Abandoned Sailboat! In the Atlantic Ocean

[@rogerbannon3595]

This boat was owned by the recently deceased Alan Mc Gettigan (of the Royal Irish Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire Ireland) who had to abandon the boat in the midst of a severe storm on their way back to Ireland via the Azores. This all happened nearly 10 years ago. All on board, experienced sailors, were safely rescued. .

[@josephm40]

Thank you for the good information.

[@jonunya3128]

surprised she still swims.. she was abandoned years ago, no?

[@captnkirk6180]

WOW!

[@jimsmith7212]

This video was from 2013 though......

[@williamjolka4351]

Swan quality...

[@user-oe9ym8pw3f]

For those who dont know, the guy in the video is Matt Rutherford. First man to ever sail non stop, single handed around North and South America. He did it in a 27 foot long sailboat, what a legend. There's a documentary called "Red Dot on the Ocean"

[@RobCummings]

Too bad he wasn't able to salvage it. That Swan would have been a real prize.

[@anthonymikel]

I thought that was him! Great documentary.

[@kimogeske4816]

Sounded like Matt he’s speaks very well

[@dawntreat]

Wow I am fascinated by these individuals who take this on. I am going watch doc now. Thanks for sharing!

[@pucmahone3893]

Oh wow….a legend indeed!

[@jadepaulsen8456]

I like how this guy tells a story. Short, sweet and to the point.

[@feelinghealingfrequences7179]

no ending for abandoned vessel not good

[@mrMankx]

i wanted to know more

[@brianmclaughlin4419]

Brevity is Super Important when you're in the Doldrums with not One Thing 2 do for 28 days.😊 Makes Entire Sense.

[@UnhappyJetsFan]

He has a podcast on solo sailing, which I found entertaining. He does it on pretty much a shoestring budget, which makes it especially interesting.

[@2Dylandog]

NO, I am not enormously impressed! "No dead bodies..." etc. Couldn't he show a little less morbid curiosity, and instead, after a thorough inspection of the boat off-camera, give us his rational or intuitive ideas about how this yacht came to be abandonned. Recent known storms in the vicinity, food condition in the fridge, information from log books, state of the sails and engine and fuel on board. etc, etc. For an accomplished sailor I thought he was amateur and schoolboyish.

[@Thomas-qj4xs]

The ship had only been left abandoned for 9 weeks back in 2013. This video, although released just four days ago on December 23rd, 2022, the abandoning of the ship occurred in February of 2013 and was found 9 weeks later, when these researchers stumbled upon it. 9 weeks with nobody manning it and no anchor or anything is impressive as hell. Shows you how durable these beauties can be.

[@George-Francis]

9 weeks floating is impressive? arent boats supposed to do that?

[@TLK22]

@@George-Francis If there is no storm then yeah it's normal.

[@AlexMr1996]

@@George-Francis I think the impressive part is that the ship kept floating for so long unmanned.

[@Thomas-qj4xs]

@Not Expat Joe Yes. I didn't clarify. It's an older video being shown in a new video. Videoception.

[@Thomas-qj4xs]

@@George-Francis Well smartass, they are indeed supposed to stay afloat, but its impressive because it wasn't being captained. You know, you have to maneuver a boat in waves and storms, doing so you have to have your boat facing certain directions for ideal sailing and also, to not capsize. So maybe, just maybe, you could see how it's impressive that a boat survived what could have been terrible seas without navigating the waves. Just maybe?

[@renatonovis]

I'm no sailor(though my father was) but it always awes me the sense of camaraderie while on the ocean, how they just stumbled upon a freight ship and convinced them to give you some fuel. When you're on the sea, It feels like everyone is a bit more honest and straightforward because they have to be, the seas are dangerous and you'll go that extra mile so that you know others will do the same to you. Maybe it's just me being a tad too emotional, but that's how I feel about life on the sea.

[@cava-ft2vi]

That is exactly like you ve said.

[@sailingdreamfisher]

Selfish people don't last long on the ocean... You have to work together

[@xkcd5676]

Truck driving is kind of similar

[@davidgajeske7191]

Unless you're sailing around the horn of Africa.

[@Vingul]

@@doublewhopper67 Okay.

[@talkaboutwacky]

Its like a boat themed RPG game. "We were running low on fuel so we convinced a passing freighter for diesel"

[@guyhmajor]

Lucky Billy Zane wasn't hiding in a cupboard with a knife in his mouth.

[@socallars3748]

Underrated response. That was a chilling movie.

[@crayzmarc]

Love it!

[@andreathompson-bg4hl]

Flashback

[@asp7772907]

Man, it would be worse if has doing that crazy dance up on deck! 😂

[@jeffgold3091]

for all the people speculating about everything ; he tells the whole story on his podcast , complete with contacting the owner , lawyers , insurance companies , salvage companies . there is a lot more to this story for anyone interested

[@chrisdekock8864]

Where could I find those podcasts? Sounds like an interesting story indeed!

[@jeffgold3091]

@@chrisdekock8864 singlehanded sailor podcast , matt rutherford , is where i heard him tell the whole long story , including nearly dieing transferring batteries boat to boat . not sure which episode but you can find it

[@petec9686]

I read up on this. Can’t find anything newer than 2013. My guess is that it eventually took on enough water to sink. What a shame. It was a fairly new Swan 48. That is one hell of a boat.

[@jeffgold3091]

@@petec9686 episode 161 singlehanded sailing ,,march 2022

[@petec9686]

@@jeffgold3091 thanks

[@davidrobinsonk4wvz682]

Matt has a great story. I was honored to have him crew on my boat, Paradiso, for the Leukemia Cup Regatta on the Potomac River to help raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. That was about 12 years ago or so. He is a very nice fellow and is making a difference raising awareness of ocean pollution issues around the world. Great job on the salvage Matt. Hope you are doing great.

[@gordonbennet1094]

I'm a sailing man. It's easy to get self-righteous & over-critical. But I did a bit of reading about Alan Mc Gettigan & the boat he abandonded. Ship's batteries were exhausted. Yep - that's what batteries do. That's why boats carry an independent generator. Engine wouldn't run properly - mucky fuel shaken up by bad weather. Yep - that's what happens in a boat - so before a voyage, u clean out the bottom of the tanks, purge all the lines, & clean/ replace the filters. Cooker wouldn't work cos it needed electricity. Batteries flat. We're back to needing a generator. Why was the boat dismasted? It sh hv had a storm jib up, and laid ahull. The boat was abandoned in perfectly good condition - no hull damage at all. No attempt to make a jury rig from spinnaker poles or whatever. Everything about the incident screams unprepared crew, captain, and ship. The crew gave up before the boat did.

[@kjkolkowski]

Better to have stayed on and died like real men

[@tamecosse5463]

Research again before you criticize re invertor / generator not working / recently purchased vessel etc.

[@SOLDOZER]

Owning a sailboat does not make you "a sailing man".

[@carolleenkelmann3829]

And yet, the following reports say that the owner and the crew were all very experienced , were rescued by a Greek freighter after running into difficulties during a storm and reported the yacht as having sunken. Sad that such workmanship should be so easily abandoned. It was very enlightening to read your notes about the preparation on sail worthiness a good sailor makes. Makes you wonder how their cars are looked after, doesn't it.

[@mattjewett4473]

​@carolleenkelmann3829 if it sank, insurance can be claimed? Abandoned, I don't know.

[@mrkamm71]

You might be surprised by how many sailboats get abandoned offshore for medical emergencies (or incompetence). I've been involved with two, one an elderly couple was airlifted off when the husband suffered a heart attack and we found the boat 2 weeks later adrift. The second was a novice who tried to sail across the Gulf of Mexico solo in Feb with no experience and a lack of seamanship skills. He lost his engine, couldn't sail and didn't know enough to put out a sea anchor so was beam to in 3-4m seas for several days before he made a distress call and abandoned his boat (we plucked him off his boat with our FRC and Coast Guard helo'd him from there).

[@terrulian]

Why aren't these boats scuttled? Unlit at night, they are a navigation hazard.

[@PeterWTaylor]

@@terrulian Thats not as easy as it sounds. Many yachts have bouyancy chambers filled with expanded foam and are designed to stay afloat even if full of water. Maybe they could be craned onto a salvage vessel or towed but then who pays?

[@terrulian]

@@PeterWTaylor Good point. My guess would be that boats that will float when sunk to the gunwales are in the minority. But since they seem to know the make and model, this should be determinable. As to salvage, a Swan is worth a lot but craning it onto a ship in the middle of the ocean would be difficult without damaging it, potentially fatally. Either way, insurance will pay, assuming they have hull insurance, which a lot of folks don't carry.

[@jimmypavone3231]

Wow the gulf can get crazy. Not a good idea to go with no knowledge

[@nvelsen1975]

@@PeterWTaylor Insurance pays 12% of the value of the boat if you recover it, so for a thing like this that's easily 20-40K. Heck when it's not way way out at sea you ussually have major trouble with greedy salvagers following you, speeding towards emergency calls, even navigating dangerously or causing damage to others just to try and get to a boat and claim it. Couple days ago I had to cut the line on one of them because he was hooked to a sinking boat that was on fire, and was so before the firefighters had released the vessel. Idiot even tried to threaten me before before firefighters lectured him and reported him to the coastguard. They will do anything for a payday. On one occasion I saw a salvager ignore two people in the water (14 degrees, no lifevests), hook their boat, and tow that towards them slowly to try and take them on board. We got there before he did. He was reported to the coastguard for poor seamanship and the lawsuit between the owners of the vessel and the salvager claiming a 12K fee off of them is ongoing.

[@thebarbers2273]

When I was in the U.S.Navy we found a zodiac with divers flags posted, but we seen school of dolphin the fish Dorado and a few Black Tips circling the zodiac. We waited 2 hours in hope the diver would see our ship and surface but as it turned to 3 hours. We put our small boat in and brought the zodiac on board and pulled the flags from the water...realizing the owner possibly drowned. After bringing the zodiac on board our ship circling the area an additional hr. As the sun was setting we left the area, our chaplain said a brief prayer and we went to the Bahamas were the Coast Guard met us took possession of the Zodiac they returned to the area and conducted a search to no avail. This was in 1990

[@roosdad1]

It was me....We were the rescue swimmers and we played a prank. Carry on....

[@thebarbers2273]

@@roosdad1 carry on smartly recruit and remove the relative bearing grease from your life

[@Dawreckk]

You didn't get to keep the boat?

[@thebarbers2273]

@@Dawreckk if you could keep a boat found put at sea, would you keep that boat?

[@clavicus]

@@thebarbers2273 legitimate salvage?

[@sageyowns26]

wow a 3 minute video that tells the whole story, nothing missed and no ads, things you don’t see often

[@JBE158]

Becalmed for 23 days is brutal

[@stuckinadazzee]

That’s a lot of time for reflection.

[@00708046]

When you think about your troubles and bad luck , towing her ,breaking down , no wind for 23 days ,the boat seems cursed . I think that although it went bad , it could have ended much worse . I'm glad you're alive and well !

[@teeanahera8949]

Stupid superstitions belong to the weak minded.

[@jfmc2581]

Or... an Obvious general Lack of seamanship by these guys...

[@c4gstorm878]

@@jfmc2581 Do you think the guy in the video is not a good sailor because the engine broke down and there was no wind?

[@alerttheinternet]

Maybe it was in the Bermuda Triangle 😮

[@jfmc2581]

@@c4gstorm878 ,Yes absolutely yes on both counts!!! If you knew the first thing about offshore sailing and seamanship you would know so too !!

[@cesarhanshoff2741]

You have a sail for a reason. Broken engine is no problems you can still sail to shore and brake with the anchor or on a boye. Ive done it plenty of times but with a 30 ft. Maybe a lot harder with 42 ft boat. If you have too much wind you do a quick 360 turn before port to slow down then release the sails as you move in. Big round fender in the front could also be used if you impact.

[@__hjg__2123]

I walked to my mailbox today.

[@daleolson3506]

I ran with scissors

[@joejugashvili3616]

You guys are really pushing the envelope!

[@blacklove79]

😂😂😂

[@mozdickson]

get blisters with that? I strained my elbow at McDonalds watching this on my phone. Life is helle

[@agrihemp5488]

An interesting fact about the recently deceased Alan Mc Gettigan (of the Royal Irish Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire Ireland) was that he had a Read More

[@Ogsonofgroo]

Old story but quite a story, great find, Swans are really skoocum vessels, I mean seriously, it got knocked down a couple of times, survived nine weeks drifting around (!!!?!!!) and was still afloat, a worthy craft that most sensible sailors would have hung onto through hell or high water, but I can see an older crew get tired of being smashed around. I am off to seek more of this story>>>>

[@ottobihrer732]

A Swan 48 is a huge ship, basically unsinkable, in good condition worth 800,000 Dollars. Why didn't they use the Swans Motor? The boat belonged to skipper Alan McGettigan from the Royal Irish Yacht Club. He and crewmates Declan Hayes, Morgan Crowe and Tom Mulligan were rescued by a Greek cargo ship 64 miles north of Bermuda when their 48-ft yacht suffered two knockdowns during in 20-ft waves and 50 knots wind. Alan activated an emergency beacon and they left Wolfhound in the water. Nine weeks later, it was stumbled upon by Matt and his team who filmed the recovery. The beautiful boat was abandoned by Alan McGettigan, because of a discomfort level that was by no means life-threatening.

[@sandystrait3878]

Insurance claimed?

[@MaxEPR]

Or the sails! The 42-footer was sailing, why not the 48-footer?

[@Mike-01234]

Motor likely didn't run I get why they wanted to tow it wanted to salvage it. I kind of wonder if could end up in a lawsuit with the insurance company.

[@malcolm-danielfreeman5940]

He said in video "2 boats with no motors" when his motor broke down .

[@johnvanslykejr.8033]

Roger Bannon, This is an amazing story. What a find. Under maritime law, whoever puts a line on an abandoned vessel at sea owns the vessel. Swans are among the finest big sailboats made.

[@paulreading8980]

Er no that’s not the case. You can make a claim for salvage and you will be rewarded with a percentage of its value. The boat will be owned by the insurance company.

[@gavinashun]

You just need a really good maritime lawyer, like Chareth Cutestory.

[@rogerblackwood8815]

@@paulreading8980 This after ten seconds searching seems to agree with the OP in so many words! The law of salvage is a principle of maritime law whereby any person who helps recover another person's ship or cargo in peril at sea is entitled to a reward commensurate with the value of the property saved. Maritime law is inherently international, and although salvage laws vary from one country to another, generally there are established conditions to be met to allow a claim of salvage.[1] The vessel must be in peril, either immediate or forthcoming; the "salvor" must be acting voluntarily and under no pre-existing contract; and the salvor must be successful in their efforts, though payment for partial success may be granted if the environment is protected.

[@paulreading8980]

3. There are very specific conditions set to define acts that are considered to be salvage. Salvage can encompass a wide meaning depending on the context. This ambiguity can lead to contention or legal issues after salvage operations. Merely returning a portion of the property to the owner of a ship is not constituted as an act of salvage. Care must be taken by salvors to ensure that they adhere to certain rules such that they are entitled to rewards. Similarly, ship owners must be aware of the conditions pertaining to salvage such that they are not forced to pay out unnecessary awards. The rules for such a rendered service to be considered as an act of maritime salvage are: 1. Property salvaged includes one of the following- a ship or vessel, the cargo on board, or payable freight. Liability salvage entails making efforts to protect the environment from damage. 2. The property mentioned must face real peril, but not necessarily absolute or immediately. 3. The salvor’s service must be voluntary i.e., they did not act under prior contracts or obligations. There must be no self-preservation interests involved. 4. Lastly, some pre-defined level of success must be achieved, else no pay is legally entitled to the salvor (referred to in the industry as “No Cure; No Pay”). 4. There are very specific conditions set to define the award and contractual payment awarded to the salvor. Alongside contracts created to safeguard the payments assured to a salvor on completion of a successful salvage, there are several conditions that determine the award that can be expected. These conditions include but are not limited to: 1. The extent of success of the salvage. 2. The extent of potential danger faced by the salvor. 3. The valuation of the salvaged property. 4. All the articles listed within the relevant sections of the 1989 Salvage Convention. 5. Adherence to the proposed time frame to complete the salvage. 5. In recent times, another factor that determines the size of the reward includes whether a reasonable effort was made to prevent environmental damages. Both salvors and ship owners must be aware of the regulations and Articles 13 and 14 of the IMO Convention in order to ensure that a suitable amount of reward is agreed upon.

[@paulreading8980]

Salvage awards A salvor, acting properly under the law, is likely to be entitled to a salvage award. This salvage award cannot exceed the salved value of the recovered material. The Receiver can arrange for independent valuations to help owners and finders agree on a fair salvage award. Other factors are also taken into account when determining salvage awards, including: the measure of success obtained by the salvor the skills and efforts of the salvor the nature and degree of danger

[@freddywulf2024]

this was in 2013, 4 crew were plucked from distressed SV Wolfhound days earlier in 20-foot waves and 50 knots wind, by an Ocean Freighter.

[@gordperrin9521]

That doesn't seem like big weather really for a blue water vessel is it? I wonder what happened

[@pierreb.7903]

@@gordperrin9521 idk how to say in english but you have like wave frequency that can be higher so its way worse than 20 foot waves with space

[@tobyknowles3531]

Mr. Rutherford, thank you for salvaging this lovely yacht. I see from other comments below that the crew were saved after unfortunately abandoning her in a fierce storm. Glad to see that you are still sailing & that your circumnavigation of the America's didn't put you off other sometimes arduous journeys at sea. PS: love the full beard & hairy bear look.

[@feelinghealingfrequences7179]

did-he salvage it? he cut it free or do u got a follow up video?

[@annehedonia156]

Hairy bear look?

[@tkpeters]

Nice find, strange how they reported it sunk to the insurance co. I hope you got it back to port & fixed it up under salvage rules, original fault listed as Gunk in the Fuel Tank.

[@troyjollimore4100]

The chance of ever coming across it again was nearly zero…

[@paulmurphy8549]

10 years ago

[@SOLDOZER]

Why does every moran on the internet think there's this "salvage rule" where you can just take boats you find unoccupied?

[@thebarbers2273]

1980's onboard a naval ship out of of San Diego bound from Hawaii we passed a junk with a .50 caliber mounted on its bow, since it was international waters we could do nothing, but we rendered aid to a sail boat a man his wife and 2 daughter had became sick and needed fuel. We brought the family on board and our corpsman checked them out and we refuel their sail boat, they were told of that boat with the gun...we left the area to do our op....3 days later as we return to Hawaii our Port Lookout spotted something big in the water half submerged. As we got closer it was identified as a sailboat. Upon inspection by out seal team that dove on the boat it had taken small arms fire and video tapes was brought back and it was later found to be that family...no survivors. Our Seal Team commander wanted to go after that junk because we had passed it about 4 hrs earlier heading back to Hawaii. The Captain was mad as hell! He said we can't be sure and we are not a bunch goddamm mercenaries. So it was stated that Seal Team Sea Fox needed to test the engines and its equipment so we put the Seal Team in their boat out but not before they loaded out with weapons. We had to remain on station....it was a little after midnight and all hell broke loose on the horizon...you can hear automatic weapons fire and some explosion 💥 💥 💥! Later that morning as we were bringing back the Sea Fox the Seal Team Leader met the Captain he asked how was training he said training went as expected...He handed the captain one of our ships hat. As parting gifts to the sailboat family the Captain gave them hats with the ship name on it. The Captain stormed away saying those motherfuckers!! Be careful out there Costal pirates are very real.

[@captnkirk6180]

Wow!

[@arthurbrumagem3844]

Nice uplifting story . Had to read it twice so I could sleep nicely

[@thebarbers2273]

@@captnkirk6180 one other thing about this Captain he use to say, that he would say that he had training that people wanted to steal planes and try to ✈ fly them into a ship or building. Once while going on port of call in Egypt we had 2 zodiac come along side of us the Captain asked which one had the harbor Captain? A LCDR said I would imagine. The Captain quickly snapped! :Fuck Your Imagination", get a gun stick in their face and find the fuck out!! You never know if those fuckers got a bomb or not. A weapons was brought up to main deck and pointed at the small boats. Neither had the tug boat Captain...his zodiac was trying to catch up to us the other two veered away. I was on the bridge during this exchange. The tug Captain didn't know who they were. God Bless you Captain R.V.B.the only officer of 4 ships I remember respect and would go to hell and back with.

[@bullbutter2931]

Don't believe it

[@thebarbers2273]

@@bullbutter2931 you don't have to you weren't there and probably never served in the military. There are many stories that military people never talk about...many.

[@stevet647]

I read somewhere they got in a storm, were knocked down a couple of times and made it 80km off Bermuda. While there they lost all electronics and navigation with more bad weather coming in and well the narrow reefs around Bermuda with no charts engine etc they chose to abandon it. Pretty sure recovering it was planned but no lives were lost as I read.

[@worldweary1913]

No paper charts is a death sentence under the right circumstances.

[@r1sabotage]

"i'm affraid to open doors and cabinets" proceeds to open them at the same time.

[@KlingonCaptain]

Just because you're afraid to do something doesn't mean you're not going to do. You might even do it faster just to get it over with.

[@judahgrayson3275]

Bro just mentioned being adrift for 23 days like it was a Sunday nap

[@LuLi-w7o]

Shiettt bruh no cap fr fr ong sheesh bussin' goonin'.

[@jeffreystorer4966]

Never step down into a liferaft , while it floats there's hope

[@duncanbryson1167]

Just said something similar.

[@philhawley1219]

Unless you are trying to escape an un extinguishable fire.

[@jeffreystorer4966]

@@duncanbryson1167 it's crazy how many times boats have survived horrendous storm's ,and crew have vanished in a liferaft , maybe watching inflatable boats fall to bits over the years has given me a warped sense of distrust of the silly things , LoL

[@duncanbryson1167]

@@jeffreystorer4966 I added something to my own individual comment. I had a look for articles and it was actually a ship that took them off following a distress call.

[@c4gstorm878]

The crew was rescued by another ship, they didn't just get into a little plastic raft instead of their boat.

[@joshuapatrick682]

Such a nice vessel! Tragic they had to abandon it, thankfully they were all safely rescued

[@wmcbarker4155]

read the @rogerbannon3695 comment

[@TheUtubus]

Sailor: "I'm afraid to open doors and cabinets.".... Proceeds to immediately open all the doors and cabinets.

[@nansenscat9315]

Does anyone know what eventually became of this yacht? Was it eventually towed into port? Perhaps it’s still afloat out there somewhere.

[@nansenscat9315]

@@TheSighphiguy Yes. My understanding is that they cut loose the abandoned ship as it was threatening their own vessel’s rudder etc. After many days of no wind they were able to get to Bermuda. So…they left the other sailboat out there.

[@porsche928s4]

@@nansenscat9315 another comment said it was eventually found

[@pdtech4524]

Any update on the boat, did it get salvaged or sunk?

[@robertthomas2942]

That's a FREE Swan 48. I wouldn't have given up that easily.

[@c4gstorm878]

I am sure it was not easy, their engine broke down, they were stuck for almost a month and when they cut ties, it was to protect their ruder...

[@Rukas6116]

​@c4gstorm878 id have tied back to it if the wind died down for a month. Add a float so it won't wrap the rudder again and just wait

[@chriscodrington5464]

Tough deal, glad you made it ok. Damn shame to see a vessel like that just left to fend for itself! No reason that boat could not be rescue salvaged if the salvager was prepared for the task. Noble effort on your part!

[@rickhodges1731]

Seems worthwhile to go back prepared to tow it back and claim it as salvage!,

[@Rukas6116]

Would have needed to leave a locator on it

[@christopherparks2668]

Hey, did you think about just splitting up your crew and sailing it to where you want? Would that have been possible?

[@FishingwithCristina]

OMG that's a beautiful sailboat could you please let us know what happened to the owners? And I have a question if you find the boat again can you claim it as your own after a while?

[@propbraker]

They were abducted by aliens, it was a very horrible maritime event.

[@karinchaney101]

So do you keep to get the boat?

[@patrickwentz8413]

Please keep us updated on what you find out about this boat.

[@iansmith3301]

> This boat was owned by the recently deceased Alan Mc Gettigan who had to abandon the boat in the midst of a severe storm on their way back to Ireland. All on board were safely rescued. Astonishing to see boat is still afloat so many years later.

[@drchill8837]

I remember when that boat got abandoned. I was working at the Naval Academy, and was joking with some of my fellow sailors to see if anybody had friends in Intel who could get us sat imagery to locate it. I mean, it's a Swan 47. Amazing that she's still in such good shape. Man. I'da been trying everything to bring that sucker into Bermuda. Ev-a ree-thing.

[@douglundy5755]

Me too! Nice vessel

[@davefletch3063]

They should have sailed them both rather than tow

[@c4gstorm878]

@@davefletch3063 good luck sailing that thing with how broken the mast looked. Would have been quite dangerous.

[@christopher-bj8de]

Yeah got to be a million quid there 😎

[@merlin0215]

@@davefletch3063 That's what I was thinking...

[@anthonyvespia6662]

So this boat has been out to sea for almost ten years? Wow, that's unbelievable. Great job, finding her, towing her back in. And I'm glad there was no tragedy, on that boat. The ocean is beautiful, but she's dangerous. I love my boat, and all the toys on her. But everything I would ever need to survive whether shipwrecked, stranded, shelter, communication, firearm, and shelter, is always onboard. I've always been like that from my 1st 16ft Bayliner, I restored at 18 yrs old. Stay safe all of you. Sailboat. Nothing ever goes perfectly planned. ⛵🌊🙏

[@PurgatoryPriest]

No, this video was recorded in 2013, not long after the sailboat was abandoned in a storm by its crew. The video is 10 years old, not that the sailboat was floating around the Atlantic for 10 years before happened upon. Very misleading video without context, always, always get your information from a variety of sources & compare for contextual accuracy.

[@ORGANIZEDCoNfUsioN]

Wow that was crazy. I don`t think I would risk myself towing back an empty vessel. You are a brave sailor that`s for sure.

[@stanleymmcgregor196]

Nothing brave about that it's called good seamanship .and salvage rights means cash ok I'm a Brazilian sailor and found few like this and cashed in usually they were drug runners boats .abandoned

[@dannyw7662]

He never explained why he did not attempt to sail it or start the engine and motor it

[@SenorTucano]

Bloody oath I’d risk towing it back. A free boat in good condition?!

[@michajabonski8152]

@@dannyw7662 He mentioned the boat's engine was down. Tho I'm not sure why he didn't try to go under sails.

[@eventhisidistaken]

It wasn't deemed a risk at first, they ditched it after they decided it was a risk...but also, a rogue vessel is a threat to other mariners too, so beside just being motivated by the salvage payday, you're also making the seas safer.

[@BrandonMCDonald-x3f]

I knew some one once who sold his boat an scuba gear. He was up on main mast repairing his main sail line. While the rope came apart and was caught up on the ring. He was looking down while he worked the rope fibers loose from the ring and saw a huge oblong shadow right under the boat whisk four huge fins and a long neck turn over suddenly and disappear into the depths. It was watching him waiting for him to get into the water.

[@jermainerace4156]

One of the classic mistakes of seamanship: abandoning a perfectly seaworthy boat. No engine is not a death sentence, by any stretch of the imagination. If you have even a few solar panels and a decent battery, you can keep your bilge empty and sail her home. It's not like sailing accross an ocean without an engine somehow became impossible after engines were invented.

[@SOLDOZER]

Lots are sailors are old, and panic for no reason. We just had some "sailors" call in a MAYDAY on the VHF to the Coast Guard 25 miles offshore because they simply lost their engine. The weather was perfect and they were in no danger at all.

[@PS987654321PS]

What does age have to do with it? @@SOLDOZER

[@gregparrott]

Roger Bannon's post states this was abandoned a decade ago in a storm. That may be true. BUT, a sail boat did NOT survive TEN YEARS abandoned at sea, yet remain in such pristine condition. That's simply not possible. The video shows, both outside and inside, ZERO appreciable aging, no moist air induced algae inside, no barnacles outside. At 1:42, it's clear that even the sails are in good shape - no tears, and not discolored by mold/mildew/rot. Someone retrieved it - many years ago. They then either claimed it, or at least used, docked and maintained it. The abandonment was recent, perhaps an engine failure.

[@SOLDOZER]

This video was recorded 10 years ago you dummy.

[@DaBaiTube]

Or read the description

[@gregparrott]

@@DaBaiTube I DID read the description. It only says "Greenland Climate Project". HOWEVER, after posting, I later saw a comment by @Thomas-qj4xs, who said: "The ship had only been left abandoned for 9 weeks back in 2013. This video, although released just four days ago on December 23rd, 2022, the abandoning of the ship occurred in February of 2013 and was found 9 weeks later, when these researchers stumbled upon it." It was another viewer, not the publisher, who affirmed my assessment.

[@martinanderson4721]

Reckless and selfish bravado apparently- but is it true ?

[@sangredelic]

Good point. I lived on the beach and its insane what marine air will do to machinery.

[@dc14522]

There isn't much information provided, but it looks like the forestay is gone. Still, you could run a halyard to the bow to stabilize the mast and put up the mainsail. If in the end it couldn't be sailed, or towed, or motored for salvage, then you could still remove anything of value. And if there was a means to contact the nearest authorities, you could determine if the boat should be scuttled to prevent it from being a hazard to navigation.

[@CamdencountyBatman89]

Did they end up keeping the boat or

[@gqftoast]

When I lived in San Diego I took my old cabin cruiser out to the blue water. The water just called to me and I jumped in while not thinking about a safety line. I was barely able to catch up to it was the wind took it, I could totally see this happening to someone.

[@Frosty_tha_Snowman]

In February of 2013, Alan McGettigan and his crew were rescued from the Sailboat Swan 48, Wolfhound, around 70 miles off the coast of Bermuda. McGettigan, who died in November of 2022, was joined by fellow Royal Irish Yacht Club members Declan Hayes and Morgan Crowe as well as Tom Mulligan from the National Yacht Club on the yacht, which had suffered both power and engine failure amid stormy conditions while en route from Connecticut to that year’s RORC Caribbean 600. Also - Alan McGettigan, Declan Hayes, Morgan Crowe, and Tom Mulligan, are all the most "sailor" sounding names I've ever heard in my life. 😂

[@chhindz]

Too bad you didn't have enough crew to sail back the other free boat

[@markf6829]

So did they hold the video while they were making a salvage claim? IE not to have any legal challenges?

[@ralphholiman7401]

Well I think you just demonstrated what a lot of people who don't know much about boats don't understand. Towing another boat a long distance in the ocean is very very hard. Everyone who hasn't tried to tow a boat like that I always wonders why people don't salvage boats they find floating in the ocean. You just showed everyone why. We helped out a sailor and towed another sailboat from the Exumas to Eluethera one time, with our sailboat, in the daylight, on a relatively calm day. Doing it, I realized that it would be impossible to continue that tow at night or with any kind of sea at all.

[@seanogallchoir3237]

It would benefit everyone who goes to sea,to learn about towing, also how to be towed. All Cadets who train for a professional life in Merchant Navy, will learn these skills and many more.

[@johnkosowski3321]

Why is it impossible? They were doing it. They almost did it. What if it took an extra month? They could have made $50,000 for that extra month or better.

[@RockDocNeal]

For a Swan 48 that seems to be in pretty good shape, I would contact the appropriate Bermuda and US officials to see if the boat has been reported stranded, hijacked or missing and if nothing, check with them regarding ownership rights to an abandoned boat in international waters. If they say the equivalent of “finders keepers”, it would be worth it to spend a few thousand $ to hire a boat that could tow it at a good pace and a marine engine mechanic. If the mechanic can get it running, great, if he can’t tow it back…either way, you’ll have a boat that will be worth probably several times what you spent to haul it back.

[@ralphholiman7401]

@@johnkosowski3321 , because you're not going to get a month of calm weather in the Atlantic.

[@ntal5859]

@@johnkosowski3321 And instead it destroyed their motor for nil result !!!

[@Bobby8451]

Has anyone ever watched that movie called "The Boat". It's a must see. It's about an abandoned sailboat. Great movie

[@MyNameIsChristBringsASword]

Now that is a sea adventure thank you for sharing.

[@Sterlingkataadem]

Did you get to keep the boat?

[@sunny71169]

Perhaps who ever was sailing her was lost overboard or murdered, the vessel searched for valuables, and then set adrift. The condition she was in when you boarded her certainly looked as though she had been rifled. No skipper worth his salt would keep his vessel in that condition.

[@JohnJohn-cu7nk]

The owner had obviously abandoned ship.The clue is in the furling sail and the smashed how pulpit Watch the video again.

[@ralphholiman7401]

It does appear that they were not the first people to find that boat. But I've sailed offshore a lot, and although I try to be really good about wearing a harness, there have been a couple of times when I wasn't wearing one when I should have been and then I get to thinking about how sad it would be to fall overboard and watch your boat continuing on without you on autopilot, with my wife sleeping below with no clue of what just happened.

[@analysedean]

if you are going to leave your boat, and you are convinced you are never going to see it again, the last thing on your mind is tidying up before you leave, you grab your passports, some clothing, the valuables you can carry and you leave it, and by the looks of it they went through some weather before that,

[@talon3796]

I worked on the Pacific ocean for 8 years. When you see an abandoned ship like this, leave. Double back your course and check in with coast guard asap. There are things that happen out there that main landers do not understand. It's not worth going missing yourself.

[@annehedonia156]

Tell us!!

[@worldweary1913]

Good try on the salvage, if you had been able to get commo off to Ireland and the insured principle they might have facilitated a hand. Glad you got to port! 👍

[@glenreddy1435]

What year was this , I was stuck in the doldrums 2018 when we came across an abandoned boat, we were low on fuel, no wind, we’re unable to get closer than a 100 meters, we drifted apart after 6 days.

[@matteframe]

Should've tried to sail it. Those are beautiful boats. And expensive.

[@jeromebreeding3302]

I was thinking the same thing. Why not raise the sails and get her to safety that way ?

[@brenthendricks8182]

@@jeromebreeding3302 Looked like the roller furling was completely gone. Not sure how the rig would have handled without some kind of a fore tension for support.

[@jeromebreeding3302]

@@brenthendricks8182 Not very familiar with sail-boats. There's the main-sail, the jib, and a spinacer. Just enough knowledge to be dangerous.

[@allanvincent4450]

fenders out - lash fore and aft - sail both boats side by side using the appropriate sail configuration for the laying wind. one 'neutral' rudder - probably a slight bias wind dependent, one steering

[@allanvincent4450]

motor and sail if necessary.

[@allanvincent4450]

@@notexpatjoe in the rough weather yes. we did this in the Atlantic crossing to the Caribbean.

[@allanvincent4450]

@@notexpatjoe in rough weather - this cannot be done as you say - in the atlantic - not too many seedoos. we sailed 45 degrees off the stern with on genoa and tacked every few hours. it was calm.

[@SOLDOZER]

Masts would mash against each other. I doubt you have ever been on a sailboat, much less ever do any crossing.

[@DefiantAML]

Would love to see an update on this legitimate salvage. I would have kept her and sold my smaller boat, using the money to fix up the bigger/better boat.

[@onrr1726]

There was no salvage the boat was reported sunk after they cut the line and let it go for the last time.

[@brainmaker]

So what happened to the boat - you salvaged it but had to cut it loose - so where is it now can you give me an approximate GPS position I'd like to go find it ?

[@richardgiles2484]

Well done for helping and sticking with it which is the right thing to do 👏👏

[@KlaxontheImpailr]

When he opened that closet door, for some reason I was expecting a guy in a gorilla suit to pop out. That would have been funny as hell 😂

[@RockDocNeal]

I completely missed the date of 2013 at the beginning of the video when I first watched it and only caught it when I watched some of the “full video” in the link. The way this video is edited and presented, you would think this just happened if you missed that date at the beginning.

[@aevoguitars2576]

So what happened next? Is there a part two or did you give up

[@cpt.mirones5109]

i once played a coast guard video game with a random dude on the east coast US living on a boat during a storm. only thing he worried about was all the drifting boats coming by going out into the open water. it is possible that this was a boat that got loose in a storm from an anchorage or not to greatly protected marina.

[@summumesse1303]

It looked as though the lockers were empty, all foul weather gear/safety gear missing.

[@WereBringingItBack]

If this was Stormworks, I'd be interested in that random dude's Steam review lmao, sounds like a real enthusiast.

[@williams-wr5lg]

so do you get to keep the boat?

[@mjcooke2sailingmostly]

Well done for trying to salvage.

[@wyattfamily8997]

Any additional info. re owners etc.?

[@bncrad1]

Alan McGettigen YTube search

[@Brandon-yr9jb]

Omg! This was an emotional rollercoaster. At first, I thought "Hell yeah he's getting a free sailboat!" then "well shit."

[@captnkirk6180]

Ha ha! Me too!

[@SOLDOZER]

When you see empty cars on the side of the road and think "Hell yeah Im getting a free car!"???

[@CGM_68]

Four Irish yachtsmen were rescued from the vessel by cargo ship after an international rescue mission involving the US Coast Guard on February 2, 2013, some 70-miles north of Bermuda. Better captions are needed, since this footage is over 10 years old. As mentioned by other The crew were Alan "McGettigan, Declan Hayes, and Morgan Crowe all from the Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC), and Tom Mulligan from the neighbouring National Yacht Club (NYC) in Dún Laoghaire, all of whom were rescued

[@sunlovesailing]

Interesting scenario. If the boat and crew had set sail, someone will know about them, and Matt will be able to gather the info. It’s possible the skipper was single handing and went over, and the un-maned vessel floundered in a bad seaway, which would account for the “riffled through” look of the main saloon and cabins. Perhaps a delivery? Perhaps robbery? Still in any case, someone would be missing the skipper and the boat.

[@manyproject5]

The four crew were rescued by a cargo ship 60 miles off the coast of Bermuda after suffering two knockdowns and engine failure. This was in early 2013.

[@ralphholiman7401]

@@manyproject5 , once again showing how hard it really is to sink a well built modern sailing vessel. The crew almost always breaks before the boat does.

[@sunlovesailing]

I believe when a Mariner leaves port, they agree to take their own life in their own hands, and should never expect someone else to risk their life for theirs. And what goes with that is the “unwritten” maritime law, that an abandoned yacht is scuttled, and never left as a hazard to navigation. And how you know that’s a maritime law, is because of the the terms “hazard to navigation” and “scuttled”. Those terms exist because those are the rules. By the same token, when a Mariner is in need, all in the vicinity have the responsibility to come to the rescue. Shame on them for leaving their boat adrift. Matt could have just as easily run into that boat at night, as accidentally discovered it in the daylight.

[@manyproject5]

@@NuttyFlapjackMonster the video is likely from 2016 as there’s a link in the description to an original video from that time

[@manyproject5]

@@ralphholiman7401 absolutely most will weather a substantial storm unless suffering severely damage

[@Expat_zillionaire]

congrats on your new boat? if you find this in open waters its your to keep right?

[@sofakingkewel]

Ohhh, Thank you for finding my boat. If you could return it to Panama City, Fl. I would sure appreciate it.

[@PennWolfsSailingAdventures]

So how's the new boat working out,saw you came back just before I left on my new one.

[@toastedsandwich2474]

Looks to me like boat thats been through some very rough conditions.. Hope the crew are ok and rescued from what could have been quite a stressful experience.

[@seayak]

yes, that bent pulpit is not a good sign.

[@stephenburnage7687]

They were going for a North Atlantic crossing in February. Who crosses in February?

[@TeeJayDesastron]

So, since she was cut loose, die Wolfhound finally sink or was she recovered eventually? It would really be a shame since quite obviously she's a really fine vessel.

[@gordonshaffer5560]

I noticed a couple of drawers opened and from my recollection that isn't likely to happen on it's own. They also look like they were rifled through. I have to wonder if this wasn't a pirate booty that once broken, they abandoned as you did. It is unfortunate that you were not able to recover the wreck, the Swan is a coveted design and that boat looked like it would have made a sweet prize. I also noticed the lack of any foul weather gear in the locker, I wonder if that's evidence of the ship being lost in a storm. There seemed to be ample sails present in the fore peak. I wonder if you happened to notice any electronics as those might be the first things that a pirate crew would remove as a prize if they had to abandon her. I would love to hear more about the condition when you found her. For example, what was the state of hatches at the time you boarded her? Were the batteries charged or depleted? Were there any groceries on board, any fresh groceries? Did you retrieve any registration documents? I noticed the broken forward mainstay and I have to wonder what other damage you noted. I did forensic computer studies for a few years and it's kind of a bug that infected me, asking questions. I hope you find the answers for yourself as I can only imagine what it would be like to have actually been there. Thanks for sharing.

[@JohnJohn-cu7nk]

The furling sail had broke so the mast had no stability to even use the main sail. Once the engine is broke our out of fuel your dead in the water.

[@stephencrowther524]

@@JohnJohn-cu7nk So rig a temporary forestay…

[@JohnJohn-cu7nk]

@@stephencrowther524 If a mast isn't secured securely by the stays the mast is coming down.Tgeira a good chance that could cause serious damage and injury. A mast not properly secured is very dangerous.Its a very high risk strategy your suggsting

[@alastaircurrie5396]

@@JohnJohn-cu7nk Yet plenty have rigged jury masts, post incident, and sailed thousands of miles to a safe port. Clearly you are unaware of jury rigging and don't know you are talking about. If you want to learn, Google Jury Rigged Masts, there are even knots available for jury rigging.

[@paulsj9245]

Questions, nine years late... It all happened 2013.

[@oscardakota2876]

Matt has the best stories

[@danrodrigues3531]

That has to be a eerie feeling to not have any wind out in the middle of the ocean...

[@gabbie7838]

oh i would be terrified

[@SOLDOZER]

Its actually relaxing. But 23 days of it? No thanks.....

[@ahsanmohammed1]

Book a flight to that abandoned boat. Place a beaker on it. Return with strength to tow it back.

[@codygriggs7047]

He has an entire podcast with an episode dedicated to this incident. Single handed . Interesting story

[@andrewa9694]

Can you keep and sell the found boat under salvage rules?

[@geoffstrebel2808]

@0:48 if you can't smell anything at this point you're fine.

[@bingobandit]

I've got some miles under a keel. The old saying, don't abandoned ship until you have to step onto your life raft. Easier said than done I guess, some people give up too soon in my opinion.

[@growingoldandhavingfun4391]

kiss that payday good-bye

[@XXLaffinGravyXX]

They did 9 years ago ...

[@rudbeckia885]

Was the boat recovered ?

[@malibuconv1968]

"I'm afraid to open doors and cabinets" as he opens door and cabinets...

[@thellewelynmoss]

He said that he was afraid to, not that he wasn't going to.

[@YNVNEone]

Are these perpendicular angled?

[@debbiecurtis4021]

Was the yacht salvaged?

[@gardenwaster]

They don't call it the Bermuda Triangle for nothing

[@Poppy_love59]

I understand from reading the comments that this is not the case for this boat However it is not uncommon to find abandoned boats in coastal bays etc... That is due to the high cost of junking her in a junk yard as many refuse to take them due to a high amount of fiberglass. Even large ships are sometimes abandoned this way rather than fixing them up which can run into the millions in fact many boats are scuttled, that means intentionally sunk as they can sometimes get away with scamming the insurance companies for millions of dollars every year.

[@grindz145]

My god that had to be terrifying!

[@nautaki]

How come and they didn't salvage the boat shortly after the rescue? Is it not a hazard for other ships navigating in the area?

[@meandmybuddy964]

I would have sailed her back home

[@jamesmancusi6747]

Especially with it being a Swan!

[@jaimedDR]

Do you get to keep the boat for salvaging it?

[@SOLDOZER]

Do you get to keep cars you find unoccupied on the side of the road?

[@jaimedDR]

@@SOLDOZER Depends.

[@SOLDOZER]

@@jaimedDR No, it does not depend.

[@jaimedDR]

@@SOLDOZER Yes, it does.

[@davidwilson2394]

Never ever risk your own vessel to save another vessel that doesn’t have people onboard.

[@philcollins7701]

He was'nt doing it for charity.

[@sqlevolicious]

Why not? That's a boat you could sell for tens of thousands of dollars. It's not everyday you find a jackpot such as that. Plus it's not a risk at all if you know what you are doing and have someone watching the line.

[@SOLDOZER]

@@sqlevolicious You dont get to keep it you dummy.

[@kiwijohn3347]

So, what happened to the abandoned boat in the end? Did it get salvaged?