UK yacht sunk in the Atlantic ??

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Benbow

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I was listening last night at around 1930 GMT to a group of ham radio operators trying to assist with a distress from a UK yacht. As far as I could gather an EPIRB registered to a UK yacht had been triggered and a Portugese CG aircraft had dropped a liferaft to 2 people in the water. No name for the vessel.

Amusingly, a US operator had called the USCG in Miami who told him that they didn't have a phone number for the Portugese CG so there was no way they could contact them?! (But I suspect that there was actually a perfectly well co-ordinated rescue going on in the meantime.)

Anyone know the story ?
 
Not the only one in trouble - I got this email this morning from friends - They have just arrived in St Lucia and completed their circumnavigation with the Atlantic crossing.... the section was written by the lady owner and first mate/// This drama is still unfolding.

Cruisers communicate via the SSB radio enroute. The grave drama of the past voyage involved FIRST LIGHT an American vessel which lost its rudder in the middle of nowhere: 1800 miles from The Canaries, 1000 miles to the Caribbean. Everyone communicated with sympathy and advice. We were the closest yacht. We changed course and rendezvoused the following day. FIRST LIGHT was wallowing in huge swells. We had discussed our options. It was impossible to tow them 1000 miles. If they were prepared to abandon ship we could have taken them aboard. That would have been precarious, bur feasible. I had already planned practicalities: three in cabins, three on deck. Then we could sleep in shifts. The food aboard could certainly be stretched to accommodate an extra few. But the question did not come up. At that point they had not considered abandoning their boat which was home to them. Two other boats rendezvoused with them the following day. Like us they sympathized and left, though advice continued to pour in via the radio. Then, unexpectedly, a motor sailor appeared unannounced. They offered to tow the stricken vessel and the offer was accepted. The tow did not go well. The towed sailboat ricocheted 90 degrees from side to side. After only one day FIRST LIGHT decided to abandon ship and we assume, board the towing vessel. Unfortunately there has been no contact with them since then. The rescue vessel does not have SSB radio. Unless they contact a passing vessel on VHF radio which everyone has we will not know the fate of FIRST LIGHT until they reach port. Serious accidents such as this occur regularly. We feel fortunate to arrive unscathed. I go through all vicariously and this contributes to the Angst which I experience between the hours of 3 and 5 A.M.: the Hour of the Wolf. I must applaud my Skipper who has kept me safe. Although I rail against his constant concentration on radio weather, no nonsense application to all the Important Things of Life...which do NOT include ME and the non stop conversation about BOAT THINGS I do acknowledge that it is his diligence that has kept me safe. So,here's to my Skipper...he got me here safely.

...........................................................................................................


Good reason for carrying an SSB - other cruisers will help you before the official services - often
I can well believe the telephone number problem.. one time I had a crew with a badly cracked opein head outside any territorial waters but off Columbia which is US Navy controlled. I got onto the SSB net who teleph9ned Columbia CC, Puerto Rico CC and St Thomas CC none of which could help or new how to contact US coastguard or navy!!! Eventually David Jones ( a friend who ran the weather centre when he was alive) called US navy in Key West and a short time later a frigate arrived and took the crew off.. to hospital and surgery... No communication availble between the various countries search and rescue services once outside terrtorial waters..
Michael
 
"A 121.5 distress signal was being transmitted from a beacon on the rowing boat and was being received by Delgada maritime rescue coordination centre in the Azores. MRCC Delgada tasked an Orion aircraft from Lisbon to fly to the last known position, 700nm northwest of the Azores, and broadcast to any shipping in the area to assist."

I thought 121.5 epirbs only transmitted a couple of miles.
 
Quote-''Good reason for carrying an SSB''
An even better reason for choosing and using a self contained windvane that has its own rudder,such as a Hydrovane! Or of course catamaran owners have built in redundancy..
 
[ QUOTE ]
Good reason for carrying an SSB - other cruisers will help you before the official services - often

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. Even in this case where initial alert was by EPIRB, the maritime SSB nets raised two boats in the area who would otherwise have been unaware of the problem. What is more I strongly suspect one was operating 'illegally' on ham bands which goes to show the value of at least having the option of doing so in an emergency.
 
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