Search for 24-foot sailboat off Hilo Hawaii (Merged)

[Mahana]

From the Hilo Tribune Herald:

The Coast Guard is searching for a missing mariner who issued a distress message Thursday morning by text via satellite.
Rimas Meleshyus transmitted a text to a friend 8:47 a.m. Thursday, saying, "I lost my life raft, in danger now."
The Coast Guard is coordinating a search for the owner of the 24-foot sailboat about 944 miles northeast of the main Hawaiian islands.
Meleshyus left Hilo Feb. 9 on a solo voyage to San Francisco aboard the Pier Pressure.
An HC-130 Hercules aircraft was diverted at 10:32 a.m. to the boat's last known position, roughly four hours away.
The Coast Guard asked the Federal Aviation Administration to alert aircraft passing through the area to look for any signs of distress.
Gale force winds and seas of 20 feet were reported at the last known position of the sailboat, the Coast Guard said.

[Paul Annapolis]

Always sad and upseTting to hear of this. . But "lost my life raft"???? First. . How does a sailor lose a life raft? ?? Transmited a text message to afriend? Why not an ssb ot epirb ir sat phone call?As the Pardeys say. .. your boat is the life raft. ... and the liferaft is for emergency situations.. lEt's all hope that this sailor is rescued safely. .

[zeehag]

like a 24 ft boat is gonna be outfitted like a 45 ft cruiser..lol...liferaft was prolly a puffboat of some sort semi-lashed to coach house roof or merely resting there....and he got hit by a sea bigger than he is..... they do exist in pacific frequently on occasion.....could scary in biiiig pacific for a little boat....remember hawaii is a surf capital in planet....lol he prolly went out the harbor or wherever, got hit by a reasonable sea for the area and got scared while texting with friend because he wandered into surf line......anything is possible....cannot text friends if you are reasonable distance from surfers beaches.....

[SaltyMonkey]

It could have been in a cradle, whisked into the abyss by a Prometheus wave, a common occurrence for cradles. Hence valise makes sense for me.

He could have also been deploying it when a wave came by for its snack.

[nigel1]

Most likely used SPOT or similar to send text, according to report,departed Hilo on 9th Feb.

[Cheechako]

"The air and sea search for a sailor in the Pacific Ocean — who sent message to a friend reading, " lost my life raft, in danger now" — has been called off after he checked with the U.S. Coast Guard, officials said Friday.
Rimas Meleshyus told them he was alive and well and still aboard his 24-foot vessel called Pier Pressure.
Meleshyus was part of the way through a solo voyage from Hilo, Hawaii to San Francisco when he ran into trouble around 944 miles northeast of the Hawaiian islands, according to an earlier release from the Coast Guard.
Gale force winds and 20 foot waves were reported at his last known position.

After receiving a text message via satellite stating, "I lost my life raft, in danger now," a concerned friend contacted the Joint Rescue Coordination Center who attempted to contact Meleshyus via cellphone, computer and satellite device, the earlier release said."

[zeehag]

24 ft boat sailor.
had to be close to shore to text a friend sucessfully... huge seas in hawaii..is how they got to be a surfing mecca...
hope he is ok.... is only a 24 ft boat he sails...

[SaltyMonkey]

Sailor begins circumnavigation attempt from Oak Harbor - Whidbey News-Times

The culprit

this guy has a history of loser with the CG

[Mahana]

Here's some pics of his Hilo stay

Sailor Found Safe After Vanishing in the Pacific - NBC News

[zeehag]

so izzee gonna find another thing to call a liferaft then proceed or is his adventure cut short by surfables off hilo.......
we will need some more adventure to read and joke about once phil lands....

[SaltyMonkey]

@ zee zee indeed. Did you catch he was going to go around the horn in that thingie?

Not like Rutherford

Sail-World.com : He's done it! Sailor sets Around-Americas solo sailing record

[Paul Annapolis]

A manifestly unsafe voyage. .. an accident waiTing to haPpen. .. a 3200 pound boat. . Lord. What fools these mortals be. ..

[Oregon Waterman]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

Sailor begins circumnavigation attempt from Oak Harbor - Whidbey News-Times

The culprit

this guy has a history of loser with the CG

He ran aground at the end of a 1200 mile passage for some reason...and that equals "this guy has a history of loser with the CG" ?
And, if I may ask, what does that sentence even mean?

He went from Oak Harbor to Hilo (using auto GPS!), did some repairs, turned around and is headed to San Francisco...on a 24' boat...seems he has sailed further than you or I today.

[Suijin]

Determined to earn a place in history and secure personal fame — he would be the first to complete a voyage in a San Juan 24 — Meleshyus departed on a vessel overloaded with the fantasies of fellow sailors.

Pier Pressure, Meleshyus’s boat, was designed as a lighweight weekend sailer and racer. The 3,200-pound vessel sat well below her designed waterline, crammed with food, water and other supplies.

Kinda tells you why he'd be the first. Either no one has tried it or they didn't make it.

[mikeguyver]

You can text anywhere from anywhere world wide. Check out Delorme "in reach"