Crew of Tall Ship off NC Abandons Ship

[cali]

The Coast Guard says the crew has abandoned a tall ship in distress off North Carolina's Outer Banks as Hurricane Sandy swirls toward the East Coast.

Petty Officer 3rd Class David Weydert said Monday morning that the 17 people aboard the HMS Bounty have gotten into two lifeboats, wearing survival suits and life jackets.

Weydert says the Coast Guard is trying to determine whether to use cutters or helicopters to rescue the crew.

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http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/crew-tall-ship-off-nc-abandons-ship-17587146#.UI5lR2etDfY

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Praying for their safety!

[liberal N proud]

2. They have know about this storm for days - Why were they out there?

I pray the are all safe, but question their judgment for going out into such a storm.

[cali]

4. Agreed, but it's the responsibility of one person- the onus falls on the Captain.

[liberal N proud]

5. No doubt.

Pray for the crew that had to follow him into the path.

You have to wonder, was the Captain just looking to become infamous or hoping to have a really big tale to tell?

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. We saw that ship off of Harpswell, ME 10 days ago, headed south

I'm hoping the crew will be rescued quickly.

Very sad, indeed.

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. Yeah, she was here a bit before that. My younger son toured the ship, and will be very sad.

[leveymg]

8. Did that ship have an authentic 18th Century marine weather radio?

Is there ANY reason they didn't head to the nearest port two days ago? Or, was the Captain possessed by the spirit of Blye - wasn't there a single Mr. Christian aboard to take over?

[BumRushDaShow]

7. I thought the Coast Guard told all ships to head far out to sea?

but sadly with that type of sailing ship, they are toast if they even bother trying to leave port at all with a huge storm like this.

[HooptieWagon]

12. Modern large ships, yes.

Large commercial and warships safer at sea, they have the speed to outrun storm. Old-fashioned square-rigged sailing ships do not, and they are unweildy to handle. They would have been better to sought shelter in the Chesapeake Bay or New York Harbor.

[snooper2]

9. The use of the word "Tall" here is odd to me...

Are they saying since it was a tall ship it had more trouble than a short ship would have?

is a Tall Ship a special type of ship?

[JHB]

10. "Tall Ship" is a traditional term referring to tall-masted sailing vessels

Back when the only forms of ship propulsion were sail or oars, large sailing vessels had tall masts simply as a function of how to catch as much wind in their sails as possible. Some wag long ago waxed poetic about "tall ships", and ever since it has been a term for pre-steamship era large sailing vessels.

[snooper2]

11. Thanks, learned something new today and it's not even 10:00