Sailor Lost; 406 EPIRB Activated 30nm N of Key West

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by capngeo

AFAIK, the CG didn't have his ex's contact info, as they asked me for it. His EPIRB had myself and the previous owner's names as emergency contacts.

I know Jay's boat well, and in spite of its nearly 40 years, it was in good enough condition to handle last nights weather.... Especially considering his course was down wind. The seas weren't big enough to pitch-pole him. He did tell me yesterday he was very tired from standing watch for two days up to Ft Myers.... Doesn't jive with reports of a second POB.

What does bother me is that I recently explained the process of heaving to, and he was proud to tell me yesterday that he used it to "cat-nap" the last two nights. If he were hove to and a squall line hit him while asleep......

Jay is a new sailor, when he bought the boat a year ago, he knew nothing; he has however soaked it up like a sponge... Recently even won the KW Wreckers' race for his class

If his sailing partner was drinking too much, Jay could have ended up standing watch all night. Also unless I had someone very experienced on night watch, I'd be cat-napping in the cockpit, not asleep in a berth ... Were there any squalls? I think it's just been wind, not squalls. it's windy here.

[Boatguy30]

Sorry no offense, I was thinking life insurance. Pretty good idea really if you had a new ID to assume.

[boatman61]

I'd be very curious about the drunk...

[capngeo]

The reports of 2 POB are unconfirmed... I do have a text from Jay saying he was "alone on the tri" as he left KW; if there were a second POB, he would have had to embark AFTER Jay left KW for the Tortugas.

[capngeo]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

WARNING: Pure speculation. It is easy to imagine scenarios where the EPIRB could end up in the water even if the boat was still seaworthy. Maybe he lost his rig, and decided he'd better get the kayak ready in case he had to abandon ship, and then those things blew overboard. Maybe he needed to activate the EPIRB to call for help, and therefore brought it up to the cockpit for better transmission, and again over the side it went when the boat took a lurch. In any case, just pointing out that stranger things have happened. The vast majority of EPIRB signals and searches are false alarms--like 90+%.

If I had to envision a scenario, it would be that Jay had decided to abandon ship for some reason, and bobbled the EPIRB getting into the Kayak.

Some weeks ago we had a conversation about the Navigation Towers in that area. I told him about reading a novel where a guy lost his boat and climbed one of the towers to get out of the water. The posit of his EPIRB was within 2 NM of one of those towers and 10 or more West of his intended rhumb line. I think he had a problem... maybe taking on water??....maybe fire??? and headed towards the tower. Alternately he abandoned ship somewhere on the rhumb line and was paddling towards the tower; something overturned his kayak and activated the EPIRB. I passed this theory to the CG and they did a fly-by of the tower. Nothing found.

As the CG has found the EPIRB, coupled with the fact Jay is missing I'd be pretty confident the alarm is not false. What is puzzling is the lack of debris; the fire theory would fit that assuming all or most of the buoyant debris burned faster than the hull which didn't sink until the fire got to the waterline.

[Mambo]

Originally Posted by capngeo

If I had to envision a scenario, it would be that Jay had decided to abandon ship for some reason, and bobbled the EPIRB getting into the Kayak.

Some weeks ago we had a conversation about the Navigation Towers in that area. I told him about reading a novel where a guy lost his boat and climbed one of the towers to get out of the water. The posit of his EPIRB was within 2 NM of one of those towers and 10 or more West of his intended rhumb line. I think he had a problem... maybe taking on water??....maybe fire??? and headed towards the tower. Alternately he abandoned ship somewhere on the rhumb line and was paddling towards the tower; something overturned his kayak and activated the EPIRB. I passed this theory to the CG and they did a fly-by of the tower. Nothing found.

As the CG has found the EPIRB, coupled with the fact Jay is missing I'd be pretty confident the alarm is not false. What is puzzling is the lack of debris; the fire theory would fit that assuming all or most of the buoyant debris burned faster than the hull which didn't sink until the fire got to the waterline.

Why would you get off a multihull for a kayak? Doesn't make sense to me. Fire, maybe but it still seems like any scenario of that sort (where he would have been able to access a below decks EPIRB) would have led to a VHF contact / debris or something. In my mind I keep coming back to the possibility that he set it off in response to criminal activity of some sort.

Are the amas on the piver issolated? It is very hard to imagine that boat sinking without a trace in relatively settled weather.

[capngeo]

Originally Posted by Mambo

Why would you get off a multihull for a kayak? Doesn't make sense to me. Fire, maybe but it still seems like any scenario of that sort (where he would have been able to access a below decks EPIRB) would have led to a VHF contact / debris or something. In my mind I keep coming back to the possibility that he set it off in response to criminal activity of some sort.

Are the amas on the piver issolated? It is very hard to imagine that boat sinking without a trace in relatively settled weather.

Agreed sinking would be unlikely.... Unless there was something that catastrophically affected all three hulls, like a collision, fire or explosion, which also makes retrieving the EPIRB difficult at best. I'm 90% certain he only had a handheld VHF... His main radio has been inop for a while.

Jay is a new sailor, myself and many others have tried to impart wisdom, but sometimes Jay still does it his way.... Usually shortly followed by "I wish I'd have listened".... I've told him 20x to never leave the mothership unless its on fire!

Funny you mention criminal activity; just had that conversation with my wife. I keep coming back to the why though.... There was nothing Jay had aboard that was worth much... The boat isn't one someone would want to use as a drug runner. Jay isn't the duplicitous type who would plan such a nefarious deed himself.

[skipmac]

I have to wonder about the potential second POB. Not much real information to go on but from what little there is he sounds potentially a little sketchy. I know this is grim speculation but any chance the boat was hijacked by this guy who then sailed off in the other direction, hence no sighting, no wreckage? Jay maybe left in the kayak with the EPIRB? The only thing I can think of that fits the information.

[capngeo]

It's been confirmed the other possible POB was not aboard, and was seen boarding another boat in the area

[capngeo]

UPDATE: 16 May, 0000
Still no survivor or wreckage sighted. A red flare was reported, but was later discounted as not being a distress signal.

[Wotname]

My thoughts are with Jay and his CF friends,

[BlackOak]

Saddened to hear about this. Hope there is a happy ending. I met a guy a week or so ago, named Jay, he had a eye patch over his right eye if I remember correctly. Told me he was headed to DT. Wondering if its the same guy I met. He was a very soft spoken kid. I helped him pull an old ratty powerboat with a stove on deck off the beach that had gotten away from its mooring during a big blow we had here in KW a couple weeks ago.

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by capngeo

Agreed sinking would be unlikely....

Jay is a new sailor, myself and many others have tried to impart wisdom, but sometimes Jay still does it his way.... Usually shortly followed by "I wish I'd have listened".... I've told him 20x to never leave the mothership unless its on fire!

...

If this guy was a new sailor, in the reported conditions it is possible that he managed to flip that tri. Given the direction of the Stream it could easily be floating inverted well inshore of the towers, potentially with its mast stuck on the bottom considering that as much as 40 miles off shore, the water is only 40' deep. With blue bottom paint (if so) that hull would be all but invisible from the air. He might have recovered the EPIRB but lost his grip on it, so it was found, but he remained with inverted boat, and will until his strength gives out. I also hate to mention it but there is no shortage of sharks in that area (more than once we've been investigated by very large Black Tip sharks while we sat becalmed). I really hope the CG doesn't give up the search.

FWIW...

[capngeo]

Originally Posted by BlackOak

Saddened to hear about this. Hope there is a happy ending. I met a guy a week or so ago, named Jay, he had a eye patch over his right eye if I remember correctly. Told me he was headed to DT. Wondering if its the same guy I met. He was a very soft spoken kid. I helped him pull an old ratty powerboat with a stove on deck off the beach that had gotten away from its mooring during a big blow we had here in KW a couple weeks ago.

Yes, that was Jay; he was blind in one eye and wore a patch. He claimed the pirate persona was a hit w the tourists

[rockDAWG]

Originally Posted by Coops

This is a friend of one of ours on this forum. Can we keep posts to help and support ones in this case please. He is genuinely concerned and does not need any angst or aggravation thrown his way, it would be a good thing to say we have helped or assisted him find out information, hopefully of a happy ending.

Coops.

X100. People sometimes are so insensitive.