Post by Amityville Rock on Dec 18, 2003 12:34:49 GMT -5
Coyote November 25th, 1992
Casualty Archive
MARINE
COYOTE - Wednesday, November 25, 1992
New York, Nov 23 -- The vessel of United States sailor Michael Plant, who disappeared on a solo voyage from New York to France, was found floating upside down in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Azores, the Coast Guard said. There was no sign of Plant and authorities began searching for a liferaft. Passing m tank Protank Orinoco spotted sloop Coyote, 60 ft, around 0740 yesterday, a Coast Guard spokesman in New York said. The tanker reported the discovery, made about 530 miles north of the Azores, but did not inspect the interior of the vessel. "There was no sign of life," the Coast Guard spokesman said. Based on the tanker's description of the vessel, the Coast Guard decided to launch a search for a liferaft in the area where the Coyote was found. "The hull was intact with no visible signs of damage, however, the keel bulb was missing," the Coast Guard said in a statement. "The portion of the rigging and sails that could be seen below the surface ... also appeared undamaged." A Royal Navy aircraft was to conduct a flare search last night. The Coast Guard and United States Navy planned to continue the search today. The Coast Guard said it hoped to divert a vessel to inspect the interior of the Coyote. Plant's vessel was found shortly after the Coast Guard announced it would renew its search for the missing sailor and his craft. Plant left New York Oct 16 in the sloop. A few days later, he signalled a passing freighter that he had lost electrical power and could not use his long-distance radio or automatic pilot. A brief radio signal was detected Oct 27 but was not pinpointed to Plant. The Coyote was reported overdue Nov 6 by the craft's builders when she failed to arrive as scheduled at Sables d'Olonne, France. A week later, after radio communications turned up no response, the Coast Guard began searching the Atlantic Ocean for the sailor and his vessel. US Coast Guard aircraft, aided by the US Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard, spent five days criss-crossing more than 200,000 square miles of water before suspending the search Wednesday (Nov 18) after failing to find any evidence of Plant. -- United Press International.
©LLP Limited 1997
LLP Casualty Archive
MARINE
COYOTE - Thursday, November 26, 1992
New York, Nov 25 -- French Navy tug Malabar, with divers on board, proceeded towards capsized sloop Coyote, about 700 miles off the Irish Coast, as the search for missing American circumnavigator Mike Plant intensified. By the end of yesterday's search, the missing sailor had still not been found. Earlier yesterday, two Coast Guard C-130 (Hercules) aircraft and a United States Navy P-3 Orion aircraft flew missions out of Shannon, criss-crossing the Atlantic south-west of Ireland in hope that Plant had been able to launch a liferaft before his sloop capsized. Yesterday's 9,000-sq-mile search brought the total area searched since Sunday (Nov 22) to 32,125 square miles. On Sunday, m tank Protank Orinoco found the sloop floating belly-up in stormy seas about 800 miles south-west of Ireland and 1,000 miles west of France. There was some speculation that Plant might be caught under the craft, surviving on trapped air. Efforts to get alongside the sloop were foiled by winds of 30Ð40 knots and seas of 15Ð20 ft, the Coast Guard said. The master of the tanker radioed that the Coyote had apparently capsized with her sails set. He said the hull was intact but an 8,400-pound lead bulb, that had been attached to the bottom of the keel to give it stability, was missing. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Alan Burd said the Malabar was expected to arrive at the sloop's location this morning. If weather permits, the diver should be able to inspect the interior of the sloop, he said. In addition, US Navy salvage vessel Grapple was proceeding to the area and should arrive Saturday morning, Burd said. -- United Press International. (See issue of November 25.)
New York, Nov 25 -- Divers from a French ocean-going tug today searched the interior of a capsized sloop in the storm-tossed Atlantic but found no trace of missing solo sailor Mike Plant. The Coast Guard said the sloop's liferaft was found in the thingypit partially inflated. The search for the yachtsman was called off and four aircraft ordered back to their bases. The French tug Malabar found the capsized Coyote about 0545 today more than 700 miles south-west of Ireland, the Coast Guard said. Divers braved heavy seas and 40-knot winds to dive under the sloop and enter the cabin but there was no sign of Plant. -- United Press International.
©LLP Limited 1997
Casualty Archive
MARINE
COYOTE - Wednesday, November 25, 1992
New York, Nov 23 -- The vessel of United States sailor Michael Plant, who disappeared on a solo voyage from New York to France, was found floating upside down in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Azores, the Coast Guard said. There was no sign of Plant and authorities began searching for a liferaft. Passing m tank Protank Orinoco spotted sloop Coyote, 60 ft, around 0740 yesterday, a Coast Guard spokesman in New York said. The tanker reported the discovery, made about 530 miles north of the Azores, but did not inspect the interior of the vessel. "There was no sign of life," the Coast Guard spokesman said. Based on the tanker's description of the vessel, the Coast Guard decided to launch a search for a liferaft in the area where the Coyote was found. "The hull was intact with no visible signs of damage, however, the keel bulb was missing," the Coast Guard said in a statement. "The portion of the rigging and sails that could be seen below the surface ... also appeared undamaged." A Royal Navy aircraft was to conduct a flare search last night. The Coast Guard and United States Navy planned to continue the search today. The Coast Guard said it hoped to divert a vessel to inspect the interior of the Coyote. Plant's vessel was found shortly after the Coast Guard announced it would renew its search for the missing sailor and his craft. Plant left New York Oct 16 in the sloop. A few days later, he signalled a passing freighter that he had lost electrical power and could not use his long-distance radio or automatic pilot. A brief radio signal was detected Oct 27 but was not pinpointed to Plant. The Coyote was reported overdue Nov 6 by the craft's builders when she failed to arrive as scheduled at Sables d'Olonne, France. A week later, after radio communications turned up no response, the Coast Guard began searching the Atlantic Ocean for the sailor and his vessel. US Coast Guard aircraft, aided by the US Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard, spent five days criss-crossing more than 200,000 square miles of water before suspending the search Wednesday (Nov 18) after failing to find any evidence of Plant. -- United Press International.
©LLP Limited 1997
LLP Casualty Archive
MARINE
COYOTE - Thursday, November 26, 1992
New York, Nov 25 -- French Navy tug Malabar, with divers on board, proceeded towards capsized sloop Coyote, about 700 miles off the Irish Coast, as the search for missing American circumnavigator Mike Plant intensified. By the end of yesterday's search, the missing sailor had still not been found. Earlier yesterday, two Coast Guard C-130 (Hercules) aircraft and a United States Navy P-3 Orion aircraft flew missions out of Shannon, criss-crossing the Atlantic south-west of Ireland in hope that Plant had been able to launch a liferaft before his sloop capsized. Yesterday's 9,000-sq-mile search brought the total area searched since Sunday (Nov 22) to 32,125 square miles. On Sunday, m tank Protank Orinoco found the sloop floating belly-up in stormy seas about 800 miles south-west of Ireland and 1,000 miles west of France. There was some speculation that Plant might be caught under the craft, surviving on trapped air. Efforts to get alongside the sloop were foiled by winds of 30Ð40 knots and seas of 15Ð20 ft, the Coast Guard said. The master of the tanker radioed that the Coyote had apparently capsized with her sails set. He said the hull was intact but an 8,400-pound lead bulb, that had been attached to the bottom of the keel to give it stability, was missing. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Alan Burd said the Malabar was expected to arrive at the sloop's location this morning. If weather permits, the diver should be able to inspect the interior of the sloop, he said. In addition, US Navy salvage vessel Grapple was proceeding to the area and should arrive Saturday morning, Burd said. -- United Press International. (See issue of November 25.)
New York, Nov 25 -- Divers from a French ocean-going tug today searched the interior of a capsized sloop in the storm-tossed Atlantic but found no trace of missing solo sailor Mike Plant. The Coast Guard said the sloop's liferaft was found in the thingypit partially inflated. The search for the yachtsman was called off and four aircraft ordered back to their bases. The French tug Malabar found the capsized Coyote about 0545 today more than 700 miles south-west of Ireland, the Coast Guard said. Divers braved heavy seas and 40-knot winds to dive under the sloop and enter the cabin but there was no sign of Plant. -- United Press International.
©LLP Limited 1997