Responding to a request by the Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System (Amver), the Astro Saturn, a Greek-flagged tanker, rescued one British and one American sailor from their 33-foot sailboat Maelstrom in the waters off Bermuda. The two were en route to the Azores when they encountered unspecified difficulties; photos of the rescue show the sailboat with no mast or rigging.
From the Amver blog:
Captain Michail Eleftheriadis turned his fully loaded tanker, operated by Maran Tanker Management of Athens, Greece, towards the distress location. Captain Eleftheriadis reported the weather conditions were severe with winds blowing in excess of 20 knots and seas at Force 5.
The Astro Saturn made radio contact with the Maelstrom and began planning the rescue. Captain Eleftheriadis maneuvered the Aframax tanker alongside the sailboat and his crew began rescue operations by lowering a pilot ladder to the survivors. “Once we had the two sailors safely aboard the tanker we left the sailboat adrift,” stated Captain Eleftheriadis.
Read more (photos)…
