The Cost of Doing Business

The boat show circuit this time of year is transitioning south along the east coast of the USA, but moving a Beneteau Oceanis 55.1 from the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis to the Miami International Boat Show has grabbed headlines for the wrong reasons.

The Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center Norfolk received a satellite emergency distress notification on November 26, which prompted the launch of a HC-130 Hercules airplane crew to find the 55-foot sailboat about 100 miles off Cape Lookout, North Carolina.

Upon locating the boat, the four person crew did not report any injuries but a storm had broken the boat’s mast and the steering gear was damaged. The Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba reached them the following day, and while they were able to rescue the crew (above), they were unable to safely tow the 55-foot sailboat back to port.

The boat, owned by Beneteau America, had departed Annapolis on November 24. Efforts are underway to recover the sailboat, which has a tracking device aboard. – Full report