Should you scuttle your boat if you have to abandon her?

In response to my blog about the yacht Compromise , one of two abandoned but not sunk in last year’s ARC transatlantic rally, John Tetlow writes:

‘No question in my mind about the answer to this. Anyone who leaves something floating around for another vessel to crash into is in the wrong. Insurers’ views are immaterial, their lives are not at risk.

‘By the way, I was involved, on site, in the sinking of F2 in the 2002 ARC and I was strongly in favour of scuttling her; which was what was done.’

I have to say I agree with John. The only exception I could think of is if you were able to make some arrangements (or your insurers could) for salvage.

Now for a game of ‘degrees of separation’?

John was crewing for Peter and Anne Thomson on their Oyster 406 Muskrat when they rescued the crew of F2, a Hunter Legend 450 whose rudder had fallen off?.

Peter and Anne are the father and stepmum of solo racer Alex Thomson?.

whose Hugo Boss was abandoned at 44°S but not scuttled last year?

but which stopping polling positions within 24 hours and has never been seen again.

Are you still following this?