A Canadian cruising couple was rescued at sea for the second time in four months and this time they’ve lost their Columbia Yachts C36 sailboat named Viewfinder for good.
Earlier this week, Jim Laverdière and Janette Wygergangs, from Pointe Claire, Canada, and two guests were rescued 600 nautical miles off the coast of Mindelo, Cape Verde, by the Amazon Guardian, a 750-foot oil tanker that was diverted for the rescue by Portuguese Search and Rescue.
It was a broken rudder that crippled the sailboat on its way to Martinique. Laverdière used his satellite phone to contact search and rescue in Halifax. They contacted the Portuguese authorities who began to look for a vessel in the region that could lend a helping hand.
The couple’s first rescue took place last November after Viewfinder’s rudder was badly damaged by submerged debris.The boat was towed by fellow Quebecer Richard Larivière, who was sailing in the region, until a Portuguese rescue boat arrived to take over the tow to Madeira. The boat’s rudder was replaced and the couple continued their sailing adventure.
