Susie Goodall Rescued by Cargo Ship Tian Fu

After spending two days in heavy seas, snap-rolling in her dismasted, leaking, sailboat, Golden Globe racer Susie Goodall was rescued by the Hong Kong-flagged geared cargo ship, MVTian Fu, in the Southern Ocean approximately 2,000 miles west of Cape Horn.  Unable to get keep the engine running on the sailboat, DHL Starlight, Goodall set a sea anchor and was approached by the 38,000 DWT ship. The seas state made launching the ship’s rescue boat unsafe, so the ship’s personnel used one of the 4 ship’s deck cranes to lower a hook to Goodall, who attached her safety harness and was hoisted aboard.

The ship, Tian Fu, was sailing from China to Argentina when it was diverted to reach the distressed sailor. The ship’s name has a number of meanings. It is a geographical region and an acupuncture point. It can also mean “heaven’s palace.” After spending two days in the hell of a dismasted sailboat, the ship, no doubt feels like heaven’s palace to Susie Goodall. 

Comments

Susie Goodall Rescued by Cargo Ship Tian Fu — 3 Comments

  1. People who are not normally affected are often seasick because a sailing boat rolls so much without its rig. The keel acts like a pendulum without a mast to counterbalance.

  2. I am sure that the boat will sink within a relatively short period of time. It apparently was taking on some water after the knockdown. Left unattended it seems likely to slowly fill and slip beneath the surface.