Another Missing Sailboat off NZ

[Rangiroo]

Plane joins hunt for missing ship - 06 Dec 2007 - NZ Herald: New Zealand National news

Plane joins hunt for missing ship

5:00AM Thursday December 06, 2007
By Elizabeth Binning


The schooner Alvei, which left Vanuatu last month with six people on board, including a New Zealander, was due to have reached the Bay of Islands last Saturday.

An aerial search and repeated radio calls have failed to find the New Zealand-bound ship Alvei - but friends of the captain remain hopeful the vessel has simply been delayed by unfavourable winds.
The 28 metre steel-hulled schooner - now officially overdue - left Port Vila, Vanuatu, on November 13 with three Americans, four Australians, an Englishman and a 66-year-old New Zealander on board.

[Boracay]

NZ air force finds missing schooner

Posted 29 minutes ago Found: Contact was made with the Alvei this morning (alvei.com)


New Zealand authorities have found a schooner that has been missing in the South Pacific with nine people on board, including four Australians.
A New Zealand Air Force Orion spotted the Alvei becalmed about 760 kilometres north of New Zealand a short time ago.
The schooner had failed to arrive in the Bay of Islands from Vanuatu on Saturday and had not made radio contact in several days.
Julia Lang from the Rescue Coordination Centre of Maritime New Zealand says the ship's skipper has now made contact with rescuers.
"The Orion are actually speaking with the skipper as I speak with you," she said.
"What we've been able to glean at the moment is that all people on board are safe, however the skipper says there's not enough breeze and so he expects he won't be making it to New Zealand for another eight to 10 days."

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Boracay

the skipper says there's not enough breeze and so he expects he won't be making it to New Zealand for another eight to 10 days

Well, thats good. It means the skipper isnt one that turns the donk on as soon as Huey dissapears.

If it takes 10 days to do 400 miles, it take 10 days!

[Kanani]

Wellllll.....let's see......he's about 400nm N of NZ. It's Dec so he may be experiencing light air from a high at the lat but I say within about 2 days he'll be doing 150-200 miles a day (unless she is really dirty). The highs don't last long as he get's farther S. I say 4 days....5 tops.

I've seen that vessel around for years. I would've been pretty shocked if something happened to her.

[44'cruisingcat]

Good news. Many sailors do choose to motor or motorsail most of the way from Vanuatu to NZ - it means they can leave in a period of good weather, and hopefully arrive before anything really nasty shows up.

Looks like they are determined to sail the whole way.

[Kanani]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Good news. Many sailors do choose to motor or motorsail most of the way from Vanuatu to NZ - it means they can leave in a period of good weather, and hopefully arrive before anything really nasty shows up.

Looks like they are determined to sail the whole way.

Most cruising vessels of under 70' would be very wise to motor as much as possible (if speed drops below 3kts) on the way to NZ. Limiting exposure on that passage is critical. Fiddling around in light airs is a recipe for disaster on that passage.

However, Alvei can certainly handle most conditions with relative ease. I wouldn't run the engine on her unless I were becalmed for many days with no relief in sight.

[Alan Wheeler]

She's a very old classic schooner. I doubt that she would have an engine.
The weather is a little complicated at the mo. I would say they are ina good position, as we have a cold southerly front moving north up the country and a warm front moving down from the tropics. The two will collide over the mid north Island from anytime now on and will create a sighificant amount of rain. So if the ship was any closer to the North Island, they would be very wet. There is a light wind moving south, so they should have a light breeze pushing them all the way home.

[Kanani]

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

She's a very old classic schooner. I doubt that she would have an engine.
The weather is a little complicated at the mo. I would say they are ina good position, as we have a cold southerly front moving north up the country and a warm front moving down from the tropics. The two will collide over the mid north Island from anytime now on and will create a sighificant amount of rain. So if the ship was any closer to the North Island, they would be very wet. There is a light wind moving south, so they should have a light breeze pushing them all the way home.

YEA BUDDY........I take it back.....they're gonna be there for a while. It's gonna be a while before that low comes across and by that time, it will probably fill in.

I wouldn't be planning any trips across the Bass Straight in the next few days.

[Boracay]

They have an interesting website here.

[Alan Wheeler]

The NZ airforce have been doing a search and the search and rescue centre boss was interviewed on our news tonight. He wasn't a happy lad. He commented that you would think the Skipper could have radioed and let someone know they were delayed. The boat was actually due in about 6 days ago, so it's ETA was delayed. But no one radioed and informed anyone and they can't have had the radio on even, because they haven't answerd calls. I think a few words may be said when the boat finaly arrives.

[Steve Pope]

Does anyone know who gave the ETA??

[cooper]

....from what I gather, they dont motor unless they have to due to the cost, this is not a sail training vessel. The vessel is privately owned. I also gather that they do not run HF or sat phone, making coms over distance a problem. Nice boat.....

[Steve Pope]

It seems to me that this is more of a problem caused by the "safety" industry. You just aren't allowed / expected to be responsible for yourself. Hell 30 years ago maybe even 20 years ago this fuss would never have happened.
I have been reading the NZ cat 1 regs and although many of the recommendations are common sense, some are so over the top you would think that the bureaucrat thinking some of them up has never been to sea, ie, you are recommended to carry a pregnancy testing kit!! And the cat 1 status is only as good as far your 1st port after leaving NZ then it is downgraded to cat 2. 9 to 15 days if you are heading to Fiji or Tonga.

[cat man do]

The guy who owns (I assume) the boat is a poster here.

He replied to a post on my Vanuatu thread a while back.



http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...laar-4998.html

Dave

[Ex-Calif]

If you file a sailing plan, which is advised, and you are late to plan they come looking for you. It's what they do.

I assume a boat of that size files a sailing plan with someone. If you have the equipment it would only be courtesy to let someone know you are late.

Don't file a plan, don't let anyone notify the authorities and no one comes looking.