Missing Boat found in Cuba: Lessons Learned

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by tropicalescape

I think they (GOV.) have the ability to moniter any and all people ,cars boats etc. in real time all of the time! (just my thoughts)

Yes the do. It's all done from a small office in the CIA building and managed by Elvis Prestly.

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Yes the do. It's all done from a small office in the CIA building and managed by Elvis Prestly.

Elvis aint nothing but a hound dog,that office is run by Mr.G.Gordon Liddy!

[H34]

This is what I suspected. The Coast Guard is not using up-to-date technology that essentially is based on facial recognition technology. When I called the United States Navy to request their assistance in the search (HSV-2) I was asking the Navy for technology the Coast Guard does not use. Basically, it's a blimp with excellent long-range optics that is fed into a computer system and the computer system analyzes what it seen immediately.

I strongly believe that if we put forth an effort the private sector can assist in developing such technology.

[Kettlewell]

So what possible theory accounts for the EPIRB being found 34 miles north of Key West and Jay and the boat being found on the north coast of Cuba east of Havana?

[nimblemotors]

We already have the technology to locate people/boats.
The EPIRB is very effective and is not expensive.
It did not work in this case for reasons unknown, if remained attached to the boat or person would have been found the first day.

I understand that they are loaned/rented to hikers in remote areas.
BoatUS rents them, but at prices that are unreasonable.
Maybe CF should setup a loaner program, to use when making a long passage,
and returned when completed. So many boats sit and are not using them.

[Boatguy30]

Originally Posted by H34

This is what I suspected. The Coast Guard is not using up-to-date technology that essentially is based on facial recognition technology. When I called the United States Navy to request their assistance in the search (HSV-2) I was asking the Navy for technology the Coast Guard does not use. Basically, it's a blimp with excellent long-range optics that is fed into a computer system and the computer system analyzes what it seen immediately.

I strongly believe that if we put forth an effort the private sector can assist in developing such technology.

You really want this kind of Nanny state? I'll happily take my chances when heading offshore with an EPIRB and a life raft. don't need a blimp or ASI following me all around.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by mbianka

Yeah I could see how flying thousands of feet up some of the trained SAR rescue could miss it despite their training due to the creeping boredom...

No, you're missing the point. It is not "due to the creeping boredom." It is just a whole lot harder to see a little boat on a big ocean--no matter how alert you are, and no matter how focused you are--than most people realize. Boredom has nothing at all to do with it.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

No, you're missing the point. It is not "due to the creeping boredom." It is just a whole lot harder to see a little boat on a big ocean--no matter how alert you are, and no matter how focused you are--than most people realize. Boredom has nothing at all to do with it.

someone said it was blowing N 20 knots. Wind against the gulf Stream would have made some larger than normal white caps. A white hulled boat looks like a white cap.

We can't blame the rescuers... its not their fault, its never their fault. We put ourselves at risk. If we get into strife then it is not the obligation for a SAR mob to find us, nor rescue us no matter what. If they can find us, good! If they can rescue us GREAT! But lets not think they need to be infallible.

[Cheechako]

Wow... amazing that the CG couldnt find a 40 ft tri floating! That just tells you how hard things are to spot on the water. I mean a Tri is a big platform to miss! With the known wind etc, should have been able to track it pretty reliably?

"So what possible theory accounts for the EPIRB being found 34 miles north of Key West and Jay and the boat being found on the north coast of Cuba east of Havana? "
I wonder if he had a medical issue and accidently dropped the Epirb over, then tried to retrieve.... at least the mystery disappearance is solved....

[MarkJ]

Hey Cheechako,

Looks like he went over the side and the EPIRB was attached to him. But then it was dropped, or something, maybe whilst trying to get back aboard.

or your idea

accidently dropped the Epirb over, then tried to retrieve

EPIRB went one way on the current, the boat went the opposite direction.
The CG, whoever, thought a boat in emergency would stop. Normal, but invalid assumption!
They probably raced off to the EPIRB location and as the Tri was heading downwind with 20 knots behind it was probably far out of sight, far outside the search area by the time initial search needed to be expanded.

Very real situation!

Another point, someone said that sort of Trimaran can go 10 knots in those conditions. CG etc probably think sailing boats only do 6.

[Cheechako]

Yeah, easy to second guess... I guess the CG must not have done an air search? I dont know about you but, nothing found at Epirb location, no debris... NOTHING?... I would have been looking downwind... I guess the sails were up? Yeah it could have been moving pretty fast.... Heck, tehy might have even seen the boat sailing I suppose and thought nothing of it!

[sailorboy1]

I think that looking for a 40' boat in the ocean is like looking for a flea in your backyard, even if someone tells you that a few hours ago it was over next to lawn sprinkler. Lets cut the CG some slack!

The lesson is if you go over the side in the open you probably are going to die!

[Cheechako]

I dont know, I'd have to know more detail before I cut them some slack. It's their job! not a a hobby ...They are supposed to be good at it. It's not like this happened in the middle of the southern ocean.... crap, it happened just off the coast of the most densely "boat inhabited" part of the nation. They seem to know if you're returning from the bahamas....

[Kettlewell]

The date and time the EPIRB was set off from 34 miles north of Key West the wind was blowing from west of north pretty good. Normally, that would send a boat not under control to the southeast, which would have put it in the Florida Keys roughly in the Big Spanish Channel area. However, as the front went through the wind would clock around to the NE and then the East, so I could imagine such a vessel might eventually start moving west, but it would have to pass through or around the Keys to get out into the Florida current and then venture back east and south towards Cuba.

Here's a quote from what I wrote in the earlier thread:

Judging from the very rough location given, 30 miles north of KW, and the wind direction at the time the EPIRB was reported, around 320 degrees, it would seem logical to look downwind from there, or about 140 degrees. Downwind from that location would roughly take someone towards the Big Spanish Channel area. By any chance have any of the searches looked down that way? It gets shallow over there quite a ways out and there are some deserted Keys and shallow islets with nothing on them.

[kmacdonald]

I would guess that the CG did see the boat SAILING. Since no one was setting off flares or acting in distress they thought nothing of it. They were looking for a boat in extreme distress or a debris field.