Captain Bob Peel of SV Kalayaan (UK registered Sun Odyssey 54DS) left Tyrell Bay, Carriacou on March 18 with plans to sail north to Puerto Rico. He set off his EPIRB March 19,12NM NW of Carriacou and neither RCC St. Vincent nor RCC Trinidad and Tobago would accept responsibility. Bob and his boat are still missing.

Published 4 years ago

The BOLO issued by BoatWatch is as follows:

Urgent BOLO for SV KALAYAAN Capt. Bob Peel, Carriacou to Puerto Rico
UPDATE: April 9, 2020

A BOLO has been requested for SV KALAYAAN, UK registered Sun Odyssey 54DS, Blue Hull, with Captain Bob Peel on board. He departed Tyrell Bay, Carriacou on March 18th with plans to sail north to Puerto Rico.

We have now received the confirmed location and times for the EPIRB activation:

• March 19, 2020 – 1:07 UTC at 12 32.57 N & 061 39.57 W
• March 23, 2020 – last ping 12:22 UTC 13 07.40N & 062 16.26 W

The distance between the EPIRB activation and its termination is approximately 49 NM on a 314 degree true course. This is consistent with a route from Carriacou to Puerto Rico.

SV KALAYAAN does have a life raft and is a very experienced mega yacht captain. Also, be on the lookout for a 6 man Sea Safe life raft.

Anyone with information should contact RCC Trinidad & Tobago, USCG or [email protected].

The following information was received from concerned friends:

“We are currently undergoing search for a very well established captain from our yachting community, Robert/Bob Peel. We had last established comms with Bob on 14th March and that his planned voyage was to head north to San Juan, Puerto Rico; he was at anchor in Tyrell Bay, Carriacou. After 10 days of no comms, we started to get concerned and we contacted the Cruiser community down there and someone eye-witnessed his yacht, Kalayaan, departing the bay and headed north. This was 18th or 19th March.

“This evening, we have found out that his EPIRB has been set off, first on the 19th March, and then the Final and last signal received was 24th March; information I received from Trinidad and Tobago SAR. We have contacted MRCC Falmouth UK, USCG San Juan PR, MRCC Martinque SAR in Grenada – and everyone seems to be bouncing around whose problem this is.

“We are now reaching out to the yachting community, for people still south in the Caribbean, or contacts you may have down there, to help aid in the search for Bob. Watchkeepers in the vicinity, please keep an extra vigilant lookout for anything that may help us work out where Bob is. Bob is a strong, stubborn Scotsman; he is a survivor and won’t give up if he is in that life raft.”

RCC San Juan has confirmed the EPIRB activation on March 19, 2020. RCC Trinidad and Tobago is assigned this case and has conducted a search.

Yachts undertaking passage during this critical global health emergency should be properly prepared with more than just one EPIRB for emergencies. The risk of an emergency is much higher at this time with many yachts undertaking challenging passages out of season with the intent to repatriate and countries denying entry to yachts in transit.

Related Links:

• https://boatwatch.org/about-boat-watch-cruisers-aid/
• COVID-19: Biosecurity Measures for Yachts Worldwide

Noonsite has not independently verified this information.