4 February 2008, just leaving for Providencia, Henry hit a reef with his boat Antares in Guanaja...
Tragic accident of Henry with Antares
Early in the morning, just before the NW-Caribbean Net on the SSB started Henry hit a reef close to Media Luna, Guanaja. When he noticed he was in trouble he immediately put out a mayday on the NW-Caribbean Net.
Communication with the NW-Caribbean Net
The mayday was received on the NW-Caribbean Net but due to inexperience of the operator was not handled very well. Luckily this had not so much influence on the rescue operation of S/V Antares. The sailors-community in Guanaja realised that it was a real mayday and started to organise a salvage.
48 hours on the reef
After 48 hours on the reef, there were a lot of holes in the hull, even with a calm sea. Henry accepted that Antares was a total loss. Antares got lifted of the reef and was put at rest in ‘the Key of Guanaja‘.
Henry in better times
Henry—on the left—is a fanatical chess-player. He even talked me into playing 2 games every afternoon, after I hadn’t played for 25 years. (For me the fun of chess-playing ended when the computers started to beat me).
For more information about Henry’s sailing-adventures, see Henry’s own website.
