Some of Sailing’s More Unusual Stories

Let no one tell you sailing is boring. Over the past couple of weeks we’ve come across some stories that show the more unusual sailing — things that go on outside the straightforward cruising, racing and daysailing realm. So we’ve put together some of our favorite snippets from local waters and afar.

Three mariners rescued after SOS is spotted from the air

According to a story in the New York Times last week, three mariners were rescued from an uninhabited beach in Micronesia after the SOS they had written in the sand was spotted by a search plane. The report says the men, who are from the island of Pulap, had been heading for home from the Puluwat Atoll when their difficulties began.

An NPR report says the men were reported missing on July 31, two days after their last communication. They were returning to their home island when they ran off course and their 23-ft skiff ran out of fuel. According to the US Coast Guard, the men were found and rescued through a joint operation between Australia and the US.

Meanwhile, back in California, we heard of a West Coast sailor whose SOS, made of branches, led to a rescue. But we’ll save that story for another day.

Historical Bay Area schooner goes to dry dock

The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park’s schooner C.A. Thayer has been moved from its home on Hyde Street Pier to Alameda, where it is being hauled out for some maintenance. In case you weren’t around to watch how they moved the big ship, here’s a video the organization posted on its Facebook page:

Sailing by breath

A sailor from the Isle of Wight, UK, is embarking on a journey to sail across the Atlantic Ocean using only her breath. Natasha Lambert, 23, has quadriplegic athetoid cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair to move around. Her only means of operating her sailboat is by using a ‘Sip and Puff’ device that enables her to sail by sipping and puffing on a straw.

According to the local news site On The Wight, Natasha is embarking on the voyage with a goal of raising £30,000 (approx. $40,000 US) for three charities.