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Old 25-12-2015, 23:23   #166
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Re: Tragedy Strikes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by OBXSkipper View Post
Now if someone started a rumor that there were 15 kilos of of cocaine hidden onboard... the little boat would be found in less than 12hrs ...just sayin
Someone might burn the sailboat down when they realized that they have been had.

Not a good idea, funny, but i wouldn't recommended...
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Old 26-12-2015, 01:32   #167
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Re: Tragedy Strikes.

Reading the young fellas blog is enlightening.


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Old 26-12-2015, 02:14   #168
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Re: Tragedy Strikes.

Copying the blog entry here, just to keep everything in one place. Hope this is okay by you, Gil.

--------
The Wild Goose Search For Dagny.

Posted by Gil on 25 December, 2015 in Under Way


The night Dagny drifted off I dreamed of a young woman from Sarasota. There was nice blue water everywhere, even in the streets. We swam around endlessly. Then someone died in a freak circus accident. She said she had to go. Something had broken. I said “we’ll talk,” but I knew she was gone forever.
Flying fishes are incredible creatures. You’d think they just extend their jumps a little to escape predators but no, they are amazing fliers, well, as far as fishes go. They fly a few inches from the water’s surface, going up and down with the waves, making turns, thus for incredible distances. I wonder if they hold their breath in their own way, getting a glimpse of our world like we get a glimpse of theirs. Some day they will be birds and look down on us. One of them flew over the bow of Keith Cooper’s boat and two feet from my face today as I peeked at the horizon looking for Dagny.


I met Keith Cooper this morning. He knocked on my room door at nine. In a daze, I went in my hotel robe to greet him. He explained to me that he is the BASRA representative for West End. I had heard of BASRA, thinking that it was part of the Bahamian Government, but actually it is a volunteer association for search and rescue in the Bahamas. How he found out about me, I forgot to ask, or maybe he told me in my half-asleep state… I don’t think the police notified him. As I sat there rubbing my eyes he started making phone calls, to a U.S. Embassy contact, the USCG and some other people. This was the first time someone took a real interest in finding my boat. I showed him the position report I received from the Coast Guards in Miami. Dagny was spotted by a USCG aircraft assisting in an emergency (one with people aboard). I still need to put all the pieces together but it seems the Seven Seas Cruising Association is helping as well. Glenn Tuttle from the SSCA sent a drift estimate by Chris Parker, the well known meteorologist. If this is the kind of stuff the SSCA does, I want to be part of it too, and not just on the receiving end.
Finally emerging from my much needed sleep, I heard Keith offering to take me on his boat to the calculated intercept point. I was introvertly ecstatic at the offer! Then he mentioned his boat, a 20ft. Mako… Crossing an ocean in Dagny is one thing, going sixty miles off to sea in a twenty foot single-engine pleasure boat is another. I don’t think I would feel comfortable doing so, but Keith Cooper is not an ordinary man, he is on a mission to help people, and does so with very little resources, in my case the cost of gas. Who in this world will still gives his whole day to a stranger? I have to admit, the support has been overwhelming, from people giving good advice, taking time to make calls, even loaning me a bit of money on Paypal, some I do not even know. There will be a long thank-you page to write after this ordeal is over.
Keith runs an eco-tourism tour business in West-End, check him out!


We left West End at 11:30. Keith drove his boat hard all the way to the coordinates. It was a bumpy ride for such a small boat. I was handed a turkey sandwich, ah yes, breakfast wasn’t something on my mind but it hit the spot, especially that I had only eaten a can of Spam the night before. At this rate I will see my abs again pretty soon, but I’m not complaining. We finally reached Dagny’s estimated location and four eyes scanned the horizon again, nothing. Keith drove us a further seven miles in that direction, but being so far was getting a bit hairy. It was time to turn back, and my heart sank again, though I am glad we did not. The ride back was a much longer ordeal. We saw a cruise ship seemingly stopped, and a cargo ship from pretty close. If they saw us they must have thought we were totally nuts. It was 9:30 when we entered West End, ten hours at sea on a little plastic open shell.


Merry Christmas everyone! I just realized as I am writing this that it is 12:25AM on December 25th!


I am renting a house I really can’t afford right now, just for two days. There is nothing in West End at any reasonable price. I do absolutely need to find something for cheap, maybe in Freeport, or buy a ticket back to France, which would put me out of reach of Dagny, wherever she is now. There might be some interesting developments soon, but I can’t say now just based on an email I received from a fellow sailor. The only thing to do now is to wait for a sighting. I am of course open to any suggestion.


Thank you again to all who helped and are still looking for Dagny and sharing the information.
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Old 26-12-2015, 10:42   #169
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Re: Tragedy Strikes.

Three separate EAA chapters contacted: #908, 724 and 288. Responses obtained from # 724 (Merritt Island), and 288 (Daytona Beach).
Merritt Island chapter Rep told me they will discuss amongst its members if anyone has interest in going 40NM offshore to look for s/v Dagny.
Daytona Beach Chapter Rep contacted a friend of his at the CAP, who advised me to call the USCG Ft Pierce, and request a Lost Vessel Search.

This I did, and have been in touch with Petty Officer Spurling as of 13.30EST. He is requesting registration of the vessel, and name and contact details of the Skipper. I was able to give Petty Officer Spurling (Tel: 305 535 4472):
1: Gil's first name and nationality
2: A reference to the this forum and thread
3: the date of the loss
4: the date, time and location of the last sighting, (17.30 on 12/23/15 at 27.03N 79.16W)

I would like some kind of phone number and/or email for Gil if possible, so the coast guard can be in contact with him directly.

My understanding is once they take an interest, they can then generate a "Mission Number" which the Civil Air Patrol will then use to launch their search efforts.
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Old 26-12-2015, 10:52   #170
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Re: Tragedy Strikes.

That sounds promising.
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Old 26-12-2015, 11:03   #171
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Re: Tragedy Strikes.

"Dagny’s" (VHF) MMSI number is 378112296. No AIS transmitter unfortunately.

Gil's email contact form ➥ Contact - SV Dagny
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Old 26-12-2015, 11:08   #172
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Re: Tragedy Strikes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tailwheel View Post
Three separate EAA chapters contacted: #908, 724 and 288. Responses obtained from # 724 (Merritt Island), and 288 (Daytona Beach).
Merritt Island chapter Rep told me they will discuss amongst its members if anyone has interest in going 40NM offshore to look for s/v Dagny.
Daytona Beach Chapter Rep contacted a friend of his at the CAP, who advised me to call the USCG Ft Pierce, and request a Lost Vessel Search.
Should be off Jacksonville by now.
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Old 26-12-2015, 11:37   #173
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Re: Tragedy Strikes.

From SSCA Eddie Tothill Chris Parker's new drift analysis just came in: spread the word.

So the vessel started drifting from 26-40N/79W at about 5:30pm EST on Tue22.
Was sighted 27-04N/79-16W at 5:20pm on Wed23.

At 5pm on Thu24, I estimate position 28-12N/79-45W, based on drift from wind 30 miles, in direction 320T & set from current 48 miles in direction 355T.

At 5pm on Fri25, I estimate position 29-30N/80-10W, based on drift from wind 25 miles, in direction 310T & set from current 45 miles in direction 348T.

At 5pm today (Sat26), I estimate position 30N/80-30W, based on drift from wind 22 miles, in direction 320T & current about 10 miles in direction 345T.

From the current location there's little GulfStream current (and tidal currents should cancel themselves out over a 24hr period), so drift should be due exclusively to wind, and should be about 18 miles in a direction of 330T Sat26 night-Sun27 (yielding a 5pm Sun27 location of 30-15N/80-40W)...

and 22 miles in a direction 340T Sun27 night-Mon28 (yielding a Mon28 evening location of 30-36N/80-48W).

and 25mi in a direction 360T Mon28 night-Tue29 (yielding a 5pm Tue29 position 30-51N/80-48W).

Of course, all of the above is only an educated guess, and the possible errors compound over time...cheers...Chris.
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Old 26-12-2015, 11:39   #174
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Re: Tragedy Strikes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tailwheel View Post
Three separate EAA chapters contacted: #908, 724 and 288. Responses obtained from # 724 (Merritt Island), and 288 (Daytona Beach).
Merritt Island chapter Rep told me they will discuss amongst its members if anyone has interest in going 40NM offshore to look for s/v Dagny.
Daytona Beach Chapter Rep contacted a friend of his at the CAP, who advised me to call the USCG Ft Pierce, and request a Lost Vessel Search.

This I did, and have been in touch with Petty Officer Spurling as of 13.30EST. He is requesting registration of the vessel, and name and contact details of the Skipper. I was able to give Petty Officer Spurling (Tel: 305 535 4472):
1: Gil's first name and nationality
2: A reference to the this forum and thread
3: the date of the loss
4: the date, time and location of the last sighting, (17.30 on 12/23/15 at 27.03N 79.16W)

I would like some kind of phone number and/or email for Gil if possible, so the coast guard can be in contact with him directly.

My understanding is once they take an interest, they can then generate a "Mission Number" which the Civil Air Patrol will then use to launch their search efforts.
Will PM you right now with working email for Gil G.
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Old 26-12-2015, 11:44   #175
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Re: Tragedy Strikes.

Thank you everyone for all the work and attention!!! We will get these two reunited:-).
Please keep passing the word, not only is she missing her sailor, she is a hazard to navigation with no lights. So if you know cruisers in that area tell them to about the new draft analysis from Chris Parker.
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Old 26-12-2015, 11:47   #176
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Re: Tragedy Strikes.

PS my internet is frustratingly slow and iPad crashes when I try to load a blue chart of latest DA. Can someone post that?
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Old 26-12-2015, 12:07   #177
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Re: Tragedy Strikes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by GordMay View Post
"Dagny’s" (VHF) MMSI number is 378112296. No AIS transmitter unfortunately.

Gil's email contact form ➥ Contact - SV Dagny

A quote below from from Gil's blog posting (23Dec, Hell on Little Bahama Bank. - SV Dagny ).
I've read much of his blog now, he needs to begin each entry with a concise summary, then get into the details (IMHO).

He also wrote of probably buying a pre-paid (burner) cell phone ASAP, to replace his drifting one left aboard the lost vessel. He states that his VHF and AIS receiver were left turned on and aboard too.
He also mentioned earlier that he had an InReach he was using, but no further reference to it, so the InReach is probably adrift on the boat too.

Quote from SVDagny blog:
"I will now head to the harbor master’s office and make sure the local police has notified the U.S. Coast Guard, which they should have done last night, I mentioned to them, but I am sure they know their job. My only means of communications is via email, having left my phone on the boat as well in a can of rice, since it had developed an aversion to salt water. I still have my dinghy here with its outboard engine, but it is of little use to me now if Dagny isn’t found and somehow brought back here, but I doubt things like that happen, do they? So if anyone wants a brand new 7’9″ hypalon Achilles with used two-stroke outboard for $1000, let me know, pick up only."


It's starting to sound as if there's a reasonable chance the boat will be found, a pretty strong effort from a lot of good people.

Once found let's hope the USCG can retrieve it. I know somebody (SiL) who handles SAR, at another station, going to call him and see if he can do anything.
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Old 26-12-2015, 12:52   #178
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Re: Tragedy Strikes.

My Coastie SiL (who handles SAR elsewhere) is looking for info, WC MIA sector contacts. He's off duty now (here), so limited; reports back tomorrow (I'm not going to say more, touchy HS). He verified that if others get firm position info, they can respond; might be possible to even do as was posted above and initiate a recovery op, maybe.

I told him the general S/V Dagny background, and that Gil had gone ashore with little money (assuming he left cruising kitty aboard (man, may ought to be more tactful here)).
Sil volunteered that CG, if boarding an adrift vessel, would conduct a thorough search; any significant dinero, or whatever, found would open a can of worms...
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Old 26-12-2015, 13:23   #179
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Re: Tragedy Strikes.

Tx J, sent you message :-). Any and all help is appreciated and thank you so much for this contact, everyone is important, ya never know which of these folks we get involved will be the catalyst to Dagny's eventual recovery.
Thanks!!
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Old 26-12-2015, 14:00   #180
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Re: Tragedy Strikes.

Here's a Google Earth screen shot showing Chris Parker's position estimate for 5 pm EST today (Saturday).

The boat would have drifted about 215 nm to reach that postion.
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