Accident: German yacht "Jambo" sank in the South Atlantic - was that the cause?
Max Gasser
· 09.10.2023
Update 09.10.2023
The sinking of the German yacht "Jambo" by skipper and internet celebrity Martin Daldrup has shaken the online world. Just a few hours after the successful rescue of the 59-year-old and an initial message of thanks and explanation from the victim himself became known, the social networks were full of questions and theories about the incident in the South Atlantic, as well as relief: "How could it have happened? Why did he abandon ship so early? Why wasn't he wearing a lifejacket?"
Daldrup responded promptly and provided at least a few assumptions. He writes: "I'm on a light upwind course at wind force 5 when there is suddenly a loud bang in the boat." After that he no longer had any rudder action, but was unable to identify the damage directly. So he took the boat out of the water and began the inspection. "I start doing this, and as I work my way closer, I hear water rushing."
"Jambo" sinks too fast - Martin Daldrup climbs into the life raft
A short time later, the water was already above the floorboards. According to his Facebook/Instagram post, the skipper reacted quickly and immediately started the bilge pump and shortly afterwards an additional 220 V submersible pump. Nevertheless, the water continued to rise and he realised that the "Jambo" was sinking too quickly. So he climbed into the life raft, where he then had to spend almost 18 hours.
"I suspect that an underwater collision tore off the rudder and also tore a hole in the hull at the stern. Hence the loud bang." He also considers a hole on the starboard side to be possible, as the sinking yacht was also initially lying on its side.
More dramatic maritime emergencies:
He is currently travelling to Saldanha Bay in South Africa on the freighter "Alanis", where he has been well looked after. It is still uncertain what will happen to him afterwards: "It is very difficult for me to have to give up my Jambo. I sailed with her for many years and experienced so much with her. I have to digest that first. But I think I will sail again."
Accident report from 06.10.2023:
The 59-year-old German sailor Martin Daldrup is safe. Yesterday, his Bavaria 34 sank off the Brazilian coast and the skipper's rescue was initially uncertain. He has now been rescued from the life raft by a cargo ship.
On the evening of the 64th day of his single-handed trip from New York to Cape Town, the experienced sailor from Haltern am See had already expressed his concerns about the weather situation. He wrote on his Instagram profile: "The evening sky is full of squalls and doesn't bode well. It will probably be a restless night." He had already had to contend with some tough conditions during the day. With winds of almost 25 knots and waves three to four metres high, his report frequently mentions hard blows and waves coming over the boat. Even if the "Jambo" is able to withstand this, Daldrup is taking precautionary measures.
But the next status message on PredictWind, where he also keeps a digital logbook, is not a good one: "Jambo is sinking. I'm in the life raft and a cargo ship is on its way to pick me up." His wife later confirms this via Instagram and is in contact with him. The freighter "Alanis", flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, is on its way and will reach him in around 20 hours, she reports. "He's fine. He has enough water and power banks on the island. He'll make it! The freighter 'Alanis' is travelling at high speed."
Rescue by freighter: Daldrup holds out in the life raft in rough seas
The shipwrecked man himself also gives updates on PredictWind as he perseveres in the South Atlantic in what continue to be rough conditions. It got cold after sunset, "everything is wet", he writes. But this morning, the single-handed sailor was rescued. His wife gives the all-clear directly to the loyal and anxious community of over 11,000 followers on Instagram: "Martin is rescued!!!!
He is on board the Alanis!"
However, the reason for the heavy water ingress on board the German yacht is still unknown. The almost eleven metre long "Jambo" had already travelled almost 7,000 nautical miles on the current trip before the accident occurred. Daldrup had actually planned to arrive in Cape Town on 30 October, having set off from New York at the beginning of August. The 59-year-old, who was awarded the TO Medal in 2020, documents his journeys on various platforms, with more than 50,000 fans now following him on YouTube.
The last Instagram logbook entry from on board the "Jambo":
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"Jambo" sinks:
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Successful rescue:
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Daldrup reports back after the rescue:
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Initial assumptions about the cause:
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