Dramatic rescue while I was sailing across the Atlantic Feb 2017

This is my own footage from the last voyage of the Clipper 60 Clyde Challenger from St Lucia to Scotland after being hit by a severe storm five days out from the Azores the boat was knocked down and dismasted with myself and 13 crew on board 40 hours at the mercy of the North Atlantic with only a handheld VHF for communications. After a failed rescue attempt by the merchant ship CPO Finland we were rescued by the Royal Navy's destroyer HMS Dragon which deployed a 24ft rib to transfer us off the boat. Due to the damaged sustained in the storm and attempted rescue the Clyde Challenger was unseaworthy and if left would be a danger to shipping so it was decided jointly by the boat owner and insurance company to scuttle her.

[@PeterJennison]

Despite all the comments positive and critical, this shows a great example of how the maritime community came together during a difficult challenge.

[@daz989]

Peter Jennison takes a certain person to venture out into some of these oceans as a result a very tight knight community

[@TeacherBrunoOneil]

it should be like that with the entire world.

[@Olidrone]

indeed, imagine if vessels were automated, it would be impossible to hall as required by SOLAS.

[@geoffward3346]

Correct! I am an experienced cruiser and ocean racer with a demasting experience. I thought "Good work Captain". You kept the crew safe and working together to make the best of the situation.

[@joer8854]

What most people don't realize is that it's easy to make a decision to risk your own life to save your vessel knowing the risks. It's another thing to risk the lives of your crew (understand I don't know the crew or the vessel) especially if they don't fully understand the gravity of the situation. Me risking my life for my boat I would do any day of the week. Make no mistake, in those conditions with my mast gone dragging behind me like an anchor, hatches missing, hull damaged and taking on water, there's not a chance in the world I'm going to risk my crew's life for that boat. It's not worth it. Most people wouldn't fix that boat if it's sitting on the shore in the condition it was in. Why on earth would you risk other people's lives to bring it in?

[@stephanwinter8497]

Wrong boat first. As long the boat is fine the crew will be fine!

[@Sqwan2]

@@stephanwinter8497 maybe. But not worth a discussion because the boat was damaged beyond repair. At least in this situation...

[@joecucch8261]

500 nautical miles in 20 hours. Thats' averaging 24 knots in heavy seas. My respect to the crew of the HMS Dragon.

[@angelonoce6460]

exactly, I had your own thought

[@lorenmaclean1813]

Agreed.

[@mike86mike]

They where balls out hauling *ss.

[@bmused55]

That's the beautiful thing about the Royal Navy, they'll haul ass to assist whenever they can. The Type 45 Destroyer is a very capable beast!

[@colbjallen8334]

Seriously!!! Hats off boys

[@gomphrena-beautifulflower-8043]

Oh man. I’m so sorry for what you all went through and also for the loss of the family member (the boat herself) that, though severely crippled, sacrificed herself to give her loves a fighting chance at life after a rogue wave doomed her. Thank you for the video that must have been heart-rending to not only keep filming in such conditions, but to go back and edit and re-edit, whilst living and re-living what must have been moments of sheer terror. Here’s a good luck wish and Godspeed that you sail again someday. Best wishes and may God bless and keep you is our prayer. - The Turner Family in Tennessee USA

[@sklenars]

Yes, rogue waves do exist. I was knocked down by a rogue wave that came up from the starboard quarter roaring like a freight train. The wind was F5/6 and the seas choppy and I was 30nm off Rarotonga in the Cook islands. It was a full knockdown with the sails hitting the water. The seas poured into the cockpit and down below, but the boat came upright immediately and miraculously continued to sail with the hydrovane self steering still operational. Two days of pumping followed. It was total chaos down below but I managed to get things into some kind of order before arriving in Pago Pago a week after the knockdown. If you are wondering what kind of boat I was on.....It was a CUTLASS 27 built in 1969, displaced 3 tons, had a long keel with cutaway forefoot and most importantly had a ballast ratio of 50%. This happened in 1998 but the memories are still vivid. By the way I was single handed.

[@sheeplebarn333]

awesome, I was thinking of going off on my own but know a 40' boat would be difficult mainly with docking, do you think that there is much of a difference between a 40' and 30; when the seas are rough or like you said am I looking at the ballast ratio ? what would you recommend in the configuration of a sailboat globe trotting solo ?

[@sklenars]

Hi Sheeple Barn......In my estimation based on my own experience, ocean voyaging is 25% skill and 75% endurance. Chose a boat that is one piece like GRP or steel. The latter being super strong and can take a knock or two, but if you loiter in the tropics too long they rust rapidly. A well built "older" GRP boat where the laminating was hand laid and thick, rather than the production yachts mainly produced in France. If you go single handed, you have to be aware of your own mental and physical limitations. A good gale lasting a couple of days duration should make you aware of what you can cope with. The simpler the rig the better. A sloop rig being the ideal for a single hander, less to take care of when all hell is breaking loose (it will). All sizes of boats have circumnavigated. I didn't meet the famous Shane Acton who is well known for going round on an 18ft plywood bilge keeler. The boat was called SUPER SHRIMP affectionately known as shrimpy. Its chronicled in a book called "Shrimpy" I met a Shane Acton lookalike in Fiji who had sailed from the UK on a similar boat. Any boat between 26' and 32' of GRP would do the job. A reliable motor also as they tend to give most trouble in the salty environs. The biggest dinghy you can stow on board which can double as a liferaft and preferably made of hyperlon. Dinghies take a lot of punishment on long voyages, mainly bashing against piers and rocky shores. So many people circumnavigate nowadays its become routine but no less dangerous. The biggest problem for most is actually plucking up the courage to get started.

[@sheeplebarn333]

Thanks.

[@slandshark]

Respect to the smaller older boats. Just sold our 1978 Catalina 25'. Not the most solid boat built of all time or anything, but it was one I felt the safest on because there are no through-hulls anywhere and everything was manual (no electronics to break). Super simple boat to operate and we took in on some very rough sailing days. :) Went for a 2007 Catalina 28' while still owning the 25'. The newer 28' was far more comfortable (I mean, you could actually stand up in the cabin!), but much bigger list of 'things' to check, engine oil, raw water impeller, through-hulls, all the valves, etc. Hopefully moving up to a 34' ASAP, we are looking at two this weekend. It'll be the biggest boat we've ever owned. At some point you gotta make room for family comfort. :)

[@theespjames4114]

sklenars what a wonderfully fulfilling adventure! After all that’s what we seek! In the recesses of our soul seeing death is how we face life.. wish I was there!

[@johnvickers7751]

The first and only point is that this was a rescue and the purpose of the rescue is to save lives. So this was a 100% success. You can argue all you want about whether they could have got the boat back but unless you were there it is a pointless exercise. All I can say is remember this was a charter yacht and the crew were inexperienced paying customers living their dream. As a commercial skipper would I be willing to risk their lives for the sake of a boat? Not a chance!!

[@discotex11]

John Vickers a

[@wcresponder]

Get this man a drink from the top shelf. Well spoken.

[@tomharrell1954]

John Vickers THATS HOW SKIPPERS END UP IN JAIL WITH NO TICKET!

[@67flyman]

Happy to hear everyone made it home safely. What a sad end of such a proud and pretty boat! I am getting into sailing now, and this kind of weather really scares me a bit.

[@Ka9radio_Mobile9]

HMS Dragon is one of the UKs newest destroyers! I am so happy all are safe! Now Its time to continue your dream of sailing.

[@jackboggis270]

Luckily nobody lost their lives or was seroiusly injured. Well done to all of the ships crews that tried to help and mostly wrll don to our Royal Navy that looked after you! Glad everyones ok.

[@bobshaw4063]

WOW what a great rescue . It's amazing the whole crew of 60 Clyde Challenger survived after such a catastrophic loss .

[@petrofilmeurope]

An excellent presentation. The photos are remarkable, especially the one with the broken mast taken from below. Thanks a lot.

[@inwardglee]

I was in Lisbon when i heard about your incident and saw HMS Dragon in harbour the next day. Really glad to see everyone made it out alive.

[@gazsvids]

"Jury rig" two words that are very easy to type while sat at home on a keyboard I wonder how many of these sailing experts have ever attempted to jury rig a boat of any kind let alone a 60 foot yacht pitching violently in 8m swell and 40kn winds The so called "amatuer" and " inexperienced" crew were on deck in atrocious conditions cutting away a tangled mess of 100 of mts of rigging, sails and lines with tonnes of water breaking over the deck to save the boat and fellow crew. The mast was snapped into three pieces in the water smashing against the hull we had lost 2 of our 8 man liferafts the priority of the crew was to keep the boat afloat and save the lives of all on board. The same "amatuer" and "inexperienced" crew were on deck trying to tie strops on 60mm mooring lines whilst smashing into the side of a 37000 tonne ship to attempt to come alongside and board via a rope ladder!! mabee we made mistakes or wrong decisions but there were no lives lost. We were NOT sipping G&T waiting for the Royal Navy to pick us up!!!! The boat suffered major structural damage on the attempted rescue it would not have stood up to being towed 450nm in those conditions so it was scuttled. I know this because I was there I did not read about it or watch it on You Tube

[@vagabondroller]

Thanks for putting this up for others to learn from and entertainment. I wouldn't waste anymore energy replying to armchair "Captains". Without a doubt, none of them have been in a similar situation.

[@thomasmcluckie2014]

yup you all came home that's the main thing can always build another boat

[@al35mm]

There are clearly some armchair idiots here. Sure they could have jury-rigged it or got the auxiliary working again perhaps, but there are valid reasons why you would put out a distress call and abandon the boat. For a start, the skipper is responsible for the lives of the crew. A plastic boat has little value in comparison! The skipper's responsibility is to get the crew home safely and sink the boat so it is not a danger to shipping. The law of the sea is that you have to attempt to rescue those in peril. So the Navy would not and could not charge for the rescue. There really are some clueless idiots who think they know it all from the safety of their computer screens!

[@al35mm]

Captain Freddy, nothing is wrong with that. Had you or I been skipper we may have done things differently depending on the circumstances. The fact is none of us were there and we don't know all the circumstances. The skipper made a decision based on the actual circumstances. He made the right decision for his boat and his crew. That isn't your or my decision. It would have also partly been dictated to him by HM Coastguard. I know several people who have been plucked out of the Atlantic and Western Approaches in similar circumstances. When they are standing in front of you with their crew all still alive, you don't tell them they did the wrong thing. EDIT: you removed your post! I wonder why.

[@qb6025]

That crew had to be rescued a week before departure

[@austingode]

Very sad .... beautiful boat ⛵️ I have done two winter crossings from the Caribbean and I have never seen such horrific weather ... on the second crossing we broached and the rig was damaged but stayed up but the boat was a mess inside and out ... a small merchant ship hove to and strongly suggested we abandon ship but ......that would have been suicidal ...our boat was 36 foot long and would have been destroyed against the hull of the freighter so I understand what these guys went through....we made it to the Azores using anchor chain for a shroud and thankfully left the boat there ...and that was it for winter crossing going the wrong way ever again ..... the sensation of being upside down was something I will never forget

[@lungarotta]

@JP Pope Personally i've never done it but it's well known that going down from east to wast is much easier than returning north from the Caribbean, and In Winter in the Atlantic one finds awful weather.

[@Orcinus1967]

Good to know. Thanks for the heads up.

[@fredread9216]

Wow, with tens of thousands of miles of cruising, I have been knocked down, spreaders in the water, but no further. That was bad enough. So sorry that such a stout and beautiful vessel had this happen. So glad all OK.

[@Eztliz]

I would have been absolutely terrified. Mad props to everyone that came to your aid.

[@simergr]

Human lives are the most precious cargo of every vessel. Since all are sound and safe the crew did a great job regarding safety. We cannot judge from the safety of our sofa the conditions that caused the accident. The outcome was thankfully good so from my point of view congratulations to all the people that contributed to the rescue effort. Regards from sunny Greece.

[@Hey_You_Me]

Wow. I bet the relief of being rescued at sea is overwhelming.

[@whileysea]

I am so sorry. Bleeds my hearth. I am sailing coming December from Spain towards New Zealand too. We are only 2 but I have done it 15 years ago solo with my large Dog. I wish you all the best. Thanks for all Boaters helping you and of course the navy. Cheers Andy

[@hungryhiker800]

I'm going to get a boat next year and try and sail the seas alone... good idea? :D

[@whileysea]

@@hungryhiker800 IT all depends on your experience, your statt of mind, your troubleshooting skills, your boat and your spirit. Bring simply a boat is the ersieht Part of All.

[@hungryhiker800]

@@whileysea I don't have experience in sailing but my mindset is right on for hardship and accepting that it won't be easy. Thanks for responding

[@guygoodwin2104]

Thank you for your good efforts.. and good sailing !

[@nat8336]

Wow nice job indeed HMS DRAGON!! Big THANKYOU for your excellent work.. And Thankyou to the firt ship that tried to help too

[@wcresponder]

In deed , but please don't forget the other vessels and resources that responded.

[@wolfhawaii1]

Sorry for the loss of the vessel, and congrats on all crew saved. I have seen some monster waves in the Atlantic that dwarfed the 95 foot vessel i was on; even the captain of many years experience looked a bit concerned. Fair winds.

[@lmo7724]

So sad to see the loss of such a gorgeous sailboat, but great that all were safe

[@clairepapadatos1116]

All love, and best wishes, Claire, Berlin 😘 😘 ✌

[@Dishiest]

I think I remember this from being in the news a few years back. Even scarier now to see these images. Wow.

[@timsueoc]

High Praise for the Dragon and Her Crew as well as everyone else involved in this rescue.

[@felixcat9318]

Very Well Done to everyone involved in this rescue! All that matters is that nobody got injured or killed, everything else is down to the insurance company.

[@fatherlandchild2780]

Sad that CPO Finland couldnt help you. Wish you safe future sailing from Finland :)

[@hungryhiker800]

7:46 Happy to be alive and grateful to have been saved but shaken by the events and sad for the loss of the boat and the end of the journey. Well done HMS dragon for the rescue and to the crew for staying alive on a small and broken thing in such a large sea.

[@Sirbadone]

What a huge rogue that must have been! Being Navy retired, I can say that it was both good training and exciting to be called upon for a rescue such as this.

[@zekiy6597]

I think its wonderful when these war ships get to rescue people as opposed to murdering children like they normally do

[@louiscypher4186]

​@@zekiy6597 Lmao Modern naives rarely launch missile strikes. Meanwhile they assist in hundreds of search and rescue operations per year. The Royal Navy alone has rescued over 18,000 people between 2015 - 2018, whilst you have only been disappointing your parents. Typical mouthy communist who doesn't know what they are talking about.

[@TexasVeteranPatriot]

@@zekiy6597 GFY

[@zekiy6597]

@@TexasVeteranPatriot incredible that with all the technology available they still havent figured out a way to prevent ex terrorists from having youtube accounts!

[@kman-mi7su]

@@zekiy6597 You are an idiot too bad you were born.

[@ljgarrison8374]

Terrifying, I gave it up. Wonderful outcome! So thankful that all survived.

[@mrocean7052]

That was super emotional to watch! Glad you're all ok.

[@Steve1734]

On any open ocean voyage, whether its 20 or 2000 miles offshore, one should always be prepared for the worst. Heavy seas and dagger rudders are not a good combination unless they are built to the strength of a Volvo 60. Everyone on board should have a complete set of wet weather gear plus a harness and life jacket. Its a $1000 investment that you should always make. Sailing here in Southern Australia on the Southern Ocean is always rough. We practice lots of safety procedures from lifting an injured sailor back on board using the boom as a crane, practicing man overboard (you have 30 seconds until you cannot see their head even in a 1m sea! How to trim the sails along the centerline of the yacht and lock the rudder midships...this will cause the yacht to slowly steer in a circle on its own. On rough days we trail a 200 foot heavy rope astern. The rope has a body sized loop in it every 15 ft and an orange buoy at the end. All you have to do is steer around the man overboard and the rope and loops will pass over him and they can slip into a loop. If you don't want to trail it you can have it in the cockpit attached to the Danbuoy ready to throw over the stern when the alarm is raised. You should always keep a set of big bolt cutters in the cockpit locker to clear away rigging and a mast if you lose one. A mast smashing about can kill someone or hole the yacht. The laftraft must be sent away once a year for checking and repacking. Its expensive...maybe $2000, but its important. You should have two epirb's, one in the saloon and one in the cockpit. You should lay lifelines fore and aft so that crew can stay clipped on jet still be able to move up and down the deck. At the time of preparation it seems a pain and an expense, but in 40 years of sailing I have used such devices etc four times in life threatening situations.

[@tomharrell1954]

Respect Captain in saving your crew!

[@GrahamSmart]

That launch from the navy ship. So nice. Glad you all ok. Had my fair share of bad times at sea, even lost one boat :( Nothing quite like this. The panic that sets in even only a mile or so from land is insane, let alone that far out with no hope of rescue quickly. One hell of an experience id like to not have.

[@myselfthatsme8769]

whatever the should 'ave, could 'ave, would 'aves or misfortune that crossed paths with ye on that day and the hindsight of watchers that may be unknowing of the real force's of the seas in full rage. it is sad thing to see the loss of one's boat but a grace to see the saving of lives at sea. well done to all to maintain all lives aboard until rescue. Its great to see vidz like this showing the hereos of the sea that will stop at nothing to come to the aid of those in distress congrats to you to honour them & to recognise the fellow sea that assisted also.

[@Asteroid828]

Before commenting I read through other peoples remarks and "suggestions". Come on guys lets cool it off a bit. Nobody expects a major failure when sailing for whatever reason. You can only do the best you know how to with the crew you have on board, I suspect a lot of the people on board were terrified and that in itself needs managing by the more experienced skipper. This whole scenario turns out to be a great success. Nobody was seriously injured and 'hats off' to all the ships for doing a great job. And if anybody is interested yes I am a sailor with a few thousand miles under my belt.

[@gerrypenfold9542]

The concern is if the crew were not under any pressure why did they leave in poor conditions when waiting for a weather window would have been a smarter option. Volvo crews face this all the time but they are experienced and prepared and racing

[@RobertSeviour1]

"This whole scenario turns out to be a great success" - an original use of that ultimate word.

[@scomo532]

Except the vessel appears to have been lost, unless, of course the owner or his agent were able to get a sea tug to tow her in

[@gomphrena-beautifulflower-8043]

gerry penfold • I’m sorry, did you follow along? A “rogue wave” slapped them upside the head there. All the experience in the world may not matter in such a situation.

[@rorytennes8576]

Often, the ones doing the critique is a person unhappy with themselves and/ or their lot in life. They need to try to knock someone down to make themselves feel better.

[@ivarkahrstrom7653]

Good to see it turned out great - saving lives is the no.1 priority in these kind of situations, everything else comes second. Sad to see a good boat gone, but boats can be rebuilt - loved ones are lost forever.

[@magzsara9892]

Our boys to the rescue.. It's so important you're there.

[@donnakawana]

Seafarers are the best people.... They will do anything needs doing to save lives. No matter what is happening!! Bless you all! ❣✌💗😊❣

[@sophiemartinez7595]

Glad everyone made it home safe!

[@florianpeek9880]

wow quite stunning footage. Of-course, when in mid-northern Atlantic you don't get to pick the weather, but obviously to sail this patch of ocean in February is always a rather bold move. The chances of severe storms on that stretch during that time are 6 out of 10. I'm sure the crew knew what they were doing. Probably a case of slight hubris mixed with bad luck. Glad you guys are OK :)

[@RobertSeviour1]

"I'm sure the crew knew what they were doing" - really?

[@davezolla7351]

yes less than excellent odds at best

[@gomphrena-beautifulflower-8043]

Robert Seviour • With all due respect, sir, I’d like to put this into a perspective I don’t think you’re aware of. This Captain is rescued with all lives intact and no serious injuries. The Edmund Fitzgerald crew had loads and loads of combined experience, and all lives, including the ship, were lost. Come again about experience? I didn’t think so.

[@helicart]

@@RobertSeviour1 If the crew knew what they were doing, they'd not be doing an eastward crossing above 45N at that time of the year.

[@timkbirchico8542]

What a lovely yacht, to abandon it must have been deeply heartbreaking. You're alive though, that's what counts.

[@BestOfFrameByFrame]

You're really fortunate that you were so close to land and that everyone was ok!! Really happy to hear that and so sad about your yacht :( We were dismasted about 850nm off Brazil on our way to South Africa and couldn't contact anyone. A Japanese fishing trawler was the only thing we saw and neither smoke flares, radio, a shotgun or anything helped or slowed them down. Who would be out there anyway so probably nobody on watch. Not many can tell the tale and glad you're all ok!

[@TheVictoriaBoland]

Wow, glad you are ok?! Would love to hear the rest of your story!

[@optimisticfuture6808]

God bless all who helped. To be safe and warm onboard the dragon.

[@shananagans5]

Good Job. I have limited sailing experience. I grew up sailing on lakes and did some coastal cruising later in life. I have never made a big passage unless you count motoring from LA to Catalina. lol All 24 miles of it. Anyways, I think the biggest mistake people are prone to make in stressful situations is to abandon ship to early. Even a disabled yacht makes a pretty good lifeboat if she is watertight. In a worst case scenario, you saved the yacht, limiting the damage so you could use it as a lifeboat and everyone got off alive. I can't think of a better outcome for a really bad situation. "You coulda done this, or, you coulda done that." Maybe, but there is no way to know the outcome had different decisions been made and the only possible better outcome would be saving some property. That's just not worth the risk. Had different decisions been made, someone may have been injured or killed and people would be saying you shouldn't have done it that way. It looks like you did a great job clearing away the rigging to prevent further damage and kept her afloat until rescue. You can't ask for a better outcome than that as far as I am concerned.

[@robdog1245]

For all you armchair sailors out there, until you've actually experienced being on a boat in the middle of the ocean and experienced just how small you are compared to the ocean, don't comment. Boats break, whether it's a high performance yacht or a cruiser, shit happens, masts break, sometimes it's better to abandon and get out with your life and the life of your crew, than to try and save an inanimate object that can be replaced. Boats are replaceable, people are not.

[@jasonevans1679]

So i drive my car to a beauty spot crash it. Abandon it to the environment. Then get a free uber home from 660million vehicle that takes £290,000 to fill up. Just get dropped off and a thank you. Way to go carbon footprint....your insurance should pay for that instead of my wages..

[@DevonRefSM]

@@jasonevans1679 w.a.w.

[@dunruden9720]

"Rouge wave!" These pink waves are hell....hell, I say!

[@moskito5864]

may she rest in peace, its always making me more than sad seeing boats diying, specially beauties like her. What happend to the, sorry "rest" of her. Have you just abandoned her or sinking it? Sailed a 70ft steelboat once from Spain to Malta, fist night Mistral hits us....steering was broken, no pressure on the wheel, an experience i wish nobody. I actually knowing the biscaya and had no idea how the mediterranian could mess with people. Glad you all made it alive. Its like beeing born again when setting foot on land again after an experience like this!

[@jackass456]

That HMS Dragon looks like quite a boat.

[@chrisduncan007]

I Googled it and the speed of the boat is quoted as 'over 30KN', however being a Naval vessel I doubt they would give an exact figure! She must have averaged 25ish KN in BIG seas to make that journey. That's impressive

The only boats the Royal Navy have are submarines.

[@michaelsills8038]

@ I can't tell if that was sarcastic or not

@@michaelsills8038 Not sarcasm at all. The Royal Navy has plenty of ships, but submarines are specifically 'not' ships, so they're called 'Boats'. Sarcasm depends largely on voice tone and facial expression, and is therefore mostly wasted in the written word.

Or *IS* it?

[@spinaway]

I know its a year ago but glad to hear you were all safe.

[@anthonyorafferty5632]

Emotional to watch. glad your all safe.

[@biswajeetchatterjee1962]

I can't think about this,I salute of those braves.

[@shipclip1115]

Thanks for sharing. Must have been a horrible experience... As a seafarer I would definitely pick a different season to cross that stretch of water.

[@helicart]

I don't know anyone who would do an eastward crossing above 45N in winter.

[@albertomauri9089]

Complimenti veri, siete fortissimi , oltre il fatto che state facendo una esperienza di vita unica!!

[@Orcinus1967]

Every sailor knows That the Sea Is a friend made enemy Glad you all made it sorry you lost your boat.

[@Denver1976Man]

wow, Glad all is well with the crew. At sea we are all family. HMS Dragon was fast man. Especially high seas. Poor Boat. Hope she sails again.

[@joshh7837]

Great video and a great BOAT !! love from Dana Point CA , I'm Sailing with my Catalina 30. " Jury rig" LOL

[@donnadavidson3904]

I’ve done the Florida to Cape Cod in April in a 36 ft trawler. Thought I was done while crossing the Albamarle Sound. Crazy waves!

[@valerieparker2242]

Cool that you did that...

[@Chris-gc1hw]

I was onboard the USS Wasp, basically an aircraft carrier, when an unannounced rogue wave hit the port side of the ship. Never experienced anything like that ever. It smacked the side, terrible noise and noises followed. The Wasp easily heeled more than 50 degrees. I was so happy everybody was ok and was also happy that we prepared for rough seas chaining or strapping our assets down. Could had easily lost a Harrier or something

[@shaunbeil3143]

Oh my what an awful storm! Those swells were so huge! I could not imagine!

[@HankHill757]

The North Atlantic in winter is not a good place to be for most boats. And being on the ocean at night and not being able to see the waves coming adds to the “oh shit” scale. Throw the rogue waves in during an storm and the odds of a catastrophic incident like this increase immensely. Glad everyone made it off safe and unhurt.

[@almaguapa-sailboatliveaboa440]

Great work captain in having everyone safe. What happened to the sailboat after? Was it towed, sunk or jury-rigged?

[@Cuyagua1765]

That was incredible! Could this have been prevented by waiting for a better weather window to continue the passage? I am not trying to be critical, I'm just trying to understand...This seems like it was a race,correct? For the recreational sailor is it possible to avoid this kind of scenarios by using the technology of today? I am glad there no fatalities and you all made it back.

[@acklan3]

HMS Dragon is a good looking ship.

[@JohnSmith-zv8km]

Glad you were all safe but how much did this rescue cost

[@Mad1Mike]

I have been sailing for 40 years. I'm no Joe Sailor, don't have a captains license, but a Skipper and in the business. I sail the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas often from Florida. I have seen waves about a third less than the video. Sailed in front of three hurricanes. Rouge waves are real, but I trust my engines. Staysail, maybe. The only thing I have wrecked is a dingy. In rapids.

[@johndo3930]

RIP ... what a shame for a beautiful boat. 😥

[@CapDave720]

65,000 miles at sea here, in sailboats from 40' to 100'. There certainly can be a time when it's the right time to get off the boat if that's available, and only the people who were actually there can make that decision. The other ~3.7 billion of us with Internet access can second-guess it I suppose. But earlier in this thread another poster asked why cross the Atlantic in winter; this is a topic that concerns me. It does seem like there's an inexorable rise of risk taking, either for hire or for glory. It happens on mountains, in jungles, in deserts, at sea, in the troposphere (and soon beyond I'm sure), and other places too. This was of the for-hire variety, people paying to experience something outside the envelope of normal cautious practice - which would generally not include sailing a small yacht across the Atlantic in winter, out of season. I really have mixed feelings about it. I guess people are entitled to spend their money to peek outside ubiquitous Disneyfication, but do they truly understand the risks they are taking? I doubt it. And I guess there will always be purveyors of such experiences in the ultra-competitive world we live in. And we know how fierce the battle for celebrity is - the boundaries of risk taking are pushed nearly daily. Maybe I'm just old? Or maybe there is an argument that these two categories of risk taking, for hire and for glory, should indeed require insurance priced to the probability of a bad outcome calling on the public purse?

[@RobertSeviour1]

" This was of the for-hire variety, people paying to experience something outside the envelope of normal cautious practice - which would generally not include sailing a small yacht across the Atlantic in winter, out of season." - quite.

[@mikemckelvey7144]

Very well put, Sir.

[@gorway7]

" Maybe I'm just old?"... I know, I feel the same - but we get old by experience, careful risk management, and recognising limitations. But you are right, there is a disturbing rise in risk taking. I did it myself when I was younger and I see it among friends and colleagues, particularly at middle age. There seems a difference too, between people who have been active and adventurous all their lives (they have invested in it), and those that have reached that certain age and feel they need to reinvent themselves. I have lost numerous friends over the years to thrill seeking, be it motorbikes, skiing or diving... and I'm not saying it is just an age thing but we push ourselves too far sometimes. We are so busy, so little time and we want as much bang for our buck when we can fit it in. These commercial thrill for hire enterprises are sometimes the most risky, not because commercial pressures could influence risk management - but because individuals often abandon personal commonsense , skill level or physical abilities, to an unknown guide / instructor or skipper. i.e. We pay the money and place our lives in someone else's hands... we don't want to learn to swim, we just want to jump in the deep end!

[@helicart]

Agree. winter eastward crossings, especially getting above 45N are foolhardy, especially on a slow boat that has no chance of repositioning itself away from the worst. A winter westward crossing from Canries or Cape Verde would be safer.

[@marieryden8729]

Luckily all crew members were safely rescued. That is the most important thing. It is a very scary situation to loose the mast at sea. My only question is why you sailed back to Europe i January? Most sailors choose to go in the beginning of May to minimize the risk of hard weather.

[@stephen7740]

I Just love how the Navy rescue boat released from the side of the destroyer. Just like a walk in the park. This is the difference between a well drilled and trianed navy crew, and a civillian crew,...I think I will keep my keel stepped wooden mast. These here aluminum ones tend to snap . A modified full keel is what ocean going boats shpuld have. No replacement for heavy displacement in the Atlantic

[@santamulligan676]

This is a reality check it bites, when to keep going or when to heave to,my attitude changed after reading Adlard coles heavy weather sailing. When you start your yachting you naturally learn to race,as you mature you tend to cruise and you have to relearn looking after the boat, the event will produce great sailors now I’m sure, Atlantic lows are killing grounds.

[@bmused55]

Fantastic outcome. Well done to the crew for keeping calm. Well done to skipper for getting their crew home safe. Lovely to also see that multiple ships answered the call for help and did their best. Well done also to HMS Dragon for that herculean 500 mile race to come to your assistance! Out of pure curiosity... how did they go about scuttling the Clyde Challenger?

[@elizabethligethy5075]

Opened the sea cocks.

[@fhagerber4079]

Hi i get the feeling this skipper pushed to hard ?

[@66Airborne]

Hello, I am thinking of start sailing, - and in a view years,- around the world as well. However, when I see such rescues, then I asking my self of how safe is sailing and how big is the chance that something like this can happen, when I sail during the best time of year or season and always consider the weather forecast?

[@willymueller3278]

I crossed the Atlantic 8 times with my sailboat and went as far north as Greenland. My boat is a classic 46 foot steel ketch with round bilges, long keel and the wooden polemasts are stepped into the keel. Very strong ...

[@lachola942]

Gracias a Dios que fueron rescatados👌

[@SlowBoatSailing]

Wow!

[@scoop6winner]

Dragon must of been spanking it to do 500nm in 20 hours, great job!

[@joelwhitaker2274]

It's an average of 24 knots in heavy seas!

[@kevinhoffman8214]

That must have been horrific ! did the chainplates break or was it just the power of the wave that took the mast down ? I have heard of a dismasting closer to land than you where and they lost radio spending 5 months at sea with a "jury rig " trying to sail , the families had them declared dead with funeral services done.

[@carlofabiomartinoli9856]

Qué pasó con el velero , lo abandonaron?

[@shortwave5454]

Awesome video! Must also watch Sailing into Freedom’s Sailing into Hell series - just amazing!

[@mglenn7092]

Wondering why you were sailing the North Atlantic in *February* in what is still a very small boat compared to the size of the ocean. However, a rogue wave is s*** happens of the worst kind and could have happened in other seasons too. Getting rolled by the wave-- I'm kind of amazed you didn't lose anyone off the boat when the wave hit, let alone while dealing with the aftermath of that event. Question though: the boat didn't have an auxiliary motor, the motor didn't work after the wave strike, or the motor just wasn't much help? Hat's off to the crew & the rescuers-- glad everyone made it home alive, and that's always what's most important.

[@alexjohnson3455]

Looks like a scary sittuation. I no weather can be unpredictable. But can these situations not be seen in advance? Was it a rogue storm that came from no were or was it avoidable???

[@warewolf4760]

I love the ocean, but I respect Mother Nature 👌

[@MachTuck]

Glad everything worked out at the end. What about the sailboat? was it left adrift? ..or scuttled? , maritime hazard, right?

[@malchugan2469]

yrag1958, many thanks for the film. You had EPIRB, so it did not work? What did you learn, what mistake would you avoid in such situation? Thanks

[@voiluriennef3724]

I can't help wondering: why cross the Altantic (West to East above all) this time of year???? With apparently amateurs and/or inexperienced people on board? What can be the reason? I don't understand...

[@harrygreenway414]

Agreed. Commercial schedule overrides ocean route planning. Most yachts leave the Carribbean in mid May for Europe.

[@jorgwolter2299]

What happened to Clyde Challenger? Did they tow it in the hab our or do they leave it abandoned? Deepest respect to all involved to rescue or tried to rescue the crew.

[@mboyer68]

That was incredible. Did anyone stay with the boat or go back for it? Thank you for posting.

[@harrymurphey2634]

... why would a sailor/waterman risk it all to try and help a fellow sailor/waterman in distress ... simple ... "There for the grace of God go I" ... those of us that have spent time on the water understand this ... To make that time, in those conditions ... HMS Dragon had to be snorting FIRE as she charged along ... BE PROUD ... you upheld the highest tradition of seafaring ...

[@hv7978]

Good heavens everybody has been saved. But why would you sail the N-A in February (from West to East)? It is known to be the more challenging routes / times.

[@RyanSmith-se7kw]

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

[@RobertSeviour1]

Are 'rouge' waves more usually found off the French coast? This so-called 'amatuer' is curious.

[@gabrieltrollinger2103]

What’s a rouge wave? Any similarity to a rogue wave?

[@ianscott3180]

Roque waves do exist although not always that extreme. If you stand and watch the sea on a rough day you will see that on average every seventh wave will be bigger than the rest. I did say average before you all shoot me done. I have never sailed the Atlantic but I have crossed Biscay four times on a 26 foot yacht. You get to see the waves close up!

[@CLH126]

Glad they're all safe....but February? in the Atlantic? :)

[@richardernsberger5692]

What's with the format? Yes, the pictures are nice and the music is foreboding--but how about some basic information to start such as size/type of the boat, number of passengers, final destination, crew size, etc. etc. Nearly halfway through the video and, other than the name of the boat and that it was crossing the Atlantic, nothing....

[@carledinger3422]

What happened to the boat ?⚓

[@user-hl1tw8rs5g]

I'm not a sailor but I'm wondering if the motor was still in service? Could the boat motor be used to navigate the waves?

[@cicloperegrinacao-claudiov2368]

Os marinheiros do navio têm de ser muito bons para arriar um bote com o navio em deslocamento. Linda manobra.