Aussie-flagged cruiser responds to rower’s mid-Pacific mayday
UPDATE: An Australian motor yacht making its way back home has failed to find any trace of a missing rowerA 23-metre trawler-style motor yacht on a delivery run from Florida to Australia has stood down from a desperate hunt to find a lone rower believed to be adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
The Spirit of Ulysses, a Nordhavn 76 forward pilothouse, is one of two Australian-flagged vessels that were called in to respond to a mayday call from a solo rower aiming to circumnavigate the world.
Spirit of Ulysses was added to the search after the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre based in Tahiti received a mayday call relating to Smiles, a 6.7-metre open boat being rowed around the world. The rowboat was listed as “BOLO” – be on the lookout – on May 31 after it was believed to have lost electrical power around May 20, but has since had the urgency of locating it upgraded.
However, the Spirit of Ulysses' captain, Nikolay Alexandrov, issued an update yesterday saying that after following a 1000nm search line, the boat had resumed its passage to Australia after finding no trace of the missing rower.
"Unfortunately after the search for the rowboat, we were not able to locate him," Alexandrov reported.
"We searched the area JRCC Tahiti asked us to search, based on MOB scenario, then we transit area where currents and winds would push him if he is not rowing, then we went to an area where he may be if he had kept his current speed and heading indicated by the two pings from his PLB.
"Then we went to an area where he may be if he was rowing actively SW trying not to miss the islands," he said.
"After hundreds of miles, nothing."
Alexandrov said JRCC Tahiti had discontinued the search, although a request to keep a lookout for Smiles was still in effect.
"One ping from his PLB is all we needed to narrow the search area," he said. "Almost two weeks old last reported position – search area grows to a huge quadrant.
"I hope he is out there rowing slowly towards the islands, and hope someone will find him soon!" he said.
The rescue coordinators reported that rower Aaron Carotta’s last PLB ping was a weak signal received a week before this date that put him about 1000 nautical miles east of French Polynesia, with Carotta aiming to get to the Marquesas Islands group in the South Pacific before heading to New Guinea.
After rowing down from San Diego, Carotta set off on his journey off Panama in February this year and expected to take up to five years to complete his circumnavigation.
If he completes the journey, Carotta will become the first person to row solo around the world.
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