Father and his kids missing at sea

[navysurfer]

So Sad, A few months ago they were lowering the mast on the boat, i went over to help, nice dad, the kids were great.

Water is very warm, still hope.

I grew up here in Sarasota, the gulf is deceiving it does get ruff quick and its the slop chop as we call it that pounds the boat.

Prayers are with the family,

[Ramblingman]

Very sad, hope they are found wet and alive.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by sailingfarmer

Type of boat? Maybe it would float if capsized...can't imagine him being too far offshore.... probably run ashore somewhere ?

The CG claims there were 6 foot seas. Almost any sailboat can handle that. Everything is strange about the story.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by sailingfarmer

Type of boat? Maybe it would float if capsized...can't imagine him being too far offshore.... probably run ashore somewhere ?

Few if any sailboats float. Most sink very quickly due to heavy ballast.

[redsky49]

Sad indeed, particularly this Father's Day weekend. Any description of the boat? Make? Not a lot of 29 ft. boats out there.

Still keeping fingers crossed.

[Cheechako]

I saw this story too. Just bad news for sure. Those kids lives were totally dependent on their dad doing things well. just a shame.

[w1651]

I remember about five years ago getting knocked over about 70 to 80 degrees off Johns Pass with no sail up. Shore was only a mile away. I will never forget waves cause knock downs not wind.

[ontherocks83]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Those kids lives were totally dependent on their dad doing things well.

My thoughts exactly.

As a Dad I can't figure out if this makes me angry, sad, or scared. I guess a little bit of all, especially not knowing what exactly happened. Would be nice to know how sea worthy the boat was and how experienced he was.

[jeremiason]

Originally Posted by reed1v

Few if any sailboats float. Most sink very quickly due to heavy ballast.

That is not true... If the boat isn't holed, sailboats can float for days with air trapped in the cabin.

[jeremiason]

They found a debris field...

Rescuers find debris in search for family after boat disappears off Florida Gulf Coast

[scuba0_1]

Unreal. News said no radio but contacted his brother the day off departing by cell. News said he was asked to call for help but thought he was joking. How do you take your family out with no basic safety gear. Unbelievable.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[sailm8]

FORT MYERS -
The U.S. Coast Guard is continuing to search for a father and his three teenage children who went missing in the Gulf of Mexico during a trip from Sarasota to Fort Myers Beach.

At a news conference Wednesday morning, the agency announced an aircraft assisting in the search found several items believed to have come from the vessel.

The items, found about 30 miles off the coast of Sanibel, include six life jackets, water jugs, shoes, a propane tank, a basketball and a tarp. Two kayaks have also been located, according to Twitter updates from the agency.

The brother of the father told Coast Guard officials the items belong to the family.

Timeline

The group departed from Sarasota around 7 a.m. Sunday with plans of going to Fort Myers to repair the vessel.

Later that day, around 3 p.m., Ace Kimberly called his brother and said the boat was in six-foot seas, and he was attempting to survive with his children offshore of Englewood.

The brother notified authorities on Tuesday after the family never made it to his Fort Myers Beach home. The Coast Guard began investigating and immediately launched a massive search.

Authorities said the family has been living on the sailboat for the past year in Sarasota.

They been identified as Ace Kimberly, 45; Roger Kimberly, 13; Donny Kimberly, 15; and Rebecca Kimberly, 17.

[The Garbone]

I have read a bunch of articles on this.

Seafarer 29 with an OB kicker towing two kayaks.

Very sad.

http://www.mysuncoast.com/news/photo-released-of-sarasota-father-children-who-are-missing-in/article_3302d706-3859-11e6-a005-eb3ca2ca8cb7.html

[jeremiason]

Florida Squalls can be brutal... I live in SW Florida now, just north of Fort Myers.

In May 2013, we were returning from a three year cruise and were entering Charlotte Harbor for the first time. We had lower the sails and were motoring, since it was an unfamiliar channel.

When we hit Marker #2, the radar lit up with one of the biggest squalls I had seen during our cruising... Sirius Weather showed it over 125 miles long.

It hit with 63 Knot NE winds and horizontal rain. Because we were running down wind, the boat was pitching forward, which caused about 3" of water in the cockpit, which has a walk through transom, which is normally self-draining.

We could nothing but run for about 45 minutes, then the wind lightened enough to turn around (Under 25 knots). We ended up about 10 miles off-shore, but the seas never got more than about 4 feet.

We were fortunate enough to be on a big boat and the only damage was a shredded American Flag.

A smaller Hunter 34, in the area survived, but lost his dinghy and ripped a sail.

The Gulf of Mexico can go from flat calm to deadly in minutes... The seas are always influenced by our shallow waters.

Always carry a Marine Radio and an EPIRB when off shore, especially in Florida during the summer!

[Don C L]

Every sailing father's nightmare. My heart goes out to the family. The Seafarer has a fairly good rep but it is a bit on the lighter side. I love my little 29 but I know well that a lot can go south in a hurry in a smaller boat if you are smacked unexpectedly, especially if you have other circumstances complicating the situation and you lose your focus. A broach, a knockdown, full cockpit and water below, she could stay on her side for a while, taking on more water. And as far as wave height, it's not just the height but period and speed that complete the mix. Long period 6' ok, short period, breaking, 6', not ok. I can imagine scenarios with a good outcome, let's hope for good news.