep going. They'll get somewhere eventually.


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## snokid

just saw this on the news... sailboat no motor??? isn't that the point?
Bob


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## Rocky Mountain Breeze

What would be the difference between these "lady's" and the grifter who was "rescued" into Guam?


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## davidpm

*Two sailors and dogs rescued*


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/923647614582771712
http://www.insideedition.com/navy-rescues-2-sailors-2-dogs-stranded-pacific-ocean-5-months-37568


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## aeventyr60

Is there some kind of new trend going on out in the cruising world? I'd hate to think I was doing it all wrong. Are these folks the new real cruisers?


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## flyingriki

*Re: Two sailors and dogs rescued*

Lotta islanders before them did just fine without motors OR gps.....!


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## CelticSailr

*Re: Two sailors and dogs rescued*

No appropriate radio, no EPIRB, no Sat phone, no radar for a 4500km trip in open water?


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## SHNOOL

*Re: Two sailors and dogs rescued*

This is the second story in a week that makes just no sense. Again, was the rudder broke?


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## MarkofSeaLife

*Re: Two sailors and dogs rescued*



flyingriki said:


> Lotta islanders before them did just fine without motors OR gps.....!


A lotta Islanders died doing it too, me thinks.


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## MarkofSeaLife

aeventyr60 said:


> I'd hate to think I was doing it all wrong.


I keep telling you ya wrong! You just never believe me :| :| :|

:angel :laugh


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## cb32863

A bit more info here, still has yet to explain why they couldn't sail it.....
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/two-american-sailors-rescued-after-five-months-sea-n814806


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## mbianka

At least they did not have to eat the dogs.


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## Arcb

It's hard to fathom a boat like that going on a voyage like that without any satellite communications. No EPIRB, SPOT, PLB, Delorme, Satphone? Nothing?

Somehow taken out in the storm? Dead batteries?


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## longroute

*Re: Two sailors and dogs rescued*



Bernie Donoghue said:


> No appropriate radio, no EPIRB, no Sat phone, no radar for a 4500km trip in open water?


That means they didn't have a sextant and/or didn't know how to use it. Yet even with dead reckoning they could approach land... in five months you can circle the world.


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## longroute

*Re: Two sailors and dogs rescued*



MarkofSeaLife said:


> A lotta Islanders died doing it too, me thinks.


if they died that was not certainly because of lack of an engine. You can't cross an ocean by motor only, you can't carry enough fuel anyway.

They said the got lost... why?


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## hpeer

We ran into a couple, well met, they nearly ran into us! Guy had been around the world, only lost one boat. They had sailed extensively together, crossed Atlantic and much more. And they knew almost NOTHING! Seriously. He apparently hired help for all engine work. Neither one seemed to know anything about boat or line handling. In the brief time we knew them they made several bad decisions. 

But they had been cruising and done interesting things. Mid 70s. She was a novice. 
On some level I admire them. Would not want to BE them.


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## hpeer

Just read the article. News reporting is always stupid. 

Surely someone here knew them in Hawaii and knows the back story. 

I see 2 spreaders. External chain plates = wooden boat? Maybe?
Maybe lost a shroud and were afraid to put up sail?

They said the boat was ready to fall apart? If they want it back to fix it?

Maybe sailing experts told them to take so much food because they saw this coming?

Growth not just along hull but on bow and stern overhang. Can’t interpret that.


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## Sal Paradise

The drifted from Hawaii and passed Wake Island. Rimas drifted from Fiji to Guam. So they definitely drifted past each other. 

Maybe they are the ones who gave Rimas his extra food.


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## MarkofSeaLife

mbianka said:


> At least they did not have to eat the dogs.


I have a great recipe ☺


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## smackdaddy

I particularly like this quote from the article:



> Twice the ship was attacked by Tiger sharks, they said.
> 
> "I went downstairs with the boys and we basically laid huddled on the floor and I told them not to bark because the sharks could hear us breathing. They could smell us," Appel said.


Okay then.


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## mbianka

Sal Paradise said:


> The drifted from Hawaii and passed Wake Island. Rimas drifted from Fiji to Guam. So they definitely drifted past each other.


That would have been a great VHF conversation if they and Rimas were in communication.

"Don't follow me I'm lost too!"


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## Rocky Mountain Breeze

Do you suppose they all spent some time on Gilligan's Island? It was somewhere off of Hawaii......


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## capecodda

Not buying it, we look worse than these folks after a night at anchor in a quiet bay . 

Dogs look pretty healthy too.


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## TQA

There is a report from a credible source that says one spreader had failed.


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## Faster

capecodda said:


> Not buying it, we look worse than these folks after a night at anchor in a quiet bay .
> 
> Dogs look pretty healthy too.


My thoughts too..strange tale.

Time warp maybe???


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## TQA

*Re: Two sailors and dogs rescued*



longroute said:


> i. You can't cross an ocean by motor only, you can't carry enough fuel anyway.


You can too!

What about the Dashews on Windhorse.

Or at the other end of the spectrum Seiko Nakajima who did it with a Tohatsu 2.5 hp.


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## KBuckley

And apparently nothing jury rigged on deck. It's not like they didn't have time to try to rig some sail, however small.


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## MastUndSchotbruch

mbianka said:


> At least they did not have to eat the dogs.


At least the dogs didn't have to eat the girls


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## CelticSailr

*Re: Two sailors and dogs rescued*

Does anyone recognize the type of boat?


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## Hush34

Don't know weather to raise the BS flag or complain about unprepared sailors that put us all at risk. Come on folks, buying a boat is easy but there is a responsibility. Scratching my head right now.


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## MarkofSeaLife

TQA said:


> There is a report from a credible source that says one spreader had failed.


The high slim line indicates it was healed over. So spreaders must have been fine as they were sailing. :nerd


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## krisscross

I wonder how much weed they had on that boat. They called for help when their stash run out? The tiger shark story is very a propos here.


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## krisscross

As to the scum pattern on the hull: it is from drifting and not actively sailing. Waves hit randomly, splash on the sides, and scum builds up randomly. No scum below water line as it gets washed off being under water all the time.


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## aeventyr60

MarkofSeaLife said:


> But no EPIRB?
> 
> Questions: why is there a person up the mast in the photo?
> 
> Why couldn't they sail to land in all that time?
> 
> Why is there a scum line on the unpainted fibreglass... But the antifouling has none and looks new? Jeeeze an I becoming a conspiracy theorist? Lol
> 
> They look fine and fit.


I want to know where the goose neck barnacles are? After sailing for 21 days, rocking and roliing from the Galapagos to the Marquesas we had those pesky things up to the gunwales amidship...


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## capta

snokid said:


> just saw this on the news... sailboat no motor??? isn't that the point?
> Bob


Only if you actually know how to sail.


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## Ilenart

Interview with the "sailors"






Love the comment about the devils triangle


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## smackdaddy

Wow. 2 words...

Peyote.


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## CelticSailr

The kept sailing with a loose spreader because of a bad bolt as opposed to fixing it immediately.
Couldn't use a halyard to shore up the loose shroud.
Had no idea how to work their engine.
Had no inkling about the currents they would encounter.
Muppets!


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## smackdaddy

Hotwiring a marine diesel is not hard. I just don't know what to say.


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## smackdaddy

Interesting detail in that vid. Turns out this was a "reefed boat" that the blonde chick rebuilt. Could explain a lot.


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## longroute

*Re: Two sailors and dogs rescued*



TQA said:


> You can too!
> 
> What about the Dashews on Windhorse.
> 
> Or at the other end of the spectrum Seiko Nakajima who did it with a Tohatsu 2.5 hp.


Come on! See things in a wider perspective!
The Dashews had a POWER boat built specially for long passages, the majority of sailing boats simply cannot cross an ocean motoring, and usually all the sailor sailing in Pacific or Atlantic use sails, saving the engine for the horse latitudes, or for recharging the batteries.

In this story there must be some inaccuracy on the part of the rescuers who reported the happening to the journalists. If sails and rudder are OK, and you have the instruments for navigation there can't be any reason to get lost for five months!


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## overbored

*Re: Two sailors and dogs rescued*

You bring enough food for 1 years and have a water supply with two watermakers on board maybe you don't want to get to you destination. they seem happy to be back but maybe a little to happy while in front of the cameras. and you write a book about your now famous voyage, maybe they make a movie. maybe they are just not good seamen or just a little/lot different.


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## longroute

*Re: Two sailors and dogs rescued*

:wink


overbored said:


> they seem happy to be back but maybe a little to happy while in front of the cameras. and you write a book about your now famous voyage, maybe they make a movie. maybe they are just not good seamen or just a little/lot different.


Maybe...

Any further/deeper report in the news over there about this story?
No sailing magazine articles?


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## MarkofSeaLife

*Re: Two sailors and dogs rescued*

These threads need to be merged.

M


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## MarkofSeaLife

Stern starboard
10 knot current
Didn't lose any weight so no probation
Something wrong up the mast.
White squall flooded cockpit that flooded ignition.
Boats go in but really come out.
"We learned. How?
Landlubbers we have been.

And I turned the interview off.
Sickening.
Just stupidity.


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## MarkofSeaLife

smackdaddy said:


> Interesting detail in that vid. Turns out this was a "reefed boat" that the blonde chick rebuilt. Could explain a lot.


Didn't see that bit.

So another project boat where people can't sail.
Good grief


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## Arcb

Wow, that was hard to sit through, made it a little more than half way.

So, it sounds like they actually made it to at least one inhabited island, but lacked the competence to make land fall. I guess as long as there are no hard bits a boat just kind of floats, ideally with purpose, but not necessarily.

I guess the only requirements are $$$ in the bank and free time.


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## willyd

mbianka said:


> At least they did not have to eat the dogs.


The male navigator was fed to the dogs after failing to fix the engine.


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## capecodda

If you are going to try to sell book and movie rights, get on talk shows, dominate social media, and make a pile of money with a scam, please take at least one acting course before you do an interview. Also, work on wardrobe, set, and makeup. A bit of fake sun burn, tattered clothes, dangling standing rigging, and emaciated dogs (although I don't condone cruelty to innocent animals...against actors guild standards I believe), would have done a lot towards selling this story. 

As a fisherman, I think I know click bait when I see it. Bait is bait. 

Now back to our regularly scheduled discussions of anchors, crimping, offshore boats, and other critical matters .


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## skipmac

MarkofSeaLife said:


> Stern starboard
> 10 knot current
> Didn't lose any weight so no probation
> Something wrong up the mast.
> White squall flooded cockpit that flooded ignition.
> Boats go in but really come out.
> "We learned. How?
> Landlubbers we have been.
> 
> And I turned the interview off.
> Sickening.
> Just stupidity.


Yes. When I heard the bit about the 10 kt current I couldn't take any more and turned it off. Two prime candidates for the 2017 Darwin award saved by fool's luck.

They should write a book, _Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dummer Go To Sea_.


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## Faster

*Re: Two sailors and dogs rescued*



MarkofSeaLife said:


> These threads need to be merged.
> 
> M


Indeed... and so they are.


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## mbianka

I hope some journalist talk to some of the sailors who knew them in Hawaii to get a little more insight to how they started to prepare for this "journey".


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## hpeer

gCaptain story and short vid of rescue

After Five Months Lost at Sea, Two Sailors and Their Dogs Rescued Aboard Sailboat in Pacific ? gCaptain


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## Skyeterrier

In the first minute of this interview they talk about being towed for 24 hours. What was that all about, when were they supposedly towed?


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## Arcb

I cant find the reference now, but I thought I read somewhere that a concerned Taiwanese fishing vessel took them under their wing and in tow until the US navy could reach them.


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## Faster

Arcb said:


> I cant find the reference now, but I thought I read somewhere that a concerned Taiwanese fishing vessel took them under their wing and in tow until the US navy could reach them.


Yes.. that was what was reported..

Just a flat-out odd interview, bizarre statements, I just dunno what to make of it all. Certainly not any kind of sense...


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## willyd

Wouldn't a force 11 storm show up on Honolulu weather for that same date range? https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/usa/honolulu/historic?month=5&year=2017

It shows the wind in Honolulu to be 11 knots that night.


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## CVAT

willyd said:


> Wouldn't a force 11 storm show up on Honolulu weather for that same date range? https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/usa/honolulu/historic?month=5&year=2017
> 
> It shows the wind in Honolulu to be 11 knots that night.


Interesting, do any of the weather routers keep historical data, storm could have just skirted by the island, but it does bring into question their tale.


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## midwesterner

Hush34 said:


> Don't know weather...


That's a great pun! Funny. You don't know weather!


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## midwesterner

Wow, I just watched the video and thought it all made perfect sense. I don't understand why there are so many people who are quick to call them liars. 

The one woman built the boat over two years from a derelict. She spent time around other sailors getting advice. They have some solar and an active bilge pump still going on the boat. They clearly love their boat and expressed a desire to get her back and salvage her. 

They were navigating and found their way to a few Islands that were too shallow for them to safely get into to do repairs. They had two watermakers and cobbled pieces back and forth to keep one working the whole time. They explained why they look so healthy still, they had a year's worth of dry goods and two water makers to cook the pasta, rice, and oatmeal they had. They ran out of dog food and started sharing their food with the dogs. They estimate that they used up 90% of their food supply in that 6 months.

One was a more experienced sailor than the other and the less experienced woman sailed all night one night at an estimated 4 knots against a10 knot current. She wasn't sure why she seemed to be making no headway until her more experienced sailor friend came on shift the next morning and figured out what happened. 

Apparently they were sailing but were afraid to put up full sails because one spreader had broken. They never felt they had calm enough seas to climb the mast. 

They were towed briefly by a fishing vessel as the Navy ship was on its way. It apparently was nerve-racking because their boat did not handle well under tow. The fisherman probably were not experienced at setting a tow line from a large ship to a small sailing vessel and their boat acted erratically. They said their 24 hours under tow was their most uncomfortable sailing for the whole trip. The tow was ended when the Navy got in the vicinity and it was clear that they had help coming.

I think these women sound like pretty amazing, smart, adventurous women. They obviously loved sailing and loved being at sea and they love their boat, Sea Nymph. They are already thinking about how they will retrieve her and make her seaworthy again.

I would sail with them, and I would bring my UHF ham rig and an EPIRB for backup. But I think these ladies have guts. I don't see what people aren't understanding about the story and why they are quick to call these women liars.


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## hpeer

Mid

I love your open mind and faith in these ladies

However, the reason folks do not find their story credible is because it is NOT. 

I think that distressed folks here, it does me, because we are generally a trusting and sharing crowd. When someone comes along who appears to be obviously scamming the system it attacks a shared core value; honesty and integrity. 

I’ve no idea what those gals were doing, they probably did drift 5,000 miles. They are not sailors, they either have no idea what they were about, or they are scamming. Such nonsense diminishes us all.


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## mbianka

midwesterner said:


> I would sail with them, and I would bring my UHF ham rig and an EPIRB for backup. But I think these ladies have guts. I don't see what people aren't understanding about the story and why they are quick to call these women liars.


Personally I don't think they are liars. I look at these failed voyages as great learning experiences. While my unstayed boat does not have spreaders a prudent mariner should now be thinking what would I do if their boat lost a spreader. I doubt they are the first cruisers who have lost a spreader at sea. Perhaps a good rig inspection before the voyage would have caught it.




 I'm sure others have rigged up temporary solutions that we never heard about. 
Hats off to those sailors in Honolulu who advised them on how much rations to carry. IMO those are their real saviors.


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## hellosailor

hpeer-
If you read the Associated Press interview/piece with them that ran in many Sunday papers today, you may find your eyebrows creeping even further north. Now they say they had six forms of communication (radio, including ham) and that mysteriously all six failed, possibly at the antenna. 
Six radios, one antenna. And, a ham doesn't know how to fix an antenna?
Oh, and they packed a year's worth of food to go bumming around the pacific, but discovered they'd gone through it in six months. This with a skipper who claims had ten years of sailing in the Hawaiian Islands. And no one knew they were out there and overdue. The kicker: When they ran out of dog food, they were surprised and delighted to find out the dogs liked people food. REALLY? 

You've just GOT to find & read the AP interview, it must be online someplace.

Stranger things have happened. But I'd sure love to see the NGA run vessel tracks on that boat.


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## Faster

Well they certainly didn't 'beam' the boat from just south of Hawaii to nearly Japan - so I imagine they did drift there.

But comments like '10 knot current' and 'Force 11 conditions' are likely exaggerations, perhaps born of lack of knowledge, esp if being towed by a fishboat was 'the most terrifying' part of the ordeal. They are lucky that they provisioned as they did. Had they had the confidence, resourcefulness and knowledge of how to jerry-rig some kind of sail plan I would think they could have made some sort of landfall far earlier.

Hopefully they've learned some things from all this, esp if they do recover and refit the boat once again....


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## midwesterner

I imagine the US Navy scrutinizes the stories of people they rescue pretty closely. I don't imagine they like being tricked or made fool of. So they will probably be checking their story.

I got the impression from their interview, that they continued sailing for most of their trip but were afraid to use full sails because of the broken spreader. They were reluctant to climb the mast while out at sea to fix the spreader and antennas.

People doubted the survival story of the Rose-Noelle in New Zealand. Those guys were quickly discounted as either drug runners or complete frauds, until there was an expert investigation that showed their story to be true. They were doubted because of things that seemed like inconsistencies to their stories, like they appeared to be in too good of condition and two well-nourished, and their wreckage drifted in an unusual direction for the known winds and currents that time of year.

http://articles.latimes.com/1989-10-22/news/mn-828_1_survival-stories


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## willyd

midwesterner said:


> Apparently they were sailing but were afraid to put up full sails because one spreader had broken. They never felt they had calm enough seas to climb the mast.


There are several things wrong with this explanation, in my mind: I've sailed with spreaders (unbeknownst to me) that were not fully attached to my mast - it's the pressure from the shrouds that keeps them up, i.e., a 2X4 could do the job in a pinch. Also, Appel is up the mast in the press photo - it's hard to believe that the only day it was calm enough in a five month period was the day they left the boat. Plus, Appel also said she knew it was a bolt, etc., that had gone bad, meaning she had to have gone up there to see that damage, it's hard to do so from the deck. Furthermore, and this is more conjecture than observation, if one of them restored the boat, surely there would be tons of spare hardware on board, right? Someone with enough foresight to bring extra food would surely bring spare parts along as well?


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## MarkofSeaLife

In this day and age of internet and media bulltwaddle you better prove your story on the balance of probabilities before I believe it.

Kinda Show me the money!

BTW this typhoon season has had a crop of biggies all through that area. They missed the lot?

I don't care if everyone labels me a cynic but I am quite cynical about this story.

Quite.

:eek


Mark


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## CVAT

hellosailor said:


> hpeer-
> If you read the Associated Press interview/piece with them that ran in many Sunday papers today, you may find your eyebrows creeping even further north. Now they say they had six forms of communication (radio, including ham) and that mysteriously all six failed, possibly at the antenna.
> Six radios, one antenna. And, a ham doesn't know how to fix an antenna?
> Oh, and they packed a year's worth of food to go bumming around the pacific, but discovered they'd gone through it in six months. This with a skipper who claims had ten years of sailing in the Hawaiian Islands. And no one knew they were out there and overdue. The kicker: When they ran out of dog food, they were surprised and delighted to find out the dogs liked people food. REALLY?
> 
> You've just GOT to find & read the AP interview, it must be online someplace.
> 
> Stranger things have happened. But I'd sure love to see the NGA run vessel tracks on that boat.


Saw that and wondered the same, she did say antenna, did she misspeak can't say one way or the other but I find it odd that all their on board communications failed and only their hand held worked. Though I would not call them HAM's, I did a check on the FCC's data base and ARRL's Data Base to see if they had been issued a licence....nope, neither has a licence under their names, imagine that.

Midwestern why UHF HAM? That would be even more severely limited by line of sight than a VHF unit.

I don't doubt there story of drifting for days or months for that matter, and as previously said the real hero's are those that advised them to pack more than they believed they would need, the fishing boat and the crew of the USS Ashland. In the end IMHO this is a story of two people who where ill-prepared skill and equipment wise for the voyage they undertook that got lucky and where rescued.


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## hpeer

Yeah
She has mast steps. You could have fixed the spreader with a screwdriver and vice grip And the spreader is in place. 

Too deep draft for Kiribati? I don’t know the particulars but looks like a small commercial Harbor from GE. And it has a Harbor authority. What kind of draft do they have anyway?

But it just goes on and on. Nothing adds up. It’s a mockery of our “news” reporting. And that the Navy reported it all doesn’t surprise me any more. Sadly.


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## OldEagle

I'm not quite as credulous as Midwesterner, and I certainly don't take away this:


> I think these women sound like pretty amazing, smart, adventurous women


 or this:


> I would sail with them


I agree with mbianka--I think that they are telling something close to the truth, and CVAT:


> In the end IMHO this is a story of two people who where ill-prepared skill and equipment wise for the voyage they undertook that got lucky and where rescued.


A good rule of thumb is never to attribute to malice what can be attributed to stupidity or foolishness or ignorance. The fact that one of these 2 women spent 2 years rehabilitating a boat doesn't mean that she rehabilitated it well. She may have a had a lot of coastal cruising, but long passages require additional realms of knowledge that she clearly doesn't possess. I'm not all surprised that they went through their food faster than planned--they don't look like they ever adopted a tight rations schedule, and I heard no mention of fishing or birding to supplement their supplies. I'm not surprised that they don't look too weatherbeaten--they had a large boat with a cabin, and not much to do on deck if they were basically drifting for most of this time--they weren't in a raft. And what kind of scam could this be? A few TV interviews and a book that would be quickly remaindered would bring in less money than the cost of the boat, its rehabilitation and a "year's" supplies...


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## smackdaddy

The real take-away of this story is that no dog should ever have to eat oatmeal. That's just wrong.


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## Sal Paradise

willyd said:


> There are several things wrong with this explanation, in my mind: I've sailed with spreaders (unbeknownst to me) that were not fully attached to my mast - it's the pressure from the shrouds that keeps them up, i.e., a 2X4 could do the job in a pinch. Also, Appel is up the mast in the press photo - it's hard to believe that the only day it was calm enough in a five month period was the day they left the boat. Plus, Appel also said she knew it was a bolt, etc., that had gone bad, meaning she had to have gone up there to see that damage, it's hard to do so from the deck. Furthermore, and this is more conjecture than observation, if one of them restored the boat, surely there would be tons of spare hardware on board, right? Someone with enough foresight to bring extra food would surely bring spare parts along as well?


In the press photo Appel is on deck, in her bright neon green shirt, and she appears in that same shirt in other photos of the rescue, including in the first page of this thread. I think that must be a Navy guy up there.

So, they had mast steps but could not go up once in 99 days to put a bolt in a spreader? And in all that time. they couldn't jump a 12 v relay to start the engine? And they made landfall once but didn't enter the harbor. That's 3 chances to save the boat. I'm not going out on a limb here, saying they were not qualified. To me, this is almost equal to a functioning boat. I remember once going to my boat and I forgot the keys. I didn't even bother going back home, I just hot wired the boat right at the dock. Took 5 minutes.

But how could the owner have rebuilt this boat, without those skills? That seems very unlikely, or she is very rich and just paid to have it all done.


----------



## Waterrat

Sal P I basically agree with your assessment. I would only like to add that they reached the Cook Islands but determined that the 10 knot current made them inaccessible. You would think someone living in Hawaii could make the short leap from getting out of a rip current and exiting a current while sailing. The most striking point to me was getting stuck in a large storm on DAY 1. This storm should have been know by skipper and any moderately prudent skipper would have delayed departure for more favorable conditions. There is a long and growing list of very poor decision making that lead to two people getting rescued who could have and should have saved themselves. I really did want this to be a story of brave, wise skipper and crew that endured through ingenuity and good decision making. Sadly that appears to not be the case. At least no harm came to all that were at risk due to poor decisions.

edit. Yet to be seen no harm there is a 50 sailing vessel adrift.


----------



## smackdaddy

Sal Paradise said:


> I remember once going to my boat and I forgot the keys. I didn't even bother going back home, I just hot wired the boat right at the dock. Took 5 minutes.


I've thought about this scenario before and have an honest question - if you hot-wire the engine without the key don't you fry the alternator?


----------



## overbored

no a gas engine can run until the fuel runs out without a battery, powered by the alternator


----------



## smackdaddy

overbored said:


> no a gas engine can run until the fuel runs out without a battery, powered by the alternator


I understand that, but isn't it the case that if you turn the ignition switch off while the engine is running (on boats without charge regulators) you can fry the diodes? If that's the case, wouldn't the diodes fry if the engine is started with the switch in the off position?


----------



## Capt Len

Sometimes even a little understanding of how stuff works helps avoid or fix issues. Can't judge the girls, wasn't there. But my understanding of hot wireing says 'no alternator energize .no diode blow.' energizing the starter solenoid isn't a mystery.Solinoid fuel shutoff may need consideration . For a gasser An alternator won't run the ignition without a battery (not energized) .And if you disconnect battery while running,, poof.


----------



## CelticSailr

smackdaddy said:


> I understand that, but isn't it the case that if you turn the ignition switch off while the engine is running (on boats without charge regulators) you can fry the diodes? If that's the case, wouldn't the diodes fry if the engine is started with the switch in the off position?


If the alternator was not connected to a load you could fry the diodes. 
But in most cases the alternator is connected directly to the batteries that will charge.


----------



## CelticSailr

Capt Len said:


> Sometimes even a little understanding of how stuff works helps avoid or fix issues. Can't judge the girls, wasn't there. But my understanding of hot wireing says 'no alternator energize .no diode blow.' energizing the starter solenoid isn't a mystery.Solinoid fuel shutoff may need consideration . *For a gasser An alternator won't run the ignition without a battery (not energized) .And if you disconnect battery while running,, poof.*


Not sure what you are saying here. A gas engine will run fine with a battery disconnected.


----------



## snokid

ok so you are stranded out in the middle of the ocean and you have been attacked by sharks, do you really care if you blow the diodes? they still had solar and wind to charge their batteries...

Lets just say for a minute she didn't know where to put the screwdriver to jump start the motor. Who in their right mind would head out without the knowledge how to get their butts out of a mess?

The girl doing all the talking looked like she took (smoked) all the drugs before the navy got there!!!

Bob


----------



## Faster

smackdaddy said:


> I've thought about this scenario before and have an honest question - if you hot-wire the engine without the key don't you fry the alternator?





overbored said:


> no a gas engine can run until the fuel runs out without a battery, powered by the alternator





smackdaddy said:


> I understand that, but isn't it the case that if you turn the ignition switch off while the engine is running (on boats without charge regulators) you can fry the diodes? If that's the case, wouldn't the diodes fry if the engine is started with the switch in the off position?





Capt Len said:


> Sometimes even a little understanding of how stuff works helps avoid or fix issues. Can't judge the girls, wasn't there. But my understanding of hot wireing says 'no alternator energize .no diode blow.' energizing the starter solenoid isn't a mystery.Solinoid fuel shutoff may need consideration . For a gasser An alternator won't run the ignition without a battery (not energized) .And if you disconnect battery while running,, poof.





Bernie Donoghue said:


> If the alternator was not connected to a load you could fry the diodes.
> But in most cases the alternator is connected directly to the batteries that will charge.





Bernie Donoghue said:


> Not sure what you are saying here. A gas engine will run fine with a battery disconnected.





snokid said:


> ok so you are stranded out in the middle of the ocean and you have been attacked by sharks, do you really care if you blow the diodes? they still had solar and wind to charge their batteries...
> 
> Lets just say for a minute she didn't know where to put the screwdriver to jump start the motor. Who in their right mind would head out without the knowledge how to get their butts out of a mess?
> 
> Bob


I think we just experienced a bit of 10-knot thread drift!!


----------



## overbored

Faster said:


> I think we just experienced a bit of 10-knot thread drift!!


the girls wished they could have been drifting at 10 knots then there would be no need for this thread or would there?
A thread with no drift ? thats happened?


----------



## CelticSailr

Faster said:


> I think we just experienced a bit of 10-knot thread drift!!


Meh! Issues with bypassing a boat's ignition system are on point given the nature of the ladies engine woes.


----------



## MarkofSeaLife

There are no 10 knot current in the world.

None.

So stop bleating on about it.

I doubt even the Bay of Fundy is 10 knots.

Yes of course some of you will say there's 10 knot current but there's none.

None in the ocean.

They lied.

How do I know they lied? Go review the interview.

There is no 10 knot current.

:|


----------



## smackdaddy

I was really hoping someone would put this one to bed. I could see a 10 knot current happening in a narrow pass with LOTS of water coming in and out with BIG tides - but at sea?

I didn't believe it - but wasn't positive as it's a very different part of the world than I've experienced. Now to those 50' tiger sharks...


----------



## Arcb

I missed something. This boat had an inboard gas motor?

As long as they can get DC power from somewhere, it should run fine, just bipass ignition system, go straight to starter. Alternator should still charge the battery even if the key is busted. If it's set up only to charge batteries with the key on (I can't see why it would be set up like that), it should be possible to bipass (pretty easily). I've seen a few of those cockpit control panels that stop working every time you get water in the cockpit (or even rain). There should be an easy work around.


----------



## Arcb

There's a spot just east of Quebec City in the South Channel that gets an 8 knot current on maximum ebb, but that is St Lawrence River + peak ebb.

I know there are some spots between mainland BC and Vancouver Island that get whicked tidal currents, but those are places where the ocean us trying to pass through a narrow stone cut. And if you just wait 6 hours it will be running the opposite direction. 

I can't imagine what kind of force would generate that kind of current out in the middle of the Pacific. It's like the rest of their storey. Baloney. Doesn't make sense.


----------



## willyd

Sal Paradise said:


> In the press photo Appel is on deck, in her bright neon green shirt, and she appears in that same shirt in other photos of the rescue, including in the first page of this thread. I think that must be a Navy guy up there.


Fuiava's the one in the yellow shirt, not Appel, and the sleeveless outfit and shorts of the person up the mast stairs are identical in the photo taken with the Navy guy in overalls. (see here)

And apparently the tiger sharks staged concerted attacks: Women Who Were Rescued at Sea After Five Months Speak Out:

This whole thing just cements my view that dogs don't belong on sailboats. Look at the poor puppy being lifted off - what a sad face.


----------



## Waterrat

A ya, the 10 knot current, devils triangle, Tiger Shark attacks and the Tiger Sharks desire to want them to leave their territory. The "white squall". Leaving Hawaii into a tropical storm and or hurricane. The lack of landfall at two different island chains. Crazy stuff. 

I prefer the thread drift. I do think it is better to learn how to hot wire a boat or fix a broken spreader at sea then to rehash this ill fated voyage.


----------



## RegisteredUser

Waterrat said:


> ....
> I prefer the thread drift. I do think it is better to learn how to hot wire a boat or fix a broken spreader at sea then to rehash this ill fated voyage.


Yeah.
Good drift topics.

ODing on estrogen...nothing logical....


----------



## RegisteredUser

A good/HD rachet strap from the mast to multiple points on a toe rail could stabilize a mast if shrouds are lost/broken.

Good rope work, too.
Stabilize/secure/save it...then work it out.

Interesting


----------



## hpeer

FWIW, 
I've been reading Fitzroy's account of the Beagle voyages. He notes they hit a very strong, unusually strong current in the Galapagos, where the streams were forced over a narrows between islands or some such thing. He noted that as a 5-knot current. Unusually strong current. FIVE knots. 

What strikes me as consistent within their story is the hyperbole. Every thing is blown up 3-5 times. Except the transit time. 

So you have a couple of ladies, probably with very little experience, very little knowledge, and no initiative to right things. They have been getting guys to come fix them their whole life. So they know how to tell a good story. Period. 

They are very lucky to be alive and should have their drivers licenses revoked.

But at some point this thread becomes on of piling on. Its fun to poke fun of the class clown, but not to make it your reason for being. They are to be pitied.


----------



## willyd

What are the chances of an actual sailing publication interviewing this couple and getting some informed answers? Surely one of those youtuber types would snap this up to get more clicks?


----------



## smackdaddy

Waterrat said:


> A ya, the 10 knot current, devils triangle, Tiger Shark attacks and the Tiger Sharks desire to want them to leave their territory. The "white squall". Leaving Hawaii into a tropical storm and or hurricane.


Exactly. This is the PERFECT list for the "thar be dragons" crowd who know nothing about sailing but love good stories. It would have been much better from a holistic entertainment perspective to do at least 3 months of that drifting in a life raft instead of on the boat - then onto a deserted island. Then they would have crossed EVERYTHING off the list of mysterious disaster biopics.























































Oh, and the dogs would have to be eaten to REALLY make it best-seller material.










Well, but then you wouldn't be able to make them talk...










Yep, they've checked pretty much all the boxes.


----------



## RocketScience

RegisteredUser said:


> A good/HD rachet strap from the mast to multiple points on a toe rail could stabilize a mast if shrouds are lost/broken.
> 
> Good rope work, too.
> Stabilize/secure/save it...then work it out.
> 
> Interesting


I carried an emergency Dynex shroud kit even before I went full synthetic. Easily stowed and modified to suit a jury rig. A great addition to your safety spares on any passage making boat. Right up there with that Epirb.


----------



## sleepyolddog

Great post SmackDaddy!

Jennifer Appel - Actress 

It fits perfectly!

As for the boat: from the Coast Guard Documentation Center:

Vessel Name: Sea Nymph Owner: Jennifer Appel Call Sign: WDD7519 (SSB ???)

Mfg: STARRATT & JENKS YACHT CO Length: 36.8 ft Beam: 10.8 ft.

Ms. Appel refers to the "ship" as a fifty footer. That's a big difference between 50 feet and 36.8 ft. Who knows the truth?? The only Starratt and Jenks boat I can find online (sailnet.com, sailboatdata.com, yachtworld.com, etc.) is a 45/46 based on the Morgan 45.

The most ridiculous part of the story is the claim that they sailed into a "Force 11" "3 day 2 night" that started on their first night out. Any sailor, regardless of experience would check the weather and not sail into a tropical storm!!!!! Well, a FORCE 11 Tropical Storm would by definition be a NAMED STORM. Here is the list of 2017 Pacific Huricanes and Tropical Storms. Sorry but there were no Tropical STORMS any where near them in May and it looks like most of the rest of the summer... If someone has the NOAA GRIB files for May 2017 around Hawaii, that would make an interesting analysis...

I sure wish the media would do their responsibility and perform due diligence on this tale. Sorry for those of you HOPING this is a great heroic survival story but it is too much of a tall tale! SmackDaddy has the best analysis yet on this media event.


----------



## CelticSailr

sleepyolddog said:


> Great post SmackDaddy!
> 
> Jennifer Appel - Actress
> 
> It fits perfectly!


Has a BLA and claims to be proficient in civil engineering, architecture, soil microbiology, landscape architecture as well as being a stunt woman.
How does she find the time for all those studies, degrees and professional certifications.


----------



## Faster

sleepyolddog said:


> .......
> 
> As for the boat: from the Coast Guard Documentation Center:
> 
> Vessel Name: Sea Nymph Owner: Jennifer Appel Call Sign: WDD7519 (SSB ???)
> 
> Mfg: STARRATT & JENKS YACHT CO Length: 36.8 ft Beam: 10.8 ft.
> 
> Ms. Appel refers to the "ship" as a fifty footer. That's a big difference between 50 feet and 36.8 ft. Who knows the truth?? The only Starratt and Jenks boat I can find online (sailnet.com, sailboatdata.com, yachtworld.com, etc.) is a 45/46 based on the Morgan 45.
> 
> ..


Definitely not the same boat..


----------



## sleepyolddog

Faster said:


> Definitely not the same boat..


From the photos, I think it is possible that the boat is a 1979 Starratt & Jenks 45. The only inconsistency is in the reported Length - both in the Documentation and in the story.

Unless Jennifer Appel in HALEIWA, HI had two Sea Nymph's, I think this is the correct documentation reference. Granted, you must believe that someone in our government made a mistake....


----------



## Waterrat

The crap about the estrogen and women getting stuff done by boys is a bunch of crap. These ladies might not be the most clear minded and prudent problem solvers but I can hardly blame it on the extra X chromosome or corresponding hormone. I know of many XY and XX that are equally idiotic or equally capable. There gender was not the problem.


----------



## Faster

sleepyolddog said:


> From the photos, I think it is possible that the boat is a 1979 Starratt & Jenks 45. The only inconsistency is in the reported Length - both in the Documentation and in the story.


Sea Nymph is a center cockpit, I suppose S&J may have redesigned the M45 deck. Odd that there's so little info. Agree the boat in the photos is more than 37 feet. Certainly the documentation info must be in error, unless she owned a smaller boat before.


----------



## sleepyolddog

Faster said:


> Sea Nymph is a center cockpit, I suppose S&J may have redesigned the M45 deck. Odd that there's so little info. Agree the boat in the photos is more than 37 feet. Certainly the documentation info must be in error, unless she owned a smaller boat before.


It was this thread www.sailnet.com/.../35286-starrett-jenks-morgan45-info-opinions.html that showed me that at least some of the S & J 45's had a Center Cockpit.


----------



## OldEagle

Well, there is this: 2 women in battered sailboat lost at sea for months arrive at U.S. naval base after rescue | News | eagletribune.com

Money quote:


> Appel said they want to build an "unsinkable and unbreakable boat" and set out for Tahiti again.
> "We still never got to see the 20,000 islands, so I think that would be the most fantastic trip for May of next spring," she said.


_Laissez les bons temps rouler!_


----------



## sleepyolddog

OldEagle said:


> Well, there is this: 2 women in battered sailboat lost at sea for months arrive at U.S. naval base after rescue | News | eagletribune.com
> 
> Money quote:
> _Laissez les bons temps rouler!_


Oui, cher!


----------



## smackdaddy

OldEagle said:


> Well, there is this: 2 women in battered sailboat lost at sea for months arrive at U.S. naval base after rescue | News | eagletribune.com
> 
> Money quote:
> _Laissez les bons temps rouler!_


_Laissez les Patreon rouler!_

Fixed it for you.


----------



## davidpm

smackdaddy said:


> I've thought about this scenario before and have an honest question - if you hot-wire the engine without the key don't you fry the alternator?


I've been around here long enough to know that the answer to every question is "It depends".

I only know, a little about diesel engines. You are correct that if you turn the 1,2,Both switch off it will fry the diodes.

Lots of time folks turn off the key but typically that shuts off some gauges and/or shuts off the electric fuel pump. The engine will run as long as it has fuel and the alternator will be fine.

I helped deliver a Beneteau and the transmission got stuck in forward. We were able to find the linkage to force the transmission to neutral but the key switch was wired such that it would only engage the starter if it was in neutral.

We used a big screwdriver to short out a couple terminals on the starter motor and didn't shut off the engine until we got to where we were going. It made some serious sparks.


----------



## smackdaddy

Cool. Thanks for the info David.


----------



## Minnesail

midwesterner said:


> Wow, that's one hell of a lot of speculation. You seem skilled at imagining the worst in people.


I have a dark turn of mind.... 

But I'll repeat my last paragraph:



> Wild theory aside, I think it's more likely that there are some mental health issues on board and they both just didn't know any better. Went out, got lost, got found.


----------



## MarkofSeaLife

If a bolt has fallen out of a spreader.


Couldn't she have taken it out?



.


----------



## OldEagle

> Nothing nefarious, just a couple of bumbling fools.


In fairness, only one of these 2 women claimed to be a sailor. The other openly admitted to knowing nothing and having no experience. If foolish, her folly consisted in misplaced trust, not in overestimating her sailing skills.

I'll also note that on the rescue video, the non-sailor is the one who is overjoyed about the rescue, and the one who says almost nothing about the voyage. She also seems much younger, and they've stated that their pre-voyage acquaintance was brief. For these reasons, I had independently begun to wonder about the same point that Minnesail raises:


> It's possible it's a semi-kidnapping


The money-making scam angle has never made sense to me--the whole enterprise would have been too expensive and the payoff too low.


----------



## RocketScience

:laugh


----------



## OldEagle

Another possible explanation, that has the advantage of simplicity, is that the "sailor", Appel, is manic, and that, while on the "up" side, pre-voyage, her energy, enthusiasm and charm were contagious. Her demeanor, and her exaggerations, on the first rescue interview would fit... 

Maybe the problem was that she wasn't taking a drug that she needed--lithium--instead of being in the grip of "recreational" drugs as others have speculated...


----------



## Minnesail

The bi-polar thing is more than possible. People can be very charming and convincing when they're in the manic stage. Might also explain why there was six months of food on board, she got manic and packed in a crazy amount of food.

Then Jennifer got paranoid and didn't want to come back, so she sabotaged every chance at rescue or landfall? Who knows. Wild speculation.


----------



## cherajm

If one provisioned for two people for "a year", plus the two dogs, would the boat in question had sufficient space to stow all this? Haven't prepared for long voyages, but it seems like a year's food supply would take up an awful amount of stowage space. My dog goes through a 60-lb sack of food each month; 24 bags for the two dogs for a year would require all the Vberth on this 45' Morgan.

Also, like others, wondering how you would add 6 tons of fiberglass. Where would you put this? I think it was for strengthening, so would additional bulkheads be built? Or, was that all in the keel?

Just don't get it.


----------



## mbianka

I've not come across any interview or comments from anyone in Hawaii who was familiar with the blonde boat owner or the boat. Especially the "experienced" sailors who told her to pack more food than needed. 
Got to be someone at a marina bar who has some stories to tell.


----------



## Minnesail

mbianka said:


> I've not come across any interview or comments from anyone in Hawaii who was familiar with the blonde boat owner or the boat. Especially the "experienced" sailors who told her to pack more food than needed.
> Got to be someone at a marina bar who has some stories to tell.


There's someone on Sailing Anarchy who claims to know people at her marina that have stories that would tend to support the bi-polar hypothesis. Of course that's secondhand info (thirdhand, now that you're hearing it from me).


----------



## Skyeterrier

Appel claims they didn't activate the EPIRB because it requires aircraft to relay the signal and they weren't near any flight paths:

Lost-at-sea saga marked by inconsistencies, changing stories - LA Times



> COMMUNICATIONS
> 
> The pair said they had six ways to communicate, ranging from VHF radio to a satellite phone, but all failed. Phil Johnson, a retired Coast Guard officer who was responsible for search and rescue operations, said he had never heard of all communication devices failing.
> 
> The women carried an emergency beacon, which uses satellites to send a location to authorities in minutes.
> 
> In an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press, Appel said the beacons only work if airplanes are flying overhead, and the pilots would relay the information to the Coast Guard. She said she didn't activate it because they were not under a known flight path.
> 
> "The system does not rely in any way on aircraft to pick up their signal and relay their information," Johnson said Tuesday by phone from Washington state. "It's all done by satellite."
> 
> He said Appel's comments made him think she didn't how the beacon works.
> 
> ___
> 
> BOATING PLAN
> 
> Mariners are encouraged to file their planned routes with friends or relatives in case of problems. The documents include specifics about the trip, and when and where the boat will arrive. It's similar to filing a backcountry hiking plan in case you get lost. Appel told reporters she left a plan with her mother in Houston, and with friends in Honolulu.
> 
> Coast Guard officials met with Appel and Fuiava in Japan this week and learned no plan was filed. Fuiava also said she had informed family of their route and that relatives had reported the pair missing with calls from California, American Samoa and Alaska. The Coast Guard has no records of those calls.
> 
> ___
> 
> CALLS TO COAST GUARD
> 
> Appel's mother, Joyce, told the AP that she called the Coast Guard in Hawaii about 10 days after the voyage started when she hadn't heard from her daughter.
> 
> The agency said it was contacted May 19 by a male friend of the family, reporting the pair overdue into Tahiti. It calculated the normal course and speed for a sailboat and told the caller they would probably not arrive until mid-June.


----------



## Sal Paradise

*What do you think?*

This follow up article by GCaptain includes a video with a softball interview by Matt Lauer

I am not a great judge of character, but to me it seems like they are lying.

WATCH: 'Lost at Sea' Sailors Attempt to Clear the Air on Sea Story ? gCaptain


----------



## mbianka

*Re: What do you think?*



Sal Paradise said:


> This follow up article by GCaptain includes a video with a softball interview by Matt Lauer
> 
> I am not a great judge of character, but to me it seems like they are lying.
> 
> WATCH: 'Lost at Sea' Sailors Attempt to Clear the Air on Sea Story ? gCaptain


At the very least she's working on getting those product endorsements lined up.


----------



## snokid

great one Garmin!!!

Lost at sea says a lot for garmin!!!

Bob


----------



## Faster

*Re: What do you think?*



mbianka said:


> At the very least she's working on getting those product endorsements lined up.


Yeah... that was quite the Vanna White moment....


----------



## TakeFive

Something really stinks to high heaven.


----------



## CelticSailr

*Re: What do you think?*



mbianka said:


> At the very least she's working on getting those product endorsements lined up.


I'm not sure Garmin wants to be associated with her in ANY way.


----------



## CVAT

Denied access to Kiritimati (Christmas Island), hmmm perhaps because you have to enter via Tarawa or pay fine as per noon site. Would think if Travelling to Tahiti and planned the trip would plan diverts and find out how to enter those countries and not just show up on their door step and say we are here. Or maybe they did not like the idea of their four legged crew being quarantined. Still fishy and seems like they are playing for attention.


----------



## Sal Paradise

I noticed that in response to Lauer's question about the storm, they both refused to really answer. Fuvia claimed to be below asleep for it, and Appel merely repeated a commented she made about " one mistake and we are dead"

Most sailors caught in storms will describe to you in great detail the waves, how they come over the boat,what happened and how the boat did.

In response to how they are doing physically and emotionally Appel gets practically giddy and replied " NBC has been phenomenal to us, and the USS Ashland ....made the world a different place for us" In my opinion her smile there is what investigators call " dupers delight" 








Noun. duping delight (uncountable) The pleasure of being able to manipulate someone, often made visible to others by flashing a smile at an inappropriate moment.
duping delight - Wiktionary. The most famous example of this is -


----------



## smackdaddy

Oh dear...

Look up the story on the Daily Mail Online
(And NSFW)


----------



## serpa4

*Re: Two sailors and dogs rescued*



longroute said:


> if they died that was not certainly because of lack of an engine. You can't cross an ocean by motor only, you can't carry enough fuel anyway.
> 
> They said the got lost... why?


Bali MY 4.3 motor yacht catamaran. Range at 8kt....2500 miles. Get you to Hawaii from the US and across the Atlantic in the right spots to cross.

Expensive, but do-able.


----------



## snokid

smackdaddy said:


> Oh dear...
> 
> Look up the story on the Daily Mail Online
> (And NSFW)


Just when you think you have heard it all, just gets weirder...

Bob


----------



## Sal Paradise

Very difficult for anyone to verify her keel mods. Over 8 feet deep? Why?


----------



## MarkofSeaLife

Sal Paradise said:


> Very difficult for anyone to verify her keel mods. Over 8 feet deep? Why?


She's been reading forums?


----------



## hellosailor

Oh, the Daily Mail. Well, they sure do put a spin on this one. Makes you wonder how all those USN rescuers managed to survive her presence.

There's a (hopefully poker-faced satire) YouTube clip on "hot versus crazy" that probably should be cross-referenced to that Daily Mail story.(G)


----------



## mbianka

interesting the rescue photo shows a USN sailor halfway up the mast yet they could not get up there to repair the mast issues for several months?


----------



## jongleur

Wow. Good find smack.


----------



## -OvO-

mbianka said:


> interesting the rescue photo shows a USN sailor halfway up the mast yet they could not get up there to repair the mast issues for several months?


That's not a sailor, that's the skipper.


----------



## mbianka

-OvO- said:


> That's not a sailor, that's the skipper.


Really? Amazing how she went from a blonde to a dark skinned brunette then.


----------



## colemj

-OvO- said:


> That's not a sailor, that's the skipper.


She apparently works out a lot on poles and suspended ropes...

Mark


----------



## RegisteredUser

-OvO- said:


> That's not a sailor, that's the skipper.


Weird is fine as long as she's not hurting others.

Somoan friend was just along for the adventure..ready for somebody to lead her.

Appel is operating/living on an outer ring...different mental orbit.

Glad they came out OK.
It will never be understood....and that's life.

Sure, there's BS in their story. No worries..mon....


----------



## -OvO-

mbianka said:


> Really? Amazing how she went from a blonde to a dark skinned brunette then.


Maybe you're looking at a different picture than the one I saw of her in what looked like a shorty wetsuit, halfway up the mast.


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## OldEagle

> her in what looked like a shorty wetsuit, halfway up the mast.


She was in a hurry to unscrew the spreader bolt before the Navy's boarding party arrived...


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## mbianka

-OvO- said:


> Maybe you're looking at a different picture than the one I saw of her in what looked like a shorty wetsuit, halfway up the mast.


Hmmm you could be right. Though she did have a different outfit when the Navy launch first approached the boat. Though it is puzzling that she decides now when they are being rescued she suddenly had this urge to climb the mast but, was not able make repairs for months. Stuff does not make sense.


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## OldEagle

Appel is the one climbing the mast in that picture at time of rescue.
- When the launch approaches, in the video she's on deck in T-shirt and shorts, waving
- On the mast, she's in shorty wetsuit
- In photo on deck of the Ashland, after being taken off her boat, she's wearing the same shorty wetsuit
She probably had the wetsuit on under shorts & T-shirt


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## heading168

You know I saw that in the news I didn't pay much attention just thought it was bs. I don't know that much about the currents and wind in the north pacific but do know they generally run anti clockwise right? So leaving Hawaii just drifting for Six months at about a knot wouldn't they have washed up somewhere in Japan in like 3 months or if not washed up at least been found somewhere further north like near Andreanof Islands? Not mention they where in some of the largest shipping lanes in the world.


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## mbianka

The latest from People Magazine. Apparently, the Taiwanese crew were trying to kill them. So blondie went aboard their ship and used their telephone to tell the Coast Guard about this. Oh yeah and if they had tripped the EPIRB the Captain of the Taiwanese fishing vessel would have known it. 
Women Lost at Sea for 5 Months Say Rescuers Tried to Kill Them


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## CVAT

mbianka said:


> The latest from People Magazine. Apparently, the Taiwanese crew were trying to kill them. So blondie went aboard their ship and used their telephone to tell the Coast Guard about this. Oh yeah and if they had tripped the EPIRB the Captain of the Taiwanese fishing vessel would have known it.
> Women Lost at Sea for 5 Months Say Rescuers Tried to Kill Them


Story keeps changing, this seems more and more like attention seeking.


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## mbianka

Just when you think this story can't get any stranger comes this background expose about the skipper:
Jennifer Appel was a kinky sailor and dominatrix | Daily Mail Online


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## nautidawg

mbianka said:


> Just when you think this story can't get any stranger comes this background expose about the skipper:
> Jennifer Appel was a kinky sailor and dominatrix | Daily Mail Online


WOW just wow.


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## CrispyCringle

Not to judge, but wow. LOL on "damaged the judgement part of her brain". A pair of geniuses (her and her old BF).


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## cdy

at the very least - she seems very flexible - that is the longest article on a nutjob that I have read in some time.


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## Sal Paradise

I am struck by the difference between her nude internet appearance and her " normal " look! I mean, in those nudes she looks good! Not so much otherwise. 


And very disturbing that as a dominatrix she trains, "subs, couples ...and pets." Pets!


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## -OvO-

I'm sure they're human "pets", Sal. Not my scene, but whatever floats your boat.


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## Pyro666

cb32863 said:


> I am wondering a thing or two myself. If there was power for the water-maker, why didn't they have navigation? And yeah, that growth line is very odd..... No compass either to at least have an idea what direction you were going?


5000 miles... sounds like a little navigational error


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## Pyro666

smackdaddy said:


> Nice choice of t-shirt for a SAR case...


"I have the best judgement" would be another good quote for a t-shirt


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## Pyro666

well at least they didnt eat the doggy.


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## Pyro666

Sal Paradise said:


> I am struck by the difference between her nude internet appearance and her " normal " look! I mean, in those nudes she looks good! Not so much otherwise.
> 
> And very disturbing that as a dominatrix she trains, "subs, couples ...and pets." Pets!


hmm... seriously wtf?


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## mbianka

Sal Paradise said:


> I am struck by the difference between her nude internet appearance and her " normal " look! I mean, in those nudes she looks good! Not so much otherwise.


Now think I know why she climbed the mast when she was rescued. She might have left her ankle harness up there. To bad she did not put on a show for all the sailors on the ship. I think they would have appreciated it for their efforts.


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## TakeFive

mbianka said:


> ...To bad she did not put on a show for all the sailors on the ship. I think they would have appreciated it for their efforts.


How do you know she didn't?


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## Sal Paradise

She's way to old for those sailors, she's old enough to be their mom. No one wants to see that. I'm not sure it matters to the story. Does it?


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## john61ct

Good summary

http://digg.com/2017/appel-fuiava-lost-at-sea-inconsistencies?amp=true


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## Snorri

Probably time for this thread to die but since it's still here I'll contribute. This may be an unpopular opinion but is there not something inspirational in this story?

I know.

Bear with me.

A summary of all the accounts here tells us that we are talking about a person with a possibly severe brain injury, who counts among her assets a failed half acre organic farm and a totally destroyed sailboat; a person who clearly has to work for her income. Yet, this woman was still able to acquire what by all accounts looks like a very seaworthy boat with a year's worth of food and a full suite of electronics.

So what's wrong with all the non brain injured people with more financial resources who so desperately want to go blue water cruising?

Granted this still looks like a very fishy story.

And they probably should have learned how to sail first...


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## TakeFive

Don’t care about any sappy back story. She put passenger and rescuers at risk with her publicity stunt, as well as furthering public’s skepticism in the media whom she duped. 

I think she’s just an attention whore.


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## Minnewaska

My theory. Contraband was involved at some point in their voyage and they can't tell the real story. They're just nuts enough to like the attention anyway.


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## mbianka

Snorri said:


> Probably time for this thread to die but since it's still here I'll contribute. This may be an unpopular opinion but is there not something inspirational in this story?


Except that she stiffed people with her failed projects and ideas. I also wonder who paid to remove her first boat off of the rocks. Nice to have dreams but, one should not leave damage in your wake.


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