Missing Boat found in Cuba: Lessons Learned

[mbianka]

I and others have been following the thread of CaptGeos friend Jay and the boat 3/4 Time a 40 foot trimaran whose Epirb was found 34 miles northwest of Key West. Despite an "extensive" search by the Coast Guard and others the boat was never found until it washed up on the northern shores of Cuba with the sailor in the cockpit wearing a life jacket and tethered to the boat but, sadly deceased. What is a mystery to me, disturbing actually. Is that despite the search by the authorities following the activation of the EPIRB that no one spotted the boat for several weeks until it came ashore in Cuba. The waters the boat was sailing in were not actually off the beaten track either. I was in Marathon and heard the Pon Pon message from the Coast Guard about the missing boat all week. So the word was out. Certainly has me rethinking the chances of even near coast rescues is even less of a sure thing.

I'm also thinking that an AIS transponder which I have on my boat can also be useful as a backup to the EPIRB should that fall overboard as appears to be the case above. At least AIS would stay with the boat as long as there was power. If the EPIRB drifts off then all bet's are off if this tragic case is any indication.