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**Hud3** · 10-11-2011, 03:42

I was curious as to how the NARC (North American Rally to the Caribbean) boats were faring in all this rough weather, so I did a little Googling.

The fleet left Newport, Rhode Island in calm weather on Tuesday, 1 November, headed for Bermuda as a R&R stop before carrying on to St Maarten. There are 22 boats in the fleet this year, including s/v Riot, the subject of this CF thread: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...iot-71351.html The passage from Newport to Bermuda normally takes 4-5 days, depending on the individual boat's capabilities. All were expected to arrive in Bermuda this past weekend.

Apparently 14 of the boats are equipped with SPOT Messenger trackers. Here's link to the NARC SPOT Tracking Map page. I've attached an image of it below. As of right now, five of the SPOT-equipped boats are in Bermuda, and four are at sea but near it. Two have apparently sought refuge on the East Coast. Three are still out there--one to the SE of TS Sean and two to the west.

If you click on an individual boat on the NARC tracking page, you have the opportunity to bring up that boat's track. Past tracks are stored and available by clicking on the arrows below the positions list.

S/V Song has taken a jog to the west, per the image below, perhaps headed back across the Gulf Stream, to Charleston maybe? S/V Bella Luna passed west of Bermuda in the wee hours of Monday, then made a sharp turn to the west mid-day, headed away from TS Sean's path. S/V Tahawus bypassed Bermuda on Sunday making a beeline for the islands around Sean's eastern side, and was working east, but appears to have hove to for a while on Tuesday and again today. If you go to her tracking page and zoom in, you can see what I'm talking about.

Thankfully, the SPOT pages include "I'm OK" messages to this point. On the weather front, the NHC expects TS Sean to achieve hurricane status in 24 hours, as it heads off to the northeast. Best wishes for safe sailing to all of them!

p.s. here's an update from Cruising World, one of the rally sponsors: NARC Update | Cruising World

Southern Star · 10-11-2011, 08:40

Thanks for this Hud.

Brad

**James S** · 10-11-2011, 10:12

They actually call it the Narc?

**Hud3** · 10-11-2011, 10:24

Yup! They do! Wonder if they have any problems clearing in on St Maarten...

Looks like s/v Patriot is beating hard toward Bermuda...

Highland Fling · 10-11-2011, 15:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by James S

They actually call it the Narc?

Naughty the NARC for years and years was NOT the ARC for sailors who were going transatlantic but did not want to participate (for many different reasons) in the highly commercialised ARC

regards

David

**Hud3** · 13-11-2011, 06:29

It appears that many of the NARC boats are on the move again.

From the tracking page, s/v Calla posted a "Help-Help Me" message on it's SPOT Messenger yesterday afternoon while located at the entrance to Town Cut on Bermuda. I wonder if that's for real. Pas du Fake is in Norfolk, headed down the ICW. Bella Luna bailed out to Charleston. Tahawus carried on without stopping in Bermuda and has made more than enough Easting (62.9 W) to beam reach to St. Maarten.

jr_spyder · 13-11-2011, 07:30

SPOT help please. Love the looks of this tracking but I can't seem to get any data or view beyond the first click where I see the google map overview picture. Clicking on a boat brings up a box with no data in it, and I can't get to the cool tracking views shown above.

There's nothing else to click on.

What's the trick?

Thanks

YADO · 13-11-2011, 07:35

UPDATE: Coast Guard suspends search for missing woman off Bermuda PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard suspended its search at approximately 2 p.m., Saturday, for a woman who was washed overboard from the 38-foot sailing vessel Triple Stars, 285 miles northwest of Bermuda.
Coast Guard watchstanders received a broadcast from an emergency position indicating radio beacon assigned to the vessel at 1:39 p.m. Friday.
Approximately 5 minutes later, Coast Guard watchstanders received a radio distress report from the sailing master of the Triple Stars, stating that his wife had been washed overboard by a 30-foot wave.
Using AMVER, the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System, the Coast Guard directed the AMVER merchant vessel High Jupiter to the location of the broadcast.
During the 2-day search, three HC-130 Hercules rescue crews from Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., and the High Jupiter searched approximately 1,735 square miles.
The Triple Stars crew left Newport, R.I. en route to St. Martin while participating in the 12th annual NARC Rally.
The Coast Guard and the motor vessel Oleander assisted 4 sailors, on Nov. 6, who were also involved in the NARC Rally.

SVNeko · 13-11-2011, 09:27

Oh, how horrible. Feel terrible for the husband and family.

speciald@ocens. · 13-11-2011, 11:15

The NArc got slammed on the way to Bermuda then the Harbor was closed when they got their. Bermuda tugs towed boats in out side the reef, another boat lost its rig.

steamgoat · 13-11-2011, 11:18

Very sad, its an IP380, they sailed around from CA. Their story is on sailblog.

**Hud3** · 13-11-2011, 13:08

How unbearably sad! It was a husband and wife crew--just the two of them aboard. He's been taken off, and the sailboat abandoned.

From the NARC...

Quote:

The U.S. Coast Guard reported yesterday and rally organizer Hank Schmitt confirmed to me in a phone conversation this morning that Jan Anderson, wife of Rob Anderson, has been lost overboard from Triple Stars, an Island Packet 38, approximately 285 miles northwest of Bermuda. According to the Coast Guard report, an EPIRB assigned to Triple Stars was ignited at 1339 hours yesterday, followed five minutes later by a radio call from Rob Anderson stating that Jan had been swept overboard by a 30-foot wave. A commercial vessel, High Jupiter, was diverted to the scene to search for Jan and also took Rob off of Triple Stars. According to Hank, the boat has been abandoned and it is unlikely that Jan will be recovered alive.

I can't imagine how the husband must feel at this point.

Blue Stocking · 13-11-2011, 13:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by speciald@ocens.

The NArc got slammed on the way to Bermuda then the Harbor was closed when they got their. Bermuda tugs towed boats in out side the reef, another boat lost its rig.

The harbor was not actually closed, but conditions were such that some yachts were advised to wait until daylight before attempting the entrance.
As Hud and I have stated, Town Cut can be especially nasty after a prolonged NE quadrant blow.
My friends went out at 0300hrs to effect the tow, with a substantial offshore service boat, and said it was tough going.
Our Harbour Radio guys have earned their pay this last 4 weeks.

Bruce Johnson · 13-11-2011, 16:01

It was a tough run. I was aboard SONG, a Bill Tripp designed Hinckley 48. Knocked down, and then capsized, she came up fighting. Got us home in reasonably good order, in good part due to Captain Mike's knowledge of heavy weather sailing and knowledge of his boat. Praises to Bill Tripp for building a boat that can take this kind of beating and keep going. The only obvious broken stuff was the modern day fancy electronics in the nav station, the dodger, etc. Seems the electronics can't hold up to the refrigerator lid being impaled through them....