Two American Women Rescued After Five Months at Sea

[Arkansas Granny]

Two American women lost at sea for five long months have been rescued after a broken mast and a disabled engine took them thousands of miles off course.

Jennifer Appel, 48, and friend Tasha Fuiava were found by a Taiwanese fishing vessel around 900 miles southeast of Japan, the U.S. Navy said Thursday. A Navy ship based out of Sasebo, Japan, rescued them on Wednesday morning Japan time.
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On May 23, the women set off from Oahu bound for Tahiti, about 2,600 miles away, but problems soon arose. First, a piece of the mast called a spreader failed, Appel said, limiting the sailboat's maneuverability, and on May 30 a storm flooded the engine. Communications were also impacted.
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On the 99th day of distress calls, a Taiwanese fishing vessel found them, they said. It began towing the sailboat, but by that time Appel said the ship was in such poor condition she estimates it wouldn’t have lasted another a day.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/two-american-sailors-rescued-after-five-months-sea-n814806?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma

You've got to love this attitude: "Well, you gotta die sometime," Appel said. "You may as well be doing something you enjoy when you're doing it."

[hlthe2b]

1. Had a desalination unit and a year's worth of oatmeal and other freeze dried foods...

Lucky for them (and their dogs). Kudos to the rescuers.

[Luz]

2. Yes, but who loads up on a years worth of food for

a three hour tour? I know, but it seems like a lot of food (and fuel to cook with) for what was supposed to be a relatively short trip.

[Arkansas Granny]

3. Apparently they had received that advice from sailing experts in Hawaii.

Lucky for them that they listened.

[Squinch]

4. 2600 miles in a sailboat isn't a short trip.

[panader0]

19. Honolulu to Tahiti? A short trip?

[Luz]

21. A year though? How long could it take? I really have no idea.

[HipChick]

5. Both are avowed Trump supporters...

and Clinton and Obama haters..

[Arkansas Granny]

7. That's too bad, but j still wouldnt wish them harm.

[HipChick]

10. Nothing about harm...but it might explain their thought process..or lack thereof...

[irisblue]

14. Where did you find that?

a very short google search didn't turn that up for me. Thanks

[HipChick]

16. Check their Facebook page, They are also an inter-racial couple

and the black woman's aunt already gave an interview to the media
Her FB page also carries the same type of anti-Hillary/Obama content

[irisblue]

18. Oh, I don't FB....

pro trump intra racial dog loving couple.....?giving me a headache. Ibuprofen time & lots of water I think.

[Sailor65x1]

15. Where did you see that?

I didn't see anything about it in the article.

[Gothmog]

6. These two ladies are lucky

[HipChick]

8. I think they were not smart in the first place..

[Gothmog]

9. How do you break a sailing ship?

[maxsolomon]

12. How do you stop a sailing ship FROM breaking?

Asks anyone who's ever owned one.

[Sailor65x1]

11. Not smart and poorly equipped

Equipping the boat with a $600 EPIRB, available at any West Marine, or even Amazon, would have ended this crisis quickly.

[maxsolomon]

13. Well, they are Trump supporters

Per a previous post.

[HipChick]

17. Exactly...You seem to be a sailor and know what you are talking about here

They brought this on themselves...

[octoberlib]

20. This is what doesn't make sense to me. They talked to sailing experts in Hawaii who told

them to carry a year's worth of food but didn't tell them to bring an EPIRB? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_position-indicating_radiobeacon_station

[Sailor65x1]

23. My guess

Is that someone did suggest it and they didn't want to spend the money.

[EX500rider]

24. Hardly room for a years worth of food for 2 on a 50' sailboat.

Strange story...could have jury rigged some shrouds (cables that hold the mast up) and kept sailing.

[Sailor65x1]

22. Yes

They sure did