Carefree IV: Bermudian Sailors Still Overdue
This morning [Jan 19] officials at the Bermuda Maritime Operations Center confirmed that the 31-foot yacht “Carefree IV” which has two Bermudians aboard has not been seen or heard from since Jan 3rd.
RCC Bermuda continue to re-evaluate the situation and are staying in communication with the US Coast Guard.
Bermudians Carlos Rogers, 41, and Kwesi Hollis, 36, left the Dominican Republic on December 1 on the 31-foot yacht, and had been due to arrive in Bermuda before Christmas.
The U.S. Coastguard C-130 aircraft had conducted an aerial search for the missing boat, covering an area of 19,000 square miles to the East and Southeast of Bermuda just before Christmas. In late December, a vessel from the Dominican Republic Navy division also searched for the two men.
On Monday 3rd January, RCC Bermuda received a report from the Master of the M/V Bay Ranger that they had been in VHF radio telephone contact with the S/V Carefree IV in position approximately 150 nautical miles southeast of Bermuda. The crew were safe and well, though tired and requested provisions and fresh water to continue their voyage to Bermuda, which M/V Bay Ranger provided.
Officials say that radio notices are still being broadcast to vessels leaving the island and vessels passing within a few hundred miles of Bermuda to keep a lookout for the missing vessel and report any sightings or communications back to the Bermuda Maritime Operations Center.
Mmmm…..very fish!!!
This raises a few questions…
Are they in fact safe and heading to Bermuda
or ???
Too much heat.
we’re not getting the full picture. They can’t be considered officially overdue since the coast guard haven’t been out looking. someone knows where they are.
Have to agree with Terry on this one. 2 boats leaving the same port around the same time with the same destination. Hmmmmm.
Too Much heat. Decisions, decisions…..
Lets be fare. If they were in need they would have used VHF by now. They ain’t stupid and would only use the engine periodically to charge batteries.And if your not using batteries and just sailing, they keep their charge, been there done that.
Hell, you can sail to the US, Barbados and back in 16 days…even at 5 knots you can cover 50 miles give or take.
150 miles away…….do the math…..
They must be ‘draggin a lure’………
VHF is a short range radio, on a boat that size would probably be limited to 20 nm at best. Batteries do not always hold charge, especially old ones on an old boat. Very easy to flatten batteries, even while sailing, it needs someone to leave something running, like the fridge, or an earth leak.
The photos show Carefree to be an old, small and slow boat. The article states that the crew are inexperienced. I hope that they are safe. With this weather, an inexperienced crew in an old boat relying purely on a handheld GPS can easily be in trouble.
Were they not just a hundred or so miles off a while ago? whats the deal now? Oh and ‘Carefree’ is most definitely NOT a name befitting. I hope they get home safe and soon.
Really, is there anything that would suggest that they just didn’t come in and leave?….. Or prevent them…
Is there something wrong with my comment made at 1:38pm today?
SO TRUE!! I AGREE!!!
While I am concerned for these men’s safety, something is very fishy!!! Somebody knows something!!
The ‘Danmark’ has’nt been in port for a while………….
Someone obviously knows something. If last contact of boat was 150 miles to the south east that means the boat is in Bermuda’s waters as 200 NM is Bermuda’s boundary. Harbor Radio’s radar can pick up any boat up to 200 miles away so all this time they should have kept track of this boat if it hasn’t sunk yet. FISHY FISHY
Do they know that people are worried about them? Cause they don’t seem in distress two different ships have stopped to them and they aint jumping ship! Seems like they are taking their sweet time!
Lets be real .. these guys are very suspicious…all of a sudden they will again arrive in bda,, and be welcomed as heroes…..
They have been at sea in the middle of winter over a month & a half. Last seen 150 miles out almost 2 weeks ago. The whole thing seems very suspicious