Practical Sailor · video

What this video covers

The 66-foot yacht Platino suffered a catastrophic series of equipment failures during a passage north from New Zealand, resulting in the loss of one crew member and the eventual abandonment of the vessel. While sailing in 30 to 48 knots of wind, the boat’s hydraulic autopilot failed, causing an accidental jibe.3:34 A preventer line, extended with a knot to reach a cockpit winch, parted under the load.4:43 The 1,500-pound in-boom furling boom swung across the deck repeatedly, destroying the traveler, cockpit table, and hardtop.5:56 The uncontrolled movement of the boom and attached hardware compromised the rigging, leading to a mast failure.6:20 A second crew member went overboard during the incident and was never recovered.6:02 The remaining crew used cordless grinders to clear wreckage before a freighter rescued them.6:39 The incident highlights the danger of cascading failures and the necessity of rigorous, regular inspections of preventer systems, knots, and autopilot components.

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