10 ms·

The algal growth on the side of the boat points to a sudden drop in weight. I think someone hired these morons to smuggle a load of gold bars and something els

by vax425 9y ago

The algal growth on the side of the boat points to a sudden drop in weight. I think someone hired these morons to smuggle a load of gold bars and something else went wrong.

mcguire 9y ago
Or that the boat was heeled over for a long time, probably grounded. That's an awfully long way above the design waterline to indicate heavy loading.
- markbnj 9y ago
  Agreed that boat wasn't loaded down to that waterline, no way, and anyway the curve is all wrong. The beaching explanation seems reasonable but its also hard to credit that these two beached a 50' boat and got it off again. I've never done it, and wouldn't unless in extreme need, but I know it's not that easy and it takes a specific sort of beach to manage it without tearing the boat up.
- clort 9y ago
  I concur, this boat was heeled over for a while. Sailing along upwind on one tack could do that. I don't know the pacific, the course they took if that would be feasible. (normally people sail downwind if possible, its a lot nicer)
  - antod 9y ago
    > Sailing along upwind on one tack could do that. Probably explains why they were going around in circles for so long.
- smoyer 9y ago
  I also thought it was beached/careened as soon as I saw the shape of the algae line. I haven't seen any pictures of it but I'll bet the other side is nice and sun-bleached. Caveats: I'm not a "blue-water" sailor but I've got a small sailing yacht that's easily capable of coastal cruising. When I originally saw their interview, I thought through most of the points in this article and decided I wasn't qualified to write it all up. But just about anyone who sails will at least point out the most obvious five points. My first thought was ... why didn't someone go up the mast in the bosun's chair and fix that spreader?
sitharus 9y ago
My bet is they were doing a drug run. From what I hear runners will leave drugs tied to buoys off uninhabited islands and they’ll be picked up by small boats. They don’t bring drugs onboard in case they’re searched. I wouldn’t be surprised if they got scared when they saw the coastguard and cut the load. Just like Han Solo. Edit - that could also explain the ‘shark attack’ story - a loose load tied to one side could bump and damage the hull. They’re trying to cover if someone notices, instead of saying ‘Oh I misjudged a channel width once and bashed the side’.
- simplicio 9y ago
  Why come up with an elaborate story that would garner maximal attention if they were smuggling? If they'd already tossed the goods than they could just tell the CG they were recreational sailors. No need for a headline grabbing tale of survival. Plus they really seem to have been at sea for six-months. If you're smuggling I assume you want to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible and get rid of the goods, not drift around the Pacific with the contraband.
  - stevenwoo 9y ago
    When they showed pictures of the dogs bounding off the boat I was suspicious - they would have to have been fishing constantly while awake to keep two dogs that healthy that long (based on the food supply in news reports) and the two women in no way resembled the other sunburned, lips chapped, emaciated seafaring people who have been rescued after months at sea.
  - ss248 9y ago
    If they were actually smuggling, they were not smuggling just for themselves. Obviously they are just doing errands for some kind of criminal organization. And they just lost a lot of expensive stuff that belongs to that criminal organization. When they go back and higher ups will know about it, these two lasses are basically dead. So they created this story and tried to get as much attention as possible, hoping that it will help them avoid the imminent punishment.
  - 6nf 9y ago
stordoff 9y ago
I'm glad you commented on that. As soon as I saw that image, something felt off about it - I just couldn't put my finger on what.
Steko 9y ago
Straight Dope forum [1] has a number of comments indicating it's not unusual given circumstances. [1] http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=840124&page=6 http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=840124&... Thread has many interesting insights and links. I've previously bought into the full blown planned hoax explanation but it seems like 'Appel was completely incompetent as a sailor and more than a little bonkers and a huge bullshitter' is perhaps more likely. She crashed her previous boat on the rocks at Magic Island [2] (Ala Moana Beach Park). Daily Mail (ugh) ran a (NSFW) article [3] that focused on her BDSM activities but also gives some relevant background on her general sailing incompetence and perhaps impairment of her judgement due to a previous motorcycle injury. Apparently she also had no experience in open ocean short of taking her new boat from Kauai to Oahu [2] http://www.kitv.com/story/30425516/sailboat-runs-aground-off-magic-island http://www.kitv.com/story/30425516/sailboat-runs-aground-off... [3] NSFW http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5063707/Bungling-yachtswoman-kinky-sailor-dominatrix.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5063707/Bungling-yac...
- acqq 9y ago
  Yes, everything fits, seeing what Appel actually wanted, if I understood correctly: her wish was anyway to sail with the boat to some inhabited island and live on it for as long as it would be possible. Therefore it wasn't an accident for her to have the food "planned for a year" on the boat, she prepared for that. Then as she failed to reach an island, she figured out it's not much worse simply floating as long as they can, and kept the "call for help" option for as late as possible. Therefore she didn't want to even try to send a help signal too early. Then even if the "details" (storms, sharks) turn out to be lies, what remains should be enough for her to enjoy a little more being "famous." I would like if she'd sell the rights for a movie about all what she did. However, what definitely doesn't fit the story of being five months at the sea in any form is Appel's skin. I can imagine that she managed to spend good amount of time just as she wished: on some inhabited island. Which would also explain the green stuff on the ship: it could have mostly grown while they were on the island. But I believe everybody would catch a lot of sun on an inhabited island too. So if they haven't been on some island, they must have then really spent most of the time inside of the boat, being satisfied with floating. Once one doesn't care about actively navigating the boat she doesn't have to be too much exposed to the sun. Then the growth on the ship maybe originates even from the time before they started sailing: if the most money and energy was invested in the food "enough for one year" then it wouldn't be surprising.
Kiro 9y ago
No, it doesn't. http://solotheamericas.org/wp-content/gallery/finish-line/matt-rutherford-nears-chesapeake-004.jpg http://solotheamericas.org/wp-content/gallery/finish-line/ma... Are you saying Matt Rutherford is a drug smuggler as well? Do some research before commenting with wild speculations. The fouling is perfectly normal.
- wtallis 9y ago
  Aside from the fact that Matt Rutherford's story is well documented and consistent, that picture you linked to shows a boat that spent twice the time in the water, was crewed by a single person, is half the size of Appel's boat, and is supposed to have actually spent most of that time under sail and thus heeling over, getting a lot of the freeboard wet.
  - Kiro 9y ago
    http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=840124&page=6 http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=840124&...
    - wtallis 9y ago
      A second picture of a boat that actually spent most of its time under sail doesn't really strengthen your point much. The fouling on Appel's boat doesn't match her story.
agumonkey 9y ago
I thought it was a lesbian love trip gone wrong ..
- sctb 9y ago
  The next time you're about to post like this, please don't. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

by vax425 9y ago

The algal growth on the side of the boat points to a sudden drop in weight. I think someone hired these morons to smuggle a load of gold bars and something else went wrong.

mcguire 9y ago

Or that the boat was heeled over for a long time, probably grounded. That's an awfully long way above the design waterline to indicate heavy loading.

markbnj 9y ago
Agreed that boat wasn't loaded down to that waterline, no way, and anyway the curve is all wrong. The beaching explanation seems reasonable but its also hard to credit that these two beached a 50' boat and got it off again. I've never done it, and wouldn't unless in extreme need, but I know it's not that easy and it takes a specific sort of beach to manage it without tearing the boat up.
clort 9y ago
I concur, this boat was heeled over for a while. Sailing along upwind on one tack could do that. I don't know the pacific, the course they took if that would be feasible. (normally people sail downwind if possible, its a lot nicer)
- antod 9y ago
  > Sailing along upwind on one tack could do that. Probably explains why they were going around in circles for so long.
smoyer 9y ago
I also thought it was beached/careened as soon as I saw the shape of the algae line. I haven't seen any pictures of it but I'll bet the other side is nice and sun-bleached. Caveats: I'm not a "blue-water" sailor but I've got a small sailing yacht that's easily capable of coastal cruising. When I originally saw their interview, I thought through most of the points in this article and decided I wasn't qualified to write it all up. But just about anyone who sails will at least point out the most obvious five points. My first thought was ... why didn't someone go up the mast in the bosun's chair and fix that spreader?

sitharus 9y ago

My bet is they were doing a drug run. From what I hear runners will leave drugs tied to buoys off uninhabited islands and they’ll be picked up by small boats. They don’t bring drugs onboard in case they’re searched. I wouldn’t be surprised if they got scared when they saw the coastguard and cut the load. Just like Han Solo. Edit - that could also explain the ‘shark attack’ story - a loose load tied to one side could bump and damage the hull. They’re trying to cover if someone notices, instead of saying ‘Oh I misjudged a channel width once and bashed the side’.

simplicio 9y ago
Why come up with an elaborate story that would garner maximal attention if they were smuggling? If they'd already tossed the goods than they could just tell the CG they were recreational sailors. No need for a headline grabbing tale of survival. Plus they really seem to have been at sea for six-months. If you're smuggling I assume you want to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible and get rid of the goods, not drift around the Pacific with the contraband.
- stevenwoo 9y ago
  When they showed pictures of the dogs bounding off the boat I was suspicious - they would have to have been fishing constantly while awake to keep two dogs that healthy that long (based on the food supply in news reports) and the two women in no way resembled the other sunburned, lips chapped, emaciated seafaring people who have been rescued after months at sea.
- ss248 9y ago
  If they were actually smuggling, they were not smuggling just for themselves. Obviously they are just doing errands for some kind of criminal organization. And they just lost a lot of expensive stuff that belongs to that criminal organization. When they go back and higher ups will know about it, these two lasses are basically dead. So they created this story and tried to get as much attention as possible, hoping that it will help them avoid the imminent punishment.
- 6nf 9y ago

stordoff 9y ago

I'm glad you commented on that. As soon as I saw that image, something felt off about it - I just couldn't put my finger on what.

Steko 9y ago

Straight Dope forum [1] has a number of comments indicating it's not unusual given circumstances. [1] http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=840124&page=6 http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=840124&... Thread has many interesting insights and links. I've previously bought into the full blown planned hoax explanation but it seems like 'Appel was completely incompetent as a sailor and more than a little bonkers and a huge bullshitter' is perhaps more likely. She crashed her previous boat on the rocks at Magic Island [2] (Ala Moana Beach Park). Daily Mail (ugh) ran a (NSFW) article [3] that focused on her BDSM activities but also gives some relevant background on her general sailing incompetence and perhaps impairment of her judgement due to a previous motorcycle injury. Apparently she also had no experience in open ocean short of taking her new boat from Kauai to Oahu [2] http://www.kitv.com/story/30425516/sailboat-runs-aground-off-magic-island http://www.kitv.com/story/30425516/sailboat-runs-aground-off... [3] NSFW http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5063707/Bungling-yachtswoman-kinky-sailor-dominatrix.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5063707/Bungling-yac...

acqq 9y ago
Yes, everything fits, seeing what Appel actually wanted, if I understood correctly: her wish was anyway to sail with the boat to some inhabited island and live on it for as long as it would be possible. Therefore it wasn't an accident for her to have the food "planned for a year" on the boat, she prepared for that. Then as she failed to reach an island, she figured out it's not much worse simply floating as long as they can, and kept the "call for help" option for as late as possible. Therefore she didn't want to even try to send a help signal too early. Then even if the "details" (storms, sharks) turn out to be lies, what remains should be enough for her to enjoy a little more being "famous." I would like if she'd sell the rights for a movie about all what she did. However, what definitely doesn't fit the story of being five months at the sea in any form is Appel's skin. I can imagine that she managed to spend good amount of time just as she wished: on some inhabited island. Which would also explain the green stuff on the ship: it could have mostly grown while they were on the island. But I believe everybody would catch a lot of sun on an inhabited island too. So if they haven't been on some island, they must have then really spent most of the time inside of the boat, being satisfied with floating. Once one doesn't care about actively navigating the boat she doesn't have to be too much exposed to the sun. Then the growth on the ship maybe originates even from the time before they started sailing: if the most money and energy was invested in the food "enough for one year" then it wouldn't be surprising.

Kiro 9y ago

No, it doesn't. http://solotheamericas.org/wp-content/gallery/finish-line/matt-rutherford-nears-chesapeake-004.jpg http://solotheamericas.org/wp-content/gallery/finish-line/ma... Are you saying Matt Rutherford is a drug smuggler as well? Do some research before commenting with wild speculations. The fouling is perfectly normal.

wtallis 9y ago
Aside from the fact that Matt Rutherford's story is well documented and consistent, that picture you linked to shows a boat that spent twice the time in the water, was crewed by a single person, is half the size of Appel's boat, and is supposed to have actually spent most of that time under sail and thus heeling over, getting a lot of the freeboard wet.
- Kiro 9y ago
  http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=840124&page=6 http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=840124&...
  - wtallis 9y ago
    A second picture of a boat that actually spent most of its time under sail doesn't really strengthen your point much. The fouling on Appel's boat doesn't match her story.

agumonkey 9y ago

I thought it was a lesbian love trip gone wrong ..

sctb 9y ago
The next time you're about to post like this, please don't. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html