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On the tail end of a Pacific voyage to Tahiti and Hawaii, the cruise ship Silver Whisper had the opportunity to save a solo sailor whose yacht had been dismasted off the Pacific coast.
On Tuesday, the crew of the Silver Whisper got a distress call from the Canadian-flagged sailboat April Alice. The small yacht was dismasted and disabled at a position about 420 nautical miles off the coast of Oregon, and the sole crewmember had sustained a shoulder injury. The casualty was too far from shore for a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter rescue, and Silver Whisper was the vessel best placed to respond. The master diverted slightly northward to meet up with the yacht, arriving about seven hours later.
On arrival, the crew found that the vessel in distress was in rough shape, lacking its mast and with rigging in disarray. In a typically rough North Pacific swell, the master of Silver Whisper maneuvered carefully alongside, and the crew passed a line across to the April Alice to secure the sailboat; however, the line parted, and the cruise ship's captain had to repeat the evolution. This time it was successful, and the survivor came aboard. He was provided a medical evaluation and initial treatment for his shoulder injury.
About one hour after beginning the rescue operation, Silver Whisper got under way once more, leaving the wreck of the sailboat behind. The cruise ship returned to her home port of Vancouver on schedule on Thursday.
Passenger Jeff Hall told the Vancouver Sun that the captain had instructed guests to return to their cabins during the rescue due to rough conditions and the need to secure the ship's stabilizers; most complied.
"They missed one of the best parts of the cruise. We all - except for those who returned to their cabins - had a bird's-eye view of the rescue," Hall told the outlet.
Fuente: Maritime Executive
