Tragedy Strikes.

[cards26]

Every opinion should be respected, even if it's a little nasty. We can all discard what doesn't fit, but I think PortClyde is being mistreated.

There's not much Gil can do from West End, it's not even in the U.S. My father always said that 'the squeaky wheel gets the most oil'. So a trip back to Florida immediately, like the next afternoon would be more effective. Get in the face of everyone you can think of contacting, starting with the CG office in Miami. The report to some clerk at the CG office was probably not even looked at. You have to 'get in the face' of some officer where he sees your desperation, and then decides to do something. a CG officer has a lot of discretion in sending training missions, drug interdictions, etc., and he may give an order to look out for the boat. i'm sure my dad would have been like a bull on the coast of FL, French Embassy, CG, marinas, police, fisherman, anybody that would listen. There's a lot of good people out there, and a lot of kind people, and I'm sure you'd find them in the CG too. That CG officer may have somebody that owes him a favor.....maybe he has connections with the NOAA to get a much needed satellite picture.

In this 'shotgun approach' to solving a problem, I'd head into all the West Marines too. Sleep on the beach, use the showers on the beach, ....and starve. I'm sure there's still more than a few of us that would contribute a little if we knew some noise was being made. Florida, more than any other State has a massive program to visitors that have no money to get home or to help. Thousands of stranded tourists are helped every year with this program.

The 'shotgun approach' to me what 'luck' is. You try every angle, and all that you hear is no, no,no, no, no, no,no, no,no, no, no,no,no.....YES!

I guess maybe it's tough love, but this is a little bit of what Port Clyde is saying.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Let me guess....big baggy Bermuda Shorts!...

Commando!

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

Commando!

Pics or it didn't happen!

[rognvald]

"In this 'shotgun approach' to solving a problem, I'd head into all the West Marines too. Sleep on the beach, use the showers on the beach, ....and starve." Cards26


Cards,
It sounds as if you're describing a desperate Paul Gauguin on the beaches of Tahiti . . . It doesn't appear that Gil has reached that stage in his life. He's lost his boat. Recovery is remote. He has exercised due diligence within the parameters of his abilities and appears to be headed back to family in France. The bottom line, I believe, for all of us is that irrespective of the circumstances of his loss, this is a sad, tragic story as well as a lesson for everyone who heads to sea. Good luck and safe sailing.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

The most impressive thing I've read on this thread was Keith Cooper and Gil going out for ten hours to try and locate the boat based on estimated coordinates. Low probability, but admirable and impressive.

Look at that - we actually agree on something.
But y'know for a guy that doesn't like a lot of blah-blah, you sure do your fair share of it.

If you check Gil's site, you can see his search path plotted by the Inreach. If you compare that to Parker's analysis, sadly they might not have gotten within 40 miles of Dagny.

[cards26]

Originally Posted by rognvald

"In this 'shotgun approach' to solving a problem, I'd head into all the West Marines too. Sleep on the beach, use the showers on the beach, ....and starve." Cards26


Cards,
It sounds as if you're describing a desperate Paul Gauguin on the beaches of Tahiti . . . It doesn't appear that Gil has reached that stage in his life. He's lost his boat. Recovery is remote. He has exercised due diligence within the parameters of his abilities and appears to be headed back to family in France. The bottom line, I believe, for all of us is that irrespective of the circumstances of his loss, this is a sad, tragic story as well as a lesson for everyone who heads to sea. Good luck and safe sailing.

no, not a desperate Paul Guaguin, I'm describing a desperate Gil so and so; i don't know his last name. His circumstances in the West End are not much different.

He could have gotten a loan from the Fl Tourist Board right off the bat, plus I believe a place to stay. There are tourists with all kinds of problems; car problems, etc. They'll even loan money for the tolls and gas all the way to Canada, if need be.

I've only been across there once to Bimini, but there was enormous tanker traffic up through that stretch of water. One of those larger ships could swamp Dagny from a quarter mile away, and at night, no one would see a thing. It would really be sad if the boat has sunk, but that's why the other side was warning about getting started right away.

[japarker11]

Originally Posted by gilgsn

Of course. I was hoping to spread the information so people would keep their eyes open and if Dagny was spotted, there was a chance they would know where to report it, on top of the USCG.

Gil.

Gil,

Well, posting your recent photos and video links answered my query as to the status of passive radar reflection.......none. Between sea clutter and fiberglass hull, I would not see you with either radar beyond two miles, at best. Without AIS or DSC polling, it will require a visual sighting again at a range of less than 3 nm and daylight. Coastal pleasure craft this time of year likely will be southbound in the ditch. Commercial traffic will be further offshore.

Dagny is not the first blow boat to be blown off the bank dragging ground tackle? In Oct 2011, we rented an seaside home in Holden Beach NC. One morning, a 30' sailboat oddly was bobbing in 3 foot chop about a half mile offshore. No one was aboard and a dink could not be seen on the beach. A couple of hours later a center console came out of Southport, gathered up the gear and towed it to Southport. It was a charter boat that was reported missing the last week of Aug, six weeks and some 700 nm of drift.

It would be advisable to develop recovery resources along the Carolina coast south of Cape Fear/Frying Pan Shoals before departing for France. With the NOAA current and forecast weather conditions, it will be awhile.

Nice work on the Frances. You will get to enjoy it.

In this case, IIRC, USCG Station Oak Island was the first sighting.




Sent from my LG-V410 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by japarker11

It would be advisable to develop recovery resources along the Carolina coast south of Cape Fear/Frying Pan Shoals before departing for France. With the NOAA current and forecast weather conditions, it will be awhile.

That's sound advice. I initially figured on Dagny heading there, but with the persistent E'ly wind component it was probable that Dagny was pushed inshore of the GS, maybe in far enough to pick up the weak S'ly countercurrent. Now the wind's from the N, so there's a good chance Dagny's heading south again. Betting on Brunswick to Jacksonville corridor, not more than 20 miles out.


Edit: If you happen to be in the area, why not do a DSC position poll - Dagny’s MMSI number is 378112296. Good practice and it doesn't cost a thing.

[exkma367]

Having stood on the shore, with the feeling of dread, looking at the empty water where we left the boat, I feel Gils pain. I also feel a little guilty for being entertained by this thread. Our boat was rescued by a couple of non English speaking gentlemen on a cat who caught her only 100 yards away. We speak no French but we rewarded them with our most valuable commodity, our home canned peaches.

I think this thread is so popular because anyone who has cruised, has had the fear of the same loss.

For a person as adventurous as Gil, there are a lot of lonely little boats out there waiting to be rescued from boatyards and backyards.

I keep checking the last post of this thread looking for a happy ending, doubtful but still hoping.

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by Snore

^^^^^^^^

For the record Gil is NOT stranded in The Bahamas. For $73 he could be on a ferry back to the US where hotels, food and transport are cheaper. I provided that info several pages ago.

At this point it would appear he is ELECTING to stay in The Bahamas.

How do you pay $73 with $30 in your pocket?

[Pelagic]

Hi Gil,
While waiting for any news on Dagne and recovering emotionally.... in case you have not read Bernard Moitessier's first book..:
Un Vagabond des mers du sud. "Sailing to the Reefs".....it is inspirational!
Still my all time sailing hero.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Moitessier

[PortClydeMe]

Originally Posted by cards26

Every opinion should be respected, even if it's a little nasty. We can all discard what doesn't fit, but I think PortClyde is being mistreated.

There's not much Gil can do from West End, it's not even in the U.S. My father always said that 'the squeaky wheel gets the most oil'. So a trip back to Florida immediately, like the next afternoon would be more effective. Get in the face of everyone you can think of contacting, starting with the CG office in Miami. The report to some clerk at the CG office was probably not even looked at. You have to 'get in the face' of some officer where he sees your desperation, and then decides to do something. a CG officer has a lot of discretion in sending training missions, drug interdictions, etc., and he may give an order to look out for the boat. i'm sure my dad would have been like a bull on the coast of FL, French Embassy, CG, marinas, police, fisherman, anybody that would listen. There's a lot of good people out there, and a lot of kind people, and I'm sure you'd find them in the CG too. That CG officer may have somebody that owes him a favor.....maybe he has connections with the NOAA to get a much needed satellite picture.

In this 'shotgun approach' to solving a problem, I'd head into all the West Marines too. Sleep on the beach, use the showers on the beach, ....and starve. I'm sure there's still more than a few of us that would contribute a little if we knew some noise was being made. Florida, more than any other State has a massive program to visitors that have no money to get home or to help. Thousands of stranded tourists are helped every year with this program.

The 'shotgun approach' to me what 'luck' is. You try every angle, and all that you hear is no, no,no, no, no, no,no, no,no, no, no,no,no.....YES!

I guess maybe it's tough love, but this is a little bit of what Port Clyde is saying.

Thank you very much for your balanced, well-analyzed, non-emotional, and cogent response. That is EXACTLY what Port Clyde is saying, has been saying from post 1, and will no longer be saying ... because no matter how logical they are, my words ruffle feathers. I like this forum and wish to remain a member. I hope that everything turns out rosy for all concerned.

Thanks again for posting.

[thomm225]

Maybe Gils boat will end up on a beach like S/V Satori (the sailboat from the movie The Perfect Storm) did which was also without a crew

It ended up on Assateague Island beach if I remember correctly.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/462815299176392223/

[kmacdonald]

Does anyone have Gills last name?

[japarker11]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

That's sound advice. I initially figured on Dagny heading there, but with the persistent E'ly wind component it was probable that Dagny was pushed inshore of the GS, maybe in far enough to pick up the weak S'ly countercurrent. Now the wind's from the N, so there's a good chance Dagny's heading south again. Betting on Brunswick to Jacksonville corridor, not more than 20 miles out.


Edit: If you happen to be in the area, why not do a DSC position poll - Dagny’s MMSI number is 378112296. Good practice and it doesn't cost a thing.

LM,

Yes, you did state that pages and pages ago. That is what rattled my recall of the Holden. Beach experience.

I did check NOAA's Gulf Stream observation through 12/29/15. It is not showing a very organized or strong southerly counter flow. But with a Northerly and intermittently east component in the wind, Dagny could come ashore near the sparsely developed area on the Fla-Ga border. She could sit there two miles offshore for days before any one comes by.

Sent from my LG-V410 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app