Nina Families Preparing Response To Search

A lengthy document was recently completed reviewing the actions of the Rescue Coordination Center, New Zealand, (RCC-NZ).  It contained glowing praise for the role the RCC-NZ played in the attempted rescue of the crew of the SV Nina, a 1928 schooner that disappeared in the Tasman Sea on June 4th, 2013.  Many people would like to see what the response will be from the families.  Are they in support of the review, or do they oppose it's findings?  What would the families like to see going forward?

The review can be found HERE.

Sailing Savoir Faire has a very strong point of view over the independent review.  However, we will not voice an opinion on the Nina search review until the families have had an opportunity to make their own response, in public.  Even then, we may delay our response because we have come very close to this search, having covered it in detail nearly since the day the Nina was reported missing in the news.

After the RCC-NZ was unable to locate the Nina, the families went to work with fundraisers so they could conduct their own search.  They raised over $600,000 from family, friends and well-wishers.  It has been first class all the way, headed up by a public-private partnership, Texas Equusearch (TES), which acts in a similar role in the U.S. that is played by non-governmental-organization in other countries.  Unfortunately, TES was unable to locate the Nina, or her crew, either.  

A lot of people have a difficult time understanding the TES mission.  While they have had successes in finding the remains of people lost and who perished, their primary successes have been in rescuing people who are alive.  They have found more than 300 people alive and about half that number of missing persons who in fact perished.  

Most recently, TES challenged the Federal Aviation Administration on a prohibition on the use of drones in the U.S.  TES has used drones to find lost people in terrain that would take weeks to search, although the FAA sent them an email note telling them not to conduct drone flights for "commercial purposes".  A judge ruled TES could in fact use drones.

 TES says the Nina search has been an effort to find the Nina sailors alive, though no drones were used.  Most of the search fund was paid to New Zealand and Australian aviation companies, making it's way into the local economies of New Zealand and Australia..  A tiny portion of funds raised were used to pay for super-technical drift analysis.  The families say they still hope the Nina will float back to civilization, or the crew will be found on a desolate island or atoll.  TES is an all volunteer organization made up in part by people grateful for the results of the many searches.

There are seven people who ventured forth on the Nina.  They are the family that owned the yacht, David Dcyhe, Rosemary Dyche and their son, David Dyche, Jr., world renown author and mathematical genius, Professor Evi Nemeth, Kyle Jackson, a former senate page and survivalist, Danielle Wright, a musician a student and a photographer, all from the United States.  Also on board, Matthew Wootton, from England.  Matthew is an advocate for the environment who took a 3 and a half year voyage around the world to learn and speak on environmental issues.  Matthew crewed on various boats and ships because he does not approve of the carbon footprint left by jets.

The Nina families have put together a comprehensive web site.  They say they hope it will comfort those who wish the Nina crew well, and provide insight to other families who are missing a loved one, no matter whether that is on land or at sea.

We wish peace to all, and fair winds.

7 Sailors Wait While The World Celebrates The Holiday

Cartoon Credit NZ Herald

There is both encouraging news and bad news in the search for the 1928 schooner, Nina, that went missing in the Tasman Sea on June 4th, 2013.  The bad news is as always, no one has heard or seen the Nina since she missed a scheduled check in with New Zealand weatherman Bob McDavitt.  The encouraging news mostly remains the same.  If the Nina was afloat on June 5th, 2013, then she is afloat today.

Of course, the naysayers claim there is no point in searching for the Nina today because the crew could not possibly survive after six months at sea.  I love naysayers because they are almost always wrong.  John Glennie, who survived 119 days afloat on the upside down Rose Noelle, says if the Nina survived the storm she was battling then, not only is the boat afloat, but the sailors are alive.  He says he would have been able to survive for an extended period of time if the Rose Noelle had not bumped into an Island on the East side of New Zealand saving Glennie and his three crew members.

Meanwhile, the families remain guarded in the information they are willing to release about the effectiveness of the original search.  Likewise, they say they have no confidence in further lobbying of the U.S. State Department which reportedly intervened to stop U.S. efforts to find the Nina.

 The U.S. State Department claims New Zealand says the boat sank so there is no reason to expend U.S. resources.  When the U.S. State Department says they are not experts in search and rescue they are right.  The sinking of the Nina is one of many scenarios postulated by the New Zealand authorities.  Other theories include a likely dis-masting rendering the Nina incapable of navigation.  The only thing that is clear, after the most thorough search in the history of New Zealand, not a single trace of the boat was found.  It is very rare for a boat to sink without coughing up clues.

Fortunately, not everyone is buying into naysayer claims.  Some private pilots are launching their own private search, Operation Nina, to check the barrier islands lying off the East coast of Australia.  Numerous boats lost in the Tasman Sea eventually landed on one of those islands or an Australian beach including the Scotch Bonnet in 2012, which was abandoned near the last know position of the Nina.

Some people have inaccurately reported Sailing Savoir Faire as an "activist website" with ulterior motives.  Frankly, we lean hard left on the side of the current government in most of our reporting.  However, as journalists, we are responsible for reporting the truth.  From our perspective, we don't think any of the peoples of New Zealand, Australia, England or the U.S. would be happy to learn 7 sailors are floating in the Tasman Sea in desperate need of help and the respective governments are spending their time passing the buck to each other rather than rolling up their sleeves. We must report exactly that.  

Lacking evidence of a sinking, the rational conclusion to make is the Nina is afloat and the sailors need immediate assistance.  All sailors might be wise to take the Nina case as a harbinger when contemplating the prospects for rescue while venturing into similar waters.

A Bridge Over Troubled Waters In Schooner Nina Search

How long can 7 souls eek out a living on a damaged sailboat adrift in the toughest waters nature has to throw at an adventurer?

John Glennie, who holds the known record for the longest survival time at sea on an overturned trimaran called the Rose Noelle, says if the Nina is afloat, the sailors are alive.  John caught rain for water and fished to supply the nutrients needed for life for him and his three crew members. It was 119 days later the Rose Noelle washed up on the East side of New Zealand.

The Nina has been missing for over 170 days.  The Wright family, Robin and Ricky, went to New Zealand to do an areal search for the missing yacht.  They spent several days on Lord Howe Island, taking daily tours in a search route identified as most likely to hold the Nina.  After investing most of the piggy bank on this search, and finding nothing, the Wrights went to Australia.  Ricky is now taking private pilot lessons and searching for his daughter, Danielle Wright, as well.  They are searching up and down remote stretches of Australia coast line hoping to find the 1928 schooner and her crew.

The Wrights stand as the ultimate heroes in the Nina search.  It was Ricky Wright who asked Texas Equusearch to advise the families in a private search when New Zealand search and rescue threw in the towel. The Wrights, Kyle Jackson's father Duane Jackson and Salley Davis, Matthew Wootton's parents Sue and Ian Wootton, Lazslo Nemeth, son of Evi Nemeth, Ralph Baird, Executive Search Coordinator for TES, along with Larry Slack, Satellite Coordinator, Jerry Borrer, Drift Logistics Coordinator, Lenore Psencik, Adrienne Gauthier, Satellite Lead, John Funnell, Karen Lagow, and many more people in the Tomnod Search effort are all my heroes.  These are the troopers who have refused to give up the fight.  They see the vision of a floating Nina and want to do all that is possible to greet the 7 sailors back into society.

A tear rolls down my cheek thinking about these dedicated people sacrificing time, money, and an ocean of heart in the campaign to save the 7 sailors, Yet, I fight conflicting feelings.  As Ralph Baird said, if we sat any reasonable person down and laid out the tragic Nina story to them, everyone to a man-or woman, would agree, it is very likely the Nina is afloat and lost in the remote reverse circulating currents of the Tasman Sea.  Yet, no government is willing to step up with the resources necessary to bring the crew home.  Only governments have these resources.  When I think of how my own government, for one, has failed these sailors, along with others, then those feelings of pride and appreciation for what individuals are doing gives way to rage over what governments are not doing.

There is more of the Nina story which remains untold.   That is true with almost every epic, there is a public story, and then there is the story behind the story.  Rarely does the true story ever come out.  When the story does come out, people slap their heads with their hands and say, "ohhh....NOW I understand why there were so many dedicated people working on the campaign.  It makes sense."  It makes sense for an all-out, no holds barred, government effort to rescue 7 people.  It does not look like that will happen.

The thing is, the family members representing the Nina crew all come from hard working, and frankly, patriotic roots.  They believe pursuing the American Dream is a two part process.  First, you have to do your part, which means education and career.  The second part is a strong belief in the government.  That is why, when the U.S. State Department failed to support the 6 American and 1 British sailors, there was a lot of bewilderment.  How is it, at a time when citizens need most for the Department of State to go to bat for them, the citizens, and their families, come up empty handed?  Rather than take their government to task, the families have mostly chosen to take the high road.

Fortunately, there is a bridge over troubled waters.  I am very proud to make up a tiny part of that bridge, which mostly consists of the dedicated search team mentioned.  What a great honor it is to work with incredibly talented people led by the Wright family, and advised by Texas Equusearch, in transcending geo-political problems.  We are in the search for Matthew Wootton, Danielle Wright, Kyle Jackson, Evi Nemeth, David Dyche, Rosemary Dyche, David Dyche IV on the historic schooner Nina.  Each of us has an opportunity to perhaps save a life in the Nina case.  The search team has paid dearly in all they have done.  The very least we can do is support the search, sign the petition and help the families bring the crew home.

GCaptain Article: Satellite Searches For Nina

Help Find The Nina: Tomnod

Donate To Search Fund HERE

Facebook:
Nina Vigil
Holding Hope
The Search For Damien Diamond and Richard Choi
Bringing Home The Nina and Her Crew

Updates: EVXX

Sign the Petition: HERE

Kiwi's Push To Take Cup Today!

Two Wins To Victory!

INDEX OF PAST POSTS

LAST 5 POSTS

Page 67  Don't Play Cat And Mouse Games With Me!
Page 68  A Special Song Inspires, Kingdom
Page 69  Kiwi's Push For Win At America's Cup
Page 70  Oracle Team Has Everything To Lose, and Everything To Gain
Page 71  My First Bit Part In A Music Video

Oracle Team Fighting For Survival!

Oracle Team has fallen hopelessly behind the New Zealand team.  All the Emirates Team NZ needs is two more wins.  If those come today, the planned press conference will turn into a final award of the America's Cup.

Oracle Team is defending the Cup.  New Zeland is on it's toes, the entire nation of 4 million anxious for any news.  Oracle Team inched closer to making this an even race with one win during the past race day.  However, they needed both wins to keep the Kiwi's from marching to victory.

The video is of the Luis Vuitton Cup, which helped the Kiwi's practice their style!





Stay tuned to Sailing Savoir Faire for news about the America's Cup and the quest of two nation's to win the Cup.  The Kiwi's push for a steal, while the U.S. Oracle Team seeks to keep the Cup here in the U.S. 

NEWS OF THE MISSING RACING SCHOONER THE NINA!

Volunteers continue to work on the search for the Nina.  Official government efforts halted on July 5th, 2013.  The family believes the sailors are on a disabled yacht, floating in the reverse circular currents of the Tasman Sea.  Eventually, the boat will float to Australia or New Zealand.  Past boats which took this route have floated for up to a year.
You can help find the Nina on satellite images taken by Digital Globe and served on a crowd sourcing site called Tomnod. Why not find the Nina HERE and put your name in the history books?

New Zealand Teaches America a Lesson

INDEX TO PAGES

Last 5 Posts

Page 58  Low Down On the Hoedown in Lafayette Louisiana
Page 59  Luxury Catamaran For Auction, Island 42
Page 60  It Was Good New, More Good News and Still More Good News
Page 61  Lafayette, Louisiana to Bassett Nebraska, In Support Of The Nina 7 

Page 62  Prayers For A Pioneer, Equusearch Founder, Tim Miller
Page 63  Equusearch Ready To Scramble Over Life Raft

America's Cup A Tough Challenge

The U.S. defender Oracle Team USA is in for a tough fight. The Emirates Team New Zealand is up two races after today's exciting run. 

Over 28,500 fans came out to Peer 27-28 Saturday, September 7th, 2013, to cheer for their favorite team. Fans lined the raceway in boats. Another 16 thousand fans watched the start of the race at the Marina Green. The start of the race was framed by the San Francisco City Scape, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and the Bay Bridge.


Hollywood actors Jeremy Renner and Chris Tucker were among the fans. Chris Tucker met Jimmy Spithill's ORACLE TEAM USA crew before the start of the race.  Although the American team lost both races on Saturday, Tucker was upbeat. 

"They did a great job. Put me on the back tomorrow!" said the actor/comedian, known for his roles in the Rush Hour movies.

America's Cup chief executive Stephen Barclay said, "We've already had half a million visitors to the America's Cup during the Summer of Racing." 

Sailing is a magical sport and enjoying a resurgence despite the current recession.  Sailboats are priced far below the market of a few years ago.  The America's Cup reflects the love of the sport, as well as an American tradition.

Breaking Excitement In The Search Camp, Nina Life Raft Search

CHECK OUT PRIOR POSTS ON THE MISSING SHIP!  INDEX

An object found in the Nina Search

"Any news yet?" asked one person in the email thread being spread excitedly through the network of volunteers at the Equusearch effort trying to find the Niña, a 1928 schooner lost in the Tasman Sea off the coast of New Zealand.

Behind the scene is help from surprising places, many of which had refused to help before.  Everyone is grateful for the second effort.

Aircraft observers

Ralph Baird, Executive Advisor to Equusearch, (TES) has assembled an army of the brightest minds in the country.  Some are NASA scientists working as private citizen volunteers.  Others hail from a variety of experience.  All assembled to help seven people find their way home.

Today, search aircraft lifted off, not just to search, but to check out an interesting object found on the Tomnod site.  Tomnod, partly through the influence of TES, obtained satellite photographs of the search area.  The trick is, finding enough people to pour over hundreds of thousands of miles of ocean looking for the Niña.

New Search Area

A few days ago, cautious cheers rang with an URGENT email sent to executive staff.  

"What is this thing that looks like a life raft?"

  Everyone is excited with the prospects of finding the Niña crew alive.  We all pray this is the final moment of the search.  If it is not, we are prepared to do whatever it takes.  

Please stay tuned, a press conference is scheduled for Thursday, August 22nd, in Houston, Texas!

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