FL FL - Isabella Hellmann, 41, catamaran off Cay Sal, SE of the FL Keys, 14 May 2017 #1 *GUILTY*

[alwaysonmymind]

So many red flags with this one [emoji53]

Now the boat is no longer sending tracking signals to the USCG.

Surf into Summer is believed to be at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Taking any clues and/or evidence with her.

The water in this area is about 4000 feet deep.

http://www.ybw.com/news-from-yachti...ntre-of-disappearance-isabella-hellmann-54051



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[Bently]

The Coast Guard said it was 37 feet:

https://twitter.com/USCGSoutheast/status/864215819982688261/photo/1

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/isabella-hellman-fbi-coast-guard-join-search-missing-florida-woman/

That photograph has always been confusing to me.

It looked like the sails were on the left hand side underwater in the photograph.

But then I realized the blue part is the bottom of the boat catamaran hull, and the white part is the top of the boat hull, and then :thinking: " the sales can't be pointing to the bottom of the catamaran, why are the sails on the side of the bottom of the boat in the water."

What perspective are we seeing in that hull photo in the front left/nearest to photographer in the photograph?

I thought at first it was the front end of the left side/portside. Then I reconsidered as the blue is the bottom part of the hall and white is the top part of the hall so how in that position are the white sails showing underwater?



Can anyone help with orientation from the photograph? Only one has been shown here lately on the threads, but there is another one also on the internet.

 

[Hiandmighty]

I'm not convinced it is a sail cat (though it could be).

<modsnip>

I said a week or so ago that it is always suspicious when a husband has plans and the wife stands in the way and suddenly he has "good luck" where the wife is gone and he can do what he wants (a la Scott Peterson).

But, there are explanations for everything with this case...

 

[Satchie]

That photograph has always been confusing to me.

It looked like the sails were on the left hand side underwater in the photograph.

But then I realized the blue part is the bottom of the boat catamaran hull, and the white part is the top of the boat hull, and then :thinking: " the sales can't be pointing to the bottom of the catamaran, why are the sails on the side of the bottom of the boat in the water."

What perspective are we seeing in that hull photo in the front left/nearest to photographer in the photograph?

I thought at first it was the front end of the left side/portside. Then I reconsidered as the blue is the bottom part of the hall and white is the top part of the hall so how in that position are the white sails showing underwater?



Can anyone help with orientation from the photograph? Only one has been shown here lately on the threads, but there is another one also on the internet.

I agree, it's probably a white boat with blue pontoons below the waterline, that's now upside down. The photo seems to be of the right (starboard) pontoon, the stern is where the small vertical element is sticking up. So we can't see the damage on the stern.

I assume the port pontoon (on the left side of the photo) has sunk more deeply than the starboard side, it's pulling the boat down. So the white on the left side of the visible pontoon is the underside of the boat, it's angled down towards the port pontoon, the waves make it look blurred.

EDITED to add: I can just make out the other blue pontoon, to the left of the white blur.
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[JerseyGirl]

So the "damage" (i.e., area taking on water, per LB), is on the starboard side, based on the way the cat is underwater here?

 

[Hiandmighty]

As an aside, we won't buy a boat with blue under the waterline for this reason-- too hard to see in the water. Everything is hard to see in water; why make anything more difficult...

 

[Bently]

I'm not convinced it is a sail cat (though it could be).

<modsnip>

< respectfully snipped>...

:doh: :tyou:

I just assumed it was a sail vessel,but you are correct it could be only motorized without sail.

This Photograph and the other photograph, there is a very large white portion showing what I just thought a white sail underwater because of the tilt of the hull.. it had to be a sail I thought.

Now I'm wondering frpm your comment, from the two photographs that are on the internet, what is that white area if it's not a sail?

It doesn't look like to me, that if it was without a sail, it would be the parts between the two catamaran hulls due to the angle of the one hull shown (without any *large scrapes* that I can see)

 

[JerseyGirl]

Here's another pic:

 

[Hiandmighty]

The part you see out of the water is starboard. The bow is closest to the viewer. The white on the left is the other hull. Damage appears to be on the port side, which is underwater.

 

[Hiandmighty]

So the "damage" (i.e., area taking on water, per LB), is on the starboard side, based on the way the cat is underwater here?

No, the port side is the side that is underwater in that CG photo

 

[JerseyGirl]

The part you see out of the water is starboard. The bow is closest to the viewer. The white on the left is the other hull. Damage appears to be on the port side, which is underwater.

Ok, yes, I see the rudder? sticking out, so that's the stern.

 

[Hiandmighty]

Yes, you can tell that part is the stern.

 

[Bently]

I agree, it's probably a white boat with blue pontoons below the waterline, that's now upside down. The photo seems to be of the left (port) pontoon, the stern is where the small vertical element is sticking up. So we can't see the damage on the stern.

I assume the starboard pontoon (on the left side of the photo) has sunk more deeply than the port side, it's pulling the boat down. So the white on the left side of the visible pontoon is the underside of the boat, it's angled down towards the starboard pontoon, the waves make it look blurred.

EDITED to add: I can just make out the other blue pontoon, to the left of the white blur.
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That's what I thought in the beginning, but you can see the rudder at the far end of the photograph can't you?

If we assume you can see that white Rudder at the very top of the photograph that means this is the right side and starboard side view from the photographer above the waterline.

That in itself is what was confusing to me and I should have stated that in my original post. It appears that the rudder is at the top of the photograph on the right and therefore this must be the starboard side right side.. And therefore what the heck is that white.

:thinking:

 

[JerseyGirl]

I'm assuming the white are the sails?

Wait, but do boats sail at night, with sails, I mean.

Wondering if the sails should have been up at that time of night.

I always assumed sailboats sail better during the day and at night if they need to sail, they go under power. But this looks like the sails were open?

 

[Satchie]

So the "damage" (i.e., area taking on water, per LB), is on the starboard side, based on the way the cat is underwater here?

No, in the photo there's still buoyancy on the starboard side.

Whether a boat could stay afloat with just one disabled pontoon, what it would take to sink it, perhaps rescue personnel, boat builders, etc, would be quite knowledgeable about that kind of thing, especially if they know the make of the boat, and any repair history. Apparently, sometimes previous repairs fail.

I agree that the boat registered in Australia is very likely a different boat, that's probably based in Australia. This boat could be registered anywhere: the UK, St. Martaan, etc, there's not a lot of rules about where.

Perhaps the Australian boat was the one he used to 'transport people'. This has received zero coverage in Australia.

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[Satchie]

No, the port side is the side that is underwater in that CG photo

I edited my post, I mixed up left and right, with all the mirror image stuff going on.

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[JerseyGirl]

I agree that the boat registered in Australia is very likely a different boat, that's probably based in Australia. This boat could be registered anywhere: the UK, St. Martaan, etc, there's not a lot of rules about where.

Perhaps the Australian boat was the one he used to 'transport people'. This has received zero coverage in Australia.

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here is some info on the boat:

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority says the 1986 Fountaine Pajot Orana 44 lists Sydney as its home port. Antoine Lebreton, a French national, included in an online résumé that he&#8217;d gone to St. Maarten, on the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of St. Martin, from November to December of 2013 to help Bennett refit the vessel, then called the Asteria.

Government officials in St. Maarten said they do not keep a log of boat sales. But in the October 2016 edition of the magazine &#8220;All At Sea Caribbean,&#8221; an ad for The Yacht Shop, a retailer with locations in St. Maarten and Toronto, listed a testimonial from Bennett saying staff &#8220;provided me with all the information to make a confident and informed purchase &#8212; sight unseen.&#8221; A call to that store was not returned.

An email inquiry to the maker, France-based Fountaine Pajot, was not returned.But a 2012 brochure by Multihull Solutions, an Australia-based broker, says the boat &#8220;is ideal for high-performance ocean sailing.&#8221; Affiniti Yacht Brokerage, in Broward County, told The Post the catamaran probably would sell for $50,000 to $60,000.

The web page for a boating enthusiasts&#8217; rally called the Pacific Puddle Jump says that in 2014, Bennett and the Asteria were scheduled to make an ambitious sail from St. Maarten to the Galapagos. Organizers say records don&#8217;t indicate if a person makes the sailing.

http://www.wokv.com/national/woman-...-husband-three-months/YrdX0Q4ZpCpVj1OFYdILqL/

 

[Hiandmighty]

Yup but that model didn't exist in 1986

 

[Satchie]

here is some info on the boat:

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority says the 1986 Fountaine Pajot Orana 44 lists Sydney as its home port. Antoine Lebreton, a French national, included in an online résumé that he’d gone to St. Maarten, on the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of St. Martin, from November to December of 2013 to help Bennett refit the vessel, then called the Asteria.

Government officials in St. Maarten said they do not keep a log of boat sales. But in the October 2016 edition of the magazine “All At Sea Caribbean,” an ad for The Yacht Shop, a retailer with locations in St. Maarten and Toronto, listed a testimonial from Bennett saying staff “provided me with all the information to make a confident and informed purchase — sight unseen.” A call to that store was not returned.

So the jounalist helpfully left out the rest of Bennett's testimononial:

"I will return to purchase another boat" signed Lewis Bennett, Goldcoast, Australia, S/V Asteria.

It was printed in the October 2015 edition, and again a year later.

My permissions won't let me upload an image of the ad, the download link is here, p67 or 68. https://www.google.com/url?q=http:/...ds-cse&usg=AFQjCNGQr1tauC5W2__k6pd2gLIFPtVTlw

So I think he bought the 44', fixed it up, sailed or shipped it to Australia (where it'd be much more expensive to buy), then bought a 1986, 37 foot boat in St. Maarten sometime in the last couple of years.


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[JerseyGirl]

&#8220;David provided me with all the information to make a confident and informed purchase - sight unseen. Upon my arrival, he was instrumental in orienting me to the island&#8217;s infrastructure, and its services. I will return to purchase another boat through The Yacht Shop, with David&#8217;s recommendations.&#8221;
&#8212;Lewis Bennett, Goldcoast, Australia S/V ASTERIA

http://www.allatsea.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/all-at-sea-caribbean-1015.pdf
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