Urgent help needed to recover abandoned yacht NW Barbados

[MarkJ]

BTW I have flicked through all the OPs posts and I can find neither the boat name or MMSI.

My AIS has every vessel 20nm north and south of St Barts and east and west.

How can I or other boats keep and eye out for your boat?

[RPZ]

What general direction is this boat likely going; out into the open Atlantic or towards the islands or other coastline?

It might be worth making appeals to every relevant Coast Guard and Customs and Immigration agency in the region to just look out for it. Those guys are out in aircraft and boats of all sizes looking for traffickers and illegal shipments all the time. The CG and the Navy are out even in international waters doing that stuff. Wouldn't hurt to ask.

Some boaters have and monitor HAM sets; if you are going to buckle on giving out last known position and drift estimates find someone with a powerful base station and ask them to broadcast regular alerts with a finders reward.

It's a pity the responding cargo vessel could not have simply taken this boat in tow to port.

[a64pilot]

I don't think ships can Tow our little boats.
I can't imagine what would happen if you tried towing mine at 15 kts or better?

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I don't think ships can Tow our little boats.
I can't imagine what would happen if you tried towing mine at 15 kts or better?

It would get swamped and sink.

[allwentwrong]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Allegedly professional SAR personnel with allegedly competent organizations like the USCG and USN have often been asked to look for a boat at sea. Sometimes they find it, sometimes they don't, and that can be despite a hundred hours of C-130's and helos running rigid grid patterns, based on detailed drift charts.

Even then, sometimes a boat turns up two years later, having eluded every eyeball in the Atlantic and beaching itself intact. Or, sometimes capsized. But having eluded all sight for years.

So realistically? The OP does not stand a very high percent of success by just going out there, by plane, boat, or even magic carpet, and looking around for where the boat might be. Sorry, but that's how the numbers roll.

Yes, there's reason to be paranoid about strangers investing their lives rushing out to beat him to it and claim salvage rights if he puts out information. But if that information isn't put out? What, people are just going to check out every aimless sailboat they see? One that is possibly still under sail yet?!

I'm no SAR expert but even Huck Finn had some ideas how to find a lost marble. And time WAS of the essence. I say WAS because with every day that was lost, the search area expanded geometrically and quickly became large enough to probably be hopeless by now.

Not to mention, if we are left to guess at the details, the boat was abandoned some ten days ago. It might have had 200 gallons of diesel with the engine running at idle consuming 1/2 gallon per hour, so, perhaps 400 hours of unattended engine idle. Or perhaps way less...rashly assuming the engine was so well-behaved that it could and would idle for that many days. And we can only guess at how long the hatteries, if they weren't flooded out, continued to supply power to the AIS.

Ten days? Can't reliably forecast wx for that long, now add another five? to go out and look for the boat? Wx in midwinter eventually will be a problem. Going out SOLO and intending to be abandoned out there on a disabled boat in more days of unknown wx, and then assuming whoever takes you out is, well, rational about returning SOLO as well?

Sorry, OP, but I think you have been stacking the cards against yourself. This is one where TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE and you would have been better off risking a salvage claim, than risking the ever-widening search area, the continuous increase of poor wx doing further damage, and the dangers of going out to a vessel in unknown condition SOLO again.

Just one man's opinion, but I think you are putting concerns about the perils of a salvage claim at the top of your list--and ignoring the questions of how quickly you need to act, if you stand ANY chance of recovering it before it is either wrecked or found by a salvor in any case.

Anyone "local" who might see an AIS contact that appears to just be "drifting aimlessly" for a couple of days, might just go check it out and lay salvage claim anyhow. You're not accomplishing anything this way. Think about that. Ask some SAR pros about how less likely it is that you'll ever find the boat, as every added day passes.

Ok thanks for that! I'll just give up and go home then...

[Fence Man]

@ allwentwrong.....I'm new here, and I'm not looking to ruffle any feathers, but I figured I'd let you know that I'm pulling for you. I have always thrived on the lack of confidence that the experts in my past have exhibited, and it seems like you are wired the same. I'm glad that your family is safe, and hopefully you find your boat in decent shape soon. It seems like you have received some good advice here, and since I don't have anything valuable to add in that department, I'll just cheer for your success from the sidelines. Good luck and stay safe!

[allwentwrong]

Cheers [emoji1303]

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by RPZ

What general direction is this boat likely going; out into the open Atlantic or towards the islands or other coastline?

It might be worth making appeals to every relevant Coast Guard and Customs and Immigration agency in the region to just look out for it. Those guys are out in aircraft and boats of all sizes looking for traffickers and illegal shipments all the time. The CG and the Navy are out even in international waters doing that stuff. Wouldn't hurt to ask.

Some boaters have and monitor HAM sets; if you are going to buckle on giving out last known position and drift estimates find someone with a powerful base station and ask them to broadcast regular alerts with a finders reward.

It's a pity the responding cargo vessel could not have simply taken this boat in tow to port.

Sailboats rarely survive being towed by ships. The best course of action is to lift the boat onto the freighter if possible. If not just leave it. At least then it's still floating.

[RPZ]

Me figured that hence the negative wording I used.

[NoahTreat]

Originally Posted by Fence Man

@ allwentwrong.....I'm new here, and I'm not looking to ruffle any feathers, but I figured I'd let you know that I'm pulling for you. I have always thrived on the lack of confidence that the experts in my past have exhibited, and it seems like you are wired the same. I'm glad that your family is safe, and hopefully you find your boat in decent shape soon. It seems like you have received some good advice here, and since I don't have anything valuable to add in that department, I'll just cheer for your success from the sidelines. Good luck and stay safe!

I agree with this guy. Im rooting for you. I Don't have any knowledge or advice for other than you will never find your boat if you stop looking.

[Davidhoy]

Hopefully soon you can change your username to "somewentright". Good luck, seriously. You've taken care of your family first, did the right thing, and now are trying to recover what you can from a trying situation. Don't listen to the naysayers, but also be smart about what you're doing - seems like you're already doing just that...

Happy New Year,
David

[allwentwrong]

Cheers David happy new year to you [emoji482]

[weavis]

NO matter what..... the most important thing is that you tried. For that alone it makes it easier to live with ourselves. Dont regret anything that you feel you need to do. The odds are what they are but gut feeling, knowing your boat and tenacity could well bring the hoped for outcome.

I will personally rename your CF name to "Against all odds" if you pull this off.

If you dont succeed.... you did all you could.

Guys are there to help you...

[boatman61]

AWW.. this is not aimed at you.. its to late for that.. however.. should anyone else find themselves in a similar situation some points to consider.. should one lose steering and boom control.
If your mainsheet snaps.. grab a length of line and put a bowline one end and drop that over the end of the boom and lash it to a cleat while you effect repairs.. restores some control by stopping it sweeping back and forth..
Your safest/only course really is down wind under your own steam..
DO NOT have the Main Up.. its a waste of space.. chuck some drags off the stern and furl your genny small enough to allow the drags to work.. that should be enough to keep your stern quarter to the wind and heading in a steady direction toward land/assistance.. then experiment with the speed once she's settled.. till you find the optimum.
Regarding the fouled prop.. if you try that alone in anything less than flat calm your a dead man.. if nothing else have someone else on board to recover the body.. no way can you avoid being repeatedly slammed by hull and prop.. it bludi hurts.
As for trying repairs.. I'd not bother out there or at least not straight away.. I'd ask the boat that took me out to stand off in company and sail with the genny alone (as above) towards the islands.. slow and tedious but it works and should get you into a better place to pick up a tow.. and during those long boring hours play with bodge job ideas.
As you close you may need short tows N or S to avoid lee shores..
Just remember.. your/my pain is often part of someone else's 'learning curve' when analysed on CF.. many here have suffered similar or other failures in our time.. no criticism intended.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by boatman61

AWW.. this is not aimed at you.. its to late for that.. however.. should anyone else find themselves in a similar situation some points to consider.. should one lose steering and boom control.
If your mainsheet snaps.. grab a length of line and put a bowline one end and drop that over the end of the boom and lash it to a cleat while you effect repairs.. restores some control by stopping it sweeping back and forth..
Your safest/only course really is down wind under your own steam..
DO NOT have the Main Up.. its a waste of space.. chuck some drags off the stern and furl your genny small enough to allow the drags to work.. that should be enough to keep your stern quarter to the wind and heading in a steady direction toward land/assistance.. then experiment with the speed once she's settled.. till you find the optimum.
Regarding the fouled prop.. if you try that alone in anything less than flat calm your a dead man.. if nothing else have someone else on board to recover the body.. no way can you avoid being repeatedly slammed by hull and prop.
As for trying repairs.. I'd not bother out there or at least not straight away.. I'd ask the boat that took me out to stand off in company and sail with the genny alone (as above) towards the islands.. slow and tedious but it works and should get you into a better place to pick up a tow.. and during those long boring hours play with bodge job ideas.
As you close you may need short tows N or S to avoid lee shores..
Just remember.. your/my pain is often part of someone else's 'learning curve' when analysed on CF.. many here have suffered similar or other failures in our time.. no criticism intended.

Now THIS Phil, is what he needs to know... good encouragement.