I don't think he would have been in any better position with more people aboard. They couldn't have solved the problems he had any more than he could alone.

Sue

That depends on what sort of sails you have and if you have a keelstone. You don't sail directly into the wind but you can angle into it. A properly designed sailing ship can get up to quite an acute angle. It's all a matter of transfering the kinetic energy transfered from the wind into the hull via the keelstone. I don't fully understand the physics of it. If we have any mariners on the forum perhaps they might be able to enlighten us?

I guess I am one of those who believe in holding people more accountable for their actions. Since it is my tax dollars (along with the vast majority, I'm not the only one to suffer the loss) that are going to fund these rescue missions, I'd just as soon that the person(s) daring to undertake unnecessary risks that cause agencies to deploy to rescue their butts ought not do it unless they have some means of remunerating the costs of said rescue ops. I just don't like the idea of paying good money to fund someone else's endeavors, when I am thus economically incapable of pursuing my own reckless (or maybe not so much, depending on your perspective) activities. It's one thing if they have some legitimate purpose behind their actions, some greater good that they are trying to serve; there's some justification in that I reckon, but to climb the mountain in the middle of winter just because it's there??? I say go for it only if you can afford to pay for the consequences of your actions. Take out insurance against such foolhardy activities and find out just what kind of economic effect it has before blindly going for it and counting on someone else to bail them out if TSHTF.

Kinda goes with my general philosophy about helping others who are not willing to help themselves I guess. It doesn't happen very often.

I guess I am too much the curmudgeon these days to tolerate someone else thinking they are just entitled to sticking their hand in my pocket anytime they feel the need. I got two daughters and a wife that do that often enough, thank you very much.

If he would have been knocked unconscious, he could have handled it better on his own then.

Here's an ARRL post regarding his ham communications. It appears his sat phone was sporadic, but this Californian ham was able to provide Barnes family with information via contact with the Chilean trawler that picked him up.

http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/2007-arlb002.html

Thanks for the link Beadles, I notice the U.S. Coast Guard had to guarantee to cover some expenses:

"The Chilean Navy coordinated the operation and recruited the Polar Pesca 1 to undertake the actual rescue, although Morales says the US Coast Guard agreed to cover the expense."

Now all I wonder is if the Chileans and the U.S. Coast Guard will end up billing anything to Ken Barnes? Kind of doubt it.