S/V MARATONGA missing in Atlantic

[Exile]

Originally Posted by cloggieboots

Hi Exile,

Do you have any more info.... my friend just called there and no sign of MARATONGA nor skipper and crew

Thanks

Carla

Oh boy -- just got another e-mail from the owner of Cobb's that the skipper's wife also called the marina in Scarborough amd got the same info. Really sorry -- I guess I should have waited awhile before posting. The Cobb's owner is also really confused, and has been working with the skipper's wife in Norfolk since the get-go.

What about contacting whichever coast guard unit is responsible for Scarborough harbor? The yacht is so distinctive . . . .

[tchavei]

How in earth could they be at a marina and not contact their family after 3 months? That would surpass even the most "open" relationship I know of... At least in this region.

I really hope they are well somewhere but it's beginning kind of hard to believe.

Regards
Tony

Sent from my keyboard through my phone or something like that.

[cloggieboots]

First a big thanks for all who are trying to help any which way they can and could....

Second a very gentle request to please ... when one receives some positive information about Maratonga and/or crew.... please check your sources and validity before sharing it...... very wel ment words can wreak havoc ...

Let's keep spreading the word and try to somehow somewhere locate Maratonga and crew

A hearthfelt thank you

Carla

[Exile]

Originally Posted by cloggieboots

First a big thanks for all who are trying to help any which way they can and could....

Second a very gentle request to please ... when one receives some positive information about Maratonga and/or crew.... please check your sources and validity before sharing it...... very wel ment words can wreak havoc ...

Let's keep spreading the word and try to somehow somewhere locate Maratonga and crew

A hearthfelt thank you

Carla

Point well taken, Carla, and again my apologies. Under the circumstances, I wouldn't know what else to do with such potentially relevant information (dated 9/26), although in hindsight perhaps initially pm'ing you would have been more prudent.

Presumably you or others have now vetted the apparently bogus info from poster "Rossio" on the German trans-ocean.org website, and confirmed the lack of validity of his report that the boat & sailors had been found on the "east coast of England."

Very strange set of circumstances all the way around. I am assuming from earlier posts that, along with the absence of any Epirbs, there was also no satellite phone onboard.

[cloggieboots]

Hi Exile,

Thank you so much for your kind reply and given the circumstances I might wel have done the same....... No hard feelings at all !!!

Yes I quickly did register with trans-ocean.org to counter the message from Rossio. My friend has also been in contact with the website and she has been able to write an email to Rossio via the moderator after explaining the situation.

I try to keep on spreading the word any way I can. Have written US Coast Guard several ways and several messages but till now zero response

I've also contacted news agencies and tv stations....... let's see what they do with it

And no there was no EPIRB on board

Carla

[N2H2O]

I met Maratonga at the end of our docks, after towed in from USCG. I could write a book on the experience, but will only share short facts. Broken alternator bracket and poor VHF radio performance off the Carolinas started the troubles. They had no other means to recharge batteries. No GOOD English speaking person aboard - Captain and son of Captain (Pablo Enriques or Paul) called themselves Naval Engineers, other crew was friend of captain – lawyer. The forth crewmember flew home shortly after arriving in US. Only Pablo had visa to leave boat, I drove him around to show Va beach and Norfolk you can see photos on his Facebook page. Father gave Paul a spot tracker when they left Panama, never was able to get it to link to smart phone until US when he used my phone to troubleshoot BT connection problem and set up an account. They all took a very casual approach to this problem, perhaps because failed to get it to work for so long. When we finally got it working, they said they would turn it on for two hours a day during the trip, I only see the first day plotted on the Spot site.
The boat was in need of every kind of maintenance, rotten wood corners on hardtop, rust blisters on topside and lack bottom paint. Below deck very dark, poor lighting and cleaning. None of these issues were addressed while at the end of the dock, only the broken bracket and a new VHF antenna. I made a spare bracket and gave it to them along with spare flashlights, (one which you wear around your head to deal with the very dark engine room), additional 24 AA batteries, and a cheap watch from Wal-Mart (the lawyer requested). They had several gps units, and SSB -- I shared our uscg HF weather voice Freq and the 14.300, 7.268 net freqs.
While on the end of the dock, they ate dinner at 10pm slept until 9am, wore the same clothes, showered with garden hose and spent a lot of time reading. We cooked steaks on our grill one lunch; for they shared they missed “bbq” beef they would often eat in Argentina. Commutation was hard, I do not speak Spanish, and our ideas were very different and many suggestions quickly to tension. Once offered the idea of dry ice for their icebox which only was only cooled with running the engine. After finding the translation of dry ice, they explained they don’t need American dry ice; they enjoy a simpler way of living. The same with stressing a need to clean the bottom, being engineers they said a dirty bottom only take 10 percent in boat speed, that is less then a knot and they are not racing. Only when they could barely motor against our knot current to the fuel dock did I convinced them to get in the water and clean the prop and rudder. They only did because I changed into trunks myself right there; they told me not to enter the water to clean bottom, they did take and use my scraper. The boat in this condition with this “book smart” crew may only get 3knots.

There was a radio schedule THEY made on 14.155usb with South America Maritime net 2200 utc. I was invited to call them before the net, 2100. I call every once in a while- they never answer. I have heard the name Maratonga spoken two or three times but I am unable to converse with the Spanish-speaking operator.

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

Yes, spot on. Now is the time to be out searching for them. It's pretty clear that the sooner searches are conducted the more success in finding survivers of any disaster occuring. Force the authorities hand and get them out looking.

I really feel for them if they are really missing. But the authorities really can't mobilize to search when the target is the entire atlantic. Where to start with last known position 6 weeks ago? As you say, the sooner searches are conducted the more success- really only works when you have a mayday and coordinates so there is a defined grid which gets bigger as time goes on. So the time for a search would have been in July at last position, if it had been thought they were in distress.

What can be done is notification of merchant marine vessels to maintain lookout in their shipping lanes.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[cloggieboots]

Originally Posted by N2H2O

There was a radio schedule THEY made on 14.155usb with South America Maritime net 2200 utc. I was invited to call them before the net, 2100. I call every once in a while- they never answer. I have heard the name Maratonga spoken two or three times but I am unable to converse with the Spanish-speaking operator.

Hi N2H2O

When were the dates when you heard the name MARATONGA spoken in Spanish ??? Was it a male voice or female voice? If you don't know exactly when please give an approximate ....

Carla

[captain58sailin]

I hope they are found safe and sound.

[cloggieboots]

Thanks Malbert,

A Pan Pan is broadcasted, so hopefully somehow somewhere some vessel will spot them and report that good news

[CarstenWL]

When were the dates when you heard the name MARATONGA spoken in Spanish ???

Carla, will probably don't help you much because it could have been others calling Maratonga on that frequency.

Carsten

[cloggieboots]

True CarstenWL,

But any contact from anyone anywhere may lead to more info ........

[Steadman Uhlich]

So they are still missing?

How many days have they now been at sea? From the accurate date they began their voyage?

[cloggieboots]

Hi Staedy Hand,

Yes they are still missing .......

They left Norfolk on July 13 and last contact was on July 26 .........

[Steadman Uhlich]

Cloggieboots,

That is about 75 days. It is a long time to be out of contact. But some transatlantic voyages have taken that long.

I would not give up hope.

If one assumes there was some kind of mechanical difficulty (engine failure, dismasting), that has slowed or prevented the use of the engine or sails, as long as they have a floating boat and water, they could survive a long time. Some people have gone for months in small boats, open boats, and rafts, with very little to support the. So it is possible.

Whatever the outcome, please let us here on CF know.

Best wishes for their safe return.