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What this video covers

A 20-year-old crew member on his first offshore passage survived a near-fatal encounter with Tropical Storm Alex after his captain attempted to sail directly into the storm toward Bermuda.Watch The vessel, poorly maintained and prone to leaking, suffered hatch seal failures that flooded the cabin, forcing the crew to bail with buckets.2:59 The captain attempted to motor upwind against 80-knot gusts and 30-to-40-foot seas with a single-reefed mainsail, which eventually shredded.5:18 When the engine overheated and failed due to a blown cooling line, the boat lost steerage and began lying a-hull, leaving the crew vulnerable to capsizing in the storm's dangerous quadrant.10:02 The vessel eventually drifted into VHF range of Bermuda, where the Coast Guard provided a tow into St. George's.14:06 The crew member subsequently joined a different vessel for an Atlantic crossing after the original captain’s poor decision-making and lack of weather routing nearly caused the loss of the boat and crew.14:58

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