[PUP] Some comments on the Overboard on CDN training rigged sailboat

[Ron Rogers]

N.S. woman, 25, swept overboard
Tall ship hit by massive wave off Cape Cod
Dec. 10, 2006. 01:00 AM
ALISON AULD
CANADIAN PRESS


HALIFAX-An air search for a 25-year-old woman who was washed over the side 
of a Nova Scotia-based tall ship by a rogue wave was called off last night 
and was expected to resume at first light today.

U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman Lieut. Stephanie Burns said an American C-130 
aircraft that had been searching an area about 765 kilometres east-southeast 
of Cape Cod, Mass., had finished its search.

There was still no sign of the Canadian woman, who was swept off the Picton 
Castle at about 9:30 Friday night after a large rogue wave slammed into the 
sailing ship.

Burns said another Hercules would return this morning to continue looking, 
while the Picton Castle planned to continue searching through the night.

The U.S. Coast Guard estimated the woman would be able to survive about 36 
hours, based on factors including her age, her physical fitness and the 
water temperature of around 22C.

"The 36-hour point should be about 9 o'clock (this morning), so if we do a 
first-light search in the morning that will take us through that 36-hour 
point," said Burns. "At that point we'll evaluate whether or not to actually 
suspend or possibly keep searching."

A merchant tanker had also helped in the search. The Coast Guard has said 
the woman was not wearing a life jacket and the seas were as high as seven 
metres, while winds reached gale-force strength.

Dan Moreland, senior captain of the Picton Castle, said crew aboard the 
55-metre barque have told him a massive wave washed over the ship as it was 
en route to Grenada after leaving Lunenburg, N.S., on Tuesday.

The ship, which focuses on training and long-distance education, has berths 
for 40 trainees and 12 professional crew.

Moreland, one of the vessel's two captains, said the crew immediately threw 
several pieces of rescue gear into the water to mark the site and give the 
woman something to grab onto.

It was pitch black at the time, he said. As darkness closed in yesterday, 
the Picton and the commercial vessel were forced to shine lights on the 
water's surface.

"There's prospect for hope, but the longer it is, the worse it is," he said. 
"The crew is tired, but they're persevering. This is a rough go."