OK, I’ve spent some time reading through that discussion. Lots of personal attacks against her — because she didn’t wear shoes, because she’s a Christian, because her dad prays, and so on. They’re even calling her dad illiterate.
There’s a lot of heat there, but not much light.
Post4358 His is a great story of self reliance in the face of overwhelming odds. Abby didn't seem to look for alternatives. She was only 170 miles upwind from Ile St. Paul, which has an ideal, totally protected anchorage, and conditions were moderating. I think she had a good shot at sailing the boat there, without a stick, in 3-4 days if she cut the rig away. Or, if her diesel still worked, I suspect she easily had enough fuel to motor there in a couple of days, or 3-4 if she was able to secure the rig and drag it with her. It will be interesting to hear her side of the story.
Post 4360 By contrast from the close up pictures we've seen today Abby had not even started trying to get things straightened away. Lines trailing off. Fuel cans strewn. She has not even cleared the debris from the life raft.
Of course if she had no power she may have had no GPS. My guess is she also had no sextant (nor does show know how to use one). I'm confident she could find Australia without power. I doubt she could find Ile St Paul. Does she know how to plot a course on paper without a plotter?
Post 4363 God, you would think she at least had a handheld GPS as a backup.
Post 4366 Have you seen the video where she gives a tour of the boat?
The telling statement is when she is down in the nav station as she literally says "And this where I control everything on the boat from."
No, you idiot, you control the boat from on deck, at the helm and working the sheets and winches, not from the friggin nav station!!!!!!
Post 4380 I'm basing it on the fact that she went to sea on a vessel that was not ready. If she did not know it was not ready then she didn't have enough experience to make the trip.
I'm basing it on the fact that in the two days after the dismasting, when she herself thought she would have to wait weeks for rescue, she had done almost nothing in the area of basic seamanship.