Cruising Sailing Vessel Reported Missing in the Pacific

[brak]

I am reposting this from another site - the original is in Russian as well as in English.

Sailing vessel Puppy (appears to be a Westsail 32 from the photos?) with a couple of sailors on board (who happen to be Russian citizens, hence original article) have been out of contact for some time now. They left Los Angeles with a destination of Vanuatu. The information at this point is unclear - one source says they were in Marshall Islands on May 12-15, another (by the same person in English states Marquesas, which I attribute to translation error). They were bound for Tahiti and haven't been heard since.

Here is the link to the post: http://www.odin.tc/eng/articles/369-...ll-to-help.asp

Anyone that has had contact with them or knows anything is encouraged to contact original author or post here.

[GordMay]

Thanks for the heads up.

They departed Atuona village, which is on Hiva Oa in the Marquesas Islands (between the Americas & Tahiti).
They would have had to bypass Tahiti to get from the Americas to the Marshall Islands.

The yacht “Puppy” is a 1975 Westsail 32 registered (los Angelies) to Anatolii Lau.
➥ http://www.boatinfoworld.com/registration.asp?vn=267447

The couple (Anatoli Lau & Natasha Kharatian) were part of the 2010 Pacific Puddle Jump fleet.
➥ http://www.pacificpuddlejump.com/fleet.html

[sportpack]

I spoke to them 30 min ago.
They are in Tahiti, came today.
So no worry about . It was too earlier to panic .

[brak]

Good deal, thanks I wonder if Russian news outlets will carry that too (good news doesn't sell).

I thought it might be the case - it's been less than 30 days. Same thing happened with a friend of mine who got into doldrums crossing from Bermudas to Virgin Islands, was underway for over 2 weeks instead of planned 8-9 days.

[maxingout]

I owned a Westsail 32 for many years in the Caribbean, and I always knew that I would arrive at my destination. I didn't know how long it would take, but I knew that I would get there. I didn't go fast in light winds, but when the trade winds were blowing, and I was heading downwind, it was just awesome. If I ever disappeared in my Westsail 32, it would have been because I was anchored somewhere in Paradise, and I didn't want to return to civilization.

I would love to know how many Westsail 32 cutters were lost at sea. There must be some, but I don't know of any. I know that there are instances where people have abandoned the Westsail 32 in a massive storm when ordered off by authorities, but I don't know of any that went down at sea with people on board.

The Westsail 32 has rounded bilges, and if it is dismasted, it will roll from gunnel to gunnel in bad seas. I know of one case where people got off in a storm after they were dismasted, but as far as I know, the boat was not lost.

So if someone is overdue on a Westsail 32, and if they are not a singlehander, I will bet that they will show up someday somewhere in distant port.

[roverhi]

A W32 sank north of Hawaii on a late fall return to the mainland two years ago. Older couple on the boat with a lot of experience. Wind and waves were about average for that part of the Pacific so probably not a factor. An Epirb signal, that turned out to be from an auto actuating unit, was picked up by the CG and they sent a C130 out to the location. They spotted two liferafts, also auto actuating, and some debris in the area of the EPIRB. An onsite inspection of the rafts the following day found the life rafts empty. Extensive search turned up no sign of the boat or crew. They either hit something big and solid like a container, had some instantaneous catastrophic problem, though there was no sign of a fire or explosion on the gear that was retrieved, or were run down by a ship. Apparently didn't have a chance to get into the liferaft. Don't remember if the EPIRB went off in daylight or at night.

[John A]

Originally Posted by maxingout

I would love to know how many Westsail 32 cutters were lost at sea. There must be some, but I don't know of any. I know that there are instances where people have abandoned the Westsail 32 in a massive storm when ordered off by authorities, but I don't know of any that went down at sea with people on board.

Wasn't there a story of the Weatsail 32 that was caught in the "Perfect Storm", two female crew contacted the CG and the owner was ordered to abandoned his boat. Sometime later he drug it off of a beach and sailed it for years.

[roverhi]

Satori sailed around without crew for several months. It was sighted a number of times and owner tried to find it but couldn't. It eventually washed up on a New Jersey
Beach. I believe the owner wasn't involved in the salvage but could be wrong. The people that bought it after the beaching cruised it for a number of years. Haven't heard what's happening with the boat lately.

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by sportpack

I spoke to them 30 min ago.
They are in Tahiti, came today.
So no worry about . It was too earlier to panic .

This CF has got to be the BEST global contact medium in the world

[donradcliffe]

A W32 was lost in a blow near Madagascar a few years back--their EPIRB went off, but the French didn't send anyone out to look for them, and they were never heard from again.

[s/vfootloose]

The Real Story of the Perfect Storm and the Westsail 32 Satori. Satori is now owned by Randy Kocurek and is in Texas

[brak]

Originally Posted by Blue Stocking

This CF has got to be the BEST global contact medium in the world

Yep, this forum rocks I had little doubt someone actually knows something when I posted this. Incidentally, the original poster used a professional merchant marine blog - those guys wouldn't notice W32 if they hit it bow-on, well - may be a little bump