Update: January 7, 2020
Out of respect, and at the specific request of the family, Boatwatch.org has not been providing additional information on the website.
If anyone has pertinent information, or may be able to help or assist the family in any way, please contact Boat Watch at Eddie@Boatwatch.org and we will forward the information to the family. Thanks to all who have contributed information to the family.
Update: December 21, 2019: Coast Guard officials are continuing the search for the solo captain, Colin Finnie.
Previous Report: Colin Finnie on SV Simba Missing in Red Sea on Passage to Port Ghalib, Egypt. Last contact was Saturday December 7, 2019.
On 13 DEC 2019 at approximately 1400 hrs Eastern Time, Boatwatch.org was advised the SV SIMBA was overdue on a passage to Port Ghalib, located in Marsa Alam along the Southern Red Sea Coral Coast of Egypt, 67 kms south of Quseir City. Port Ghalib is accessible by sea through its international marina, which features a Harbor Master, Customs and Immigration Office.
The SV SIMBA is occupied by a singlehanded sailor named COLIN FINNIE, age unknown. The last known contact with FINNIE was on Saturday 07 DEC 2019 when he was about 300 NM away from his destination. His means of communication are unknown.
The SV SIMBA is a 1999 Nauticat Motorsailer, 44 feet in length, last known to be in in Christmas Island, Australia. The call sign for the vessel is 9MXL3 and MMSI is 440 016 150 and she flies the Korean flag. The hull is white fiberglass with a pilothouse and the name SIMBA on the port and starboard bow. When a photo was taken of the vessel in a marina it had a full blue canvass cover. Two wind generators are mounted on the stern.
She has a class B AIS transponder that last pinged at 08:23 hrs UTC, 25 OCT 2019 at position- —-10.43457 / 105.4925 or at Christmas Island, Indonesia. At that time the vessel was underway on a course of 267 at 9.1Knots.
It is possible to obtain a satellite AIS position report and Boatwatch.org is investigating that solution.
On 13 DEC 2019, Boatwatch.org made telephone contact with JRCC Cairo at phone number 20-22418-4537. The duty officer confirmed there is an active lookout for the S/V SIMBA, and he specifically requested the lookout be announced on the Maritime Mobile Service Network, 14.300 Mhz, and any positive information may be sent to JRCC Cairo at jrcc136@afmic.gov.eg. However, several attempts to contact JRCC Cairo via this e-mail address have been returned as undeliverable.
Anyone with information concerning Colin Finnie or his boat is ask to contact RCC Cairo or Boatwatch.org.
