What should have been a warm Welcome Home turned into a rescue mission after the occupants of a sinking sailboat needed the life-saving aide of American Maritime Officers members off the coast of Oregon earlier this month.
On September 2, AMO Captain Ben Hopkins and his crew on the Crowley-managed tanker Florida saved three men and their three cats from the sailboat, ironically named Welcome Home, which was taking on water around 75 nautical miles off the Oregon coast.
The three young men – Gabriel Gonzalez, Gino Gonzalez and Gary Dixon – had been stranded at sea for five days as an unexpected cold front rolled in, causing rough seas that battered their 41-foot sailboat. The boat’s battery had died and the bilge pump proved ineffective as water started to fill the cabin. The men had recently been discharged from the U.S. Army and were headed to San Francisco from Tacoma, Washington to start their first semester of college, the trio told Captain Hopkins. They purchased the boat and planned to live on it to save money on rent, Hopkins said.
The Florida was on its routine Jones Act route from Tacoma to Martinez, California with a load of fuel and it was Captain Hopkins’ last discharge before he was to be relieved and head home for a well-earned vacation.
Fate had different plans.
“It’s the law of the sea and at the heart of being a mariner is to assist people in need – be it fellow shipmates or others in distress,” Captain Hopkins said.
At around 10:20 a.m., the Florida received a distress relay from another vessel in the area and immediately responded. Realizing he was only 12 miles away from the floundering sailboat, Captain Hopkins immediately altered course and called his crew together to form an action plan.
Once on scene, the Florida crew fashioned a long tow line and tossed it to the men as Captain Hopkins maneuvered in very low visibility into position to protect the sailboat from the 60 knot winds gusting in the area. The sailboat was in rough shape, with the mast broken and laying across the deck. The waves had ripped away the dingy attached to the side of it.
After the vessel was brought alongside, the next challenge was bringing the weary men aboard safely.
One of the men had suffered a concussion the night before caused by falling due to the choppy waves. Five Florida crewmembers used a line and rigged a scramble net as a precaution to safely hoist the injured sailor onto the tanker first. The other two men, who were severely seasick, were assisted up the pilot ladder by the deck crew – with three furry companions in tow.
Once onboard the Florida, the sailors were given a change of clothes, food, water, medicine and ride into San Francisco. Captain Hopkins said the rescue took about four hours. He believes the sailboat ultimately sank in the ocean.
AMO members aboard the Florida during the rescue included Second Mate Brandon Locklin, Third Mate Megan Durrua, Chief Engineer Jason Brown, First Assistant Engineer Cody Pirtle, Second A.E. Cherokee Johnson, Third A.E. Nalu Keahi Ho and PIC observer Padric McGrath.
“This was my first rescue so I told the crew if anybody had better ideas, I was all for them,” joked Hopkins. “They did a phenomenal job and we got them home safely.”
Hopkins gave special praise to Chief Mate Zachary Jones and Seafarers International Union Bosun Samuel Duah for coordinating the rescue on deck and making sure everyone was safe in rough seas.
“It was an all-hands effort. The whole crew was out there,” said Hopkins, who was on his last run before going on vacation when the incident occurred. “The crew performed with absolute professionalism. From expertly handling the heaving line in strong winds and bringing them alongside in challenging conditions. Everyone immediately jumped into action. It was super dynamic conditions.”
It turned out to be a welcome home, after all, thanks to the heroic efforts of AMO officers.
Florida crewmembers help a weary sailor onboard who spent five days adrift at sea.
Tanker Florida uses a towline to maneuver alongside the sailboat Welcome Home in choppy seas off the coast of Oregon.
Along with three men, the Florida crew rescued three furry sailors off the sinking sailboat.
