A sailor who was more than two weeks overdue in reaching Hawaii finally arrived on Saturday, according to a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard issued on Monday. The circumstances behind the delay remain unknown.
The Coast Guard had previously announced that Noel Rubio, aged 60, set sail from Long Beach, California on December 28 aboard his vessel, Malulani, with a planned three-week voyage to Oahu, Hawaii, expecting to arrive by January 18.
However, by Friday, Rubio had yet to reach his destination, prompting the Coast Guard to initiate a search. It was noted that Rubio had not been in contact since his departure from California when he spoke with a friend over the phone.
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Rubio's boat, a 32-foot Westsail sloop, was equipped only with a marine band radio for communication, as per the Coast Guard.
Douglas Samp, a search and rescue mission coordinator at the Coast Guard's Alameda Rescue Coordination Center, emphasized the importance of having multiple communication methods for open-ocean crossings.
The Coast Guard utilized various measures, including urgent marine information broadcasts, harbor checks in California, Hawaii, and Mexico, and sought advice from experienced sailors regarding potential routes Rubio might have taken. Additionally, they consulted weather experts to understand how weather patterns could have affected Rubio's journey.
Samp expressed gratitude for the insights provided by seasoned trans-pacific sailors, acknowledging their valuable input in navigating the search effort.
