GC determines sailboat not in distress

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard was responding Nov. 14 to a sailboat adrift in the Gulf of Mexico about 80 nautical miles south of Cape San Blas, Fla. Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Ala., received a call around 2 p.m. from crew aboard the NOAA ship Gordon Gunter that a 30-foot white sailboat named My Time appeared to be adrift. The Gordon Gunter crew reported My Time appeared to have electronics in operation, sails stowed, but had not responded to radio calls or the ship’s horn. Due to rough waters, the NOAA vessel was not able to deploy their small boat for further investigation. Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla., launched a Sikorsky HH-60 helicopter and crew to investigate, but due to deteriorating weather turned back to base. CG Cutter Marlin crew and an Aviation Training Center Mobile HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft have plans to launch as weather permits. Anyone with information regarding this case is requested to call the Sector Mobile Command Center at (251) 441-6211. (Source: Coast Guard 11/14/18) UPDATE Nov. 18: The sailing vessel My Time was determined not be in distress after a CG Aviation Training Center Mobile, Ala., HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew identified a person at the helm actively sailing the vessel. No indications of a distress situation were observed.