GEM43
Active member
UK sailor missing after yacht found 'eviscerated' Lacanau: UK sailor missing after yacht found 'eviscerated'
Yachtsman lost in Biscay
- Thread starter GEM43
- Start date
Poignard
Well-known member
Search called off, so little chance of finding him alive. An awful tragedy.
potentillaCO32
Active member
You have to ask why he was out in such weather given that the storm and it's intensity was forecast 10 days beforehand.
Being out in a small yacht off the french coast in 100 knot forecast winds is madness and a risk to other lives.
Being out in a small yacht off the french coast in 100 knot forecast winds is madness and a risk to other lives.
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oldmanofthehills
Well-known member
As the boat was found afloat but badly damaged, the problem seems to be that he tried to leave it. He wasnt in the life raft so it might be a failed abandon ship but we will never know
ridgy
Well-known member
According to marine traffic it was a 12m cat that left Weymouth last Tuesday. What an odd thing to do, sail on to a notorious lee shore in a forecasted storm in a boat that might not go to windward very well.
Ship TIGER PA (Sailing Vessel) Registered in USA - Vessel details, Current position and Voyage information - IMO 0, MMSI 338377893, Call sign
Ship TIGER PA (Sailing Vessel) Registered in USA - Vessel details, Current position and Voyage information - IMO 0, MMSI 338377893, Call sign
ProDave
Well-known member
With the boat still floating, it looks like he did not heed the usual advice "only enter the liferaft when you have to step up to get into it"
It does look like poor passage planning particularly with regards to the weather forecast.
It does look like poor passage planning particularly with regards to the weather forecast.
Roberto
Well-known member
Exc. from the official statement:
Disparition d’un plaisancier britannique au large de Lacanau (33) - Préfecture maritime de l'Atlantique
on Friday the French MRCC is contacted by the British MRCC as the vessel is not answering radio messages (?). The Tiger PA is then located 185km from pointe de Graves. After a few tries, the nearby Autosun cargo manages to establish radio contact, the 73yo British sailor declares being safe and willing to sail on.
On the following day, Saturday at 1500 the Tiger Pa distress beacon is activated, about 80km west of Lacanau.
[follows description of rescue attempts]
What kind of radio messages could there be between that position and the UK MRCC? HF maybe but I seriously doubt any leisure sailing boat keeps a continuous radio watch on HF.
Disparition d’un plaisancier britannique au large de Lacanau (33) - Préfecture maritime de l'Atlantique
on Friday the French MRCC is contacted by the British MRCC as the vessel is not answering radio messages (?). The Tiger PA is then located 185km from pointe de Graves. After a few tries, the nearby Autosun cargo manages to establish radio contact, the 73yo British sailor declares being safe and willing to sail on.
On the following day, Saturday at 1500 the Tiger Pa distress beacon is activated, about 80km west of Lacanau.
[follows description of rescue attempts]
What kind of radio messages could there be between that position and the UK MRCC? HF maybe but I seriously doubt any leisure sailing boat keeps a continuous radio watch on HF.
chriscallender
Active member
Satphone? I can imagine a relative might have arranged to check in with him daily and they contact UK MRCC when they can't get through. Then UK MRCC tries with the same result, so they escalate it. Seems that was before the real problems started anyway, when he activated his EPIRB.
DreadShips
Member
We might never find out, but it'd be interesting to know what the thought process was in setting out. Did he think he could outrun the weather, perhaps, or simply underestimated it? As somebody else said, on the face of it an odd decision to have made.
Hopefully a body is found just to give some closure to those who need it.
Hopefully a body is found just to give some closure to those who need it.
Wansworth
Well-known member
It’s been beyond terrible weather and seas
potentillaCO32
Active member
I just had a look at a weather warning from last tuesday. That was predicting 14m mean wave height in Biscay.
ridgy
Well-known member
Where was he even going, Bilbao or Santander maybe. He would have had the option to stop somewhere around west Brittany sometime Thursday but carried on in the face of a storm so bad that Vendee globe boats elected to slow down and avoid it.
If someone has a paid version of marine traffic I think we could see his route.
If someone has a paid version of marine traffic I think we could see his route.
Wansworth
Well-known member
Another low o ing in on Wednesday this week,here in land from the Galician coast I thought the roof was going to blow off
Juan Twothree
Well-known member
He was in the Thames Estuary a week or so before that.
Saw him on AIS coming out of the Thames and along the North Kent coast. Heard London VTS call him a couple of times.
newtothis
Well-known member
CJTurner
New member
I was watching the cat AIS from the Thames crossing expecting him to go into Ramsgate or Dover, but neither. I think it pulled into Cowes. I concluded wrongly, that it had a heavyweight crew on a delivery trip because the legs were too long for comfort. The AIS was off or out of range for most of Biscay then popped-up momentarily with that little squiggle at its end. Terrible
As others have said, why be there with the known weather? He was clearly experienced. It makes little sense..
As others have said, why be there with the known weather? He was clearly experienced. It makes little sense..
Laser310
Well-known member
i saw the picture, but don't recognize the catamaran.
does anyone know what the boat was?
does anyone know what the boat was?
CJTurner
New member
Kennex apparently. Not one I have heard of. USA?
potentillaCO32
Active member
As the reports say the yachtsman in this tragic incident was a 73 year old british man and travelling from a british port, i assume that the MAIB will have to carry out a full investigation. If they do, all the background will come out.
Or will the fact it was US flag mean that they wont?
Or will the fact it was US flag mean that they wont?
steve1963
Active member
12M LOA, with a beam of 3M. unlikely to be a cat