"Joe" wrote in message
...
snipped.
I know if I had an 87 fter like this a meer 8 hours away

http://www.uscg.mil/d8/cgcHeron/img/cgcHeron.jpg

and were in command, I could have taken RedCloud under tow in the
conditions we were in, it would have been a hell of a ride, but I
would have been chomping at the bit to go.

I'm grafeful for all the assistance the USCG gave, but IMO if they
wanted to, they could have worked with me and saved my home and
business. All my career I have been lucky enough to only assit the
USCG, and have always been egar to do so.

Well that's my rant..I have no one to blame but myself. I put my
vessel in a bad spot at a bad time and got what I had coming. If you
head offshore and you get any assitance at all....you need to feel
damn lucky for it.

Joe, that is really tough and I feel for you. But since your steering
quadrant was broken there is not much else you could have done in seas like
we saw on the video if you could not steer. It really is bad luck that the
broken link pierced your fine steel hull and presumably that is what let her
sink rather than any leakage into the coachhouse. Best wishes.







































With those you should at least be able to pick up Taupo Maritime Radio/
ZLM, New Zealand if you're in the South Pacific... I don't really
know if anyone else is still listening. There are equivalent DSC
frequencies for those so equipped. Also, there's usually a HAM on
14.300 who knows how to deal with a priority call. You don't need to
be a HAM if you've got priority traffic -- don't let the radio cops
scare you away!

-- Tom.