[El Gato]

It's got to be dangerous out there with those kinds of seas and a 52 ft. sailboat in tow.

I would think so, too, but I'm strictly a land lubber type. Would it not be a Good Idea, to transfer the two to the CG boat and let the sailboat go? Or would the transfer be risker than the tow?

[Catspaw]

It doesn't say whether the people are aboard the sailboat or the CG vessel. If they're in the sailboat in 40 ft. confused seas, God help them. They can get tossed around like beans inside a maracha, so I hope they're wedged inside a well-padded berth. I'll have to check, but if they abandon the sailboat, it's left out there and the CG brings in the people on board. If the boat can be salvaged later, it gets into a rather messy area of maritime law--salvage rights, and all that.