Amazing Rescue By Explorer Of The Seas!

I just read this on another cruise website……………………….

We just got back from a Southern Caribbean Cruise aboard the Explorer of the Seas today. The Captain turned the ship round when he received a distress signal from a drifting sailboat 150 miles off North Carolina with three men aboard. They had been adrift for 11 days and their boat was sinking with much of their equipment inoperable. They almost lost hope earlier when two other ships passed them by but did not see their flares. They were three happy campers when they saw us!

Video Here http://youtube.com/watch?v=gougG30DeNc and

Always good to see a good outcome when folks are lost at sea.

Those on the high sea usually try hard to listen for others in distress. Help your fellow seafarer as you never know when you may need them to save your rear.

On the way back from Bermuda one evening we were redirected by the USGC to rescue a small fishing boat that was way out into the Atlantic off the outter banks of NC...out of gas, out of radio juice by the time we got to them...and nearly up a creek without a paddle. They survived to go fishing again. I was asleep when we released them to USCG in C-bay on our way back to the fuel dock in Norfolk. (Btw...we were not Navy, but a civilian boat on a Military Sealift Contact.)

I just read this on another cruise website……………………….

We just got back from a Southern Caribbean Cruise aboard the Explorer of the Seas today. The Captain turned the ship round when he received a distress signal from a drifting sailboat 150 miles off North Carolina with three men aboard. They had been adrift for 11 days and their boat was sinking with much of their equipment inoperable. They almost lost hope earlier when two other ships passed them by but did not see their flares. They were three happy campers when they saw us!

Video Here http://youtube.com/watch?v=gougG30DeNc and

Thank you so much for sharing this with us. This was a good ending for these sailors.

I love a happy ending. Thanks. :)

I was on the Legends first ever sailing across the Pacific from Vancover to Hawaii when on day 2 the ship stops dead in the water and it was very rough those 2 days. There was a sailboat with a broken mast that had been at sea for 15 days going from San Diego to Maui. He was almost out of food and water and fuel. He motored over to our ship and refused to come on board and I think the term is scuttle his boat (sink it). He had no radio either. The captain have him plenty of provisions and fuel and it was so weird to leave him behind. The captain contacted his family for him (he was alone by the way). Later on in the cruise the captain notified us this sailor made it to Maui and all was well. That guy amazed me.

I just read this on another cruise website……………………….

We just got back from a Southern Caribbean Cruise aboard the Explorer of the Seas today. The Captain turned the ship round when he received a distress signal from a drifting sailboat 150 miles off North Carolina with three men aboard. They had been adrift for 11 days and their boat was sinking with much of their equipment inoperable. They almost lost hope earlier when two other ships passed them by but did not see their flares. They were three happy campers when they saw us!

Video Here http://youtube.com/watch?v=gougG30DeNc and

Thank you for posting that. It is so good to know that miracles do happen. ;)

What an amazing piece of video. Congratulations to the Captain and crew of Explorer of the Seas.

I was on the Legends first ever sailing across the Pacific from Vancover to Hawaii when on day 2 the ship stops dead in the water and it was very rough those 2 days. There was a sailboat with a broken mast that had been at sea for 15 days going from San Diego to Maui. He was almost out of food and water and fuel. He motored over to our ship and refused to come on board and I think the term is scuttle his boat (sink it). He had no radio either. The captain have him plenty of provisions and fuel and it was so weird to leave him behind. The captain contacted his family for him (he was alone by the way). Later on in the cruise the captain notified us this sailor made it to Maui and all was well. That guy amazed me.

Maybe I am just a bit more cautious, but if I take a sailboat to sea, I plan to have a GPS enabled EPIRB for the boat, one on the liferaft, a personal one for each crew member as well. Then a hand held for each crew member (so when on deck at night you can communicate get a rescue started, inflate your life vest and kick back wait for the rescue...) and would have at least one sat-phone on board so when out of VHF range of USCG stations can place a phone call...at that point who cares if the rates are high...I'd even pay RCCL on board phone rates if I needed to call the USGC...

Today with technology there and the cost of most items being reasonable there is no excuse for a sailer to go without back-up equipment which in my book includes a sat-phone to call for help when all else fails.

I sure hope y'all were close to HI when you saw that sail boat...otherwise he was way off course.

Thanks for posting that video. The best feeling in the world is being able to help someone like that. :)

They must have just about given up all hope.

Thank you for posting that! Very cool!!

Thanks so much for posting this. I love happy endings. WTG Explorer!!!

Sea ya!

I just read this on another cruise website……………………….

We just got back from a Southern Caribbean Cruise aboard the Explorer of the Seas today. The Captain turned the ship round when he received a distress signal from a drifting sailboat 150 miles off North Carolina with three men aboard. They had been adrift for 11 days and their boat was sinking with much of their equipment inoperable. They almost lost hope earlier when two other ships passed them by but did not see their flares. They were three happy campers when they saw us!

Video Here http://youtube.com/watch?v=gougG30DeNc and

Thanks for posting ............. WTG EX!

Found an interesting link to a couple of posts. They are by the daughter of the Captain of the sailboat rescued by the Captain of the Explorer of the Seas and her crew.

I have copied the posts below and one of them includes an e-mail from the Captain (her father) himself describing the events:

Post #1

"Rescue

I just found your post. My father was the captain of the 40' boat. Do you know where I can either find the video you describe or purchase it?

Also, I'm not part of the sailing world but I would love to shoot a note to the men/women who rescued my father.

Thank you,

Daniel Cole"

Post #2

"It does not provide any additional info but here is an excerpt from an e-mail I exchanged with him:"

" I left the Chesapeake with a crew of two and me. I rounded Cape henry at twenty miles. then I went to fourty miles to avoid diamond shoals. I had two more days of good weather to clear the area. The weather suddenly changed. Waves went to thirty feet and the wind touched 100. The roller furling system broke loose at the deck. It was like a wrecking ball on a 58 foot cable. It cleared the foredeck hardware off . The mast was unsupported forward so it started bending. We got 5 sails up but they were all shreaded.

then the roller fulring. departed the boat from the top of the mast taking the radio antenna with it.. We started taking on water so we bailed and called for help. When the handheld went dead I remembered the new batteries Danny got me so I put them in. I called two ships with no responce then on the 17th day the Explorer of the seas heard us and picked us up. They took us to Haiti,DR, st Thomas,then to Porto Rico. The royal Carib line paid for air line tickets to Key West. which is where I am now. the royal carib line has issued press releases which can be found under Tumbleweed. "

If anyone knows how to obtain the video from the trip please let me know.

Best Regards,

Daniel"

Post #3

"I will inquire from later the details of his location. I do not know any more than than between Baltimore and Florida.

Thank you for the additional postings. I cannot view utube video's online at work but I look forward to viewing when I get home tonight.

Hopefully Royal Carribean responds to my request for the captains contact info. I am so impressed that a huge cruise ship with thousands of paying customers turned around to save my dad's life.

As for the localized storm, I don't know. My dad has a lifetime of bizzare events.

Thank you all for the infomation. I dont' know anything about sailing and I appreciate the insights.

Daniel Cole"

well i was on the ship and yes the rescue was exciting.The subsequent 3 days until the men left the ship were less so.Pretty excessive drinking and poor judgement letting them mingle with the kids on board.In fact one of them had to be secured on the ship one night.

Here are some more websites! :D

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.rescue23feb23,0,7054903.story

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40860

I was on the Explorer too and saw the rescue, I'm surprised it took so long to show up here. I also saw the guys walking around a bit, they treated them well.

I was also on the ship, and the rescus was pretty amazing, we saw them getting off in San Juan, and it seemed that they waited a long time to get to the airport, I am amazed the RCCL paid for their airl line ticket, that is pretty generous of them. I also was not aware that there was an issue with one othem and drinking, newro what happened exactly, do you know.

I was also on the ship, and the rescus was pretty amazing, we saw them getting off in San Juan, and it seemed that they waited a long time to get to the airport, I am amazed the RCCL paid for their airl line ticket, that is pretty generous of them. I also was not aware that there was an issue with one othem and drinking, newro what happened exactly, do you know.

well as you can imagine they were pretty popular on the ship.Which led to alot of drinks being bought for them.The youngest one had a little to much and they had to escort him somewhere.They also were fairly inappropriate with the teens on board.I think theirs alot more to this story then we were let in on.I also know that they had either no or multiple passports(captain had several different ids).So that being said im glad they rescued them but with 3000 people onboard maybe they should of been supervised more?

Who was the Captain and Staff Captain at the time of rescue?

Captain's last name is Ryan. Not sure about the other person.

well i was on the ship and yes the rescue was exciting.The subsequent 3 days until the men left the ship were less so.Pretty excessive drinking and poor judgement letting them mingle with the kids on board.In fact one of them had to be secured on the ship one night.

Hi, my husband also heard something in the parking lot on Sun. morning about 3 kids throwing pool chairs overboard on Sat. night and being arrested and put in the "jail" onboard and their parents having to pay fines. Did anyone hear about that?

that is one good thing about life on the water, ships who can help are suppose to, and do respond to others in distress,it shows we care, and will help if needed,just love stories like that, i used to be a commercial fisherman,and know what its like to be in distress,and what its like to help,great conradery:)))

Captain Ryan is a class act:)

I'm glad things worked out.

Does anyone know anything about the rescue boat that was used? I was fascinated at how quickly (one of the videos had time stamps) they were able to resue these men. Did you see how they loaded and unloaded the rescue boat?

I guess the sailors need to be trained in rescue since you never know when it will be needed, but it was interesting seeing them in action.

Ann

Captain Ryan is a great captain and a fantastic guy.