Sad Story has Happy Ending

[St. Elsewhere]

A fellow was lost at sea on a run from Kauai to Oahu. An extensive Coast Guard search turned up nothing, and was just called off. See this Kauai news story: Coast Guard calls off search for mariner.

Today's update: He just turned up at Oahu after spending nearly a week "blown off course".

[atoll]

more taxpayers money up the tube,though must have been a good training exercise for a bankrupt country.........

[St. Elsewhere]

Here is a bit more on it - - - -

Two days after the Coast Guard suspended its search for a boater who went missing during a voyage from Kauai to Oahu, the boater — 66-year-old Ira Foreman of Seattle, Wash. — arrived at Honokohau Harbor on Hawaii island — two weeks late and nearly 100 miles off course but alive.
Foreman left Port Allen, Kauai, on the morning of Dec. 17 but failed to arrive at Keehi Lagoon as scheduled the next day. He was reported missing a week later.
Search and rescue officials at Coast Guard Sector Honolulu received word Saturday from Foreman’s ex-wife that Foreman had contacted her via cell phone, telling her that he had been blown off course by strong winds but was never in any distress.
Officials were able to triangulate Foreman’s location based on his call and an aircrew from an HC-130 Hercules plane from Barberts Point Air Station was able to spot a vessel matching the description of Foreman’s 36-foot sailboard shortly after midnight. The crew, however, was not able to establish communication with the vessel.
The Coast Guard made contact with Foreman on his mobile phone around 8 a.m. Sunday and Foreman reported his location as 20 miles west of Kealekekua. He arrived at Honokohau Harbor around 3 p.m.
“We are eager to meet with Mr. Foreman to find some answers about this very challenging case,” said Capt. Joanna Nunan, commander of Sector Honolulu, in a Coast Guard news release.
The Coast Guard suspended a massive four-day search for Foreman on Thursday after covering some 209,000 square miles. Involved in the search were a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter, a HC-130 Hercules airplane, and two Navy P-3 Orion planes.

So he was going from Samoa to Oahu, but landed on Kauai. Then going form Kauai to Oahu, he overshoots to the big island of Hawaii. It makes one wonder about navigation and radio equipment employed in the process.

[Strygaldwir]

Many things are worth paying taxes. Glad he was found.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by atoll

more taxpayers money up the tube,though must have been a good training exercise for a bankrupt country.........

Yeah, if you know our armed services, they burn fuel every day of the week "training" and doing other things. Personally, I see no reason why they always bitch on the TV news about the cost of rescuing someone, they act as if the people aren't going to be on duty, or paid for the month, and the engines wont be running. You should hear some of the stories a buddy tells about flying C130's and C141's in the National Guard. (any excuse to get your flying hours up!)

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Yeah, if you know our armed services, they burn fuel every day of the week "training" and doing other things. Personally, I see no reason why they always bitch on the TV news about the cost of rescuing someone, they act as if the people aren't going to be on duty, or paid for the month, and the engines wont be running. You should hear some of the stories a buddy tells about flying C130's and C141's in the National Guard. (any excuse to get your flying hours up!)

Exactly...as I've posted plenty of times on here before...the budget is in place whether the Coasties fly or not...they fly their budget whether on real missions or training missions. Thank you know who that there's smart enough guys running the show they don't have to read this forum to do their jobs...

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by St. Elsewhere

.

So he was going from Samoa to Oahu, but landed on Kauai. Then going form Kauai to Oahu, he overshoots to the big island of Hawaii. It makes one wonder about navigation and radio equipment employed in the process.

This is gonna get interesting...

I don't sense he was "lost" I just get the impression he could not get where he wanted to go. Is Hawaii (the island) up wind from Samoa? Maybe he could follow the pink line on his plotter because he kept getting "blown" off course...

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

This is gonna get interesting...

I don't sense he was "lost" I just get the impression he could not get where he wanted to go. Is Hawaii (the island) up wind from Samoa? Maybe he could follow the pink line on his plotter because he kept getting "blown" off course...

might have had to drop the girlfriend off first,hence not telling wife....he had arrived

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by atoll

might have had to drop the girlfriend off first,hence not telling wife....he had arrived

Atoll--you old dog . There is a novel brooding in you, methinks

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by atoll

might have had to drop the girlfriend off first,hence not telling wife....he had arrived

Are you suggesting he was blown offshore?

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

Are you suggesting he was blown offshore?

just changed my thinking on the matter

[Cheechako]

It's possible he just decided to go elsewhere without telling anyone... then realized they had a big search going on!

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by atoll

more taxpayers money up the tube,though must have been a good training exercise for a bankrupt country.........

Is that really how you think, or are you just being provocative? If the former, you have my sympathy.

[roverhi]

He appears to have serious problems going to windward. Samoa to Hawaii is a close reach to a beat, Kauai to Oahu is usually hard on the wind into 20-30k tradewinds and waves. Neither are an easy cruise.

Yes the Coast Guard has a budget. For training they'd probably take a C-130 and do some Touch and Goes and get a couple hours flight time. Seaches are 10 hour flights and burn up a lot of fuel. Do that too many times and the budget is shot to hell.

[SkiprJohn]

I think one of the points that should be made is that he did not ask for help. He didn't set off an EPIRB. He didn't send out an SOS. Yes, it costs a lot to do these missions and maybe there will be answers later but to fault him or the Coast Guard is not the real answer.
I was once rescued without needing it because a friend convinced the Coast Guard I needed to be towed in. It really made me angry but there isn't much you can do about uninformed people who over react.
kind regards,