My boat is merrily drifting west in the Caribbean sea

[mikedefieslife]

Because I know that Cruisers Forum loves a good disaster story, I thought I'd better get ahead of the game

https://boatwatch.org/news/uk-citize...and-two-ships/

The short of it is, Prout Snowgoose 35 left Bonaire to St Maarten. Mostly motoring/motorsailing.

Genoa blew. Repairs failed. Boat could not be sailed with main and stay sail only.

Skipper (me) heads toward St Criox.

Unfavourable weather comes a bit earlier and expect, and motoring speeds are down to 1-2knts. Eventually runs out of fuel.

Knowing the fuel wouldn't be enough Pan Pans were put out a day or two before.

The boat drifts west for a day and half with a sea anchor out. It sits beam onto the seas. As the weather deteriorates, the boat becomes further damaged (rudder tie-bar, and interior damage). A DSC 'adrift' message is sent out.

Coastguard comes out 150nm and attempts to refuel the boat but the conditions are getting worse.

Eventually a decision is made to leave the boat in knowledge what the weather was going to get worse or be sustained the next 4-5 days.

The boat was left with AIS on and navigation lights on. Quickly drifting west should be about south 100nm of the west coat of Puerto Rico by now.

Last satellite AIS update was 3rd Jan.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

Because I know that Cruisers Forum loves a good disaster story, I thought I'd better get ahead of the game

https://boatwatch.org/news/uk-citize...and-two-ships/

The short of it is, Prout Snowgoose 35 left Bonaire to St Maarten. Mostly motoring/motorsailing.

Genoa blew. Repairs failed. Boat could not be sailed with main and stay sail only.

Skipper (me) heads toward St Criox.

Unfavourable weather comes a bit earlier and expect, and motoring speeds are down to 1-2knts. Eventually runs out of fuel.

Knowing the fuel wouldn't be enough Pan Pans were put out a day or two before.

The boat drifts west for a day and half with a sea anchor out. It sits beam onto the seas. As the weather deteriorates, the boat becomes further damaged (rudder tie-bar, and interior damage). A DSC 'adrift' message is sent out.

Coastguard comes out 150nm and attempts to refuel the boat but the conditions are getting worse.

Eventually a decision is made to leave the boat in knowledge what the weather was going to get worse or be sustained the next 4-5 days.

The boat was left with AIS on and navigation lights on. Quickly drifting west should be about south 100nm of the west coat of Puerto Rico by now.

Last satellite AIS update was 3rd Jan.

Bumma.. Glad to hear they got you off and your okay.

[mikedefieslife]

Yeah it was not problem, and easier to jump in the water and swim with a lifejacket, than I thought it would be.

Another skipper might has stayed onboard the boat, perhaps waited the weather out for a week or tried to coax it downwind.

Once control of the starboard rudder was gone (repairable but not in those conditions), the Coastguard and I decided to leave.

A few jugs of diesel, maybe a sail just in case and a couple of days of calm conditions, and she's easily rescued, if she can be found.

Funny thing is. I had a spare mainsail, but the old spare genoa was given away 2 years ago.

[boatman61]

Hopefully you have enough charging capacity to keep the AIS going.. did you switch nav lights on before you jumped over the side.??

[Paul L]

That sux- good you had the USCG near by. I guess there's still some possibility of recovery.

[mikedefieslife]

I turned everything off apart from the AIS, and the navigation lights. didn't want to be a hazard to navigation, or at least limit it.

Unless the solar is torn off the AIS should transmit indefinitely. If with out it, the 280ah LiFePO4 bank should last some time, so it's strange the last update was on the 3rd. Normally I've had at least one update every 24hrs from satellite AIS receivers. There has been a lot of rain recently though.

[Nauticus]

Glad you're whole. I have a sneaky suspicion that you'll see her again. I'm assuming that the current and forecast weather at rescue prevented any tow options.
Keep us updated

Tim

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

I turned everything off apart from the AIS, and the navigation lights. didn't want to be a hazard to navigation, or at least limit it.

Unless the solar is torn off the AIS should transmit indefinitely. If with out it, the 280ah LiFePO4 bank should last some time, so it's strange the last update was on the 3rd. Normally I've had at least one update every 24hrs from satellite AIS receivers. There has been a lot of rain recently though.

That's good.. limit the chance of her being run down as much as possible.

[BugzyCan]

First thing to do is edit your original post to remove the name of the boat so some pirate doesn't tow it off and salvage it for parts.

[atoll]

Bummer when that happens,Xmas winds can be pretty strong when they come through .
at least you are safe.
boat will probably drift quite fast to the west-south west,lots of offshore reefs and islets in that direction before the mainland.

[GordMay]

Sorry, for your loss, but glad you're safe, Mike.
Good luck in retrieving her.

[Chotu]

Damn, mike. You’re taking this well. Sorry this happened.

This makes a GREAT case for having AIS. I’m worried about people knowing this boat is unoccupied and going after it. Maybe less info on here would be better?

Do you have a way to go find her once conditions improve? A friend? Chartering a powerboat? Etc?

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Damn, mike. You’re taking this well. Sorry this happened.

This makes a GREAT case for having AIS. I’m worried about people knowing this boat is unoccupied and going after it. Maybe less info on here would be better?

Do you have a way to go find her once conditions improve? A friend? Chartering a powerboat? Etc?

Yes, other people seem more concerned than me. I'm usually like that with material things. It is what it is.

I think a mod would have to remove the image. I can't edit the post anymore.

Being relatively far off shore. And without more frequent tracking, I think It need a plane, and then a support vessel to find her. I have a few ideas, but nothing concrete.

The AIS is a Emtrak B350 so a B+ 5w unit. I'm surprised then the satellites are no long picking up the signal. Unless Martine Traffic has suddenly been inundated with free trial acconuts, of people trying to track here.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

Being relatively far off shore. And without more frequent tracking, I think It need a plane, and then a support vessel to find her. I have a few ideas, but nothing concrete.

It will be hard for most unwanted salvagers to reach her until she is closer to land, which is not a bad thing until you are ready for a retrieval effort.

I think you made the right decision if the boat was un-steerable with only the one rudder and really glad this was not another vessel disappearance.

Also I'm pretty sure other owners of the same design would like to know how the other rudder failed.

[Scorpius]

I'm glad you are safe and I agree with your attitude towards material possessions although it's unfortunate you have lost your pride and joy. I would expect finding, retrieving, and repairing her, before a reef finds her first, will be VERY expensive.

I'm surprised that with a sea anchor out she drifted broadside to the waves and suffered the resultant damage - and that it wasn't possible to adjust the bridle to get her into a more tenable attitude.

Take care and good luck going forward.