"Probably unlikely they were cut from the same cloth as Miles and Beryl Smeeton, for example, and it wouldn't surprise me if they got to the point where they simply wanted OFF that damn boat, PERIOD... And in that situation, Schmitt would really be under the gun to accede to their wishes, and give up sooner than he might have otherwise..."

Could be, would be, should be, may-be, but then again,....

A rudder is stoved in, she's taking on water, engines are having an issue. They spent what sounds like 4 days trying to straighten the boats wave damage problems out, as a group, and failed.

Doane and Schmitt, with their experience, surely weighed all their options-sail it- power it-tow it. If there was a reasonable hope to save the boat, I like to think the group of four would have worked together to do so.

Doane makes a good point. You don't have to be on deaths door to know when you're done.