Missing 75´s.y. Lady Domina

[Astrid]

Yes, but most trawlers also have long range communications and an emergency beacon (my trawler experience though has been in commerical fishing trawlers so I might be wrong in the communication category). Besides, LD was designed as a motor sailor and would be most efficient utilizing both sails and engine--and as an aside would be steadier and more comfortable in the open Atlantic with sails deployed than running under motor and a single headsail.

[la vida nueva]

To be a risk taker you have to have a basic understanding of the risks. People who do the same things risk takers do without realizing how dangerous it is come under a new title, which out of respect, I am not going to spell out here.

The basic thing we are over-looking is the common sense view the crew would have phoned home if they could have.

Since the crew didn't phone home, what options does that leave us?

1. They could not phone home because the ports where they likely made two fuel stops had neither telephone nor internet services.

2. They could not phone home because a boat with no operating engine takes a long time to float or waft it's way to a port where they could make phone calls;

3. They could not phone home because their captors won't let them;

4. They could not phone home because life rafts are really hard to steer.

In two out of three cases, they are floating around the Atlantic, in one case in more comfort than the other. In the hijacking case the boat is still there.

Some very bright minds have analyzed this. No solutions are obvious. I am right back where I started from, advocating the most intensive search possible, including by fellow sailors. That search should rightfully include everywhere, not just the route a boat with a functioning engine might take it. We get that search by massive publicity, in newspapers, massive traffic on the internet, keeping the story in front of fellow sailors and retelling the story in the press in all languages.

I am still optimistic.

[Boatguy30]

The average Nordhavn is likely much better maintained. I think I may have seen this boat in Cartengena in 2005? I feel really bad for the crew that clearly had no idea what they were getting into. I have seen these situations a lot where a guy with an unsound boat tries to raise some bucks off some unsuspecting travelers.

[sinbad7]

And if it´s the same rescue raft as shown in my #356,it was rejected from a ferry company at least 9 years ago. Has it seen service since then?

Tore

[goboatingnow]

That search should rightfully include everywhere, not just the route a boat with a functioning engine might take it. We get that search by massive publicity, in newspapers, massive traffic on the internet, keeping the story in front of fellow sailors and retelling the story in the press in all languages.

I dont understand this, how can 'massive publicity' lead to searches, I mean the only people that can mount a large scale sea search are rescue agencies or the military.

Im afraid I dont understand this thread anymore, its like people in a room jabbering about a tragedy, afraid that if they stop talking , the reality will dawn on them

At this stage , short of a miracle, the most likely event is the most likely event. I wish it were not true and maybe by some miracle it isnt, but that the reality

Dave

[boatman61]

But think of the 'royalties'...
75 Days and 75 Feet.. Lost at Sea... A true story...

What...??

I'm being positive...

[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

...

Im afraid I dont understand this thread anymore, its like people in a room jabbering about a tragedy, afraid that if they stop talking , the reality will dawn on them

At this stage , short of a miracle, the most likely event is the most likely event. I wish it were not true and maybe by some miracle it isnt, but that the reality

Dave

Roger on that

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I dont understand this, how can 'massive publicity' lead to searches, I mean the only people that can mount a large scale sea search are rescue agencies or the military.

Im afraid I dont understand this thread anymore

Yes I agree.

I think this thread has turned totally stupid.

If the relatives have not yet seen their relevant government search authorities then they should. Any USCG records would be opened immediately.

But this thread is bonkers.


Mark

[la vida nueva]

Let me be a little more graphic. This story, as well as the Grain de Soleil story, never came out in the press. If you didn't read it here, if you don't know the name of the boat, you probably don't know the yachts are even missing. We forget how big our world is. What I am suggesting is, the best search we can have is by keeping everyone in the loop, making people very aware of the missing boats, even to non-sailors. It was a non-sailor, or someone who was not "sailing", who spotted the liferaft floating near the cruise ship, for example.

Of course, governments and military do official search grids. But they couldn't find the Grain de Soleil even after the epirb was tripped.

If the boat was in Puerto Rico, as big as it is, as distinct as it is, and the story had hit the island newspaper, we would be getting a response, likely from a non-sailors. Same thing if it had hit island papers across the globe. If the boat has been hijacked, same thing.

If you want to really get a response, and the boat is above water, just put the words "reward" with the news in the island newspapers, then the phone really rings. If this boat was where we are all looking for it, we would see it. It is time to look where we have not looked.

Am I right. Probably not.

[la vida nueva]

After going over the possibilities so many times, I suspect (just suspect, no evidence) one of you hit the solution a long time ago, as echoed on and off by others. Expecting a 15 year old marine engine to start pumping 24/7 for 30 days was optimistic, considering the condition of other elements on the boat. That is an optimistic scenario because it presents better options than if they are floating in a raft or hijacked. No phone call home, no spent money that we know about, means they would be out of fuel no matter. There has been no ransom demand, that means we need to keep sailors aware and watching, does that make sense?

[Efraim]

Originally Posted by la vida nueva

...We forget how big our world is.

We do?

[la vida nueva]

We did...

[SaltyMonkey]

I'm sorry, could you repeat that again la vida nueva? I didn't quite get your point.

[la vida nueva]

Probably the best thing to do is retrace the last known steps. I might have a person who can start making inquiries in Puerto Rico. Maybe post pics of the yacht, meet the customs people, and raise some hell till we get answers. Am checking.

[la vida nueva]

ahhh...I guess when we quit working on a solution and start picking on each other we have run out of hope. I have talked to a lot of grieving families recently, including a friend of the French boat, Grain de Soleil. Seems we owe the families an obligation to stay focused rather than digress into the usual yachting snivel. So, I won't go there.