UPDATE May 14, 2021
Boatwatch was just notified as follows:
“The S/V Marcel was towed inside to Horta Marina (Azores) today´s afternoon by a fishing boat.
I have spotted “Marcel” docked here in Horta after his arrival and i took this picture.”
UPDATE: June 17, 2020
We wish to thank Captain Patrick Michael of the SV OSTRIKA as well as Chris Parker of the Marine Weather Center for going to extraordinary lengths to locate the SV MARCEL which had to be abandoned in the mid Atlantic on 11 June 2020, due to rudder failure.
The search by SV OSTRIKA was a bit extraordinary as it turned out he was in the middle of a US Warship exercise conducting helicopter training. The SV OSTRIKA explained his search and was aided by the Naval helicopter, but with negative results.
The following is a partial account of his encounter with the warship:
This is crazy! Hold on tight On our way to 28*27N 056*49W, we spot a warship on the horizon, and… a helicopter above. I hail the aircraft and explain our situation and intentions of the search. They tell me that they are a warship called A833 doing helicopter exercises. I give them the coordinates of the drift analysis and they say they will do a search. The night just fell, and the conditions are perfect with no moon. The helicopter also made contact with the other French sailboat AREITI which we made contact with earlier. There was a bit of confusion as to who was in distress, but I cleared the situation with the helo.
Additionally, Silvie Mathieu, owner of the S/V MARCEL, expressed her gratitude to all those involved in the effort to locate and possibly recover her beloved vessel. She wrote:
“Thank you all for your energy, your commitment and the resources to be deployed. All the solutions you have coordinated have greatly exceeded my expectations and I do not know how to thank you.
I am really touched by the momentum of solidarity that has taken place.I express my sincere gratitude to you and wish you the best for the future.
Good wind and good sailing. Sincerely, Silvie
While not having a successful outcome in locating the vessel, it demonstrates the commitment we cruisers have toward supporting the Cruising Community.
This Boatwatch will now be placed in the “UNRESOLVED” category in hopes it shows up somewhere, sometime and someone does a Google search on SV MARCEL and can see the history of the event. The good news was nobody lost their life, the USCG once again proved their AMVER System worked as it should, and the Captain was safely taken off the disabled vessel.
UPDATE 2200 hrs UTC 13 June 2020.
USCG RCC Norfolk advised there was only one POB when they activated the EPIRB and declared a MAYDAY. The reason was a rudder problem, and total lack of steering. There may have been water ingress also. The USCG issued an AMVER Alert for commercial ships in the area to assist and was assisted by a freighter headed to St Martin in the Caribbean. The Captain of SV Marcel boarded the freighter enroute to St Martin. They vessel’s EPIRB was left aboard the vessel, and the two last pings were at:
2359 Hrs UTC 11 June 2020 in position 27 10 N / 055 17.9 W.
0102 Hrs UTC 12 June 2020 in position 027 10 N / 055 18.1 W.
No further EPIRB Pings following that ping.
There is a S/V participating in the Doo Dah/SSCA Transatlantic Cruisers Net at 2100 hrs on 8.152 and then switching to 12.350 which will be going close to that position in a few days on their way to the Azores. . They have offered to take a look at the boat and see what it looks like regarding the ability to be salvaged.
Boatwatch.org is now in communications with the Owner of the boat, and will provide this information to her.
The SV is a 38’ Trireme.
Nathan Orué 24 years old, is safe on board the CMA CGM St Laurent. (This is evidently the Captain the owner hired to deliver the vessel to somewhere) He boarded the commercial ship bound for St Martin.
There is a S/V participating in the Doo Dah/SSCA Transatlantic Cruisers Net at 2100 hrs on 8.152 and then switching to 12.350 which will be going close to that position in a few days on their way to the Azores. . They have offered to take a look at the boat and see what it looks like regarding the ability to be salvaged.
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The USCG has issued a hazard alert for a derelict SV Marcel at 27-09N 056-01W in the Western North Atlantic.
This alert to a hazard will be canceled on June 13, 2020.
Boatwatch is requesting any information concerning SV Marcel be sent to Eddie@boatwatch.org
The following photo is a boat that is the same make and model of SV Marcel.
Many thanks to the CMA CGM St Laurent for rescuing the Captain of SV Marcel.
