Noted Sailing Writer Rescued off Virginia

January 16, 2014

Survivor Charles Doane (front right) walks away from a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter that rescued 4 from a disabled sailboat 300 nautical miles east of Virginia Beach (VA) U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd class David Weydert.
Survivor Charles Doane (front right) walks away from a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter that rescued 4 from a disabled sailboat 300 nautical miles east of Virginia Beach (VA) U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd class David Weydert.

Charles “Charlie” Doane, a well-known sailing writer and experienced sailor based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and 3 others were rescued on Tuesday, January 14, by the Coast Guard when the boat he was helping to sail to the Virgin Islands encountered heavy weather and lost power some 300 miles off Virginia, according to a report on WMUR.com.

“We got hit very hard by one big wave, all across the front of the boat, lots of water spurting in,” Doane was quoted as saying after the rescue. “We were having problems controlling the boat. (We) did a couple uncontrolled jibes. The boat spun around in circles twice.”

A Coast Guard helicopter crew successfully airlifted the crew as they abandoned ship in the heavy seas. The boast was left adrift, and was expected to sink.

Watch the full video of the Coast Guard rescue.

Read more about the rescue of Charles Doane and 3 other sailors off Virginia.

 

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