Incidents in the North Pacific.
Documented sailing emergencies in the North Pacific — 9 records, each with sources, lessons, and links to the SeaWise procedures involved. Search by the water you're about to sail.
← Search & filter the full LogbookAbout 7 a.m. on 5 July 2026 a 30-foot sailboat was lost roughly five miles east of Hornby Island, in British Columbia's Strait of Georgia. The two men aboard said a rogue wave smashed her windows and flooded her, and she sank, leaving them in whitecapped seas. A Comox charter skipper heard their Mayday on VHF, raced over in his fishing boat, and with a helicopter overhead helped recover both. The Coast Guard took them to hospital; both survived.
On 18 June 2026 the 40-foot sailing vessel Mizuya lost her rudder in the open North Pacific, roughly 950 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska, and could no longer steer. With help beyond any single nation's reach, the US, Canadian and Japanese coast guards coordinated a response: the Canadian ship Sir Wilfrid Laurier diverted more than 575 miles and, around 26-27 June, took all three crew off in good condition for passage to Japan.
On 16 January 2026 a 42-foot catamaran moored about 300 yards off Māla Wharf in Lahaina, Maui, took on water and sank, staying partly afloat where she went down. The one man aboard, 67, was helped off by a nearby boat and needed no medical treatment. No one else was aboard.
About 1:30 p.m. on Sunday 12 July 2026, a sailboat capsized in San Francisco Bay roughly half a mile east of San Francisco International Airport, near Coyote Point. Three people, all Foster City residents, were left clinging to the hull. San Mateo County Sheriff's Marine Unit deputies training nearby heard the call and pulled all three from the water. They were shaken and cold but unhurt.
On Sunday 12 July 2026, the 35-foot recreational catamaran Alakai lost her steering and began flooding while crossing from O‘ahu to Kaua‘i. Her lone skipper reached the Coast Guard by text message, warning that she might sink. A Coast Guard helicopter hoisted him about 23 miles offshore and flew him to Līhu‘e, where he was checked and released unhurt. The catamaran sank shortly after the rescue.
A 74-year-old Canadian sailing solo from Hilo, Hawaii to Vancouver lost his mast and engine and injured his shoulder in a gale with roughly 30-foot seas about 489 nautical miles off Oregon. Too far out for a Coast Guard helicopter, his distress call — relayed through his satellite communicator — brought the cruise ship Silver Whisper, which diverted, came alongside in heavy swell, and took him off. His sailboat was left adrift.
On 26 May 2026, a US-flagged yacht sailing single-handed down the Baja California coast drifted ashore at Playas de Tijuana, in Mexico, after its skipper fell asleep at the helm and the current carried the boat onto the beach. He woke as it grounded and was unhurt; the yacht was left stranded on the sand while he sought to refloat or sell it.
On 26 May 2026, the sailing yacht Maserra, with three Canadians aboard, suffered mechanical failures and lost the ability to navigate about 32 nautical miles off San José del Cabo, in Baja California Sur, Mexico. The Mexican Navy located the boat, found the three crew in good health, and towed the disabled yacht to a safe port.
On 26 May 2026, 489 miles off Oregon, the 29-foot Alice was dismasted and left with a dead engine in a gale while her 74-year-old skipper sailed alone from Hawaii to British Columbia. He hurt his shoulder but stayed in contact by handheld satellite messenger. The Coast Guard flew overwatch and the cruise ship Silver Whisper diverted 120 miles to lift him off.