Bigger engine required.

[indaba1991]

There are some occasions when bigger grunt is required! Sail Drives can be useless. I must comment 'though - running for port and leaving the guys in the water (without attempting any sort of rescue) - is that not a bit like cutting the rope on a mountain?
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[willk]

If you're going to go into the abyss too, you have to cut the rope

He took a major chance running in there and fluffed it - the terwat. He'd have killed the casualties if he's attempted to come close to them, IMO.

[Landlockedpirate]

I'm sure that boat has shaft drive and a big rudder, turns on a sixpence when its moving, but getting going, stopping or reversing take a lot of time and distance.

I agree with Willk, trying to rescue the crew would probably have resulted in further knockdowns, more people lost and possibly a wreck. The only way I would have gone into the breaking waves in the sticky boat would have been if there was no alternative, the self draining centre cockpit hard boat was a better option (but not as good as a rib ).

[jokaboat]

I believe the skipper was one of those thrown over so the remaining crew didn't feel competent to effect a rescue so did the best thing in the circumstances and ran for the harbour to get assistance.

[Bigtalljv]

yeah, it's a tough call but I think they made the right choice. That's not the right boat to play in waves with. The skipper does need to learn to read the swell better. You can see that there are some lulls once the people are in the water. They came in on the bigger sets.

[Nos4r2]

I hope that whaler had a propguard. They're dragging people up next to the prop while it's moving