Rival 38 "lynn Rival" Epirb Activated - No Information

[lenseman]

R38 Lynn Rival Skippered and Crewed by Paul & Rachel Chandler is on passage and her EPIRB has been activated.

Lynn Rival's EPIRB has been activated on October 23rd.

They departed from the Seychelles yesterday, 22/10/09, for a 150NM passage SW to the Amirante Islands, en route to Tanzania.

If anyone has any news of the vessel or the whereabouts please contact the webmaster at: www.rivalowners.org.uk/Contacts

[MMNETSEA]

Can you confirm if the MRCC FALMOUTH Southern (SW)

Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Has been informed of the boats passage and if they have the EPIRB position? They will be in touch with Coalition Forces who may be in the the area.

Noted that the boat left the Seychelles on the 22nd of October and that their EPIRB was activated a day later on the 23rd October. (Today is the 25th Sunday in the area between the Seychelles and the Amirante Islands)

The Amirantes are group of low lying atols, shoals of coral and sand covering a large area

04d 49'S <> 06d 14'S x 52d 50'E<>53d 41'E. The nearest to the Seychelles only a good day's sail away at 5 knots.

Here is a chartlet showing an example passage on a bearing of 250 degrees :-

[lenseman]

UPDATE:

From the American National Intelligence Agency 23 OCT 2009.

The EPIRB on "LYNN RIVAL" was activated at 01:33Z on the 23 October at the location 04° 31.43S 054° 26.10E. This is 60 nautical miles west by north of the town of Victoria in the Seychelles. There are SIX crew on board.

Further traffic:

Earlier at 05:55Z (22 OCT 2009) there was a thwarted pirate attack on a merchantman in the area 04° 09.00S 052° 35.00E this is very close to the last known position of LYNN RIVAL. The area was listed as 'High Risk for 24/48 hours.

[MMNETSEA]

According to your first post, "R38 Lynn Rival Skippered and Crewed by Paul & Rachel Chandler departed from the Seychelles on the22/10/09" . Victoria is situated at 4°38.54S x 55°28.68E. ------ Which placed her on the 22nd Oct about 180 nm on a bearing of 279 degrees from where the piracy below took place on the same day.

22.10.2009: 0555 UTC: Posn: 04°09'S – 052°35'E, 570nm SE of Mogadishu, Somalia.

Pirates armed with automatic weapons and RPG in skiffs opened fire on a bulk carrier underway. The pirates boarded, took hostage 26 crewmembers and hijacked her. The vessel is now under the control of the pirates and are sailing her to an undisclosed location.

The Following day some 19 1/2 hours later than the piracy hijacking at 01:33 UTC on the 23rd October at the location 04°31.43S 054° 26.10E. SV Lynn's EPIRB was activated. At that time they were some 113nm from were the above hijacking had occurred earlier.

It is noted that the update is some 3 days after the EPIRB message. A pity !

The above, hopefully, does not confirm that SV Lynn has been hijacked

[Williwaw]

The reference to six persons may not mean that there are now four uninvited guests on board. It could simply be that, when the epirb was registered, the maximum capacity of the Rival 38 was stated to be six berths.

The reported position from the epirb's activation is about 60NM west of Mahe, which is somewhat north of the track from Mahe to the northernmost part of the Amirantes.

I am the Secretary/Webmaster of the Rival Owners Association and am in direct contact with the Chandlers' family. If anyone discovers more information, please contact me via the ROA's website - www.rivalowners.org.uk/Contacts

Thank you.

[Lighthouse]

Thanks for the update.

[MMNETSEA]

Connecting the events of the 22nd and 23rd October requires a little circumspection and questioning:

(On the assumption that both the time and coordinates for both are accurate)



Further assume that the Pirates had taken the Bulk Carrier and were proceeding Westward with it to their normal Base at EYL in Somalia.

?#1. Why would the pirates return East some 113 nm to the position on the 23rd where the ERPIRB was activated at around 0530 hrs LT , almost the complete reversal of a passage to Somalia.

?#2. The history of Somali pirates does not record them actively finding and hijacking during the hours of darkness.

[Lighthouse]

What search effort has been undertaken?

[MMNETSEA]

Originally Posted by Lighthouse

What search effort has been undertaken?

Who knows ? Questions were raised regarding Search and Rescue were raised but never answered - see post #2 on this topic.

[chrishcon]

Originally Posted by MMNETSEA

Who knows ? Questions were raised regarding Search and Rescue were raised but never answered - see post #2 on this topic.

Seychelles Government sent out a search and found nothing - so widened the search and have still found no sign of the Chandlers.

[tristan]

Originally Posted by chrishcon

Seychelles Government sent out a search and found nothing - so widened the search and have still found no sign of the Chandlers.

The Foreign Office says it's urgently checking reports. The Seychelles government says it's sent out two search operations.

Does anyone know whereabouts Paul and Rachel originally came from in the UK?

[Lighthouse]

Usable information is very sparse. Do they have HF radio? Colour of the vessel? Do they have a liferaft? Has the SA m/m Net (covers Indian Ocean) been informed? What S & R effort has been made to date?

Please help us to help! Little bits of information have been dotted all over the Net by those concerned which is not particularly constructive. May I suggest that a concerned party consolidate all the info that is sprinkled out there and post it here as we have members and contacts that are closely associated with the Indian Ocean.

Precious time is passing!

[chrishcon]

Originally Posted by Lighthouse

Usable information is very sparse. Do they have HF radio? Colour of the vessel? Do they have a liferaft? Has the SA m/m Net (covers Indian Ocean) been informed? What S & R effort has been made to date?

Please help us to help! Little bits of information have been dotted all over the Net by those concerned which is not particularly constructive. May I suggest that a concerned party consolidate all the info that is sprinkled out there and post it here as we have members and contacts that are closely associated with the Indian Ocean.

Precious time is passing!

PRESS ASSOCIATION COPY FROM THIS MORNING

A search and rescue operation was continuing today for a British couple who have disappeared in pirate-infested seas.

Paul and Rachel Chandler were heading for Tanzania from the Seychelles in their yacht, the Lynn Rival, when a distress signal was received, and they have not been heard from since.

Britain's Maritime and Coastguard Agency said an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIR was activated at 11pm on October 23.

A spokesman said: "The Seychelles authorities are carrying out a search and rescue operation but have found nothing so far."

It is understood that there had been pirate activity in the area earlier in the day.

================================================== ==============================

===================

The Foreign Office was urgently investigating a report today that a British couple had disappeared while sailing near pirate-infested seas.

Paul and Rachel Chandler were heading for Tanzania from the Seychelles in their 38ft yacht, the Lynn Rival, when they reportedly sent a distress signal. They have not been heard from since, according to The Sun.

The sailing route would have taken the couple, in their 60s, near Somalian waters which are notorious for attacks on ships and smaller boats.

The last message on their extensive travel blog was posted on Friday morning and reads simply: "Please ring Sarah."

Two days earlier they wrote that they were saying farewell to the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean - and were bound for Tanzania more than 500 miles away.

"We'll be at sea for 8 to 12 days, maybe 14 as we are now getting into the period of transition between the south monsoon and north monsoon, so the trade winds will be less reliable and we may get more light winds," they said.

"We probably won't have satellite phone coverage until we're fairly close to the African coast, so we may be out of touch for some time."

Elsewhere the couple - who have been sailing around the world for several years after selling up in the UK - wrote of "the Somali pirate problem" that delayed other voyages to Tanzania.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of the report. We are investigating urgently."

================================================== ==============================

====================Just reported on Sky that 2 British naval ships have joined the search for the couple.

[lenseman]

*** BREAKING NEWS ***

"LYNN RIVAL" and two crew are being held by Somali Pirates.

ENDS

NNNN

[Lighthouse]

Originally Posted by lenseman

*** BREAKING NEWS ***

"LYNN RIVAL" and two crew are being held by Somali Pirates.

ENDS

NNNN

Please give the direct source of this "Breaking News".

[Lighthouse]

"Somali pirates say they have hijacked the boat of a British couple sailing off the coast of Africa - Ransom demand will follow"....

Full report on Sky

[tristan]

This is very sad. Let's hope they come home safe.

I can't see anything that says whereabouts they are originally from in Britain. Does anyone know?

[Lighthouse]

I find it very strange that a Somali pirate (or his "boss" ashore) would make contact before they had the vessel in a safe Somali port.

[chiroeurope]

Originally Posted by Lighthouse

I find it very strange that a Somali pirate (or his "boss" ashore) would make contact before they had the vessel in a safe Somali port.

I also find it strange and don't know if they have the couple or are just trying to bluff for cash by using the fear that they do. It will be seen shortly if they do or not as most reasonable governments want proof that you really have their citizens before talking about any ransom.

Another good reason for strong response by all concerned nations against these crimes on the high seas.

Michael

[Williwaw]

Reuters reported at about 0900 today that Somali pirates have taken a yacht with two Britons on board. It is assumed to be Lynn Rival.

I am in touch with the family, who do not wish to be pestered at this worrying time for them. The Foreign Office has been actively involved for some days and now has some hard information to follow up. Let us hope that there will be a safe and happy resolution.

Michael Smith

ROA Hon Sec

www.rivalowners.org.uk