Singlehander’s Fate a Mystery

Most of the 204 boats registered with the Pacific Puddle Jump have now made landfall safely in the archipelagos of French Polynesia, but the fate of singlehander Richard Carr, 71, remains a mystery. Sailing west and independent of the rest of the Puddle Jump fleet, Carr alerted family members in late May via text messages through his InReach satellite communications device that his Union 36 Celebration was in peril.

At the time that the US Coast Guard was alerted to Carr’s situation, Celebration‘s last known position was near 06° S, 127° W, roughly 2,000 miles southwest of Puerto Vallarta and 1,800 miles southeast of Hilo, Hawaii.

Despite receiving no further specifics, a massive search of those remote waters was undertaken, which involved US and French military recon aircraft, plus helicopters from three commercial vessels. Over a 24-day period, nearly 60,000 square miles of ocean was searched without any sign of Celebration — "an area the size of Oklahoma," according to USCG 14th District in Honolulu.

The massive search was finally abandoned June 22. Our sincere condolences go out to Carr’s family and friends.

Many boats crossing to French Polynesia this season reported unusually light winds, which undoubtedly contributed to slower-than-usual passages — at least for some. As a result, friends and family of several boat crews became concerned. Among the boats in question were the Aussie-flagged Jeanneau 39 Dancia (PPJ-registered) and the Morgan 45 Sea Nymph, traveling from Hawaii to Tahiti (not a PPJ fleet member). Both have now made landfall.