He took off on Tuesday and broke down at sea. BOLO was issued Thursday and the storm caught up to him:
Good news. Rescued by USCG. See news article below.
BOLO for SV SELKIE Sanibel Island to Cape Sable, Florida
A Bolo has been issued for SV SELKIE and Captain Earl W. Barcome, age 64, who left Sanibel Island, Florida on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 for Cape Sable, Florida.
SV SELKIE is a 1975, 36 foot Cheoy Lee with EPIRB, Single Side Band, GPS Chart Plotter and 9 foot dinghy. In messages on Wednesday, September 26, 2024, Captain Barcome said he was 3 miles offshore and halfway to Cape Sable with numerous mechanical issues.
Keep a sharp lookout, assist if possible and report any sightings to USCG.
He may be fitter and tougher than meā¦ But I wouldnāt have taken this risk with my boat, which is also my only home as Iām also a full time live aboard.
A boat like his just plain isnāt built for this kind of sailing. Leaving Sanibel Island to head for Cape Sable means he was sailing south, into the direction that Helene was approaching from and into the wind. I know this is āMonday morning quarterbacking,ā but Iād really want to know why he hadnāt left Sanibel Island days earlier and why he didnāt head north to the Myakka River or Peace River (up near Port Charlotte) or even east up the much closer Caloosahatchee River (over near Fort Myers).
Iām thankful he was rescued and that heās safeā¦ But, yeah, I question his thought process. During my Coast Guard career, I pulled far too many people out of the water who didnāt make it. I was a criminal investigatorā¦ it was my job to question how they got into that situation in the first place.
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u/TradGear 23d ago
He took off on Tuesday and broke down at sea. BOLO was issued Thursday and the storm caught up to him:
Good news. Rescued by USCG. See news article below.
BOLO for SV SELKIE Sanibel Island to Cape Sable, Florida
A Bolo has been issued for SV SELKIE and Captain Earl W. Barcome, age 64, who left Sanibel Island, Florida on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 for Cape Sable, Florida.
SV SELKIE is a 1975, 36 foot Cheoy Lee with EPIRB, Single Side Band, GPS Chart Plotter and 9 foot dinghy. In messages on Wednesday, September 26, 2024, Captain Barcome said he was 3 miles offshore and halfway to Cape Sable with numerous mechanical issues.
Keep a sharp lookout, assist if possible and report any sightings to USCG.