[SilvieWaldorfMD]

It's a good thing the US Navy sank their sailboat... otherwise, these morons would've tried to patch it up again and try sailing across the Pacific Ocean again...

[cripplecreek]

LOL My first thought was “I hope the navy sank their boat”.

[Paladin2]

" their boat was taking on water whenever they tried to start the vessel's engine,"

You'd think they would know more about how to fix all of the systems on their craft.

[x1stcav]

If they didn’t have the mechanical acuity to know how to fix a leak when they ran the engine, they had no business out there.

Now, having said that, how does anyone know how accurate the reporting is on this.

Lionheart, 36’ sloop and Ann Marion, 41’ ketch. Both out of ‘Dago.(Just in case anyone wonders about my bonafides on the matter.)

[ozzymandus]

And best of all, they won’t even have to pay for being rescued at the cost of millions of taxpayed dollars. Bet they’re Obama voters.

[Tax-chick]

The assembled members of my family, including Gunner Anoreth, USCG, say these people are idiots.

[Texan5]

I’m just a river and lake person, but 36 ft. sounds awfully tiny for an around the world trip-anyone who would attempt it once might indeed try it again if the boat was repairable.

If they’re so gung ho, they might be safer next time if they use their insurance money to put a down payment on a 50 foot sailboat-a yacht sized one, at least...

[colorado tanker]

More than the boat issue these people never should have attempted this with children that young. I’ve (almost) raised four and I couldn’t begin to count the number of doctor’s office and emergency room visits when they were young. Run the risk of a serious accident or illness in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? Epic parental malpractice.

[leapfrog0202]

This is the part that got me. Defending their decision to set sail with their young children, Eric Kaufman issued a statement from sea on Sunday saying, "This is how our family has lived for seven years. ... We remain confident that we prepared as well as any sailing crew could." Their family has lived this way for 7 years???

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[golux]

...their boat was taking on water whenever they tried to start the vessel's engine...

Now listen to me carefully. Do you have a pen? Write this down. There's a hosey looking thing that goes from a thingy that looks sort of like a can of tuna stuck to the part of the engine facing you, into a big blocky part of the engine, up top and to the side. You'll notice that one side of the big hosey is not attached to the tuna can or the blocky thing.

But in all seriousness I once did have water coming in through an air intake on a Yanmar 3GM30F... No kidding. I never figured that one out.

[Dilbert San Diego]

I don’t understand why the US Navy, California National Guard, US Coast Guard got involved. They were off the coast of Mexico, about 1000 miles away from San Diego. Just how far does American jurisdiction go?

[fatima]

Send them a bill .

[Edward Teach]

It leaked when they ran the engine eh? Sounds like the stuffing box needed to be repacked, which ain’t exactly rocket science.

[kingu]

I’m not one to generally defend gross stupidity, and I have to assume that anyone who is prepared enough to have a sat phone is likely prepared enough with basic sailcraft and knowledge of their boat.

But all the dumping on this family... I’m aghast at how much this ended up costing the taxpayers, and truly wonder why they get to walk away scott-free, but when I compare it to a similar family living in taxpayer paid housing, both adults not working, food stamps, WIC, free health care, etc, etc, etc, the overall ‘costs’ kinda balance out in my book.

While I’d never attempt such a thing (and really can’t imagine two toddlers on a boat for more than a few hours...), least they’re not sitting in government housing sucking at the public teet. Oh, wait, their sailboat is sunk... Maybe that’s just where they are going.

[Figment]

“It’s a good thing the US Navy sank their sailboat... otherwise, these morons would’ve tried to patch it up again and try sailing across the Pacific Ocean again...”

It wouldn’t bother me if they try again,I just hope they get to pay the full cost of the rescue effort

[trisham]

Those poor children.

[SgtHooper]

I am happy they were saved. But now charge them at least $100,000 for the effort.

[BluH2o]

I've had the privilege of making eight trans-Atlantic crossings. Six on US Navy ships and two on a 45m sailboat.
These people, from what I've read, are totally clueless. No excuse a typical wing it liberal mentality ... if it feels good ‘do it’ ... someone will bail our worthless butts out if need be.

[Peter Libra]

I had face the brutal reality of the need to work and sustain one's self. Old country saying was: Money does not grown on trees. Now retired, I read about people in America and Canada who just do not seem to have to work.

I just had to yell this statement- "where do they get their money from?" Alas, I and possibly many other Freepers never found the secret. Ah well, another old country saying, which is pretty dubious.

Virtue is it's own reward.

[Lower Deck]

It sounds like they were total amateurs at boat handling and would no doubt have run into weather that they couldn’t handle sooner rather than later. They’re lucky their daughter took ill, all things considered.