[Travis McGee]

THe family's "plan" was to beg for help by pushing the button on the EPIRB if it got too hairy. Which, all sailors could have told you, it did.

It's not being a "rugged individual" if your only emergency plan is to carry EPIRBs and call for outside help. That's being a leech, not a rugged individualist.

Here's my home-made steel cutter, mid Pacific, thousands of miles from land. Photo by me, up the mast.

But I'm sure you know more about it.

[bvw]

Did you have your EPIRB on you then?