Ruby Anderson

Falling overboard will be just the beginning.

With his terrified daughter being pushed by the waves in one direction and his boat rapidly drifting away in the other, Glenn will find himself in a terrible position as a captain and an even worse one as a father.

I'm John Hopkins.

From the Noiser Podcast Network, this is Real Survival Stories.

It's Saturday, the 29th of May, 2021, just off Rottnest Island near Perth, Western Australia.

41-year-old Glenn Anderson stands on the deck of his anchored yacht, surveying the sky above the Indian Ocean.

White, cumulus clouds mass overhead, bruised with dark pockets of rain.

May can be a tricky month here in the southern hemisphere, a transitional period when balmy autumns give way to wet, blustery winters.

Glenn scours the horizon, stroking his bearded chin.

A stiff breeze is blowing, dappling the sea with jagged whitecaps.

Weather reports predict this wind to get stronger, with forecasted gusts of 25 to 30 knots.

Those are rough conditions, sporty, as Glenn likes to refer to them, with perhaps a touch of understatement.

Maybe it would be best to stay where they are, anchored to Windward, off the coast of Rottnest Island, and wait for the bad weather to pass.

The decision is made democratically as a crew.

But as captain, the buck stops with Glenn.

When all is said and done, it is he who must weigh the risks against the rewards.

And on this particular voyage, Glenn has good reason to be more vigilant.

His 11-year-old daughter, Ruby, is one of the crew.

Glenn would never put Ruby in a situation beyond her capabilities.

And the last few days sailing have shown that his daughter can more than handle herself at sea.