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When we talk about our adventures, especially with people who
dream to do the same voyage themselves, we use to say that a circumnavigation
along the tradewinds is relatively easy, and that the most difficult problem to
be solved is how to organise things in such a way to be able to stay away from
home for a long period of time.
Obviously this is not entirely true, as sadly demonstrated by the disadventure
of "Baccus":
- THE LOSS OF "BACCUS":
"Baccus" is a fine Sun Odissey 45.2 which was participating to the Blue Water
Rally 2007/09 until due to a serious health problem its skipper and his wife had
to leave the boat in Australia and fly back to the U.K. for urgent treatment.
Thankfully, the medical treatment was successful so after some months our
friends returned to their boat to resume their voyage with the idea of leisurely
sailing through Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand to then join the next Blue
Water Rally in Phucket for the return trip through the dangerous waters of the
Gulf of Aden.
Later, they decided instead to join the "Vasco da Gama" rally leaving from
Cochin, India, at the end of January 2011 with destination Marmaris in Turkey.
So last January "Baccus" set sail from Thailand with the skipper and two crew
with destination Cochin by way of Sri Lanka; roughly the same route and the same
timing of our own passage two years before, when we were gently pushed all the
way through by the North-Eastern monsoon.
Unfortunately this time the weather was much less benign; maybe in connection
with a strong tropical depression that caused serious floods in the southern
hemisphere, or because of the "La Niņa", Baccus was met head-on by a severe
storm blowing from the SW with winds in eccess of 60 knots.
After two days fighting the weather, trying to find shelter downwind of the Sri
Lanka island, with water leaking into the boat and steering problems, the crew
of "Baccus" placed a satphone call to the U.K. Coastguard, asking for medical
consultation to assist the skipper who had hurt his arm. After a while, another
call was placed asking to be evacuated from the boat; soon the Rescue Center was
able to divert a merchant ship which went alongside "Baccus" to provide some
shelter from the wind, and the crew was transferred with an hair-raising
procedure.
After the event, "Baccus"'s skipper sent around some photos and a movie which
were shot by the ship's crew during the rescue operation, where some damage to
the boat's infrastructure can be seen, but what is really scary is the 10-minute
movie showing the yacht beside the ship, rolling like mad and banging heavily
against the ship's side while the crew tries to jump on the netting laid on the
ship's side. Very dangerous, especially for the aging - and supposedly hurt -
skipper; luckily, all went well and the 3 crew managed to board the ship.
People have died in similar situations, falling from the yacht and being crushed
against the ship! I suspect that the yacht skipper had been planning to transfer
using the yacht's dinghy as a shuttle (in preparation, the dinghy had been put
in the water at the back of the yacht) and probably it was the ship captain's
decision to put the yacht directly beside the ship.
Too bad for "Baccus", which may still be drifting somewhere in the Indian Ocean,
but at least the crew is safe and sound.
(The boat's value was later refunded by the
Insurance Company)
CONTINUE
READING...
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