FL FL - Isabella Hellmann, 41, catamaran off Cay Sal, SE of the FL Keys, 14 May 2017 #1 *GUILTY*

[Hatfield]

Why would you stop the boat when she is moving with the tide? THAT makes no sense.

Because the boat was moving much faster than the tide. He either had the motor going or sails up since they surely werent just using the "tide" to get from place to place. That is why you stop the boat to look for her with a flashlight at least.

 

[Hiandmighty]

Ok. key west. Maybe he was sick?

I think he said he had to keep the boat on track meaning he had to keep the boat on track with her... she would be in the current. He had to track with where she would be.

 

[Hiandmighty]

Because the boat was moving much faster than the tide. He either had the motor going or sails up since they surely werent just using the "tide" to get from place to place. That is why you stop the boat to look for her with a flashlight at least.

They likely weren't actively sailing at night. They were sailing slowly because she was on watch. She likely was basically maintaining course.

 

[bears10]

They likely weren't actively sailing at night. They were sailing slowly because she was on watch. She likely was basically maintaining course.

So sailing that slowly could cause her to go overboard but no evidence of a crash according to authorities? Maybe you see things differently because you have a boat.

ETA- i an beating a dead horse but why would you have an inexperienced person maintain course in the pitch black - when you could easily have waited until morning. She told her sister she'd see her the next day!!

 

[Hiandmighty]

So maybe they had to leave when they did so that she would make her sister's graduation....

 

[Hiandmighty]

So sailing that slowly could cause her to go overboard but no evidence of a crash according to authorities? Maybe you see things differently because you have a boat.

ETA- i an beating a dead horse but why would you have an inexperienced person maintain course in the pitch black - when you could easily have waited until morning. She told her sister she'd see her the next day!!

Inertia happens at all speeds (body at motion stays in motion; body at rest stays at rest)...

 

[JerseyGirl]

An EPIRB is stored or mounted. You don't hold it or wear it.

So it's mounted on the boat? So we have to assume that he used it before the boat rolled over.

And the personal beacon, he could have given her that or could have made it a rule that a watch person should carry one.

 

[JerseyGirl]

So maybe they had to leave when they did so that she would make her sister's graduation....

Her sister's graduation was on Saturday.

They left Cuba at 5:30 p.m. Sunday night.

 

[bears10]

Inertia happens at all speeds (body at motion stays in motion; body at rest stays at rest)...

Ok fair. I take the body in motion stays in motion differently. I say it in terms of health and working out. But that's not the issue.

You aren't addressing why he let her take night watch when they left Cuba at 530pm and were scheduled to be in Florida the next day. Why not get a cheap hotel and leave at sunrise? So no one has to do night shift?

 

[Hiandmighty]

The mounted version automatically deploys when it hits water.

The handheld one you keep in the ditch bag, which we keep in the console or in the head. You issue a "Pan Pan" on the VHF radio, give the information (specific information given in a specific way about coordinates. Make, model, souls on board etc describe problem)... Pan Pan is before May Day. Mayday is we are going down.

Usually you have warning that bad things are happening, things are turning south for the situation....

After Pan Pan and May Day, then you to get the Epirb and location beacons.

 

[bears10]

The mounted version automatically deploys when it hits water.

The handheld one you keep in the ditch bag, which we keep in the console or in the head. You issue a "Pan Pan" on the VHF radio, give the information (specific information given in a specific way about coordinates. Make, model, souls on board etc describe problem)... Pan Pan is before May Day. Mayday is we are going down.


Usually you have warning that bad things are happening, things are turning south for the situation....

After Pan Pan and May Day, then you to get the Epirb and location beacons.

You are talking about your opinions and experiences with emergency situations, thanks. As an experienced sailor, what is your opinion on the other aspects? I.E. why he let her take night watch when they left Cuba at 530pm and were scheduled to be in Florida the next day. Why not get a cheap hotel and leave at sunrise? So no one has to do night shift?

 

[Hatfield]

JMO

In his responses to the sisters questions he just made it sound like he made zero effort to look for her. The priority should have been to try to find her.

And then he loses more credibility with this reply to her. WTH? .

"....said Dayana. “I asked him, do you think she’s alive? Do you think she’s dead? And he said ‘I think she she’s asleep.’ That was his answer.”

http://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-p...ut-trip-questions-what-happened-to-her-sister

 

[Hiandmighty]

You are talking about your opinions and experiences with emergency situations, thanks. As an experienced sailor, what is your opinion on the other aspects? I.E. why he let her take night watch when they left Cuba at 530pm and were scheduled to be in Florida the next day. Why not get a cheap hotel and leave at sunrise? So no one has to do night shift?

My guess would be weather as a first factor. Check the weather report the next day from where they left.

 

[bears10]

My guess would be weather as a first factor. Check the weather report the next day from where they left.

Can you elaborate? What kind of weather would make you feel comfortable with a rookie taking the wheel at night as opposed to waiting until dawn?

ETA ok you said check the weather for the next day, which I didn't and I'm not sure you did either. Even if the weather the next day was bad, wait it out! He clearly had no job to rush back to, and her job seems very understanding. If it gets unrealistic to sail back, then as a man he should have had her fly back. No real man puts his woman in danger EVER

ETA 2 - we aren't going to see eye to eye on this so it's probably best to not engage with one another. Nothing but love, but we have. Very different perspectives <3

 

[Mercedes]

Is Isabella wealthy? Does he stand to benefit financially from her death?

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No.......

 

[Bently]

Why would you stop the boat when she is moving with the tide? THAT makes no sense.

It just hit me what other people are saying and I had a disconnect from some others posting here perhaps?

They are saying he should have dropped the boat sails and no longer power (if it was) the boat to let it drift with the current... to stop it from moving with the wind or under engine power.

It appears from photographs that we see the sail underneath the water, and the boat was not drifting with the current it was still under sail when he got off board, and then turned over later that is why he was so far from the boat?

:duh: sometimes (often?) I miss the obvious I apologize

Sorry folks, I missed that.

 

[Bently]

Because the boat was moving much faster than the tide. He either had the motor going or sails up since they surely werent just using the "tide" to get from place to place. That is why you stop the boat to look for her with a flashlight at least.

Thanks, it just hit me also as to sail up...

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

As Hiandmighty is demonstrating experienced boaters know these things about backpacks what they are called, where they are located etc.

Inexperienced boaters likely don't know these things (me). And I believe it was reported that IH wasn't an experienced boater. She may not have known.

She likely didn't have time. Something hit the boat and knocked her off balance and she was in the water. No time to grab anything. I wonder what the water temperature was?

At my old job, we imported roughly 10-20 containers worth of material a week. I dealt a lot with the ocean freight logistics, so I have knowledge on shipping containers but do not claim to be an expert. That being said, I would be very surprised if they hit a shipping container. Not because containers don't fall off the vessels - they certainly can and have. But containers are extremely heavy - ours weighed roughly 55,000 lbs each - and IMO more likely to sink than float.

http://www.oceannavigator.com/March-April-2013/A-legendary-offshore-danger/

http://www.yachtingworld.com/comment/shipping-containers-lost-at-sea-61867

http://www.yachtingmonthly.com/sailing-skills/how-big-a-risk-are-shipping-containers-32722



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[wildebeest]

No sarcasm, please don't take this wrong - is it textbook to let an inexperienced person navigate in the middle of the night when you could instead sleep on land and leave in the morning? Just trying to understand why they left in the evening and then he had her keep watch in the pitch black and the middle of the sea.

Exactly! It doesn't make sense. And as Judge Judy would say: "If it doesn't make sense, it must not be true."

IMHO

 

[bears10]

She likely didn't have time. Something hit the boat and knocked her off balance and she was in the water. No time to grab anything. I wonder what the water temperature was?




http://www.oceannavigator.com/March-April-2013/A-legendary-offshore-danger/

http://www.yachtingworld.com/comment/shipping-containers-lost-at-sea-61867

http://www.yachtingmonthly.com/sailing-skills/how-big-a-risk-are-shipping-containers-32722



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Thanks, I've seen these links. I personally just think a random container in their way is much less likely than foul play. Also, if it was a container, understand that these things are 20' and 40'. Meaning pretty hard to miss. So if they DID hit a container, it was probably because a rookie was behind the wheel in the dark. Just yet another reason her taking night shift is absurd.