UPDATE: New information confirms that there is a second person on board, Tom Cleeren, from Belgium. Also, RCC Bermuda confirms a departure date of September 6, 2019. RCC Azores has no record of the IONA arriving.
SV IONA, a Hunter Legend 37.5, with experienced single-hander sailor Peter Rang and friend Tom Cleeren on board, is missing between Bermuda and the Azores. The boat is an older Hunter Legend 37.5, white hull with blue stripes and the name IONA on the side.
Peter Rang is approximately 60 years old from Ansbach, Germany. His dog Max, a German Shepherd is on board with him.
Click/tap on a picture to see them larger. Then swipe to the next picture.
SV-IONA
SV-IONA
Peter Rang, Max on SV IONA
Peter Rang & Tom Cleeren
Iona
Iona 2
Peter planned to sail from Bermuda to the Azores and then home to Europe. His family has not heard from him since September 7, 2019 when he departed Bermuda.
PETER RANG is known to have been living aboard the S/V IONA with his German Shepherd, Max, in Tarifa, Spain when he decided to sail around the world. Peter’s brother, Martin Rang, visited him on his boat in Fuerte Ventura, Spain, on 06 DEC 2018 and gave him a satellite phone; number 8816-3252-0061. At that time, Peter Rang was using e-mail address peter@rang.eu, and smartphone numbers 49 172 7103930 and 34 616 844128.
On Christmas, 2018 PETER RANG departed Fuerte Ventura, Spain and arrived at the port of Mindelo at Cape Verde, Portugal in mid-January, 2019. In February 2019, Peter departed Mindelo for the Caribbean. When he was 400 NM from Martinique, the boat developed a complete steering failure and was assisted into Antigua with the help of MRCC Antigua. He later moved to Falmouth Harbour where he made repairs to the steering system. Peter was joined by his Belgium friend, Tom Cleeren, who intended to help Peter sail back to Europe.
Peter and Tom started their voyage to the Azores and back to Europe in March, 2019, but diverted to St. Martin due to rigging problems. The satellite phone failed while he was in St Martin. Upon completion of the repairs in St Martin, they departed for Bermuda arriving in July, 2019.
Peter remained in e-mail contact with Martin Rang through July 2019, and wrote on 07 SEP 2019, “Dear brother, tomorrow we will continue on the Azores. want is finally repaired. customs sent us to quarantine because of the dog. hopefully get in touch with the Azores. I hope you are all well. Greetings to all. Peter”
That was the last contact MARTIN RANG had with his brother PETER RANG.This information corresponds with RCC Bermuda’s records which reflect the S/V IONA with PETER RANG and TOM CLEEREN aboard departing Bermuda 06 SEP 2019.
On 13 NOV 2019, HARALD FLEISHER, a friend of Peter Rang, presently in Carriacou, contacted Boatwatch.org asking for assistance in locating PETER RANG and the S/V IONA.
On 13 NOV 2019, Boatwatch.org published an active Boat Watch for the S/V IONA.
For more photos, Peter Rang has a YouTube site at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXsUKFzHzOIEAhPlCb73R-Q