Royal Polaris skipper Roy Rose had just gone to bed, very early in the morning of November 12 when the call came. The RP was headed home to Fisherman's Landing after a ten-day trip into southern Baja waters, and things were "normal" for the stretch of ocean above Cedros Island. In other words, the seas were up to six or eight feet, and passengers were feeling that familiar "Benitos (for the Benitos Islands outside of Cedros) Bounce."

The CB radio alerted the wheel watch with a May Day call, a distress signal. Skipper Roy was summoned. He saw on radar that several other boats were closer to the boat issuing the call, but none responded, so Roy took his rig on an hour and ten-minute run to the source.

The SOS was put out by R. T. Osborn of Portland, OR, aboard his 30-foot Baba sailboat. Osborn was on his way to La Paz. He's a retired ironworker, and most of what he owned was with him on the boat, which was taking on water.

Osborn had two pumps working, he said, but the water had stopped his generator and the pumps were running on his limited battery power. His engine wouldn't start. It was a situation with a very ugly potential.

Royal Polaris arrived on the scene, and took Osborn aboard, with a bag of clothing and his wallet. The boat was left adrift and probably sinking, and the authorities were notified as to its location.

When the sportboat's anglers awoke the next morning they found a new face in the galley: Osborn's. Rose docked November 13, and R. T. Osborn, a fortunate sailor now minus one sailboat, got off with the fishermen.

Here's the account of the rescue from the RP's web site:

"Around 00:45 hours, Big D was on watch, when a may-day was announced on channel 16. When the position of the other boat was announced, it was only 10 miles away from the Royal Polaris. We kept in contact with the sinking sail boat, and we arrived to pick up the only passenger aboard the sinking ship. So we will be arriving to San Diego with an extra passenger. He is in good health, and is blessed that we were in the area, because, two other boats did not hale to the may-day. Everything went like clock work. Each crew-member had a job to do. I served in the Army for over 16 years, and the way we worked last night, was like someone was writing a movie, and it was our last take. Crewmember included in the rescue, Captain Roy Rose, Captain Dharyl J. Shelbourne, Captain Ryan Wilbarger, Captain Jesus Companioni, and crewmember Eddie Felarca."