Missing yachtswoman in South west.

[Robert Wilson]

I didn't build it, I just pointed you in the direction of the people who did.

Ah, thank you.
I shall have to search further for the answer!

 

[fergie_mac66]

Having been nearly squashed by the Princess Matilda in the Helford a couple of years ago when she picked up the next buoy whilst waiting for the tide to get up to Gweek to overwinter, I can confirm she is not a unsubstantial craft! She's more like a small coaster than a river barge.

With regard to passage plan, I would'nt overcomplicate it cos with Lands end if you go outside Longships by a mile or so then its fairly simple. Spall was making TV for entertinment not instruction.

And I really don't understand all this about the inshore route being significantly shorter, according to my plotter, from the Runnel stone to the same point off Cape Cornwall the inshore route is only 0.8NM shorter than going outside Longships with a reasonable offing.

the thing is the inshore route has a strong tidal eddy a good extra 3 hours of fair tide can be 4/5/6 knots can reduce the corner trip time by 2/3hours .. if you cut close inshore of the runnel _in calm seas ! can gain another hour

 

[jimi]

the thing is the inshore route has a strong tidal eddy a good extra 3 hours of fair tide can be 4/5/6 knots can reduce the corner trip time by 2/3hours .. if you cut close inshore of the runnel _in calm seas ! can gain another hour

but if you start at the runnel, and end at the same place, Cape Cornwall, 7NM later and you are averaging 7knots over the ground on the outside, you'd have to be going at the speed of light on the inside to save an hour;-)

Maybe you mean you can start earlier cos the inshore eddy starts earlier?

 

[fergie_mac66]

but if you start at the runnel, and end at the same place, Cape Cornwall, 7NM later and you are averaging 7knots over the ground on the outside, you'd have to be going at the speed of light on the inside to save an hour;-)

Maybe you mean you can start earlier cos the inshore eddy starts earlier?

yes an hr maybe a bit much but time it right and i was meaning on the trip to padstow gate opens 1 / 2 hours b4 high . in the right conditions you can do the 60miles in less than 8 hrs with a huge push from the tide all the way

 

[wotayottie]

Maybe you mean you can start earlier cos the inshore eddy starts earlier?

Yes. A lot earlier.

 

[Plomong]

There are few ships in the area she would be sailing, not even that many fishing boats. Usually I will not see a single ship and maybe just a couple of inshore fishing boats / potters. The traffic lane round Lands End is well offshore of where she would be.

Saw and had to avoid several ships just south of Mounts Bay. Also saw many ships passing north through the TSS just off the Longships as we progressed north in the ITZ. One of them made a sharp turn to starboard at the N end of the TSS and came at us when we were just a bit N of the TSS NE buoy. We were stand-on vessel and under sail. She stood on, we did the avoiding. She went directly towards the coast and turned parallel to the coast on a northerly track. A fecking big cruise ship, probably entertaining the passengers !!

Saw several potters attending their pots / lines, and passed quite close to one. Saw many many many pot markers.

Plomong

 

[lenseman]

UPDATE 17 APR 2013:

A search is to be conducted to locate the wreck of her yacht:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22171976



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[prv]

A search is to be conducted to locate the wreck of her yacht

Is that normal? Seems like a lot of effort to go to in order to say "yup, she sank". OK, they might possibly find some hints as to exactly why she sank, but is that really going to help anything?

I assume the body is quite unlikely to still be with whatever wreckage they find (if any). Sounds like they're mostly just expecting to find an orphaned engine.

Pete

 

[lenseman]

Is that normal? Seems like a lot of effort to go to in order to say "yup, she sank". OK, they might possibly find some hints as to exactly why she sank, but is that really going to help anything?

I assume the body is quite unlikely to still be with whatever wreckage they find (if any). Sounds like they're mostly just expecting to find an orphaned engine.

Pete

Almost certainly a life insurance claim challenge. No one actually saw her sail away. I can remember a story about a canoeist on the east coast a number of years ago who was "lost at sea" and any prudent insurance company would need convincing.



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[prv]

any prudent insurance company would need convincing.

Do they pay the police to do the search, then?

(Genuine question)

Pete

 

[Capt Popeye]

Almost certainly a life insurance claim challenge. No one actually saw her sail away. I can remember a story about a canoeist on the east coast a number of years ago who was "lost at sea" and any prudent insurance company would need convincing.

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There being no witnesses to her departure, does seem strange to me!! (if true)

With modern tracking systems, were there evidence of her departure??

 

[prv]

There being no witnesses to her departure, does seem strange to me!! (if true)

What's strange about it? Most of my departures have no "witnesses". I just go down to the boat, cast off, and leave. Sometimes I pass someone on the pontoon and say hello, sometimes the rowers go past me as I'm coming out into the river, but quite often neither of those.

With modern tracking systems, were there evidence of her departure??

Not sure what "tracking systems" you have in mind. AIS would do it, but very unlikely she had a transmitter on board (and if she had done, it would have been brought up in this thread the first time round). Other than that, the best bet is probably marina CCTV, if any. Given that the police are suiting up to go look for her engine block, it would seem the answer is "no".

Pete

 

[emsworthy]

It is highly conceivable that an insurance company facing a substantial payout (she was cited as married to a "millionaire" of course), would want to do some serious digging to see if the claim stacked up before paying out in the absence of a body. From a friends experience with a fairly hefty personal injury claim, I was astounded at the lengths private investigators acting for the insurer went to in an attempt to find evidence to destroy their case when it went to court.

It's quite possible though that a clever loss adjuster on the part of the insurer would be able to convince local plod that there was sufficient suspicion of foul play, so that they would use Police resources to unravel the mystery rather than expensive PI's acting for the insurance company.

Just an opinion though.

 

[lustyd]

Other than that, the best bet is probably marina CCTV, if any.

I believe she left from Mousehole so the best they would find is a clever seagull who remembered crapping on the deck.

 

[lustyd]

Having just read the article I think I can paraphrase it for the forum:

"Police divers, who all really like diving, have identified some lovelly reefs off Lands End. They would like to dive all summer and have therefore decided to look for a yacht which has probably disintegrated. The insurance company have collaborated with them to provide an excuse for the jolly good time they will all have"

 

[longjohnsilver]

There was a report about this on Radio Devon a few days ago. The police spokesman said little chance of finding a body. What was interesting is that they are still checking her bank accounts for any activity, none so far.

 

[lustyd]

There was a report about this on Radio Devon a few days ago. The police spokesman said little chance of finding a body. What was interesting is that they are still checking her bank accounts for any activity, none so far.

Surely the probate would have had them all closed by now?

 

[prv]

I believe she left from Mousehole so the best they would find is a clever seagull who remembered crapping on the deck.

Good point, I was thinking of Falmouth Marina where she set off from, but we know she stopped at Mousehole on the way.

Still, there's a fairly good way of detecting whether a boat has left Mousehole, and that is to look at Mousehole and see if the boat is in it. So we know the boat left, and it's not clear to me that it really matters whether she was on board. If this were a hypothetical insurance job, someone had to sail the boat out to sea, before transferring to another craft and scuttling the yacht. Whether that was (hypothetically) her or an accomplice seems immaterial.

Pete

 

[prv]

Surely the probate would have had them all closed by now?

I thought when someone disappeared without a body, you couldn't treat them as dead for legal purposes for something like seven years. If so, things won't be proceeding in the way they do when someone snuffs it on land.

Pete

 

[longjohnsilver]

Surely the probate would have had them all closed by now?

No death cert so no probate.