# Sailor Peter Farrell / SV Tally Ho Missing



## Sal Paradise

Sailor, author of book on Jost Van Dyke, missing at sea | | virginislandsdailynews.com










s the U.S. Coast Guard suspends its search, the local sailing community is being asked to be on the lookout for 72-year-old Peter Farrell and the S/V Tally Ho! after he was reported missing while traveling from New York to the British Virgin Islands.

"This is a very mysterious case," said Glenn Tuttle, co-owner and manager of the volunteer-run search website, Boatwatch.org. "There are literally hundreds of pleasure and commercial vessels on his route from New York to Jost Van Dyke. His VHF radio should be able to call a ship and ask the captain of a ship to notify the U.S. Coast Guard that he is OK, just running late."

Boatwatch issued an update Friday, detailing the ongoing search for Farrell.

He departed Fire Island, N.Y., on Oct. 13, intending to stop in Bermuda and continue on to Jost Van Dyke.

"It is quite possible he decided to bypass Bermuda in favor of heading straight to the British Virgin Islands," according to the update.

However, data from the U.S. Coast Guard's Search and Rescue Optimal Planning System simulating a solo sail voyage from Fire Island to Jost Van Dyke shows that Farrell should have arrived by Tuesday.

The S/V Tally Ho! is a 28-foot sloop with a dark blue hull and red sails, according to the update.

It's believed there is only a VHF radio onboard, no high frequency radio, satellite phone or satellite tracking device. There is an "EPIRB" emergency beacon aboard and a six-person life raft.

"There was some discussion on social media that Peter Farrell had changed the name of the boat, but direct contact with a family member indicates the name of the vessel remains Tally Ho!," according to the Boatwatch update.

Tuttle said in an email Friday that Farrell was well known sailor and author of books about the local area, including "Foxy & Jost Van Dyke: A Man & His Island," published in 1993.

"We are broadcasting a lookout several times daily throughout the entire Caribbean from our powerful marine radio station in Punta Gorda, Fla.," Tuttle said. "Let's hope for good news very soon."

While the search has been suspended, the Coast Guard continues to ask that anyone with information about Farrell's location contact the Coast Guard and Boatwatch.org. The 24-hour emergency phone number for the USCG San Juan Sector is 787-289-2041.


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## Sal Paradise

https://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/missing-sailor-peter-farrell-coast-guard-1.38545779

One more day, no word, as the U.S. Coast Guard continues its aerial search for clues on the whereabouts of a Long Island sailor who set out for the British Virgin Islands in October, but who has not been seen or heard from since.

The longtime seafarer, Peter Farrell, 72, who had been living aboard his 1931 William Atkin-designed 29-foot sloop built in Huntington, set sail with his 3-year-old Rottweiler, Sunny, out of Fire Island Inlet on Oct. 13. Adrienne Tesoro, of Babylon, said her brother planned to sail to Bermuda before sailing south to Jost Van Dyke in the Virgin Islands, but said it also is possible he changed course and bypassed Bermuda en route to Jost Van Dyke.

A Coast Guard spokesman said that according to the so-called float plan, or sailing itinerary, Farrell was scheduled to arrive in the Virgin Islands no later than Tuesday - and that as of Wednesday he is being considered overdue. The Coast Guard previously has search a vast expanse of 310,767 square miles of open ocean using a C-130 Hercules out of Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Deputy Public Affairs officer David Schuhlein, spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard District 1 in Boston, said a C-130 crew was again searching "surrounding waters and approaches to Jost Van Dyke" on Wednesday, but said so far there have been no sightings of Farrell or his sloop.

"We always hope for the best outcome possible, in this case him arriving at his location and letting everyone know he's OK," Schuhlein said


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## SanderO

Single handing at 73 in a 90 yr old boat without long range comm gear or a tracker, AIS B is again ill advised... and inconsiderate.

I hope he is behind schedule maybe hove to... and this ends well.

Very concerning.


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## outbound

Don’t know why wood has such a bad reputation. Currently waiting for my boat to splash in Grenada. Several boats in here are plank on frame and more than 60 years old. Some in hard commercial service but several rtw veterans in recent years. Got friendly with a Brit who sailed a 60’ plank on frame wood sloop here by himself. Boat from the ‘30s. Like everything else if maintained quite seaworthy. Unlike glass a frame or plank goes punk you replace it and restore to original strength. Built in the era of unreliable engines and no push the button and they come get you designs accounted for sailing in heavy weather.
Think that’s a unfair hit with us no knowing the tally ho. 
Similarly Phil Weld sailed American Promise at about this fellows age. Phil’s boat made this one look like a dinghy. Once again we have no personal knowledge of Mr. Farrell so believe we aren’t in a position to be judgmental. 
Will say at this point a AIS, SSB, satphone, Go or spot is a good idea for passage. Not only for SAR but also for weather and tracking.


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## Sal Paradise

A sat tracker with texting is a few hundred dollars. A sat phone rental in Manhattan is like $159. To go to sea alone for 2 weeks without these things is pretty stupid. I hope he turns up having been hove to or something like that.


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## MarkofSeaLife

The calculation I use to set my overdue date is Route Length at 2 knots +1 day

NYC to BVI = 1500 nms @ 2 knots = 31.25 days + 1 day = 32.25 days.

He has been out 33 days

But my cals are for a 39 foot boat and he is in a 28 foot boat so could be slower.

So he still has a small amount of time up his sleeve before hes past my overdue date.

I hope he is fine and just sailing slow for some reason.

Mark


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## SanderO

Out... years ago I was involved in a coast guard "rescue" of a wood boat named Owl from Maine. He was sailing tandem with a Hinckley Bermuda 40 who had an SSB and I had a sched with the the Hinskley who reported to me that Owl was taking on water, they were exhausted hand pumping... you know how things go from bad to worse.

I called Southbound II Herb on the phone who called the USCG and then send out SEVERAL planes to drop pumps... finally I think they got the 4th and it worked and they were able to run it limping into English Harbor with 3 more fuel containers from the non working pumps.

USCG refused to drop another pump, having determined that the wood boat was not seaworthy and they wanted the 2 on board to abandon ship. They didn't

When they arrived it was determined that the hull caulking was leaking. Probably because of the obvious reasons.

Lots of reason for a boat to take on water... but not properly caulked planks ONLY applies to wood hulls.


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## krisscross

The sea conditions in the general area of his travel were just plain awful for the last 2 weeks. He could have been blown way off course and if rig got damaged, he is basically drifting. And that is probably the most optimistic scenario.
As to his choice of essentials.. we all pay for the decisions we make.


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## outbound

Once was “standby vessel for a 60+ foot steel fish boat. Broke his back falling off a wave and was sinking. Put out a vhf call I relayed. CG asked I stick around until they got there. Was in gulf of Maine.
Is steel no good?
Have listened to several mayday calls. Most from GRP boats. Saw a 50’ sportfish go up in flames with it’s crew in the water. Under the Jamestown bridge. Huge plume of stinky black smoke. 
Is glass no good?
Few Al boats in New England but plenty in the windwards. See a few sitting on the hard apparently abandoned.
Is aluminum no good?
There are quite a few traditional plank on frame builders still around. Not my dreamboat. Mostly due to maintenance requirements. However cold molded or even strip plank has no more maintenance than glass. It’s also stronger per unit weight than glass. Only CF (among common boat building materials) exceeds in boat construction. Of interest a few years ago was invited to the bucket. One of the 100’ plus vessels was cold molded. It was truly magnificent. 


Btw- don’t know a much about plank on frame maintenance but I think if you use modern caulking it’s one and done from time of construction. Don’t think it’s like in the past but look forward to being corrected by someone more knowledgeable.


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## RegisteredUser

60 year old fg hulls with little maintenace floating.
Amazing stuff


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## mbianka

Anyone here any other news on this sailor?

https://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/peter-farrell-missing-sailor-1.38641446


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## MarkofSeaLife

mbianka said:


> Anyone here any other news on this sailor?
> 
> https://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/peter-farrell-missing-sailor-1.38641446


Would you mind cutting and pasting the article. Can't be viewed in tbe EU. (or North Korea)


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## drew1711

MarkofSeaLife said:


> Would you mind cutting and pasting the article. Can't be viewed in tbe EU. (or North Korea)


Here is a snippet (posting the whole thing is a copyright violation in the U.S.)

By John Asbury
[email protected] @JohnAsbury 
Updated November 16, 2019 7:04 PM

_"The U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search Friday for a Long Island sailor who has not been heard from since he set sail for the British Virgin Islands more than a month ago.

The Coast Guard was searching since Nov. 7 for Peter Farrell, 72, who departed Fire Island Inlet with his Rottweiler, Sunny, on Oct. 13 on his 28-foot boat, a 1931 William Atkin-designed sloop built in Huntington, which he recently renamed the Blue Dog."_


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## Sal Paradise

Update Aug 2020

*New York, Bermuda, BVI's SV Tally Ho! Boat Watch*
Jul 24, 2020 | Unresolved
*UPDATE 23 JULY 2020****
*While speaking with USCG RCC Boston regarding a different matter, it was learned the EPIRB for the S/V TALLY HO was located. Boatwatch was not aware of that development. Here is what RCC Boston told us:
On 20MAR2020 the EPIRB from the TALLY HO! alerted approximately 1200NM east of Norfolk, VA (37°14.400'N, 050°57.400'W). RCC Boston requested AMVER vessels STOLT LOTUS and TORM RAGNHILD respond and search the area. ASEC HC-130 was launched to conduct a search in daylight hours.
ASEC CGR 2001 completed A-1 search of the area with negative results. No response to EGC of any signs of distress in the area. RCC Boston suspended the active search for the S/V Tally HO! pending further developments. The case can be re-opened if new information comes to light that warrants further search efforts.

New York, Bermuda, BVI's SV Tally Ho! Boat Watch - Boat Watch, International search aid for missing & overdue boats.*


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## mbianka

Sal Paradise said:


> Update Aug 2020
> 
> *New York, Bermuda, BVI's SV Tally Ho! Boat Watch*
> Jul 24, 2020 | Unresolved
> *UPDATE 23 JULY 2020****
> *While speaking with USCG RCC Boston regarding a different matter, it was learned the EPIRB for the S/V TALLY HO was located. Boatwatch was not aware of that development. Here is what RCC Boston told us:
> On 20MAR2020 the EPIRB from the TALLY HO! alerted approximately 1200NM east of Norfolk, VA (37°14.400'N, 050°57.400'W). RCC Boston requested AMVER vessels STOLT LOTUS and TORM RAGNHILD respond and search the area. ASEC HC-130 was launched to conduct a search in daylight hours.
> ASEC CGR 2001 completed A-1 search of the area with negative results. No response to EGC of any signs of distress in the area. RCC Boston suspended the active search for the S/V Tally HO! pending further developments. The case can be re-opened if new information comes to light that warrants further search efforts.
> 
> New York, Bermuda, BVI's SV Tally Ho! Boat Watch - Boat Watch, International search aid for missing & overdue boats.*


They had an EPIRB location and only checked the area once or am I missing something? How long did the EPIRB continue to signal? Did the EPIRB have to be set off manually or was it automatic? Seems there are a lot of questions still to be answered IMO.


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