Bad news – dan
Somewhere out on the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 200 km north of Bermuda, a small yacht is floundering. We got the gut wrenching news today that our friend’s vessel, The Right’s of Man, has suffered rudder damage and is struggling in large seas.
Bad news, bad news,
Come to me where I sleep,
Turn, turn, turn again.
Sayin' one of your friends
Is in trouble deep,
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind.
from Perc’s Song by Bob Dylan
There are four souls on that troubled vessel and there’s nothing we can do for them but hope and pray which we are doing in boatloads. The captain that gave us the news had just come into port himself aboard his 46’ yawl and reported experiencing winds up to 40 kts and extremely high seas. It’s hard to imagine what the conditions are like on poor Right’s of Man but imagine I do. They have been at sea now seven days. Without rudder control it will be hard to manage any sail or power and without her sails to stabilize her she will be tossed about madly in those huge seas. We heard there is a large yacht, inbound from Newport, that has offered to take her in tow as she is too far out for rescue from Bermuda. The good news is that Rights of Man still floats and in the remote chance it’s needed they have a good life raft and all the latest communication equipment; SSB, sat phone & EPRB. Thus equipped and with many good eyes and ears tracking them, their chances for survival are good.
This crossing takes its toll on vessels. Our dock mates on the 50’ catamaran Amazing Grace got five gallons of saltwater blasted into their diesel tanks via their vents and had to have a new set of injectors flown in. The boat next to us has had mechanics working on their engine for the past two days. A small boat just in front of us lost their mast and a brand new 60’ catamaran suffered a broken rudder. I see why this crossing has the reputation that is has, the evidence is all around us.
Jack & Marcia tuning up The Right's of Man back in Mystic
