# Sailors rescued after five months adrift **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 27, 2017, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019 "2017-10-27T20:58:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/61 "2017-10-29T16:56:21Z")
> [@Iggy](#): > > Except AA batteries at this one little shop in the Grenadines many years ago in my sailing days. Store owner stopped carrying them because it was too much of a bother since he kept selling out of them. :smack: > > Sigh. Reprovisioning is based upon what they have, not what you want. It’s like that restaurant that no one goes to anymore because it’s too crowded. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/62 "2017-10-29T18:31:20Z")
Here’s a video that contains an [extended interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd2hR3AKhQY) with the two women. It clarifies some things, but raises even more questions. The reporting on the events and the time line seems to be very confused. For those who don’t want to watch a 40 minute video, here are some gleanings. - They weren’t “drifting” for 5 months. They had some sailing ability for much of the time. The damaged spreader limited their maneuverability. - They encountered their first severe storm while they were still in the Hawaiian Islands, off the Big Island. The damage to the spreader apparently happened after this. - Nonetheless, they were able to reach Kiribati, which is half way between Hawaii and Tahiti. They planned to repair the mast here, but their boat was too large to enter the lagoon. So they decided to carry on.:smack: - It’s at all not clear why they didn’t keep on heading to Tahiti. They say they reached about 9 degrees south, well south of Kiribati and about 600 miles north of Tahiti. - For some unexplained reason, they then headed west toward the Cook Islands. In the northern Cooks, they encountered another storm, and this is the one that knocked out their engine ignition. - I am having trouble imagining how they could possibly have “drifted” from the Cooks, which are well south of the Equator, into the North Pacific, where they were picked up around 900 miles southeast of Japan (probably in the vicinity of the Northern Marianas). If they were in the Cooks, prevailing currents and winds should have carried them towards New Guinea. (If they were north of the Equator, winds and currents would in fact have brought them towards Japan. But if they had limited sailing capability, and no power, they probably couldn’t have crossed the equatorial currents.) - They did not pack “food for a year.” Appel says she packed what she thought was enough food for six months, but which could be stretched to a year if necessary. They had used most of it up in five months, so they were not very good at conserving it. Of course, they were using it to feed two fairly large dogs too. - They saw other boats within 8 nautical miles, and sent distress signals and sent off flares. But the boats apparently ignored them. - Appel says that they could have eaten fish but didn’t because of their dietary habits, I assume vegan. (Flying fish landed in the boat but they threw them back. :smack:) I guess the dogs were vegan too. - Appel is clearly a flake and heavily into woo-woo. Despite the anomalies, I have trouble imagining she could formulate a hoax of this magnitude. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/63 "2017-10-29T19:12:58Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > I’m definitely favoring ‘stupid and lucky’ over ‘hoax’. > > With regard to food storage, it should be noted that on a 50-ft sailboat with 2 aboard, there’s a huge amount of space. I’ve been aboard one with 6 people (but no dogs) for 2 weeks, and it was impressively uncrowded and comfortable. My experience differs from this. From being on and working on boats of this size which were outfitted for open sea travel, space was always at a high premium. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/64 "2017-10-29T19:22:33Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Here’s a video that contains an [extended interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd2hR3AKhQY) with the two women. It clarifies some things… Whatanutjob. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/65 "2017-10-30T02:20:52Z")
From the early moments of the video linked by Colibri: "The first night we got into a force 11 storm, and it lasted for 2 nights and 3 days. And when we were through with that, we were empowered! to know that we could withstand the forces of nature - the boat could withstand the forces of nature. And we decided not to return back to Hawaii but to continue on with our journey because we believed that everything quote unquote “shook out” and we’d be alright. So they tangled with bad weather that would have been readily evident before they departed. Then, despite having suffered some rigging damage they could not repair and still being quite close to Hawaii (with a choice of repair options), they decided to press on, because “empowered”. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/66 "2017-10-30T02:30:40Z")
Idiots. Anyway, to get to Tahiti from Hawaii you have to go south. lol ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/67 "2017-10-30T02:38:40Z")
Later Appel also talks about the voyage giving them the opportunity to “learn about the sea.” You shouldn’t be undertaking any such voyage unless you already know quite a lot about the sea. Another article mentioned that Fuiva’s experience consisted of being a security guard at the boatyard where Appel worked on her boat. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/68 "2017-10-30T06:25:31Z")
I’m in favor of letting the Coast Guard, Navy and other various rescue groups charging idiots who find themselves in trouble because of willful stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/69 "2017-10-30T06:32:27Z")
If it has not sunk yet— there is a free boat drifting out there for anyone to salvage. Not sure if the scrap value would be worth it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/70 "2017-10-30T14:57:11Z")
I think it was the Spirit of the Ocean that finally saved them. When you get in touch with that most fundamental of the Earth-spirits, many profound things can happen! ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/71 "2017-10-30T15:09:31Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I think it was the Spirit of the Ocean that finally saved them. When you get in touch with that most fundamental of the Earth-spirits, many profound things can happen! Capitalization of **S** pirit of the **O** cean is essential. You must be properly deferential in acknowledging the **E** arth-spirits, in order to be permitted to survive a Cat 11 storm and 50 foot shark attacks. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/72 "2017-10-30T15:15:10Z")
> [@Buttercup\_Smith](#): > > They both looked mighty healthy to me. Given that they had plenty of food and water and shelter, I don’t know why anyone is surprised that they look perfectly healthy. It sounds like they just got really lucky. If 100 idiot-couples set out on similar blue-water voyages, and only one of them is ever seen/heard from again, this could be them. The other 99 idiot-couples, you never see/hear from them again, so you just don’t realize that going to sea so poorly prepared almost always results in a bad end. The news this morning showed footage of them on the deck of a Navy ship, at a podium, speaking to the press. I’m all for the Navy effecting sea rescues for humanitarian reasons, but I’m a little unclear on how hosting press conferences for rescuees fits into their mission. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/73 "2017-10-30T15:21:32Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > …I’m all for the Navy effecting sea rescues for humanitarian reasons, but I’m a little unclear on how hosting press conferences for rescuees fits into their mission. 😕 Perhaps the navy PR people are viewing this as a feelgood rescue story, and haven’t picked up yet on the wasting-taxpayers’-money-to-save-idiots angle. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/74 "2017-10-30T15:24:13Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I’m all for the Navy effecting sea rescues for humanitarian reasons, but I’m a little unclear on how hosting press conferences for rescuees fits into their mission. 😕 They’re not laughing _with_ them… ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/75 "2017-10-30T15:31:05Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > They’re not laughing _with_ them… They took dogs and refused to eat fish, so I guess it’s no surprise that _you’re_ piling on. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/76 "2017-10-30T16:02:03Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > 5 months? Try [14+ months w/ no food or water!](https://www.amazon.com/438-Days-Extraordinary-Story-Survival/dp/1501116304) Pikers! Or [119 Days](https://www.amazon.com/Capsized-True-Story-Four-Adrift/dp/0060179619) in a capsized trimaran. They had food enough, even had salvageable spices, so they were in good physical shape when they made landfall. They saw several ships but were never sighted (no one keeps watch on commercial vessels in deep water - there’s nothing out there to see most of the time.) And too far from land for the radio to reach, plus, eventually the batteries ran out. And yet, people accused them of perpetuating a hoax. Mostly because they were in “too good of shape”. Sounds a lot like the opinions about this story. Still, in this day an age to go blue water without an EPIRB is sheer stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/77 "2017-10-30T16:35:50Z")
Is there any indication they could navigate? It sounds like they not only didn’t know how to get to their destination, but also usually weren’t clear on where they currently were. The food thing I can understand, being vegan myself. It can be tricky getting vegan food when you travel…and there’s literally nothing on the open sea if you’re not willing to eat those who live there. So _if_ I were doing this, I’d overdo it on packing food too. I’d probably bring a sextant, though, and the nav tables by which to read it. (And learn how to use it first. Despite my username, I am not at all capable of sailing the Pacific, much as I’d like to be.) ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/78 "2017-10-30T18:21:38Z")
If we are talking about blue-water sailing under less-than-ideal conditions, I have always admired good old Captain Bligh. Not to mention Shackleton. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/79 "2017-10-30T18:32:31Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > If we are talking about blue-water sailing under less-than-ideal conditions, I have always admired good old Captain Bligh. Not to mention Shackleton. Where Shackleton is concerned, “less-than-ideal conditions” is a masterpiece of understatement. Imagine what he and his crew could have done with calm winds, tropical weather, a watertight hull packed with six months’ worth of food, and a slightly damaged sail. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2017, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019/80 "2017-10-30T18:40:29Z")
And a couple hundred pounds of fresh still-warm food on the hoof. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sailors-rescued-after-five-months-adrift/800019.md?page=5)