Grasping at straws - Overdue Sailors

[Kettlewell]

I think you're right on the Bristol 35. Nice work!

[sailcruiser]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

She does look like an alberg, Bristol 35? Length, draft, fixed ports, and eye brows match.
BRISTOL 35 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

Have you posted in the destination page too? A lot of CFers subscribe to only one part of the forum.

Hope you find them safe and sound.
Erika

Good catch Erica! Now Angie can give that info to the detective. It's not much but more than unknown sailboat. At least she has gained some facts hopefully.
SC

[holtfishbone]

Originally Posted by sailcruiser

Good catch Erica! Now Angie can give that info to the detective. It's not much but more than unknown sailboat. At least she has gained some facts hopefully.
SC

Thanks! We definately know a few more pieces of information now after posting here.

To see people who do not know my granddad or his friend, they do not know me or my family, actually take the time to try to research to see what type of boat it is or check weather maps to see what the weather has been like means so much.

[SaltyMonkey]

Here are those links to the historical weather information I attempted to download for anyone who wants to take a crack:

Marine/Ocean Data | National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)
Daily Weather Map

There are probably more sources here on this site, or someplace else.

[Ocean Girl]

Holtfishbone,
My parents were over due by about 9 days, due to weather, this was already outside the extreme time frame for landfall. They were happily sailing ( and being becalmed) while I was worrying. I have also been in situations while traveling the Caribbean where I could not get to a phone for weeks. I hope this is the case with your grandpa and his fishing buddy.
I kept in touch with the coast guard, they were extremely helpful and called a pan pan pan to keep a look out for my parents vessel.

Erika

[captain58sailin]

Holtfishbone, I wish you all the best, and hope you find them soon. Perhaps they are just anchored up waiting out a blow, playing cribbage and telling fish stories.

[JPA Cate]

Angie,

When you're trying to make sense out of all this varied input, I really think what Ocean Girl wrote makes lots of sense. Jim and I are often places where phone contact is unavailable. It may seem strange to someone who is land based, but it is "normal" for cruisers. The solitude and lack of input from news sources can be viewed as a plus. Schedules are also to be avoided, obedience to "the weather gods" is where it's at. Expect them to be delayed if the weather was foul. When the weather is bad, it is very tiring, so also less motiviation for doing stuff except trying to get some rest. I think it's quite possible they're alive and well, even though the boat's life preserver was reported found. [It could be washed off the boat by a wave, blown off by strong wind...]

If you asked, I'm sure Ocean Girl would tell you how she worked with the Coast Guard when her parents were overdue, and about the "Pan Pan" call.

We'll hope you receive good news soon.

[Kettlewell]

Jim and I are often places where phone contact is unavailable. It may seem strange to someone who is land based, but it is "normal" for cruisers.

When I go cruising, particularly if a longer passage is coming up, I always tell my family, "Don't worry unless you hear from me." And, I mean it.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

What does everyone think? Pearson 35? According to the information here, the beam is correct at 10 feet, but a P35 should be 35' 2" LOA.

pearson 35 could be 34'9inches, also......
my 35 ericson mII is 34'11" per the ericson manual that came with it(original new boat owners manual) and documentation.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by Ship2210

I agree. I am a trained police Detective with many years experience in a senior position. I ran my own PI business for many years too. Quite correct, past behaviour is absolutely relevant but I think that Salty Monkey was also providing those links because there are mugshots involved that would give people here an idea of what they look like.

But, when most people get their ideas of what constitutes an investigation from watching TV shows, .....

[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by Group9

But, when most people get their ideas of what constitutes an investigation from watching TV shows, .....

I'm sorry...please explain to me again what you have contributed?

[hellosailor]

"The impression I get is that many in the US see Alcohol as the devil's kool aid"
Although some states now allow drive-through liquor stores (really) you might recall the US great adventure with Prohibition in the 30's, which lead to great profits for organized crime before it was repealed. More or less, in many places.

But as the Monkey points out, the point is not what any one of us thinks of alcohol, but that the conviction shows this person, while an adult, was found to be operating a motor vehicle in an impaired state. In Finland, I think that gets you a year in prison with no discussion at all. In the US, it often gets your wrist slapped and it is only the last 10-20 years that the US has made any kind of fuss about drunk driving at all. It is still pretty widely condoned and tolerated while officially just the opposite.

Now, the photo of the two men tells us that one sings and plays guitar (strap on his neck) and possibly smokes "Native American Spirit" brand of additive-free cigarettes. (His hat.) Which could mean they're staying off the radar, doing a little entertaining in exchange for dockage, as well. Could be worthwhile asking those kind of places, have these guys been around?

The one life preserver or life ring? Doesn't mean much. One can just be flotsam, and hard to figure out where it drifted down from.

[captain58sailin]

More likely it is jetsam.

[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

More likely it is jetsam.

Yes, very true. We really don't know. The scuttlebutt was empty on any other debris found. It could have been intentional or accidental. Who knows?

Same with Jamaica as an end-point. Seems to be based in the article on a "possibility" of going there - probably derived from their 1991 run and subsequent arrest after a 2 year investigation. It might not be where they were really heading.

[hellosailor]

No, "jetsam" is stuff found floating that has been intentionally jettisoned from a boat. Flotsam applies to whatever is floating in the water, regardless of how and how it got off the boat.

So if a cargo ship loses a dozen cargo cubes in a storm, that's flotsam. If they jettison the same dozen cubes in an effort to shift weight and prevent a capsize, those cubes are now jetsam, not just flotsam.

The only way a floating life-whatever would be "jetsam" would be if someone threw it off the boat on purpose, and traditionally, throwing something to a MOB isn't counted as "jettison"ing anything. It is equipment that has been deployed, sometimes recovered, sometimes lost, never jettisoned.

We know it is flotsam, we don't know anything else about it.

One hopes it was not jettisoned to lighten the boat.<G>