The short video of the Swedish yacht IdaLina sinking in the Pacific Ocean that recently went viral on social media and ran in last week’s Cruising Compass, has stirred and troubled many cruising sailors, in no small part because so many details were lacking.
Here’s a quick update gleaned from a report in Practical Boat Owner magazine. The yacht was a Swedish-built Arcona 460, a model that is no longer in production. Her Swedish crew are Ingmar Ravudd and Katarina Bääth Ravudd, who were fulfilling their long-held dream of sailing their own boat around the world.
On April 8, IdaLina was 300 miles from making landfall in the Marquesas Island of French Polynesia after making an almost 3,000-mile passage across the Pacific Ocean.
The rudder stock on the spade rudder broke in half right below the quadrant and, being unsupported, began moving violently as the rudder flailed in the waves.
Although the bilge pumps worked as they should and despite the best efforts of the crew to plug the hole in the hull caused by the moving post, the flood could not be stopped.
When there was eight inches of water above IdaLina’s floorboards, Ingmar and Katarina made the difficult decision to abandon ship and take to their life raft.
The Swedish yacht Pacific Wind was nearby and able to rescue their cruising friends just as IdaLina sank below the waves.
In the aftermath of the sinking and timely rescue, the team at Arcona Yachts extended their condolences and thanks for the crew’s safety. And, they announced that they had launched a full investigation into how their rudders are built and are making inspections of all materials involved.
