Subic2Hebe Debacle
 

You Only Live Twice - rescued (again) http://www.pprune.org/images/blackline.gif
Last week we reported the rescue of two oarsmen and their boat, Sunny, who had set out to row from Subic Bay (Philippines) to Hebe Haven (Hong Kong) to raise money for The Sunnyside Club and Children’s Cardiac Care Hong Kong – and incidentally become the first people ever to make the 600 nm crossing in a rowing boat.

The attempt turned sour when unexpectedly bad weather – and even worse forecast weather - caused the voyage to be abandoned. After a full HKMRCC (Hong Kong Marine Rescue Coordination Centre) organised operation, the two rowers, Stu Pryke and John Graham, were rescued by a container ship and transported back to Manila. The boat, Sunny, was taken in tow at 16 kts or more but (not surprisingly) the towline snapped.

That really should have been the end of the story – big pat on the back for the rescue services, congratulations on top quality seamanship for the commercial shipping involved, bad luck lads, nice try, game over, sorry it didn’t work out, glad that you are alive and well.

But Sunny had on board a tracking device, put there for safety and PR reasons, and it was still transmitting. The temptation of knowing where the boat was, and a lull in the weather, proved too much for Pryke who chartered a 65’ sailing yacht, the Sailabout, complete with two Filipino crew and owner Jon Young, to go and look for and hopefully salvage the rowing boat.

According to the Subic2Hebe Challenge website (Wednesday14 May), 'Time (is) the essence as there is some pretty foul weather forecast in the area for Friday through to Monday with another warning from Typhoon 2000 that another Tropical Cyclone is assured in the next 24-48 hours.' At the same time they noted, 'In our favour the weather is bad enough for the Philippine fishing fleet to be safe at anchor so there are not many boats out there that could throw a line on her (and claim salvage).'

Then, knowing full well that there was some nasty weather ‘out there’, they sailed straight into the forecast bad weather that had contributed to the abandonment of the rowing attempt in the first place.

During Friday 16 May TD Halong (Cosme) continued to strengthen, and at 16.30 hrs Pryke made a satphone call advising that they were abandoning all attempts to retrieve Sunny, and asking that Hong Kong MRCC be advised of their position 'in case things got worse overnight' – and Sailabout started heading back towards the shelter of a Philippines’ port. Sunny was declared ‘abandoned’ in high seas and winds in excess of 50 kts. At 0650 hrs on 17 May, Pryke made another call: MAYDAY - two hatches had failed, Sailabout was taking on water, and boat and crew were in 'grave danger'.

UK authorities picked up a signal from an unregistered personal EPIRB and passed the alert on to HK MRCC, who were able to confirm that Pryke did in fact own a personal EPIRB. Then, as the position of the EPIRB transmission and the last reported position of the yacht were very close, fixed wing aircraft from Hong Kong and the Philippines were despatched to search. Two commercial vessels, the LPG tanker ‘Mill Reef’ and container ship Evergreen Uni Prudent were diverted to assist from about 100 nm away.

At 1645 hrs Mill Reef advised that they had rescued all four crew members from Sailabout, and were heading for Yantian port, Shenzhen, China on the north shore of Mirs Bay. Winds at the time were a steady 50+ knots, gusting 70 knots.

Sailabout was abandoned and has either sunk or is drifting. All the ‘rescuees’ travel documents were lost in the operation - arrangements were made for Pryke, Young, and the two Filipinos to be taken off the Mill Reef in Hong Kong waters as this entailed less complications than their landing without documentation in China. ETA, Monday pm.

We are, of course, delighted to hear that Pryke and his companions are (once more) safe and sound.

And (once more) a big round of applause for the HK MRCC, the HK Government Flying Service, and the Philippine SAR services. A vote of thanks, too, to the Captains and crews of the Mill Reef and the Uni Prudent who were there when they were needed, in the best traditions mutual assistance at sea, and who displayed seamanship of the highest order in responding to a distress call under ferocious weather conditions.

However, we are not prepared to be so congratulatory about the actions that caused the second rescue to be necessary. Being retrieved from severe weather in the South China Sea once is noteworthy, and definitely worth a few beers in the telling at the Club, but causing yourself to be rescued twice – from much the same place – in similar conditions - within a week – suggests a level of recklessness and lack of judgment that is hard to fathom.

We seriously question the wisdom of sailing straight out into the developing storm that had helped send them back to the Philippines in the first place. By doing so, a huge number of people have been massively, needlessly and expensively inconvenienced. Lives have been put at risk, and a great deal of money has been spent for… what? Nothing. Except that now there is a 65’ sailing boat missing, presumed lost, as well as an ocean rowing boat.

In some parts of the world such behaviour would be rewarded with arrest, and charges being laid against the perpetrators – Subic2Hebe Challenge should be thankful that this is not the case in either Hong Kong or the Philippines. We do not advocate mandatory charging for rescues at sea – that could lead to at least two very unpleasant scenarios: one, where a vessel refuses to render assistance unless (somehow) assurance is given that the bill is going to be paid; and two, that mariners in distress leave it 'too late' in asking for assistance because they fear the financial consequences – and by too late we mean that the rescue services are then exposed to even more severe risk than if the call had been made earlier.

However, since this was a fund-raising exercise in the first place, maybe the Subic2Hebe Challenge would like to reimburse the Hong Kong and Philippines rescue agencies for their expenditure, Jon Young for the loss of his boat, and the Mill Reef and the Uni Prudent for their inconvenience and lost commercial time?

No doubt this tale will be rumbling around the bars for a while yet. There is certainly plenty of ‘comment’ being expressed that has come to my notice already.

Please note that these comments are specifically my opinion, and do not necessarily represent the views of Sail-World.com or its other Editors.

Guy Nowell
Editor, Sail-World Asia

http://www.subic2hebechallenge.com/index.php

17 May. 06:50. A call from Stu to Indy sets the next set of events in motion. Stu advises two hatches have failed and “Sailabout” is taking on water and they are in “grave danger”. Indy calls Roger and a mayday is called.

great planning
 

And...of course it wouldn't occur to two 20 year captains to attempt this valiant and noble effort in other than typhoon season...duh:ugh:

Quite a tale. The rescue bit itself would be pretty hazardous in a heavy seaway. Trust Sailabout was adequately insured.
Are Stu Pryke and John Graham Australian?
p.s. Not about to unflattering about their nationality :)

Both English, both excellent characters.

I cant believe they made it past the Star Chamber with that judgement :}

iLuvPX, my dear colleague, did you think the Star Chamber members is there because of their people skills, judgement abillity or anyexceptional achievements ??? NO my friends, it’s a club for the incompetent who need protection.

Back to the threat , I did training on the 400 with one of the rowers and he is a gentleman and one of the few real instructors in CX.

Blunderbus and all you other experts,

Before you go making comments from a news article(which is inaccurate), why don't you talk to people actually involved with the row. Maybe a little understanding on your part would be good. Both men involved in the row are upstanding individuals and gave alot of themselves for a great charity. At least they get involved and try to do something good.

Hobie5

Fool
 

Hobie please enlighten us with which bit is inaccurate.
What is surprising is that a great guy like John would get involved with a certified fool like Pryke.
An error of judgement I am sure he is regretting.

hobie,

what was inaccurate about the 'great' idea of rowin' during typhoon season? :ok:

gutter press and those who suck it in
 

The Nowell piece was based on sensational collective of titbit narrative, very soon after the rescue was made "public". Much of Guy's article was spun and did little to pronounce either accuracy or truth. Pryke, on solid weather and charter feedback, together with the TEAM decision at Hebe and the RHKYC, was ellected to make the supposedly quick search for "Sunny", assisted by the tracker device.
What became STS Halong, according to local knowledge and the HK Observatory, certainly on the wednesday, had shown significant weekening and had filled back to 1005hp. The window was good for search on a supposedly well found and safe boat, that in the end, turned out NOT to be insured, carried ONLY basic life jackets as safety aids and NOTHING else,(in retrospect, Pryke should have followed thru with a complete safety and integrity audit on the boat...he didn't due to the upstanding advice given by more than 4 respected individuals, all of whom are sailors). Pryke was the charterer but became crew very quickly by default. The owner skipper was negligent in many area and u;ltimately has to bare the responsibility of bringing his ship into a rescue situation, with no bilge pump, storm sails, shutters, rockets, liferaft, epirb, paper charts or reliable helm. A full report is in process, suggest you read it before you pass further judgement. In closing, if it wasn't for Pryke, 4 souls would have been lost at sea. Would your rhetoric have been the same then? possibly. Since morons like you chum. m89, have little else to feed their ligatured egos.

US what?
 

So how do we know that Nowell's piece was so spot on US Marine,(sic).? There was never a typhoon forecast, it was a STS and that only became public knowledge on the Friday. Also JG had almost over a year to assess the so called "lunacy" of such a venture.

Oh and hey big man, and I assume your handle means you wear those sexy fatigues that go with being such a fat arse hero...it would be encumbent to get the facts right before you fire those body shot blanks and then, just maybe then, you can pass judgement on what was and is a noble charity attempt to help a few kids less well off than many others, Sad git!

touche
 

Now that was "spot on".!!

Much as I admire your fighting spirit, Daisy, you seem to be having a conversation with yourself.
Are we missing some posts here, possibly edited or moderated?
ES

Quite a rant from Daisy pryke but still it leaves the original question - why row in typhoon season?

Daisy
 

Why bother?

You will only get wind up's on here

A noble cause and good on them !!!

Yeah, Bush's plan to liberate Iraq was a noble cause also...good on the USA! :ok:

Pacific typhoons per month, copy and pasted from Wikipedia.

Jan 28 0.6
Feb 15 0.3
Mar 26 0.6
Apr 39 0.8
May 64 1.4
Jun 96 2.0
Jul 215 4.6
Aug 312 6.6
Sep 262 5.6
Oct 219 4.7
Nov 134 2.9
Dec 75 1.6

Considering also currents and the winds (which are unfavourable in the wintertime), I'm sure they've done the research before they decided on the date. I just think they were unlucky, really, having two tropical storms and one typhoon within the space of a couple of weeks in the vicinity of the Phillipines.

A very noble cause indeed! Glad everyone is OK. :ok:

subic2hebe
 

I can assure you guys out there, the research was done, there have not been 2 STS in the S.China Sea since 1995 they were simply unlucky and guys I have the facts, I was supporting those 2 great guys and the children they were doing it for.So to all you spineless gits out there please wait for Stu and John to get back to work and then look them both in the eyes and call them fools.
Now please grow up and leave this thread here.

Please see: subic2hebechallenge.com:ok:

Full Report on the Recovery of Sunny written by Stu Pryke dtd Saturday, 31 May 2008 was on here a few minutes ago and now gone, I guess for editing.
Made sobering and informative reading; hope to see it posted again.

Rescue
 

I just hope more money was raised for those deserving Sunnyside kids than was spent on the rescue.

http://www.subic2hebechallenge.com/index.php

Stu's report is on the subic2hebe website and it makes very interesting reading. It is very easy to make judgements from the comfort of the crew hotel.

Considering the events, it makes Guy Nowell's piece look very churlish.

My hat is off to both these men. They attempted that which most would never even consider, and all for charity.
It is easy to sit in the warmth and safety of your home or flightdeck and criticize the decisions they made but it appears to me that they attempted a massive undertaking and stood their ground when things turned sour. That's the type of person I want to fly with. Whether right or wrong, they made the decisions that they made and ,with the heroic efforts of others in the marine and aviation sectors, are here to tell the tale.
Personally I would suggest that unless you have attempted a similar feat for a good cause perhaps we should all keep our negative opinions to ourselves and be grateful for a happy outcome.
I've already got my coat, and can hear the faint whistling of incoming.......!
:ok:

Well said, Wraith.
Having crossed this bit of water six times in the last six years at about the same time of year I can say it is totally unpredictable.
One doesn't climb Everest with predictable weather and I think these guys were exceptionally courageous.
Things can go wrong very quickly in a small boat on the ocean and unless you have been there I suggest you might not be qualified to make the judgement.
ES

Daisy
 

jag330: So to all you spineless gits out there please wait for Stu and John to get back to work and then look them both in the eyes and call them fools.

Daisy won't be looking any of the 49ers in the eye that's for sure..just a gutless punce.

"The ability to keep a cool head in an emergency, maintain poise in the midst of excitement and to refuse to be stampeded are true marks of leadership."

Well done Stu, Jon and RE. You did the planning, had the courage and dedication to get on with it and did the right things at the time. Bad luck on the weather.

Shame on the critics but they are just that - irrelevant.

For them that knows and who sail these waters - Nowell is a bit of an opportunistic wally.

Subic and the 49ers
 

Well, that's a spin from a guy with a pretty huge grudge! Having being backed in to a corner on the Subic issue he or possibly even she (cos you sure don't have any real balls canukman), has to resort to a matter involving something, I should imagine is rather personal, about the unfortunate 49er issue.
Sad that you should bring two cases that attest to "charity" into your pathetic court for public airing. I suggest that you keep your argument and comment focused and in the correct forum for the subject concerned. This is not the place to insert your petty grudges. Would the good Lord save us from twats like you.:ugh:

I have had the pleasure of flying with both Stu and John. Their enthusiasm for adventure and exploration is a quality that is sadly lacking amongst the next generation of folk accustomed to the new age of nanny-state regulations.

The mission was not without risk but was taken for the charity benefit of the Sunnyside Club.

Nature doesn't work to a set flight plan. Sometimes there are forces at work that are beyond the limits of mere mortals.

Their ultimate survival attests to Stu and John's knowledge and professionalism in all areas of seamanship, aviation, preparation and planning.

If you don't understand why they undertook this mission, then you will never understand why mankind has arrived where we are today.

BZ
 

I've been out of HK for a while, left just before this valiant attempt was made. I don't know John very well but I have known Stu for nearly 20years! I have just read his report on the Subic site and couldn't quite make out his reference to Pprune..so had to have a look!!
I can't beleive that I may be sharing a flight deck with some of you pricks that have been posting these critical remarks. When will you blokes understand that there is more to life than DEC Captains, DEFO's, bleatings over retirement etc. Two guys accepted and undertook a challenge that most of us couldn't even imagine, let alone finance, plan and attempt.
As I say, I feel saddened to know that I share my work place with you. What I can say, and will say, is that I'm proud to call Stu and John my work mates. God Bless them!!!!!!!!

US Marine
 

I really thought that arm-chair antics, especially from a fully grown man calling himself 'US Marine', would have worn themselves out by now.Yet instead it becomes obvious that, whoever he is, he must have balls bigger than each typhoon to be able to sit there and state:

"and the claim that most of us dont have the courage to put our arses on the line for charity....maybe so, maybe because we dont want also to put the arses of two rescue ships, GFS, crew on a chartered yacht, local sailors (dodging two drifting hulls) etc on the line as well"

Or maybe, US Marine, you dont have the balls to do it because you know that if you attempted such a voyage and failed, people just like yourself (of the obvious egotistical vibe) would sit in front of you with very little contextual knowledge and critique you from any possible angle, just as long at they dont have to pay much for a seat; after all they do say image is everything in this day and age. As for the Everest analogy you beautifully thought up..well done, did you manage to scribble it down on the back of your menu before having a well earnt nap?

For the rest of you I am sorry to be so childish, it just confuses me how people seem so willing to criticize when they have no-one in front of them; this guy obviously knows Stu and John in some form...yet whispers better than most school girls.

US Marine
 

Respectfully suggest that you get involved and offer assistance to Jon and Stu when they do their next event. Get involved. Man a radio, be a standby emergency contact help prep their boat, leverage your wisdom and do contigency planning for them in case similar happens again.

Helping to raise awareness for the charity is also an important contribution.

Be a gentleman, do it anonymously and do not expect credit or praise for your efforts.

Not helping is your perrogative but please don't pee on their efforts. Find a way to add value and contribute positively.

PS You can start by changing your PPRUNE name. Your contributions to this thread do not do the organisation in question any favours. Semper Fi.

Hello pot, meet kettle...

IlovePX- i think you miss my point- not all readings end up sarcastic- i was implying that with such a supposed name why all the stick? Turns out we all know why US Marine...those are are a mighty fine pair of bitch tits, good to see youve got imagination enough to retort with something below a primary school reading age...do you wear your lappels round the house on your days off aswell? i think its time someone took their dick out the shrink wrap and realised theyre not training anymore...im sure all the hosties still love you though sunshine.

oh and to be fair....i think you've probably got the most PR out of this forum so far US Marine, another gold star stuck on your chart fella

you can berate me as much as you like dude...its not me appearing in the press being labelled a dimwit......trying to blast aside anyone who criticises this venture is fine.....there is much more to come in this story and when the truth comes out, you can buy me a beer for being such a tosser.

get over it
 

Guys, get over it.

it's really pretty simple:

fact: a good effort to make money for charity

fact: it didnt work out, only God not cx pilots controls the weather

fact: it all ended in a bit of a mess.....everyone is safe and you can go round and round and round in circles creating villains and heroes. Stu has told his story, maybe one day we will hear from the others involved.

pprune is as childish as i expected!

fair enough brother...the fact that you will undoubtedly lap up all spin coming from any paper suggests that you would end up having no true account of what happened in the end anyway...in the true fashion of gossip the one track mind is queen. Yea, i'll buy you a beer at the bar, but you can be sure i'd be waiting for you to finish your own tales first...im guessing you'll be the one with your name ironed inside your shirt.

prologue
 

For the benefit of US marine, or should it be "the amaryllis" and to bring an end to the petty mud slinging...these are facts and they come from the coal face. US m, I'm not sure what you are in addition privvy to, that Stu didn't actually meet and John and the team didn't assess at the time but if its pinnacle to the argument, then 4GS lets hear it.

Stu has never "blamed" anyone. Criticism is not blame per say. This was always an altruistic challenge and in the end, it was a success for the 36 kids, together with their various disabilities, to visit Taiwan with their carers. And significant extra with the cash donations will allow the Grantham Hospital to turn on a couple of additional ech cardigrams for sick kids.

John Young has abandoned his recovery of the "sailabout". A boat never in survey for charter although recommended by the big cheese himself in Subic....to whom JY was in significant debt.

Stu AND the team are contributing funds towards the relocation of JY and his family, back to the US. "Sunny" has been held to ransome to the tune of 15,000USD by two Brits in Subic. This will impact on other additional donation events that will directly effect the charity. Any input there USm would be appreciated.

The boat will cost, for repair alone, approx 6 to 8 thousand USD.

Irrespective of the perceived mistakes and lack of "protocol" regarding weather and its availability, pre charter checks etc...for the critiques out there, you were not on the ground but I appreciate that armchairing the event in hindsight is a sport in which we all indulge occasionally.

For the charity, the kids and future events that benefit those less able than those that are fit enuff to hold licence(s) (sic), through risk events, please bring this thing to a close. Whatever personal grudges you have against Stu, have the balls to take it out with him, face on, not on this forum.

In the end, good prevailed. Amen.

I hope there are plans afoot to out the two in Subic Bay and their company. Their names and their profiteering ways should be given to the press in Hong Kong, in the Phillipines and in the United Kingdom.

To hold the boat to ransom when they know it's for charity is appauling. It may be theirs by law, but they should pay the price of public shame for their grubby little cash grab.