Just got off the phone with my friend Jim Laverdiere who was sailing with his wife Janette Wygergangs and two crew six days out of the Cape Verdes when their RUDDER FELL OFF !!!! This is the THIRD time they lost the rudder!!!

This time there was no getting towed to shore and the best heading they could make jury rigging a steering system was straight north away from land and shipping lanes.

Jim made the decision to call an emergency and luckily an oil tanker heading to Tenerife. Viewfinder, a CS36, took a beating when the tanker came along side to get everyone off, but other than a broken stantion and some scrapes and scratches Viewfinder is adrift somewhere near 17N 36W

He called me on his Sat Phone which was about all they got off the boat

I am speechless