I think the guy is a nut case but the weather was bad. I know I don't want
to be out in wind of 60 knots.









Loss Of The Sea Anchor
Dom Mee had been riding out a 40-knot gale two days prior to when the big
storm hit, as he had been doing for most of his attempt during this
hurricane season. On September 25th, Mee checked the wind, which at 05:00
was blowing 55 knots gusting to 60. The sea anchor's trip line was stretched
tight and seemed ready to pull the cleat securing it right off the deck. It
was already fouled on the main anchor line causing the stern to point into
building huge seas. Mee released the trip line but as he did so, heard the
sound of a large breaking wave from the opposite direction of the main
swell. He dove below deck before it hit.

Mee became aware that the small boat was listing to port which was odd, and
upon checking the reason found the boat had spun 360 degrees and the main
sea anchor line had become wrapped around the keel. As his boat sat beam on
to the building seas, the anchor rope cut into her keel. The rope soon
snapped.

Mee quickly got into his dry suit, assembled emergency equipment survival
bag to prepare for whatever came next. Mee stated that, "At that time I was
not in imminent danger, but still a very dangerous situation." But then the
boat rolled. As designed, it righted itself as Meed struggled to keep the
electronics from getting wet. The boat continued to roll seven more times,
but on the final roll it stayed inverted.

Rescue
The cabin began to flood as water poured in through the solar vent. Mee
activated his EPIRB only at the last minute with just an inch of air left in
the cabin before making his escape. As he swam out he became entangled in
kite lines, which had wrapped around the cockpit, but finally managed to
escape. As he made it to the surface he was greeted by a very scary storm.
Mee pulled himself onto the overturned hull and clung to the keel.

Assessing his situation, he felt he "had a 5% chance of making it till help
arrived", and then activated his PLB. He clung to the keel for five hours
before a huge wave broke over the boat. "I thought that this was the end of
us, but it turned over Little Murka." He was connected to the small vessel
by a line and proceeded to use every other line available to attach any
heavy items to the boat to act as stabilizers. He used the kite's to act as
sea anchors which worked to stop the capsizing for a while. For seven hours
he bailed out the cabin. Mee was able to return below deck and get a rest
from the elements, "as I knew we may have to survive for a further 30
hours."

Mee spotted a Hercules SAR aircraft over head. The Hercules dropped a life
raft and two bags which he used as drogues for more stabilization. The Berg
Nord came but was unable to locate Mee in the large swell and waited until
first light to continue to search. Five hours later the CCV Cygnus arrived,
launched a small rescue craft and transferred him across to the Cygnus.