Wow! Nice that Mr Kim had his head cool, as he mentioned, and happened to meet some pro guys in the middle of nowhere. After all, a boat is just an object, not your life. One of the most beautiful points this story shows is that, at seas, solidarity and care are always present. I hope soon he'll free his thoughts of the 'ifs", realize that was the way it was meant to be and'll be back sailing with the lessons learned from this experience, which certainly brings us a new perspective on many things in life. My best, Mr Kim!
amateurs can be happy that at sea are not only amateurs running arond! they leave the port and trust somebody will help them. the sea is not a thing to love, it needs respect !!! when you have learnd this you start to become a seamann !! 😂
I am very happy for you Kim and that you got away alive. Until 2020 i was an Airline Captain and I had a story too - nothing compared to yours and of course its not about me here. I firmly believe you have made the best decision of your life! Because you are alive. Making decisions under the life threating conditions is something totally different than chatting about it on land. Please do yourself a favour and ignore all those judgemental experts. Kim i hope that you will read this and wish you all the very best and a lot of good power/energy to overcome this situation and enjoy your second live with your family and friends. Sincerely, Andelko
Thank you very much for sharing my fathers story ! We are so thankful that he made it back home again ❤️ The time that passed after i spoke with him on his satellite phone in the morning, and until i got the call from him telling me he had been rescued and was now onboard the Riviera ll was horrible. The Captain and the crew of that oil tanker are true heroes and amazing people 🙏
Currently sitting here on my boat in a harbor in Denmark. I heard some news about this, and just saw this episode. I’m so happy for you and your family, that it ended the way it did.
A truly frightening story for you and your father. I am incredibly happy his life was saved by the brave Captain and crew on the oil tanker. Your Dad's nightmares may take a while to subside so please make sure he talks to his doctor about what he is experiencing now as the trauma can be hard to get through. He made the right decision to abandon ship and can now look forward to the next chapter of his life.⚓️⛵️ Thank you to Sailing Aquarius for posting this incredible story.
When I heard Zatara talking about Kim's situation I started to pray for him. An now seeing the footage of the rescue of Kim... I'm so sorry Kim had to endure such a horrific event .... He's blessed to have that Captain rescue him... Kim your an amazing human. Your sheer Moxie to survive is inspiring to me. I lost everything to fire on Feb 28th 2020 that was a week before lockdown happened. So we've been homeless for almost 3 years. It's the Moxie and that not going to give in to defeat. Kim, I am grateful for your story an for your honesty in telling an reliving this ..I kno it's taxing on you... Sending much love an prayer's to you Kim. Thanks for sharing your life with us grateful ✌🏼💗😊❣️
This is insane. A perfectly good mast. Ive never heard of not having a topping lift, spare halyards/spinnaker halyards or even stting to rethread.. lastly you use rubber and harness to climb the mast.. this is the strangest story ive ever heard of a sailor leaving their boat. Im glad he is safe
Badly prepared boat sailing off shore and putting other people at risk for not thinking ahead. I blame sat phones and epirbs for people not paying attention to small details, when all they need to do when the shit hits the fan, is press a button. Sounds harsh, but self responsibilty is important.
Totally agree. And I don't see any self-criticism here. Only people blamed are the embassy workers, who are not making the guy home quick enough. (why can't they send the crown princess to pick him up?)
There are lessons here: Have spare halyards. Have a way to safely climb your mast, and practice it at sea. Do not rely on a single roller furler headsail. Have a spare flying jib and a way to set it. Carry twice the water that you need. Leaving your boat is dangerous. I am happy you are alive.
I probably have no where near the experience of Kim. What a really difficult situation. So glad he made it. Incredible presence of mind to keep hold of that basket. We have a topping lift but I understand it's hard to secure the boom and use it as a halyard in a big sea. We do have two furling headsails and we have a motor and gearbox that should go for as long as it needs to.
@@o4pureh2o the topping lift is a line that keeps the boom up when the sail isn’t up, and that line could be used to raise a mainsail if the main halyard is out of commission? It seems crazy to climb the mast but if it meant saving the ship, can’t you climb it halfway and put up a tiny storm sail to stay on course at least? I don’t know anything I don’t even have a boat
@@Mitoa exactly Mike. When the main halyard brakes the boom drops to the first thing that stops it. Normally a slack topping lift, then you can control the boom between that and the main sheet. When you release the topping lift to move it to the main at the front of the boom you need to secure the boom otherwise it will sweep you off deck while you're threading the topping lift through the lazy jack's and ensuring it doesn't foul on anything else while it flaps around like crazy because there's 2 meters of slack in the line.
And I wouldn’t do a passage single handed. There’s no reason not to have backup sail power even if you have to hank on a jib. Again with an extra person you could work on the main, etc
As someone who has sailed many tens of thousands of miles both alone in my own boat, and over a period of 16 years as a professional skipper, I've lost a boat to fire, experienced the discomfort of surviving in a life-raft, been rescued by a ship, experienced just about every failure a yacht can dream up in an attempt to spoil my day. I feel as though I would be allowed a comment here. Without getting into specific details of this particular event, to my mind there are many people, competent weekend sailors, that are now 'living the dream' and setting off on voyages, either with family or alone, which 40 years ago would have attracted, if not media sponsorship, then certainly a few column inches in the press. This is largely the result of improved equipment availability, allowing reduced levels of physical fitness and technical navigational knowledge.. again, I'm not referring specifically to this particular event. The result is often that people are finding it easier to undertake these extended voyages, they are also finding it easier to get into trouble. Over reliance on machinery, electronics/electrical systems/ labour-saving reefing equipment, all of which are subject to failure. There is also, unfortunately, a subconscious awareness that if things get tough, there's a button to push which will alert the emergency services and have a rescue operation underway within hours. All this can promote a false sense of security. Murphy's Law states that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Anyone setting off on a serious voyage, whether it be a trans-Atlantic, or a complete circumnavigation, should have Murphy's Law firmly in their mind before letting go the lines. In short.. If you view all this expensive equipment, or any part of it.. as there to ease the strain, that's fine. If you view it as making the trip possible, forget it, that's putting yourself hugely at risk. If you can't do without it.. don't do it.
Thank you for sharing your story Kim. The couch sailors will have plenty to question but unless they were in your situation they will never understand or grasp the power of nature, the force of the waves, the strength of currents, and how vulnerable we really are on the ocean. You assessed your situation and you made the best decision for you, you survived because you are strong and your mind is strong. I am highly impressed with your will and now it drives you even more to help others by sharing your story. Bravo! Sending love to you and your family, and many thanks to Sailing Aquarius Around The World for caring and sharing your story.
And for any kind of cruising or sailing anywhere actually you always want cutter blades just in front of your prop they don’t cost much but these very sharp stainless steel blades saved me many times they will actually even cut through thin wire that might be found in fishing gear believe me there so sharp that looking at them might cut you lol
The lesson is, if you go to sea, you must be prepared. Too many people set sail in boats that are not built for ocean sailing, and don't have the correct equipment, like sea anhor, drouge, storm sails and a hull designed for blue water sailing. Not a French built charter boat.....
It's easy to sit here in my living room and judge but I'm a little surprised there was no attempt to jury rig some kind of sail. The head sail may be shredded but in the video it is rolled up with the sheets still attached. Also, there is a spinnaker pole mounted on the mast. The main sail is intact although the shackle broke but the topping lift appears to be ok. Am I missing something?
What about just lying a hull and do nothing until the weather is more calm. Put out a sea anchor maybe? The boat isn’t taking on water and there’s definitely a way to climb the mast in calmer conditions right? If there was no failsafe in place for that shackle I can’t understand how that’s possible. I’m scratching my head with you
Surely it looks like Kim lost his temper. Probably panicked or haven't really got the good knowledge of his boat, as he got paid crew before (from what I have understood, they wanted too much money, thats why he decided on solo), after sail problem immediately decided on motoring... I pity this beautiful boat that surely was still sailable and perfectly ok. If he had a needle and thread onboard, probably the genoa could also get sorted. Solo sailing looks easy, but it is not. You have to be one man army, a cook, mechanic and navigator. In comfort of modern boats this is getting forgotten.
That Danish embassy’s red tape was insane-requiring his visa ! Embassies only EXIST to help desperate nationals like Kim. Such people don’t understand their own job, which is not to follow RULES, but to help PEOPLE. The Filipino sailors who gave him $500 were better ambassadors than his own officials.
We are long time coastal sailors and previous racers and have a 42' boat. Your experience has all of us watchers (sitting on couch) thinking about what we would have done and have many other questions. Your experience in itself is a learning moment for all of us. The two of us came up with all sorts of solutions (many mentioned in the comments). The comment about Murphy's Law, is a good reminder that big, expensive boats can break just as easily as small simple boats. Either way, plan on it happening. Thank you for sharing your experience. Your daughter has a lovely father.
Looks pretty traumatic rescue. Leaves me wondering why he did not use one of the other halyards to raise the mainsail a bit. Unroll the jib, lower it, and use it's halyard. Glad to see him safe ashore.
After watching the story I was truly shocked that the Danish Embassy was so unhelpful. Twenty days earlier a very good friend of mine who had already sailed solo from Muscat, Oman via the Maldives, Indonesia to Broome in Australia and was making his way to Perth hit something approximately 60-80nm off the Western Australian coast and his vessel sank within 5mins. He managed to get a distress call out, get the tender in the water and grab his Garmin locator. He had 25kts SE winds, swell 3m and it was afternoon, he was rescued by a passing merchant ship after 11hrs in the tender and went to Singapore. That took 10days and by the time he got there an emergency passport had been issued by the Austrian Embassy, the agent was aware of him being onboard and money was transferred plus a ticket to Vienna. Again a story of extreme luck in the circumstances but in both cases the outcome has been arrived at by the total resolve of the men to survive the situation through staying calm. In hindsight we can always come up with what one should have done and I’m sure the planning that goes into the next sailing adventure will cover those missing items and most probably more additions will result 😊
It seems to me too many people are going sailing these days without proper preparation and solo sailing is difficult enough with proper preparation over preparation actually you can’t get away for the cheap after all it’s your life
incredible story... a true miracle It would be interesting if, when your ideas were sorted out, you would tell us what you would have added or removed from your sailboat's equipment or what you would have done differently... excellent video a big hug
His boat looks huge for just one guy. A 47 foot boat for one guy with no extra sails? I mean there was never a time to fix the sails or put on a spare? I mean say's "I was motoring for four days....." That seems strange.
Wow. Surrounding Kim in so much love and healing. Very traumatic situation. Glad he’s home safe with family. Crew were absolute heroes and hearts of gold. ❤️🙏🏻❤️
Wow, what a story. Thank you all for sharing it with us. I want to say thank you to the amazing crew of the Riviera too. It's awesome to see there are still people out there who put souls first and are willing to help others even at great risk. ❤️❤️❤️
Grateful that you are safe Kim. You will begin to sleep better as your body and mind heal. Prayers for you that any anxiety will disappear quickly. Embrace what you've learned and the loved ones in your life. Better days ahead for you!
Very dramatic. but it shows again: not the boat was in mayday, it was the person! he dont know how to help himself, and he dont have the nerves to save the boat. he cant build a drift anchor? of course it was insured. and again it shows the usefullness from maststeps.
Meine Fresse! Ich habe schon viel gesehen und auch erlebt! Aber bei der Geschichte hatte ich auch mit den Tränen zu kämpfen..! So wie ich das sehe , war wohl die Vorbereitung nicht so ganz perfekt... Aber, nachher ist man eben immer schlauer..! Ich wünsche Kim viel Kraft, und dass er seine Ängste überwindet! Gut, wenn er wieder auf´s Pferd steigt! Aber bitte nicht mehr alleine! Wer weiß was passiert, wenn es ihn dann vielleicht doch wieder einholt....
When he is being lifted up in the basket it looks like he was in real danger of being whacked by his own mast as it was swaying back and forth. The basket was completely out of the water the entire time he was approaching it and then as soon as he gets in the basket it drops down three or four feet, wrecking his leg, stealing his belongings, and getting him soaking wet. I guess the ocean isn't cold in that part of the world so that's a plus.
Wow. So happy Kim survived. One thing I think I learned from this video is: my boat is 45'. Until now I've just assumed that the larger the ship the more and better resources - therefor safer. After hearing Kim's story and how difficult and dangerous it can be to be hoisted aboard a large ship, maybe a smaller boat arriving later is of some use. I think now if I hear a May Day call, I should head in that direction until I arrive in the area or until I hear that the situation is resolved. Maybe the large ship gets there more quickly, but maybe because my boat is closer to the size of Kim's boat, transferring to my boat would be easier and safer. Possibly even by dinghy. Good video. Thanks
What an incredible story! Thank God he was rescued and is safe. Was his boat insured? Please clarify whether insurance will cover the loss of his boat? Wishing Kim all the best and a quick recovery. 🙏🏼
There are so many types of insurance, and not sure what Kim's coverage was for his yacht. But, from everything I have heard about insurance companies they usually find a reason not to pay. I am just happy that I have never had to call my Insurance company except for setting up the policy. Fair Winds
@@SailingAquarius - Eventually the seas calm. Why panic? I would not have left my vessel. I would have ridden it out. The 'rescue' looked incredibly dangerous to me. Any number of things could have occurred with a far worse outcome when two vessels converge in heavy seas.
Ok not judging or second guessing your or anyone's actions. As a old mechanic with a substantial amount of experience working on junk . When a non automatic transmissions starts screaming and is stuck in gear . That's a lubrication issue well the lack of. Anyway add oil to the transmission. There is a extremely good chance that if you restart the motor even in gear within a few minutes the transmission will be able to shift and act normally. In a life or death situation needing oil gear oil motor oil mineral oil then anything slick cooking oil hot melted crisco whatever it will buy a little time.
Thank you for sharing Kim,s recovery with us. The hero's on the ship deserve a reward. I think it an excellent idea that Kim has about going around sailing clubs to share his storey and video, it will be the best healing process. I wish him all the very best for the future and hope he will make it back on the water soon.
Sir, thanks for your frankness and for the lessons learned here. That being said there is a whole bunch of wrong going on here. When going out to sea solo it is imperative to be self reliant not expecting help. You left a well found capable yacht. This is a great demonstration as to why all and solo sailors especially should carry a Jordan-Series Drogue. Deploy the drogue and wait it out then fix your stuff.
We always have spareparts and everything on board...and we hope never to have let a swimming boat go. We think leaving the boat this way is more dangerious and not the best solution, but you never know. 😢
What an amazing story of survival & heroism. This could of happened to any experienced sailor. And it’s his miraculous survival that will teach us all in times of peril to remain strong, stay calm and call to what gives you strength. In Kim’s case it was his family. Brings tears as I watched his emotion thinking about them. The heroism of the Captain of the Cargo ship & the humanity of the crew. Please tell Kim to share his miraculous story.
We had a very sad incident happen locally about 40 years ago. A couple that was cruising in their 30'+ sailboat anchored outside the ICW near Gulfport, MS. A barge tow veered out of the channel and unknowing ran over them. The barges pushed their boat down into the soft, muddy bottom and buried them deep in the mud. Because communications were somewhat primitive, and they went for months without contact, the family wasn't concerned. Nine months later a shrimp boat snagged the mast and pulled the boat out of the muck. The couple were still inside the boat. Please be careful where you anchor.
Usually the spare halyard will host the spin. But, it might be able to raise the main at least 3/4 of the way up... Though not sure if Kim's boat was rigged with a spin halyard.
Maybe use the halyard from the blown out Genoa. toss a docking line over the spreader and hoist the main quadruple reefed. So many solutions to this problem.
Thanks God to have so great people around you on that ship! They were the BEST you could have in ur words. That is great. Hope after sometime u can be well recovered to replan ur sailings again! Keep strong! Regards from Recife, Brazil
Very impressive story. Thanks Kim for sharing this. We never can get experienced and learn situations like this. But is worth to see that humans can fight and are strong in situations like this. What happened with the boat. Have you ever heard of it.? All the best.. Patrick, Sailor from Switzerland
Fascinating, thanks for your story. I have sailed across the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Caribbean and it is lonely out there. Always in the back of my mind is what can happen and how will I manage if the worst does happen. I'm glad you are here to tell your story. It sounds like the tanker Captain and crew were the best. Thank you.
So happy Kim is safe ❤. I wish I could say the same for the refugees risking their lives on the mediterranean sea 😭. #nooneisillegal #searescueisforeverybody
Wow, what an incredible story and demonstration of will power. I am glad you are alive Kim and willing to share your story. Best of luck for the future and your recovery!
I looked at the video several times and still can not figure out, why did he didn’t deploy his sail raft or dingy and load all what ever he wants to take with him. I know that stress is high in such situations, but …. Surely judging from distance is not correct as we have not been on the boat. Good is that he is safe now.
I admit I don't entirely get it - were there only two sails on board? Why didn't he release the life raft? How come there seems to have been no attempt to stabilize the boat with a floater? And other comments state that he had his head cool, but it doesn't sound like it at all - more like a cumulation of human errors in combination with a lack of maintenance of the boat!
Coulda, shoulda, woulda, but in anaylsis, perhaps evacuation in the inflatable to the rescue net might have been safer for everyone?? The risk is getting separated from the sailboat I guess
Inflatable to rescue dip net, to avoid collisions entanglement with mast and rigging, that mast almost hit him several times, only by the grace of god he made it up. It looks like they have pirate razor wire all around the ship as well!!
Many years ago when I first started sailing, an old sailor with years of experience gave me the following advice. 1. The water is always going to be deeper wherever you find yourself and your boat. 2. No matter the condition of the boat, it will always take a much worse beating than a man, or a human, so take care of it, it will take care of you. 3. If you think the weather is bad, it will always be worse wherever you are sailing toward. 4. if you think you've sailed close hauled far enough to tack into a safe harbor, then you haven't, you need to sail at least twice, thrice longer close-hauled and even then it's doubtful you'll make it in one tack coming about. This advice made me think deeply about my sailing venture and it has served me well ever since.
I was watching Sailing Zatara video last week and they mention Kim story and their boat hatch being on his boat. Never thought I would get first hand knowledge from Kim about it. I am so Glad that he was rescued. I have a boat and I love it so much. I know it was very hard for him to leave drifting. But like he said, it was his life or the boat.
I see loads of emotional comments down here, and for sure we are all very happy this guy is safe at home, but all the story seems to me deeply pervaded of very, very bad seamanship and "white man psychology". I had to listen twice to the video to be sure this man was really saying that he wanted to turn bow on the wind to furl the Genoa. If this is the seamanship and the sailing competence you are at risk with 10 knot of wind in August in the Med, not to say being singlehanded in the Indian Ocean at night. Then there is the fact that this guy, rightly so, wanted to spare his money. Crew "were asking too much", he cannot consider the other way round, that he simply could not afford it: this is white man psychology, it's never our fault. And in the white modern man mind what do you do when you are lost in the middle of the Indian Ocean? Call danish coast guard! The white man psychology is this, we are able to do only a very wee bit fractional piece of what feeds us and keeps us alive, being a competent and respected account supervisor pedaling daily from home to the office deprives you of the chance of learning to be self sufficient. I like Aquarius channel because the guy sails knowing that he is in charge of the problems of his boat.
I think you are right on point here. This situation was barely worthy of a pan-pan certainly not a mayday. What would you say, I am in the Indian Ocean without the knowledge or experience to skipper the yacht. The boat is clearly rigged for Harbour. If there had been any kind of weather that sun shade would not be still over the aft of the boat. It would have made a satisfactory square sail I imagine.. That dingy should surely have been stowed below before setting off to cross an ocean. Being as it was there it would have been ideal to transfer to the ship.
add to this that he somehow forgot to take the damn wallet and a passport into his pocket when evacuating. Then of course the embassy staff is to blame on that he can't get into the plane.
Amazing Legit Captain Culture, all the way around, I’m grateful for the Caring Tanker Captain and that you are Survivor, Elite Class, kudos and thank you for sharing, done the prop in a chop in the dark, I can not want that to be the lesser of a rough trip, when is the movie? wow.
Well done Kim for taking excellent decisions and being so courageous. I too am a solo sailor so understand the vulnerability . I certainly would not have swum under the boat in the dark…..truly brave. What a great story from which we can all take lessons.
Any news on the boat , I wonder if he had any other sails on board ? He couldnt of had a topping lift . Got sunk in the Tasman sea by a Orca in a 36 foot schooner many years ago , So feel for the guy .
When I was sailing with my husband about 30 years ago he had a good library with a book written by a family who were sunk by an orca. I know this happens now off Portugal frequently. I guess orcas have always done this. It sounds absolutely terrifying! Our boat was steel and they would not have liked it!
Oh my God, what a story ... but thanks to our God ..... at the end...... everything was on good way. Thanks for the story and take care !!!! cheers Siegmar
Wow! Nice that Mr Kim had his head cool, as he mentioned, and happened to meet some pro guys in the middle of nowhere. After all, a boat is just an object, not your life.
One of the most beautiful points this story shows is that, at seas, solidarity and care are always present.
I hope soon he'll free his thoughts of the 'ifs", realize that was the way it was meant to be and'll be back sailing with the lessons learned from this experience, which certainly brings us a new perspective on many things in life. My best, Mr Kim!
Well said ❤
amateurs can be happy that at sea are not only amateurs running arond! they leave the port and trust somebody will help them. the sea is not a thing to love, it needs respect !!! when you have learnd this you start to become a seamann !! 😂
I am very happy for you Kim and that you got away alive.
Until 2020 i was an Airline Captain
and I had a story too - nothing compared
to yours and of course its not about me here.
I firmly believe you have made the best decision of your life! Because you are alive. Making decisions
under the life threating conditions is something totally different than
chatting about it on land. Please do yourself a favour and ignore all those judgemental experts.
Kim i hope that you will read this and wish you all the very best and a lot of good power/energy to overcome this situation and enjoy your second live with your family and friends.
Sincerely,
Andelko
Thank you very much for sharing my fathers story ! We are so thankful that he made it back home again ❤️
The time that passed after i spoke with him on his satellite phone in the morning, and until i got the call from him telling me he had been rescued and was now onboard the Riviera ll was horrible.
The Captain and the crew of that oil tanker are true heroes and amazing people 🙏
We are so happy that your father survived 🙏 Also grateful for him sharing his experience and absolutely amazed at Riviera II captain and crew 🙏🙏
Currently sitting here on my boat in a harbor in Denmark. I heard some news about this, and just saw this episode. I’m so happy for you and your family, that it ended the way it did.
it brought a tear to my eye. i'm happy your father made it home safely.
They are Filipino in that oil tanker 🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭
A truly frightening story for you and your father. I am incredibly happy his life was saved by the brave Captain and crew on the oil tanker. Your Dad's nightmares may take a while to subside so please make sure he talks to his doctor about what he is experiencing now as the trauma can be hard to get through. He made the right decision to abandon ship and can now look forward to the next chapter of his life.⚓️⛵️ Thank you to Sailing Aquarius for posting this incredible story.
Kudos to the captain and the Filipino crew
Indeed.!
James Graham, your comment is brilliant !! I endorse it completely.
When I heard Zatara talking about Kim's situation I started to pray for him.
An now seeing the footage of the rescue of Kim... I'm so sorry Kim had to endure such a horrific event .... He's blessed to have that Captain rescue him...
Kim your an amazing human. Your sheer Moxie to survive is inspiring to me. I lost everything to fire on Feb 28th 2020 that was a week before lockdown happened. So we've been homeless for almost 3 years. It's the Moxie and that not going to give in to defeat. Kim, I am grateful for your story an for your honesty in telling an reliving this ..I kno it's taxing on you... Sending much love an prayer's to you Kim. Thanks for sharing your life with us grateful ✌🏼💗😊❣️
Who exactly were you praying to
So sorry to hear of your loss, Hope everything comes back together for you soon! ✌
@@jupitorious7925 Excuse me... Does that matter? God... The one an only ... Why??
@@nsmits77 Thanks✌🏼💗! Things are looking up an I'm grateful for it!!
@@donnakawana yes but which one ?
Thank you for sharing this Aquarius! How sad and unsettling.
I might add that I appreciated the respectful and dignified tone of the interview.
Incredible video and story. Thank you so much for sharing. And Kim, we are all so happy you were able to see your daughter again. Fair winds❤️
An amazing story. So glad he's safe.
Cheers Jeff
Hi Aquarius.
Dabar ir man įvarėt siaubo dozę pergyvent dėl jūsű😪🙏
very scary coulda been worse..
The Philippine crew are perfectly trained. I hope they are proud of what they did. I'm sure they will be repaid. True heroes!
This is insane. A perfectly good mast. Ive never heard of not having a topping lift, spare halyards/spinnaker halyards or even stting to rethread.. lastly you use rubber and harness to climb the mast.. this is the strangest story ive ever heard of a sailor leaving their boat. Im glad he is safe
Badly prepared boat sailing off shore and putting other people at risk for not thinking ahead. I blame sat phones and epirbs for people not paying attention to small details, when all they need to do when the shit hits the fan, is press a button. Sounds harsh, but self responsibilty is important.
Totally agree. And I don't see any self-criticism here. Only people blamed are the embassy workers, who are not making the guy home quick enough. (why can't they send the crown princess to pick him up?)
There are lessons here: Have spare halyards. Have a way to safely climb your mast, and practice it at sea. Do not rely on a single roller furler headsail. Have a spare flying jib and a way to set it. Carry twice the water that you need. Leaving your boat is dangerous. I am happy you are alive.
I suppose you could use the topping lift, if one is fitted as a spare halyard.
I probably have no where near the experience of Kim. What a really difficult situation. So glad he made it. Incredible presence of mind to keep hold of that basket. We have a topping lift but I understand it's hard to secure the boom and use it as a halyard in a big sea. We do have two furling headsails and we have a motor and gearbox that should go for as long as it needs to.
@@o4pureh2o the topping lift is a line that keeps the boom up when the sail isn’t up, and that line could be used to raise a mainsail if the main halyard is out of commission? It seems crazy to climb the mast but if it meant saving the ship, can’t you climb it halfway and put up a tiny storm sail to stay on course at least? I don’t know anything I don’t even have a boat
@@Mitoa exactly Mike. When the main halyard brakes the boom drops to the first thing that stops it. Normally a slack topping lift, then you can control the boom between that and the main sheet. When you release the topping lift to move it to the main at the front of the boom you need to secure the boom otherwise it will sweep you off deck while you're threading the topping lift through the lazy jack's and ensuring it doesn't foul on anything else while it flaps around like crazy because there's 2 meters of slack in the line.
And I wouldn’t do a passage single handed. There’s no reason not to have backup sail power even if you have to hank on a jib. Again with an extra person you could work on the main, etc
As someone who has sailed many tens of thousands of miles both alone in my own boat, and over a period of 16 years as a professional skipper, I've lost a boat to fire, experienced the discomfort of surviving in a life-raft, been rescued by a ship, experienced just about every failure a yacht can dream up in an attempt to spoil my day. I feel as though I would be allowed a comment here. Without getting into specific details of this particular event, to my mind there are many people, competent weekend sailors, that are now 'living the dream' and setting off on voyages, either with family or alone, which 40 years ago would have attracted, if not media sponsorship, then certainly a few column inches in the press. This is largely the result of improved equipment availability, allowing reduced levels of physical fitness and technical navigational knowledge.. again, I'm not referring specifically to this particular event. The result is often that people are finding it easier to undertake these extended voyages, they are also finding it easier to get into trouble. Over reliance on machinery, electronics/electrical systems/ labour-saving reefing equipment, all of which are subject to failure. There is also, unfortunately, a subconscious awareness that if things get tough, there's a button to push which will alert the emergency services and have a rescue operation underway within hours. All this can promote a false sense of security. Murphy's Law states that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Anyone setting off on a serious voyage, whether it be a trans-Atlantic, or a complete circumnavigation, should have Murphy's Law firmly in their mind before letting go the lines.
In short.. If you view all this expensive equipment, or any part of it.. as there to ease the strain, that's fine. If you view it as making the trip possible, forget it, that's putting yourself hugely at risk. If you can't do without it.. don't do it.
Thank you for sharing your story Kim. The couch sailors will have plenty to question but unless they were in your situation they will never understand or grasp the power of nature, the force of the waves, the strength of currents, and how vulnerable we really are on the ocean. You assessed your situation and you made the best decision for you, you survived because you are strong and your mind is strong. I am highly impressed with your will and now it drives you even more to help others by sharing your story. Bravo!
Sending love to you and your family, and many thanks to Sailing Aquarius Around The World for caring and sharing your story.
Totally agree! ❤
And for any kind of cruising or sailing anywhere actually you always want cutter blades just in front of your prop they don’t cost much but these very sharp stainless steel blades saved me many times they will actually even cut through thin wire that might be found in fishing gear believe me there so sharp that looking at them might cut you lol
God bless Kim and the wonderful crew that saved him!
The lesson is, if you go to sea, you must be prepared. Too many people set sail in boats that are not built for ocean sailing, and don't have the correct equipment, like sea anhor, drouge, storm sails and a hull designed for blue water sailing. Not a French built charter boat.....
Bavaria = German built. There is a 47 ocean but not sure if this is a regular 47.
What an incredible story 😥.I am so happy that you met good people on the way who really cared.
It's easy to sit here in my living room and judge but I'm a little surprised there was no attempt to jury rig some kind of sail. The head sail may be shredded but in the video it is rolled up with the sheets still attached. Also, there is a spinnaker pole mounted on the mast. The main sail is intact although the shackle broke but the topping lift appears to be ok. Am I missing something?
My thoughts as well. I certainly wasn't there, but the story seems to fall short of problem solving aboard.
What about just lying a hull and do nothing until the weather is more calm. Put out a sea anchor maybe? The boat isn’t taking on water and there’s definitely a way to climb the mast in calmer conditions right? If there was no failsafe in place for that shackle I can’t understand how that’s possible. I’m scratching my head with you
Surely it looks like Kim lost his temper. Probably panicked or haven't really got the good knowledge of his boat, as he got paid crew before (from what I have understood, they wanted too much money, thats why he decided on solo), after sail problem immediately decided on motoring... I pity this beautiful boat that surely was still sailable and perfectly ok. If he had a needle and thread onboard, probably the genoa could also get sorted. Solo sailing looks easy, but it is not. You have to be one man army, a cook, mechanic and navigator. In comfort of modern boats this is getting forgotten.
That Danish embassy’s red tape was insane-requiring his visa ! Embassies only EXIST to help desperate nationals like Kim. Such people don’t understand their own job, which is not to follow RULES, but to help PEOPLE.
The Filipino sailors who gave him $500 were better ambassadors than his own officials.
Sounds like a complete lack of preparation for being single handed. Should not have put to sea.
We are long time coastal sailors and previous racers and have a 42' boat. Your experience has all of us watchers (sitting on couch) thinking about what we would have done and have many other questions. Your experience in itself is a learning moment for all of us. The two of us came up with all sorts of solutions (many mentioned in the comments). The comment about Murphy's Law, is a good reminder that big, expensive boats can break just as easily as small simple boats. Either way, plan on it happening. Thank you for sharing your experience. Your daughter has a lovely father.
MAN I FILLED UP ASWELL WHEN HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HIS DAUGHTER AND GRANDCHILD, KIM HEAVY RESPECT FROM SCOTLAND MY FRIEND, 👏
What a heartbreaking/heartwarming story. Thanks for sharing.
Looks pretty traumatic rescue. Leaves me wondering why he did not use one of the other halyards to raise the mainsail a bit. Unroll the jib, lower it, and use it's halyard. Glad to see him safe ashore.
You are very lucky. Big thanks to the captain and his crew
What a great crew that picked you up and took care of you. Reminds you that there are still good people in the world.
Watching this video from my sailboat out on the Atlantic and it's chilling to think what could happen I'm single handed to... I'm glad he is ok.
Every sailors nightmare, I am so glad the recue turned out well. Good luck for the future Kim.
After watching the story I was truly shocked that the Danish Embassy was so unhelpful. Twenty days earlier a very good friend of mine who had already sailed solo from Muscat, Oman via the Maldives, Indonesia to Broome in Australia and was making his way to Perth hit something approximately 60-80nm off the Western Australian coast and his vessel sank within 5mins. He managed to get a distress call out, get the tender in the water and grab his Garmin locator. He had 25kts SE winds, swell 3m and it was afternoon, he was rescued by a passing merchant ship after 11hrs in the tender and went to Singapore.
That took 10days and by the time he got there an emergency passport had been issued by the Austrian Embassy, the agent was aware of him being onboard and money was transferred plus a ticket to Vienna.
Again a story of extreme luck in the circumstances but in both cases the outcome has been arrived at by the total resolve of the men to survive the situation through staying calm.
In hindsight we can always come up with what one should have done and I’m sure the planning that goes into the next sailing adventure will cover those missing items and most probably more additions will result 😊
I was shocked by that to! Honestly would expected better common sense on their part. Glad your friend is okay, his story sounds amazing to! ✌
it's one thing goin out in river and bay for a weekend but if goin to sea your boat needs to he seaworthy with proper equipment and safety equipment
It seems to me too many people are going sailing these days without proper preparation and solo sailing is difficult enough with proper preparation over preparation actually you can’t get away for the cheap after all it’s your life
Strange that he only had One head sail I can’t imagine going out without having a working jib as well as the genny.
One of the world's worst places to find yourself in that situation. Going alongside a ship in those conditions would be frightening.
incredible story... a true miracle
It would be interesting if, when your ideas were sorted out, you would tell us what you would have added or removed from your sailboat's equipment or what you would have done differently...
excellent video a big hug
His boat looks huge for just one guy. A 47 foot boat for one guy with no extra sails? I mean there was never a time to fix the sails or put on a spare? I mean say's "I was motoring for four days....." That seems strange.
Wow. Surrounding Kim in so much love and healing. Very traumatic situation. Glad he’s home safe with family. Crew were absolute heroes and hearts of gold. ❤️🙏🏻❤️
Wow, what a story. Thank you all for sharing it with us. I want to say thank you to the amazing crew of the Riviera too. It's awesome to see there are still people out there who put souls first and are willing to help others even at great risk. ❤️❤️❤️
Grateful that you are safe Kim. You will begin to sleep better as your body and mind heal. Prayers for you that any anxiety will disappear quickly. Embrace what you've learned and the loved ones in your life. Better days ahead for you!
Very dramatic. but it shows again: not the boat was in mayday, it was the person! he dont know how to help himself, and he dont have the nerves to save the boat. he cant build a drift anchor? of course it was insured. and again it shows the usefullness from maststeps.
really only 2 sails? how is this possible? glad to hear everything went well... still, preparation is key isn't it?
Im sure he has good insurance, i didnt have and just handled and survived it without abandoned my boat. What a bs.
Meine Fresse!
Ich habe schon viel gesehen und auch erlebt!
Aber bei der Geschichte hatte ich auch mit den Tränen zu kämpfen..!
So wie ich das sehe , war wohl die Vorbereitung nicht so ganz perfekt...
Aber, nachher ist man eben immer schlauer..!
Ich wünsche Kim viel Kraft, und dass er seine Ängste überwindet!
Gut, wenn er wieder auf´s Pferd steigt! Aber bitte nicht mehr alleine!
Wer weiß was passiert, wenn es ihn dann vielleicht doch wieder einholt....
Thanks for the story nice it all worked out 👍that swell was hectic 😮Few tense moments watching can’t imagine living it .. nice job cargo ship 👍
When he is being lifted up in the basket it looks like he was in real danger of being whacked by his own mast as it was swaying back and forth. The basket was completely out of the water the entire time he was approaching it and then as soon as he gets in the basket it drops down three or four feet, wrecking his leg, stealing his belongings, and getting him soaking wet. I guess the ocean isn't cold in that part of the world so that's a plus.
Wowza…What a Story…At least he Survived…A bunch of “Heroes” in my View. Continue to Stay Safe and Enjoy 😎
Wow. So happy Kim survived. One thing I think I learned from this video is: my boat is 45'. Until now I've just assumed that the larger the ship the more and better resources - therefor safer. After hearing Kim's story and how difficult and dangerous it can be to be hoisted aboard a large ship, maybe a smaller boat arriving later is of some use. I think now if I hear a May Day call, I should head in that direction until I arrive in the area or until I hear that the situation is resolved. Maybe the large ship gets there more quickly, but maybe because my boat is closer to the size of Kim's boat, transferring to my boat would be easier and safer. Possibly even by dinghy. Good video. Thanks
Glad you learned something from the video. Ken
Not easier and definitely not safer! Two small FG vessels bouncing around in close proximity is a disaster waiting to happen!
Why I’m not a fan of solo sailing.
What an incredible story! Thank God he was rescued and is safe. Was his boat insured? Please clarify whether insurance will cover the loss of his boat? Wishing Kim all the best and a quick recovery. 🙏🏼
There are so many types of insurance, and not sure what Kim's coverage was for his yacht. But, from everything I have heard about insurance companies they usually find a reason not to pay. I am just happy that I have never had to call my Insurance company except for setting up the policy. Fair Winds
Always reduce sail at night fall if solo passaging
What a story. Is a surprise that there wheare no sails for backup.
It’s not only about backup sails. He’s solo sailor in big seas…
@@SailingAquarius - Eventually the seas calm. Why panic? I would not have left my vessel. I would have ridden it out.
The 'rescue' looked incredibly dangerous to me. Any number of things could have occurred with a far worse outcome when two vessels converge in heavy seas.
wait out the weather? then what, he still had no engine and no back up sails.
Needle
Thread
?
Ok not judging or second guessing your or anyone's actions.
As a old mechanic with a substantial amount of experience working on junk . When a non automatic transmissions starts screaming and is stuck in gear . That's a lubrication issue well the lack of.
Anyway add oil to the transmission. There is a extremely good chance that if you restart the motor even in gear within a few minutes the transmission will be able to shift and act normally.
In a life or death situation needing oil gear oil motor oil mineral oil then anything slick cooking oil hot melted crisco whatever it will buy a little time.
Wauw, what a incredible story. Very good handling of the situation. All the best to you Kim!
Thank you for sharing Kim,s recovery with us. The hero's on the ship deserve a reward. I think it an excellent idea that Kim has about going around sailing clubs to share his storey and video, it will be the best healing process. I wish him all the very best for the future and hope he will make it back on the water soon.
Sir, thanks for your frankness and for the lessons learned here.
That being said there is a whole bunch of wrong going on here. When going out to sea solo it is imperative to be self reliant not expecting help. You left a well found capable yacht.
This is a great demonstration as to why all and solo sailors especially should carry a Jordan-Series Drogue.
Deploy the drogue and wait it out then fix your stuff.
wow blessings to all involved 🙏💙
We always have spareparts and everything on board...and we hope never to have let a swimming boat go. We think leaving the boat this way is more dangerious and not the best solution, but you never know. 😢
Thank you for sharing your story Kim! You are so brave and courageous! Sending you so much love and light 💕
What an amazing story of survival & heroism.
This could of happened to any experienced sailor. And it’s his miraculous survival that will teach us all in times of peril to remain strong, stay calm and call to what gives you strength. In Kim’s case it was his family. Brings tears as I watched his emotion thinking about them.
The heroism of the Captain of the Cargo ship & the humanity of the crew. Please tell Kim to share his miraculous story.
Actually no. Don't be satisfied with this performance.
We had a very sad incident happen locally about 40 years ago. A couple that was cruising in their 30'+ sailboat anchored outside the ICW near Gulfport, MS. A barge tow veered out of the channel and unknowing ran over them. The barges pushed their boat down into the soft, muddy bottom and buried them deep in the mud. Because communications were somewhat primitive, and they went for months without contact, the family wasn't concerned. Nine months later a shrimp boat snagged the mast and pulled the boat out of the muck. The couple were still inside the boat. Please be careful where you anchor.
kim må sige du er en heldig mand vis du skal på tur igen så kontakt mig jeg vil med :D
Thank God there was a wonderful crew to rescue him.
Thank you for sharing!
Our pleasure!
Hi Ken and z could you please pass my best wishes onto Kim and tell him to get better so .thanks
will do! All the best to you!
a sailingvessel that has no sails in any cofiguration to sail in any conditions? no spare halyard
to hoist the main?
Usually the spare halyard will host the spin. But, it might be able to raise the main at least 3/4 of the way up... Though not sure if Kim's boat was rigged with a spin halyard.
Maybe use the halyard from the blown out Genoa.
toss a docking line over the spreader and hoist the main quadruple reefed. So many solutions to this problem.
Thanks God to have so great people around you on that ship! They were the BEST you could have in ur words. That is great. Hope after sometime u can be well recovered to replan ur sailings again! Keep strong! Regards from Recife, Brazil
Very impressive story. Thanks Kim for sharing this. We never can get experienced and learn situations like this. But is worth to see that humans can fight and are strong in situations like this.
What happened with the boat. Have you ever heard of it.?
All the best.. Patrick, Sailor from Switzerland
Wow! So glad he had his wits about him and realized what was most important. Kudos to the crew on the tanker!
Incredible story you will not see anywhere else, I am sorry for Kim but very happy he lived😊
Indeed!
Incredible! Thank you so much for sharing your story. Sounds like you handled a horrific situation incredibly well!
Fascinating, thanks for your story. I have sailed across the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Caribbean and it is lonely out there. Always in the back of my mind is what can happen and how will I manage if the worst does happen. I'm glad you are here to tell your story. It sounds like the tanker Captain and crew were the best. Thank you.
Heart braking. Thank God he's ok.
So happy Kim is safe ❤. I wish I could say the same for the refugees risking their lives on the mediterranean sea 😭. #nooneisillegal #searescueisforeverybody
Harrowing tale, thank you Kim for sharing, your advice will save lives one day. Im curious were these conditions not forecasted?
Forecasts are not always correct
Wonderful travelers insurance, who's that company?
Wow, what an incredible story and demonstration of will power. I am glad you are alive Kim and willing to share your story. Best of luck for the future and your recovery!
Thank you for sharing this,very traumatic, but reality when it happens
I looked at the video several times and still can not figure out, why did he didn’t deploy his sail raft or dingy and load all what ever he wants to take with him. I know that stress is high in such situations, but …. Surely judging from distance is not correct as we have not been on the boat. Good is that he is safe now.
New sails, maybee, he don not lost his Ship. Very old sails are a problem. I hope he can buy a new Ship🍀🍀
I admit I don't entirely get it - were there only two sails on board? Why didn't he release the life raft? How come there seems to have been no attempt to stabilize the boat with a floater? And other comments state that he had his head cool, but it doesn't sound like it at all - more like a cumulation of human errors in combination with a lack of maintenance of the boat!
Coulda, shoulda, woulda, but in anaylsis, perhaps evacuation in the inflatable to the rescue net might have been safer for everyone?? The risk is getting separated from the sailboat I guess
Inflatable to the pilot door?
Inflatable to rescue dip net, to avoid collisions entanglement with mast and rigging, that mast almost hit him several times, only by the grace of god he made it up. It looks like they have pirate razor wire all around the ship as well!!
did you make sure the boat would sink before leaving it ? or your just left it there floating to be a wandering hazard to others ??
you have a mast and you have your sails, i do not understand WHAT is the emergency ??
Many years ago when I first started sailing, an old sailor with years of experience gave me the following advice. 1. The water is always going to be deeper wherever you find yourself and your boat. 2. No matter the condition of the boat, it will always take a much worse beating than a man, or a human, so take care of it, it will take care of you. 3. If you think the weather is bad, it will always be worse wherever you are sailing toward. 4. if you think you've sailed close hauled far enough to tack into a safe harbor, then you haven't, you need to sail at least twice, thrice longer close-hauled and even then it's doubtful you'll make it in one tack coming about. This advice made me think deeply about my sailing venture and it has served me well ever since.
I was watching Sailing Zatara video last week and they mention Kim story and their boat hatch being on his boat. Never thought I would get first hand knowledge from Kim about it. I am so Glad that he was rescued. I have a boat and I love it so much. I know it was very hard for him to leave drifting. But like he said, it was his life or the boat.
I see loads of emotional comments down here, and for sure we are all very happy this guy is safe at home, but all the story seems to me deeply pervaded of very, very bad seamanship and "white man psychology". I had to listen twice to the video to be sure this man was really saying that he wanted to turn bow on the wind to furl the Genoa. If this is the seamanship and the sailing competence you are at risk with 10 knot of wind in August in the Med, not to say being singlehanded in the Indian Ocean at night. Then there is the fact that this guy, rightly so, wanted to spare his money. Crew "were asking too much", he cannot consider the other way round, that he simply could not afford it: this is white man psychology, it's never our fault. And in the white modern man mind what do you do when you are lost in the middle of the Indian Ocean? Call danish coast guard! The white man psychology is this, we are able to do only a very wee bit fractional piece of what feeds us and keeps us alive, being a competent and respected account supervisor pedaling daily from home to the office deprives you of the chance of learning to be self sufficient. I like Aquarius channel because the guy sails knowing that he is in charge of the problems of his boat.
I think you are right on point here. This situation was barely worthy of a pan-pan certainly not a mayday. What would you say, I am in the Indian Ocean without the knowledge or experience to skipper the yacht. The boat is clearly rigged for Harbour. If there had been any kind of weather that sun shade would not be still over the aft of the boat. It would have made a satisfactory square sail I imagine.. That dingy should surely have been stowed below before setting off to cross an ocean. Being as it was there it would have been ideal to transfer to the ship.
add to this that he somehow forgot to take the damn wallet and a passport into his pocket when evacuating. Then of course the embassy staff is to blame on that he can't get into the plane.
@@marcink5820 ...and the computer, which could take his life, must be left behind.
Praise the Lord for small miracles and big ships.
Amazing Legit Captain Culture, all the way around, I’m grateful for the Caring Tanker Captain and that you are Survivor, Elite Class, kudos and thank you for sharing, done the prop in a chop in the dark, I can not want that to be the lesser of a rough trip, when is the movie? wow.
Cool story, I have 8000klm to go in my journey and hope to have the same luck getting home.
I’m really proud of Kim decision and promise to his daughter.
And really happy that he is alive.
also need extra salls and backup ways to set them
Well done Kim for taking excellent decisions and being so courageous. I too am a solo sailor so understand the vulnerability . I certainly would not have swum under the boat in the dark…..truly brave. What a great story from which we can all take lessons.
I’m a solo sailor too and agree wholeheartedly.
Just came across your channel.. thanks for sharing this story.. Also all the best to you two.. Sawasdee from Southern Thailand.
Thanks and welcome
wow - what an amazing story
i am glad u made it what a story man, all the best for you and fast recovery
Any news on the boat , I wonder if he had any other sails on board ? He couldnt of had a topping lift . Got sunk in the Tasman sea by a Orca in a 36 foot schooner many years ago , So feel for the guy .
Can you tell us more about it?
@@elizabethmaggs3412 Its a long 'weird' story > Orca having his way with the yacht , Funny now but not at the time .
When I was sailing with my husband about 30 years ago he had a good library with a book written by a family who were sunk by an orca.
I know this happens now off Portugal frequently.
I guess orcas have always done this.
It sounds absolutely terrifying! Our boat was steel and they would not have liked it!
By any chance did you remember to grab the box for Zatara before abandoning ship? Shame you didn’t rig a sail to save your vessel 😢
Oh my God, what a story ... but thanks to our God ..... at the end...... everything was on good way. Thanks for the story and take care !!!! cheers Siegmar
Thank you. We also appreciate Kim sharing the story
Why to people keep talking about God?
was it god that blew out his sails?
Kim you were so lucky to get on that ship! You are blessed 🙏