They Did Everything Right… And Still Had to Abandon Ship

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:52:26 +0000

When Sailing Barking Cat left Australia aboard their cruising catamaran La Vita, the plan was simple: sail offshore toward Fiji, cross the Pacific with their crew and dogs, and begin the next chapter of the cruising dream. But a dream passage can turn into a Mayday shockingly fast. After delaying for weather, sea-trialing the boat, preparing grab bags, checking systems, provisioning carefully, and doing so much right, Dusty and Helena still found themselves hundreds of miles offshore with both engines down, water coming aboard, rough weather building, and their catamaran eventually dismasted in the Pacific.
This is the heartbreaking true sailing rescue story of a prepared cruising couple who had to abandon ship after their mast came down and their disabled catamaran was left vulnerable in heavy seas. We look at what happened aboard La Vita, why offshore sailing can become dangerous even when sailors are prepared, and what every cruiser can learn from this Pacific Ocean emergency: engine redundancy, weather windows, EPIRBs, flares, grab bags, life jackets, crew safety, and the decision to call for help before it is too late. Please go watch and support Sailing Barking Cat, because this is their story, their footage, and their survival.

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