Abandoned Cat Found - 1000 Mile Drift

by Sail-World Cruising/Practical Boat Owner on 18 Apr 2006 It’s home for someone. This is the photo taken last week by fishermen who discovered Richard Woods’ catamaran drifting abandoned in the Pacific Ocean, over 1000 miles from where it was last seen.

In January this year Sail-World Cruising reported that Richard and his American crewmember Jetti Mantzke were rescued from their 33ft catamaran Eclipse off the coast of Mexico yesterday, 90 miles from Haultuclo at a position of S 15°42'/W 94°42'.

Woods and Mantzke had left port on Friday 13th January. Five days later and 90 miles to sea the two found themselves in trouble in 52kt winds. Apparently unable to get responses to normal marine methods, they managed to contact a friend in the UK via satellite phone. The friend contacted Falmouth Coastguards back in Cornwall. This ultimately led to a successful rescue by a US Navy warship and helicopter, after two 100ft patrol boats and a helicopter launched by the Mexican Coast Guard failed to locate the catamaran.

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency reported that the vessel had no life raft other than a hard dinghy, a handheld radio and flares and the EPIRB had been set off.

The 10m (33ft) yacht was discovered by tuna fishermen 1,000 miles off the coast of Acapulco and 1,800 miles from Ecuador, where the fishermen are based. In the 10 weeks since Richard and Jetti abandoned her, she has drifted over 1,100 miles. Negotiations are underway to salvage the boat.

Guess the birds will have to find another resting place….