The Hazana Vessel: A Unique Boat Design

Hazana was a 44-foot yacht that was sailed by Tami Oldham Ashcraft and her fiancé, Richard Sharp. The couple were experienced sailors who were delivering the luxury boat from Tahiti's Papeete Harbour to San Diego. On October 12, 1983, the vessel was caught in the path of Hurricane Raymond, causing it to capsize. Ashcraft was knocked unconscious and when she awoke, Sharp was gone. She managed to guide the damaged boat to safety in Hawaii, 1500 miles away, surviving mainly on canned food.

Hazana was a 44-foot yacht

On October 12, 1983, the couple encountered the ferocious Hurricane Raymond as they sailed across the Pacific Ocean. The Category 4 storm battered Hazana with violent waves and catastrophic winds, capsizing the yacht. In the chaos, Ashcraft was thrown against the cabin wall, rendering her unconscious for about 27 hours. When she finally came to, she discovered that Sharp was missing, swept away by the powerful winds and waves.

Alone and grieving, Ashcraft faced a formidable challenge. She mustered her courage and sailing skills to rig a makeshift sail, using a broken spinnaker pole and a storm jib, to steer the battered Hazana toward the nearest landfall—1,500 miles away in Hilo, Hawaii. With the boat's electronics shot and the cabin half-flooded, she relied solely on a sextant and a watch to navigate the open ocean. Her determination and resourcefulness were remarkable, as she endured scarce rations and serious injuries during her 41-day journey.

The story of Tami Oldham Ashcraft and her survival ordeal has inspired a Hollywood film, "Adrift," bringing her remarkable experience to the big screen. It showcases her courage and resilience in the face of immense adversity, navigating the damaged yacht to safety and coping with the loss of her fiancé.

It was a British couple's boat

The Hazana was a 44-foot yacht owned by a British couple. In 1983, the couple hired two experienced sailors, Tami Oldham Ashcraft and her fiancé Richard Sharp, to deliver their yacht from Tahiti's Papeete Harbour to San Diego.

The British couple had flown home due to a family emergency, leaving Ashcraft and Sharp to make the journey. The trip was supposed to be a routine passage, but the sailors encountered the Category 4 Hurricane Raymond on October 12. The hurricane brought violent waves and catastrophic winds, eventually capsizing the small craft.

In the aftermath, 23-year-old Ashcraft suffered a serious head injury and was unconscious for 27 hours. When she awoke, she found that Sharp was missing, and the Hazana was severely damaged. The cabin was half-flooded, the masts had broken off, and the electronics, including the radio and navigation system, were inoperable.

Despite the challenges, Ashcraft mustered the courage and skill to guide the battered Hazana towards the nearest landfall—1,500 miles away in Hilo, Hawaii. She rigged a makeshift sail using a broken spinnaker pole and a storm jib, and fashioned a pump to drain the cabin. With the boat's navigation system damaged, she relied solely on a sextant and a watch to navigate across the vast Pacific Ocean.

Ashcraft's remarkable survival story, enduring 41 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean, inspired the 2018 film "Adrift". Her memoir, "Red Sky in Mourning", details her harrowing experience and has been published in multiple languages.

Hazana was being delivered from Tahiti to San Diego

Hazana was a 44-foot yacht that was being delivered from Tahiti to San Diego in 1983. The yacht was owned by a British couple who hired 34-year-old British sailor Richard Sharp to sail it to San Diego while they flew home to deal with a family emergency. Sharp's fiancée, 23-year-old Tami Oldham Ashcraft, accompanied him on the journey.

The couple set sail from Papeete Harbor, Tahiti, on September 22, 1983. They believed this would be a routine passage and a side trip on their cruise around the South Pacific and New Zealand. However, they unknowingly sailed directly into Hurricane Raymond, one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history.

On October 12, the yacht was caught in the path of the hurricane and was hit by 40-foot waves and 140-knot winds. Sharp sent Ashcraft below deck, but moments later, she heard him scream. The yacht capsized, and Ashcraft was thrown against the cabin wall, rendering her unconscious. When she awoke 27 hours later, the cabin was half-flooded, the masts had broken off, and the radio and navigation system were inoperable.

Alone and grieving, Ashcraft mustered the courage to guide the battered Hazana toward the nearest landfall—1,500 miles away in Hilo, Hawaii. She rigged a makeshift sail from a broken spinnaker pole and a storm jib and fashioned a pump to drain the cabin. She navigated manually using a sextant and a watch and survived mainly on canned food. On November 22, 41 days after the dismasting, Ashcraft reached Hilo, Hawaii.

Hurricane Raymond caused the boat to capsize

The Hazana was a 43-foot (13-metre) yacht, and on October 12, 1983, it fell victim to Hurricane Raymond. The Category 4 hurricane wreaked havoc on the small craft, with violent waves of up to 40 feet (12 metres) and catastrophic winds of up to 140 knots (72 metres per second).

Hurricanes are known to produce intense winds and generate massive waves, both of which can cause a boat to capsize. In the case of Hurricane Raymond, the storm's extreme conditions proved too much for the Hazana. The yacht was battered by the powerful forces of nature, and ultimately, it capsized.

The impact of the hurricane on the boat was devastating. The Hazana was flipped over, and the cabin was half-flooded. The masts broke off, and the radio and navigation system were rendered useless. The boat's interior was in disarray, with personal belongings and equipment strewn everywhere.

The violent waves and winds of Hurricane Raymond played a crucial role in the capsizing of the Hazana. The waves not only reached tremendous heights but also travelled at high speeds, crashing onto the yacht with immense force. The winds, on the other hand, were strong and turbulent, buffeting the boat from all directions.

The combination of these extreme weather conditions overwhelmed the Hazana's ability to stay afloat and manoeuvre, leading to its capsizing. The yacht's design and size were no match for the sheer power of the hurricane, and the boat succumbed to the forces of nature.

Hurricane Raymond's impact on the Hazana serves as a stark reminder of the destructive capabilities of nature and the vulnerability of even well-built vessels in the face of such extreme weather events.

The boat's masts were broken off

The Hazana was a 43-foot or 44-foot yacht, carrying Tami Oldham Ashcraft and her fiancé, Richard Sharp, from Tahiti to San Diego in 1983.

On October 12, 1983, the yacht was caught in the path of Hurricane Raymond, with 40-foot waves and 140-knot winds. The masts of the Hazana were broken off, and the sails were left floating uselessly in the water. The boat's engine, radio, and navigation system were also damaged and inoperable.

The broken masts and sails left the yacht severely crippled and unable to continue on its original course. Ashcraft, an experienced sailor, had to quickly improvise and create a makeshift sail using a broken spinnaker pole and a storm jib. With her skills and resourcefulness, she was able to gain steerage and control of the boat, despite the challenging circumstances.

The broken masts presented significant challenges for Ashcraft, as they were essential for sailing and navigation. Without them, she had to rely solely on the makeshift sail and her determination to keep the boat moving. The loss of the masts also impacted the yacht's speed and manoeuvrability, making the journey to safety even more difficult and treacherous.

Despite the immense challenges, Ashcraft's resilience and ingenuity allowed her to overcome the obstacles presented by the broken masts. Her quick thinking and sailing expertise played a crucial role in her survival, as she navigated the damaged yacht manually across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii, a remarkable journey of courage and endurance.

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