BajaNomad

Mexican Boat "Erik" Capsizes

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DutchmanAZ - 7-4-2011 at 01:23 AM

I hope this isn't the Tony Reyes. Has anyone heard anyting more about this?

http://www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/mexico/340821-boat-capsizes...

[Edited on 7-4-2011 by BajaNews]

bigmike - 7-4-2011 at 02:05 AM

Tony's boat always leaves on Sunday and this article states the boat left on Saturday. Hope it is not Tony also. Regardless I hope they find everyone.

DutchmanAZ - 7-4-2011 at 03:34 AM

Update to the story

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43629017/ns/world_news-americas/...

The "Erik" sinks in SOC storm

BillP - 7-4-2011 at 04:49 AM

One dead, six still missing

http://news.yahoo.com/tourist-boat-capsizes-off-mexicos-baja...

Russ - 7-4-2011 at 05:33 AM

Dangerous waters. S... happens fast in th summer months.

Erik San Felipe sunk.jpg - 36kB

monoloco - 7-4-2011 at 06:01 AM

That boat looks a bit top heavy.

fishing boat capsized

mcfez - 7-4-2011 at 06:03 AM

Was this the Tony Reyes outfit?

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican navy says one U.S. tourist has died after a fishing boat capsized in the Sea of Cortez off the Baja California peninsula.

Capt. Benjamin Pinera Gomez says the man has not yet been identified.

Pinera said Monday that eight others remain missing of the 44 people on the boat: seven tourists and one crew member.

The boat capsized in a storm early Sunday morning about 60 miles (100 kilometers) south of the town of San Felipe.

Cypress - 7-4-2011 at 06:05 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by monoloco
That boat looks a bit top heavy.

Evidently!

bigmike - 7-4-2011 at 06:07 AM

The latest article says it was the Erik. Tony's boat always leaves San Felipe on Sunday, the Erik leaves on Saturday.
Hope they find the 6 missing guys.

mcfez - 7-4-2011 at 06:13 AM

What I am reading is extremely limited on details :fire:

U know the cause of the incident? Txs bigmike

BajaNews - 7-4-2011 at 06:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by DutchmanAZ
Update to the story

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43629017/ns/world_news-americas/...


An American died and at least six others were missing after a boat carrying U.S. tourists capsized and sank in an electrical storm off Mexico's Baja California peninsula early Sunday, officials said.

Senior Chief Benny Minton, of the U.S. Coast Guard, told msnbc.com most of the 44 people on board had been rescued, including some who managed to swim to shore. They then walked to get help as they found themselves in an isolated area about 87 miles south of San Felipe.

There were 27 U.S. citizens and 17 Mexicans on the 105-foot vessel when it sank, he said.

Minton told msnbc.com that six people were missing, but The Associated Press quoted Capt. Benjamin Pinera Gomez, of the Mexican navy, as saying one U.S. tourist died and eight people were missing: seven tourists and one crew member.

No one knew of the accident until Sunday afternoon, when another fishing boat rescued three people.

Sank quickly

Pinera said the navy continued to search Monday with two helicopters and an airplane.

Minton said the boat "went down fairly quickly" at about 2:30 a.m. PT (5:30 a.m. ET) Sunday.

However, he said "everybody had enough time to put on life jackets and they were pretty close to land."

"Some of the survivors were able to swim to an island or back to the mainland," Minton said. They then had to "walk for a long time before they reached civilization," he added.

Minton said the U.S. Coast Guard was notified about the sinking at 8 p.m. PT (11 p.m. ET) and a helicopter was being sent from San Diego to help search for those still missing. It was due to arrive at 8 a.m. PT (11 a.m. ET) Monday.

"It's in Mexican waters and they are the lead agency so far as search and rescue goes in this case," he said.

Minton said the chances of finding the six missing people alive were "still pretty good."

"The sea water temperature there is fairly warm ... they have life jackets on and they can stay floating for a long time. They are not at risk of hypothermia," he said.

He said some might have made it back to land in a different location to the group that walked to safety and still be lost in the "pretty isolated" area.

'Floating hotel'

The tourist boat had left the port of San Felipe on the Sea of Cortez — a haven for windsurfers and sports fishermen — on Saturday.

An online advertisement for the boat, the Erik, said it offered six-day fishing trips for $800 to $1,100.

"The boat is your floating hotel and restaurant. The food is excellent quality Mexican and American cuisine, all cooked fresh," it says.

Local officials said the search had been hampered by bad weather.

"We are still looking for the rest of the people," local port official Felipe Vallecillo told Reuters. "The weather is really bad right now, with strong wind."

Vallecillo said weather conditions were normal when the boat set sail on Saturday.

Coast Guard to aid in search for six missing in Sea of Cortez after boat sank

BajaNews - 7-4-2011 at 06:56 AM

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/07/coast-guard-to...

July 4, 2011

The U.S. Coast Guard stationed in San Diego is set to join the Mexican Navy in the search for six persons missing after a charter fishing vessel sank in the Sea of Cortez early Sunday.

The Coast Guard will launch an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter to join the search in the area near Isla San Luis, approximately 200 miles southeast of San Diego.

The six were among 44 persons aboard a vessel that sank about 2:30 a.m., according to the Coast Guard. As of 4 a.m., 37 of the 44 had been rescued, and one body had been recovered.

The Mexican Navy late Sunday night asked for assistance from the Coast Guard, after it had searched with surface vessels and aircraft.

The Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California, separates Baja California from the Mexican mainland.

mtgoat666 - 7-4-2011 at 07:13 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Cypress
Quote:
Originally posted by monoloco
That boat looks a bit top heavy.

Evidently!


the superstructure looks like mostly awnings, rails and cabin area, probably not very dense, so probably not too top heavy.

probably struck something, rock, boat or rogue wave.

44 people is a lot for a 105 ft fishing charter. sounds like floating sardine can. where does this boat fish out of? are they overnite trips?

desertcpl - 7-4-2011 at 07:23 AM

was this in the area of Gonzaga bay?

desertcpl - 7-4-2011 at 07:28 AM

ABC news says it was near Puertecitos , punta bufeo

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/173953/20110704/boat-dead-dr...

Pescador - 7-4-2011 at 07:30 AM

Tony Reyes runs a really good operation out of San Felipe and this boat, the Erik, has been plagued by problems from it's inception. I used to get into computer altercations with a guy who went by the name of Mad Hair on Bloodydecks because he promoted this boat so heavily. They ran a real rip-off operation, stole people's fish, overcharged people who had paid for tickets at the last minute, ran very questionable pangas, had to be towed in several times due to engine malfunction.
I had a friend who signed up with a big group, paid at one of the sporting goods stores in San Diego and when they got there, they had to pay again. It was a pretty poorly run boat with lots of problems but it is too bad that they continued to run and fill up with tourists looking for a good time. Maybe this will be the end of the operation, finally.

BajaNews - 7-4-2011 at 07:34 AM

http://www.bajasportfishinginc.com/vessel%20info.html

http://www.fisheyesoup.com/travel_detail/183.html

56389.jpg - 27kB

bonanza bucko - 7-4-2011 at 07:38 AM

I heard from buddies at Alfonsina's this morning that the boat sunk off of Willard Island at the south east end of Gonzaga Bay. They are still looking for survivors and bodies.

I WX was pretty wild down there on Sunday night....high tide, high wind and certainly some big swells off of Willard Island. That area is known to us locals as "The wind tunnel" because there are strong West winds off the mountains and onto the sea there pretty often.

I saw the Erik in Gonzaga Bay from our porch down there on our last trip in early May....she sure looked top heavy to me....I'm an old Navy, TinCan, sailor and Erik didn't look as though it would pass an inspection.
BB

Unfolding Tragedy in the Sea of Cortez off San Felipe

Bajatripper - 7-4-2011 at 09:39 AM

On the TV right now is news of a sports fishing boat that overturned near San Felipe in the Gulf. Preliminary reports indicate that 17 people were onboard and they expect a high death count and--since this is a US holiday--most, if not all of the victims, are thought to be Americans. Hope we aren't minus any members on this board due to this developing tragedy.

[Edited on 7-4-2011 by Bajatripper]

Ken Cooke - 7-4-2011 at 09:42 AM

Thats truly bad news. Sorry to have heard of this happening. :no:

DENNIS - 7-4-2011 at 09:42 AM

That boat in the fotos looked like one of those Asian Ferrys that are so prone to tragedy for overloading.
Hope and pray for whatever the best may be.

Going DOWN in Baja

MrBillM - 7-4-2011 at 09:50 AM

When they thought of "Going down to the Sea in Ships", they PROBABLY didn't anticipate this.

Looking at the pics of the vessel, maybe, they should have.

Having gone fishing many times in (long) past years aboard Party-Boats out of Point Loma, the one time I was aboard same out of San Felipe, I wasn't impressed with the quality of maintenance displayed.

That was a lot of years back, but I've never gone again.

Woooosh - 7-4-2011 at 10:28 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by MrBillM
When they thought of "Going down to the Sea in Ships", they PROBABLY didn't anticipate this.

Looking at the pics of the vessel, maybe, they should have.

Having gone fishing many times in (long) past years aboard Party-Boats out of Point Loma, the one time I was aboard same out of San Felipe, I wasn't impressed with the quality of maintenance displayed.

That was a lot of years back, but I've never gone again.

It's a very sad and terrifying situation.

mtgoat666 - 7-4-2011 at 10:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by MrBillM
When they thought of "Going down to the Sea in Ships", they PROBABLY didn't anticipate this.

Looking at the pics of the vessel, maybe, they should have.

Having gone fishing many times in (long) past years aboard Party-Boats out of Point Loma, the one time I was aboard same out of San Felipe, I wasn't impressed with the quality of maintenance displayed.

That was a lot of years back, but I've never gone again.


the point loma flet is well maintained, relative to mexican fleet, because it needs to pass CG inspection.
sometimes big government and nanny state is good.

GrOUper-GAr - 7-4-2011 at 11:41 AM

In the late 80's, my Brother was part of a small crew of friends that delivered the ERIK (then called the 'Nordvarder'-sp?) from the Netherlands to San Felipe. The Trip was a good couple months. -from Amsterdam, down to the Canery Islands, across the atlantic, thru the Panama Canal, and up wind, all the way to San Felipe. (many stops along the way, of coarse)... They said it was an incredible life experience, and the stories (& old video tape) showed it.
Since then, many spirited fishing trips aboard the ERIK followed.
..and maybe, just maybe, SOME "F!Sh $Tories" have been a LITTLe bit exaggerated.
BUT,
one thing is for sure,
THAT BOAT hit some mind boggling heavy seas in the Atlantic, and lived to tell about it.

R.I.P.

(thanks for the memories)

bufeo - 7-4-2011 at 12:14 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by GrOUper-GAr
In the late 80's, my Brother was part of a small crew of friends that delivered the ERIK (then called the 'Nordvarder'-sp?) from the Netherlands to San Felipe. ...


This would be a good voyage to re-tell in some manner. Has your brother ever put the experience down on paper (or "e-type" :rolleyes:)?

Allen R.

sancho - 7-4-2011 at 01:11 PM

As Pescador says, that boat is not a T Reyes boat,
Reyes has 2, I believe, a recent boat renamed the
Tony Reyes and the boat they have long owned
the Jose Andres. Anyone remember the story 10 yrs
back or so, about a fishing boat out of San Felipe who
lost a panga with 2 gringo fisherman and a panga guide?
One of the Gringos died after they were stranded on one of the Islands for a few days? That incident was also not a
T Reyes boat

jessk - 7-4-2011 at 01:19 PM

If anyone has any news on those last few missing, please let me know. My boyfriend's father was on that boat.

BajaBlanca - 7-4-2011 at 01:27 PM

this is a very sad day indeed. hopefully others will be found soon - as mentioned, the water is really a comfortable temperature. always an adventure here in Baja, isn't it ?

BajaGringo - 7-4-2011 at 01:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by jessk
If anyone has any news on those last few missing, please let me know. My boyfriend's father was on that boat.


Sending along our prayers that his dad is OK...

bajabound2005 - 7-4-2011 at 01:53 PM

update from abcnews

One U.S. man has died and seven others are still
missing, six Americans and one Mexican crew
member, after a chartered fishing boat carrying 44
people capsized in a storm off of Mexico's Baja
California peninsula, the Mexican navy said today.

Nineteen of the tourists, all men mostly from the San
Francisco Bay Area in northern California, were found
alive, as were 16 Mexican crew members, said Capt.
Benjamin Pineda Gomez in the Baja California port of
San Felipe.

All those who were rescued were taken to a clinic,
then to their hotel in San Felipe, and said to be in
"good condition" with minor scrapes and sunburn.
One diabetic survivor was taken to a naval hospital in
San Felipe, said civil protection director Alfredo
Escobedo Ortiz.

The U.S. tourist who died has not been identified.

Michael Ng a survivor from Belmont, California, told
the Associated Press the boat was less than two miles
from shore when it capsized. He and other fishermen
stayed afloat with the help of a cooler. They were
swimming toward shore when he, a fellow survivor
and the boat's cook were rescued by another fishing
boat.

In a press release, the Mexican navy said aid was
possible because the cook, who after being rescued
by a fisherman, was able to alert authorities that the
boat had gone down.The rescue missing is still
ongoing.

"I'm relieved I'm alive, but I'm scared for the people
who haven't been found yet," he said. "We were not
very far from shore, so people were beached or
stranded on some local islands."

The 115-foot-long boat, a catamaran called the Erik
operated by the tourism company Baja Fishing, was
carrying 17 crew and 27 American fishermen on what
was supposed to be a week-long trip when it was
caught in a thunderstorm and capsized around 2:30
a.m. Sunday. Pineda said two giant waves hit the boat,
causing it to tip over.

"When the vessel sank it was close enough to shore

that some people were able to swim to shore," said U.
S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Pamela Boehland. "Other
people were picked up by good Samaritan vessels that
were in the area. Others were rescued by the Mexican
Navy."

The boat, which had embarked from San Felipe,
capsized about 60 miles south of the port city, Baja
California Civil Protection Director Alfredo Escobedo
Ortiz told The Associated Press.

No one knew of the accident until Sunday afternoon,
when another fishing boat rescued three people.
Other reports said that at least one passenger swam
ashore to get help.

U.S. Consulate General in Tijuana, Mexico released a
statement saying their staff had met with all surviving
Americans at a hotel in San Felipe and they were
working with Mexican officials to provide return
transportation back to the U.S. for the American
survivors.

"We have been in touch with families of some but not
all of the missing Americans," the statement said.

According to an Internet advertisement, the Erik has
been operating in the Sea of Cortez since 1989 and
can sleep up to 42 guests.

bajalou - 7-4-2011 at 02:04 PM

Emails from the area tell me that all are found. The 1 death was from a heart attack.

DutchmanAZ - 7-4-2011 at 02:50 PM

I fished on the Erik a few years ago, and I have to say the boat wasn't ship shape from my perspective, and the crew (also, IMO) was lacking as well. Very shoddy ran operation, although we did catch fish and returned safely. And to echo others on here, the Erik is not a Tony Reyes operation, but I belive a person by the name of Gustavo ran this particular operation.
I fished out of the Tony Reyes in late May of this year, and felt safe the whole time - an overall better ran operation, crew, and ship. Just throwing this out for those who may reconsider a trip they have booked, and I'm just a happy customer of Tony's.

FWIW

[Edited on 7-4-2011 by DutchmanAZ]

mtgoat666 - 7-4-2011 at 03:02 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DutchmanAZ
I fished on the Erik a few years ago, and I have to say the boat wasn't ship shape from my perspective, and the crew (also, IMO) was lacking as well. Very shoddy ran operation, although we did catch fish and returned safely.


Nomads are interesting. Often they shrug and say, "oh, that's just Mexico,..." as they explain their acceptance of graft, corruption, DWI, local ("substandard") building practices, etc. Other times they judge Mexico by USA standards.

The early reports are that the boat got hit by a strong squall and rogue wave. Perhaps even a USCG-approved fishing charter would have been knocked on it's side too.

You knock a boat on it's side, and doors happen to be open, any boat might sink, regardless of amount of rust.

Will have to wait a few days for the rest of the story.

Perhaps ?

MrBillM - 7-4-2011 at 03:11 PM

Now, THERE'S a Subjective Standard.

In the land of "Perhaps" ANYTHING "might" happen.

PERHAPS Aliens.

Who knows ?

DutchmanAZ - 7-4-2011 at 03:25 PM

Well goat - I must say you may be correct. In the worst condtions, anything will sink. However, I stand by my comments regarding the condition of the vessel. Of course, I have no idea if the condition of the vessel (0r the captain for that matter) contributed to its demise.

[Edited on 7-4-2011 by DutchmanAZ]

wind

freediverbrian - 7-4-2011 at 03:47 PM

Looked at the wind for gonzaga , about midnight on july 2 the wind spiked from 10 mph to 30 mph switching from the north to the east . what time did the boat go down?

[Edited on 7-4-2011 by freediverbrian]

baja1943 - 7-4-2011 at 04:17 PM

whats going on? The first thread on this subject comes in around 5am. Than a second comes in a hour later. Then McFez enters the picture without reading previous thread and comments on something that has already been explained. but mcfez being the king of SF has to be the predominant provider of information. Then DutchmanAZ shows up 4hrs previous to the first thread and the other threads are deleted. Why?

BillP - 7-4-2011 at 04:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by baja1943
whats going on? The first thread on this subject comes in around 5am. Than a second comes in a hour later. Then McFez enters the picture without reading previous thread and comments on something that has already been explained. but mcfez being the king of SF has to be the predominant provider of information. Then DutchmanAZ shows up 4hrs previous to the first thread and the other threads are deleted. Why?

All the threads were merged into one in chronological order. Dutchman's post must have been down on the fishing board as I checked the main and news boards before I posted at 5.

bajaday - 7-4-2011 at 04:26 PM

We are half way between SF and Puertocitos. Helicopters have been going by all day, I assume picking up and transporting survivors. The last copter went by heading south about 1/2 hour ago...very sad it took so long to begin a rescue.

DENNIS - 7-4-2011 at 04:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajaday
very sad it took so long to begin a rescue.



I assume the choppers were from the US and you're right. Our cross-border cooperation is worse than sad.

Do You Suppose ............. ?

MrBillM - 7-4-2011 at 05:38 PM

They'll get a rebate on their Charter Fees ?

Woooosh - 7-4-2011 at 05:42 PM

SD Local news said two rogue waves hit the boat. 27 Americans on board and the wife of a victim told a San Fran TV station he was in the water for over 15 hours. I heard conditions are bad there tonight and Mexico may be suspending the search. The water is warm and some survivors swam to shore, but then had a three mile hike to nearest phone. One heart attack victim.

Bajahowodd - 7-4-2011 at 05:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mtgoat666
Quote:
Originally posted by DutchmanAZ
I fished on the Erik a few years ago, and I have to say the boat wasn't ship shape from my perspective, and the crew (also, IMO) was lacking as well. Very shoddy ran operation, although we did catch fish and returned safely.


Nomads are interesting. Often they shrug and say, "oh, that's just Mexico,..." as they explain their acceptance of graft, corruption, DWI, local ("substandard") building practices, etc. Other times they judge Mexico by USA standards.

The early reports are that the boat got hit by a strong squall and rogue wave. Perhaps even a USCG-approved fishing charter would have been knocked on it's side too.

You knock a boat on it's side, and doors happen to be open, any boat might sink, regardless of amount of rust.

Will have to wait a few days for the rest of the story.


So very true.

Even if there are people who personally were disappointed about the conditions on the ship, just like Tripavisor, I have to believe that there well may be folks who didn't catch the number of fish they were hoping for, who would diss this operation.

In the long haul, this area of the SOC is not a likely source of bad sea conditions. Not without obvious tropical storm conditions.

I'm for waiting for awhile to see really what happened, before I will condemn the operators of the ship, or Mexicans in general.

monoloco - 7-4-2011 at 07:03 PM

Almost all accidents of this sort are human caused, either operator error or faulty maintenance. 30 knot winds should be no problem for a ship of this size.

BajaBlanca - 7-4-2011 at 07:07 PM

it is sad that it took the helicopters so long. so close and yet so far.

BajaGringo - 7-4-2011 at 07:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by bajaday
very sad it took so long to begin a rescue.



I assume the choppers were from the US and you're right. Our cross-border cooperation is worse than sad.


This photo shows a chopper from the Mexican Navy...

Hook - 7-4-2011 at 07:39 PM

There were also some significant thunderstorms in the Sea that day, especially from the southeast, Bajahowodd. OK, no "named" tropical disturbance. But that area is rather shallow which can contribute to the formation of rogue waves; waves with a long fetch from farther south, combined with the reported local gusts of 30 mph could be nasty.

I'm expecting to hear that their anchorline gave or something else that put the boat athwart of the wind.

mtgoat666 - 7-4-2011 at 08:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by monoloco
Almost all accidents of this sort are human caused, either operator error or faulty maintenance. 30 knot winds should be no problem for a ship of this size.


how do you know they were 30 knot winds?

BornFisher - 7-4-2011 at 08:57 PM

I`ve done quite a few trips down there (including the Eric and Jose Andres), and others. That place is a violent wind tunnel and every time we went through there, I was almost blown out of my rack. That would be right there in the time slot the Eric went under. It may appear to some on paper that that is a safe area, but it blows like Hell there. Add a big storm and wham! Prayers to the families of the missing.

Hook - 7-4-2011 at 09:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mtgoat666
Quote:
Originally posted by monoloco
Almost all accidents of this sort are human caused, either operator error or faulty maintenance. 30 knot winds should be no problem for a ship of this size.


how do you know they were 30 knot winds?


There is a recording weather station in Gonzaga

mtgoat666 - 7-4-2011 at 09:56 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Hook
Quote:
Originally posted by mtgoat666
Quote:
Originally posted by monoloco
Almost all accidents of this sort are human caused, either operator error or faulty maintenance. 30 knot winds should be no problem for a ship of this size.


how do you know they were 30 knot winds?


There is a recording weather station in Gonzaga




perhaps the boat did not sink at the weather station but sank elsewhere...

BajaNews - 7-5-2011 at 05:57 AM

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=53850

posted by Russ on 7-2-2011 at 06:46 PM:

Mainland storm ~ Big winds in Chivato

It's been blowing all afternoon and I suspect it'll continue into the night. 20 to 25 mph most of the afternoon with a high gust of 32mph.

Some times when conditions are like this we'll have a great light show. And for no apparent reason we'll have a local storm pop up with wind in the high 40's and a hard down pour. Seems to come at around 2am when you're sleeping hard and the stuff out side starts flying around.

[Edited on 7-5-2011 by BajaNews]

Baja fishing trip turns tragic; search continues for missing men

BajaNews - 7-5-2011 at 06:09 AM

http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_18406538

By Troy Wolverton
07/05/2011

When Belmont resident Michael Ng headed down to Baja Mexico to take part in a guys-only summer fishing trip with some friends, he expected it to be a fun time, just like last year.

Ng, an avid fisherman, came home last year with tales of catching "monster" fish, said his wife, Ya Ng. This trip "was supposed to be another great story," she said.

Instead the trip turned tragic, as the boat Ng and his group were on capsized during a freak storm in the Gulf of California early Sunday morning. Ng, many of the fishermen and all the crew members were rescued, but one tourist died. And as of Monday night, seven men were still missing.

"I'm relieved I'm alive, but I'm scared for the people who haven't been found yet," said Ng, who was part of a group of 12 friends on the trip.

When she heard from her husband Monday morning, Ya Ng said she initially thought her husband was joking when he talked about the shipwreck, because she hadn't heard anything about it. When she realized he wasn't kidding, "I was shocked and relieved."

Sudden storm

Ng was one of 43 men on board the Erik, a 115-foot vessel owned by Baja Sportfishing, the company that rented out the boat for deep-sea fishing expeditions. After setting sail from San Felipe on the gulf coast, the boat was hit by a sudden storm some 67 miles south, according to Rear Adm. Jorge Bustos of the Mexican navy.

Mexican rescue teams, assisted by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, searched for survivors all day Monday. After initially saying that they would switch to searching for bodies rather than survivors, Mexican authorities said late Monday that they would widen the search area. With the warm weather and water temperature, it's possible those missing are still alive, said Mexican navy Capt. Benjamin Pineda Gomez.

"A person who casts away can survive many days. That sea is calm," Pineda told The Associated Press.

A huge wave capsized the boat and a second wave soon after caused it to overturn, said Alfredo Escobedo Ortiz, director of the civil protection agency for the state of Baja California. The boat sank about four minutes after being overturned, he said.

Among the survivors was Charles Gibson, a police officer with the Contra Costa Community College District. People on the boat were awoken by other passengers and the crew as it began to sink less than 2 miles from shore, Gibson said.

"We are devastated by this tragedy. Every effort is being made to assist the authorities in the search. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families," Baja Sportfishing said in an emailed statement. Company representatives did not respond to requests to comment further.

Some of the survivors spent 15 or more hours in the water before being rescued, said Leah Allen, vice consul with the American citizen services unit for the U.S. consulate in Tijuana. Of the 43 people on board, 27 were passengers, all of whom were U.S. citizens, Allen said. Most of the passengers were from Northern California. The man who died and the men who are missing are all Americans, Allen said.

Among those who remain missing was Russ Bautista, a retiree from the Sonoma County city of Penngrove. Bautista is an avid fisher but not an avid swimmer, friends said.

Love of fishing

This was Bautista's third or fourth trip fishing for yellowtail in the Gulf of California. He enjoyed it so much that he convinced his friend Pius "Pete" Zuger, 74, of Novato, that it was worth the long drive to Mexico, said Zuger's wife, Jacqueline Zuger. The two frequently took fishing trips together off Bodega Bay.

Zuger was rescued from the capsized ship late Sunday night and made it to shore safely. No one knows what happened to Bautista.

"We're worried about Russ and his wife is quite upset. I just hope he's on that truck coming back," Jacqueline Zuger said. "They won't leave without their friend."

Pete Zuger called his wife on Monday and told her of the group's ordeal.

"It just went very quickly. He got thrown across wherever he was sleeping," she said. "Some had life jackets. Some did not. There just wasn't enough time."

Zuger was in the Swiss Merchant Marine and is a skilled boater, she said, but he was lucky to be alive after being stranded in the water for so long.

"The water was warm," she noted. "If it had been Bodega Bay, he would have been dead."

Another man still missing is Mark Dorland of Twain Harte. Kristina Bronstein, Dorland's fiancee, heard about the accident from the trip organizer's wife on Monday morning. Dorland, 62, was one of the first people to fall into the water and wasn't wearing a life vest, Bronstein was told. The couple plan to be married next month.

"I'm beyond concerned," Bronstein said.

Search Continues in Mexico for 7 U.S. Tourists After Fishing Boat Sinks

BajaNews - 7-5-2011 at 06:12 AM

http://abcnews.go.com/US/search-continues-mexico-us-tourists...

By BIANNA GOLODRYGA, LAUREN EFFRON and KEVIN DOLAK
July 5, 2011

The U.S. Coast Guard and Mexican Navy are scouring the Sea of Cortez by boat and helicopter in a continuing effort to locate the seven U.S. tourists still missing after the sinking of a charter boat off the coast of Mexico Sunday.

One U.S. tourist died.

The Coast Guard will be using a larger aircraft in its search today that is capable of covering greater distances, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Pamela Boehland said. The Coast Guard expects to be up in the air over the Sea of Cortez around 10:30 a.m. PT. The Mexican Navy is expected to deploy the same two helicopters it has been using .

Seven Americans are still missing, according to Mexican officials. The identity of the dead man has yet to be released.

The boat, carrying a total of 44 passengers and crew, capsized when it was hit by two giant waves, according to Capt. Benjamin Pineda Gomez of the Mexican Navy. Twenty-seven Americans and 16 crew members were on board the 115-foot-catamaran, which was called the Erik and was operated by the tourism company Baja Fishing.

The vessel was supposed to take the group and crew on a week-long vacation -- an annual Fourth of July outing for a group of friends from Northern California -- but it was caught in a thunderstorm and capsized around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, about 60 miles south of San Felipe, in the Mexican state of Baja California.

The Mexican Navy says there was no Mayday call, so for more than 12 hours no one was aware of the situation. The Navy added that the ship's cook was instrumental in alerting authorities that the boat had gone down after being rescued by a fisherman.

The rescue operation also began after a second local fisherman spotted three survivors at sea. In the next several hours, 19 passengers and 16 crew members were rescued by Navy ships or passing vessels after clinging to coolers, rescue rings and life vests, according to the Associated Press.

"When the vessel sank it was close enough to shore that some people were able to swim to shore," the Coast Guard's Boehland said. "Other people were picked up by good Samaritan vessels that were in the area. Others were rescued by the Mexican Navy."

Among the rescued was American Lee Ikegami, who was on a fishing trip with his buddies. Ikegami spoke to his wife from a hotel, where crews were taking the rescued.

"Somewhere around 10ish last night my husband called and said his boat capsized and that he is fine ? I was in shock," Murphy Ikegami, Lee Ikegami's wife, told ABC News.

"All I know is at that time he was not in contact with any of his friends and didn't know how they were. He was at one end of the boat and was thrown into the sea," she added.

Murphy Ikegami also said the fishermen made the trip every year but typically would take day trips out to sea to fish, while they stayed in hotels at night. This year, however, they decided they wanted to sleep on the boat, she told the Associated Press.

Lee Ikegami says he still has no idea what happened to his friends.

Charles Gibson, a police officer from California, was another member of the group of passengers on the boat.

"Members of the Mexican military, the Mexican State Secretary of Tourism and the American consulate, have all been very helpful ... extremely ... in helping us get through this turmoil and this tumultuous situation," Gibson said.

The U.S. Consulate General in Tijuana, Mexico, released a statement saying their staff had met with all surviving Americans at a hotel in San Felipe and they were working with Mexican officials to provide return transportation back to the United States for the American survivors.

"We have been in touch with families of some but not all of the missing Americans," the statement said.

Tragic with idiots OFF board, not on board

mcfez - 7-5-2011 at 07:00 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by baja1943
whats going on? The first thread on this subject comes in around 5am. Than a second comes in a hour later. Then McFez enters the picture without reading previous thread and comments on something that has already been explained. but mcfez being the king of SF has to be the predominant provider of information. Then DutchmanAZ shows up 4hrs previous to the first thread and the other threads are deleted. Why?


It's a tragic day for the folks on this pleasure trip. I have been on this ship several times, and yes it was old and not kept too well...but I have seen worst...far worst. It was a safe boat in my eyes.

Idiots such as baja1943 and goat...always have to say negative stuff....but here in this post? Show some respect you idiots.

mtgoat666 - 7-5-2011 at 07:06 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaNews
The Mexican Navy says there was no Mayday call, so for more than 12 hours no one was aware of the situation. The Navy added that the ship's cook was instrumental in alerting authorities that the boat had gone down after being rescued by a fisherman.



The boat should have had a epirb and life rafts.

Does mexican coast guard license charter boats? They should.

JZ - 7-5-2011 at 07:43 AM

How in the heck does a 115 foot boat go down.

epirb

DirkEXC - 7-5-2011 at 07:45 AM

EPIRB ? Bring your own " SPOT " I check in 3 times a day, my people would have known by 8am Sunday morning.

desandmarla - 7-5-2011 at 08:33 AM

We have been on the Erik many times fishing. Several years ago we survived hurricane "Marty" just outside of BOLA and all we lost was three pangas. Even though the boat might not have looked perfect to all of you who think you know everything, is that really what matters right now?? I agree with mcfez, can't we show a little respect for those families waiting and searching for information on their missing loved ones before we start to spread negativity.

Ken Bondy - 7-5-2011 at 08:41 AM

Does anyone know if the company that owns the Erik also owns the Andrea Lynn?

Excrement Occurs

MrBillM - 7-5-2011 at 08:57 AM

In a "Perfect" Storm.

A (no doubt) heavily-loaded and marginally-maintained vessel filled with persons, supplies and fuel on the initial stage of a week-long trip.

A LOT of windage above the Deck Line. Hot weather likely resulting in EVERY Hatch and Port being open.

A sudden Squall bringing Seas and Winds late at night when most are asleep and NONE are likely paying a lot of attention.

Some things seem just meant to be.

Years ago, I was reading a story regarding a transit through the Bermuda Triangle wherein they encountered "similar" conditions and it was theorized that the reason so many well-found sailing vessels went down suddenly with total loss of life was due to the same conditions noted here. Suddenly forming line Squalls without warning hitting a boat with ALL Hatches and Ports open because of the heat. Too much water below too quickly.

It's one of those "perfect" combinations and not strictly Wind or Seas.

I once sailed through an El Nino Storm in a 26-foot sailboat during which the seas were estimated at 15-20 feet and the winds measured at the Harbor Masters office were steady in the mid-40s with gusts to 55. It was far too long and truly miserable but without any real incident only because we were aware of what we were confronting and battened down tight.

And Lucky, of course.

Luck is ALWAYS the BIg ONE.

As a kid, I crossed the Catalina Channel aboard small, ill-equipped boats (often with a drunken skipper) more times than I could count in some pretty rotten weather and we came out OK for no reason other than DUMB luck.

mtgoat666 - 7-5-2011 at 09:18 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Bondy
Does anyone know if the company that owns the Erik also owns the Andrea Lynn?


this circa 2006 article came from the internet (mexfish.com), so it might be true:

By Dana Kerby

The story of the Andrea Lynn began in 1978, when Gustavo Velez of today's Baja Sportfishing, Inc., had 16 shrimp boats operating out of San Felipe, Mexico.

About 1976, Gustavo had decided to diversify his business and go into the business of tourism and sportfishing when he bought the Santa Monica for his late father. His father passed away and Gustavo was approached by Tony Reyes to team up and operate the Santa Monica as a sport fishing boat. They did so, until 1982, when they went their separate ways.

In 1980, Gustavo decided to build a steel-hulled boat, the largest ever built in Mexico as a sport fishing boat. In the little area near the shrine where boats were built in San Felipe, the keel for the Andrea Lynn, named after Gustavo’s daughter, was laid and the building began. The boat was 125 feet long with a 30 foot beam.

In 1981, the Mexican government nationalized the shrimp business and took all of Gustavo’s boats. He was able to keep the Felipe Angeles and Santa Monica. Mothership panga fishing was pretty rustic to begin with, but the business evolved into boats with restrooms, showers and air-conditioned bunk rooms.

The year 1982 came along and the peso devalued by 400 percent, and all work stopped on the boat, and the hull of the Andrea Lynn was left as a monument to the corruption of the administration at that time. Gustavo was left with a handful of IOUs from the government worth 400 percent less than they had been the year before. For many years, the hull of the Andrea Lynn sat in the little harbor.

In 1988, knowing he couldn’t finish the Andrea Lynn as planned, Gustavo traveled to the Netherlands where he found the Norvander, which was later christened the Erik, after Gustavo’s youngest son. So he had the Felipe Angeles, the Santa Monica and the Erik.

In 1995, health problems besieged the Velez family when Gustavo’s wife Barbara was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had an operation, chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

In 1996, Gustavo slowed down the mothership operation in order to address the problems. Fortunately, after a year of therapy, Barbara was recovering and is still doing well 11 years later. During that time the gossip was rampant: "Gustavo is out of business," some said. "Gustavo is in jail," others said. Fortunately, that was not true. Gustavo struggled to fill his boats and decided to shut down the two older boats, the Felipe Angeles and Santa Monica, due to their age, feeling that those older wooden boats were not safe, and he concentrated on the Erik, a very seaworthy boat, built originally as a research vessel in the North Seas.

In 1995, Gustavo had sold the Andrea Lynn to a group of Mexican investors who put up over $2 million to have it finished. It was launched on June 1, 2000, and sat in San Felipe for about a year. The boat was then moved to Puerto Vallarta and later to Puerto Penasco. Last year a fire took out the top structure of the boat, but did not damage the hull or engines and refrigeration units below decks.

Now Gustavo has reacquired the boat and it will be in San Felipe to be refurbished and put into service again.

It will have 10 large staterooms for two or three people, all on the main deck level, and each stateroom will have its own bathroom and shower, something none of the other San Felipe panga motherships have. There will be a large galley and dining room on the top level, as well as a bar.

The primary use of the Andrea Lynn will be as a mothership panga fishing boat, but it will be equipped to handle kayaking, as well as dive trips and whale watching. There will be a large, live bait well on board. She will carry ten new 23-foot pangas, which will be equipped with new 75 h.p. outboards. There will be live bait wells on the pangas and each guide will have a radio to stay in communications with the mothership, as well as fish finders and GPS.

Plans are in the works for the Andrea Lynn to depart from San Felipe for part of the year, then Puerto Penasco, Magdalena Bay, and Puerto Vallarta during their seasons.

Injured, but not dead, the Andrea Lynn has come back to the town where she originated, San Felipe, and where she will be renewed and readied to go back into operation as a mothership early in the summer of 2006.

It is strange how things go full circle; after 25 years, this boat will be back with her originator. She will have first class dining, the crew will be in uniform, and she will be on a par with the top of the line sportfishing boats.

JZ - 7-5-2011 at 09:40 AM

Saturday was a freaky night for storms in the Southwest. I was out on Lake Mead outside Vegas Saturday evening. That is do North of San Felipe. Totally flat water. Not even a breeze. Out of no where we saw black clouds towards the West and a little gust of wind (15mph). Storm clouds were still miles off.

Immediately started back to the marina to the East (away from the storm). Next thing you know it's blowing almost 30mph. That's no big deal. But we go from 1-3 waves to 5-6 waves with some 8+ footers in 20 mins.

I've had the boat almost 10 years all through the Sea of Cortez and off SoCal. Did a 500 mile trip once from San Felipe to San Carlos on the mainland. And this was either the worst or second worst conditions I've ever had. It blew boats up on the beach, capsized several boats, had a house boat up against the docks, and beat the crap out of the marina (broke a dock free, blew the tire based jetty into the docks). How it got so rough so fast still has me shaking my head.

This was about 6 hours before the accident in the SOC.


[Edited on 7-5-2011 by JZ]

Desertbull - 7-5-2011 at 09:42 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by DirkEXC EPIRB ? Bring your own " SPOT " I check in 3 times a day, my people would have known by 8am Sunday morning.


Exactly...I spoke to Troy Getty, Baja Search & Rescue, who is the agency to respond to SPOT alerts and/or notify Military / Police etc in Baja...and he said they received no alerts.

Bummer, because some of us were less than 30 minutes away from Punta Bufeo as the sun came up there. Its cheap insurance that actually REALLY works. I'm not a SPOT rep, but I own 2 devices and use them every time I cross the border.

Rogue waves

O.G. - 7-5-2011 at 10:06 AM

In the third weekend of June, my 15 year old son and I were anchored up overnight in Punta Colonet. At o'dark thirty, we were pulling up anchor to depart when a 10'+ wave suddenly came upon us and hit our stern; flooded the deck, and continued rushing up the beach. Had we been a beam to the wave it would have been dicey. Came from the SW so probably was a remnant of hurricane Adrian. Our vessel is a 55' trawler and the wave came over the stern rail. :o

mtgoat666 - 7-5-2011 at 10:39 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Desertbull
Quote:
Originally posted by DirkEXC EPIRB ? Bring your own " SPOT " I check in 3 times a day, my people would have known by 8am Sunday morning.


Exactly...I spoke to Troy Getty, Baja Search & Rescue, who is the agency to respond to SPOT alerts and/or notify Military / Police etc in Baja...and he said they received no alerts.

Bummer, because some of us were less than 30 minutes away from Punta Bufeo as the sun came up there. Its cheap insurance that actually REALLY works. I'm not a SPOT rep, but I own 2 devices and use them every time I cross the border.


and epirb works better than spot, because epirb is automatically set off in sinking situation like this.
spot does not float, spot is not automatic, spot is not registered to a specific vessel, spot is not rugged/waterproof, spot is not linked to noaa sarsat.

in the US a USCG-licensed vessel like this would have had an epirb -- required by USCG.

Ken Bondy - 7-5-2011 at 10:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by mtgoat666
Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Bondy
Does anyone know if the company that owns the Erik also owns the Andrea Lynn?


this circa 2006 article came from the internet (mexfish.com), so it might be true:



Thanks for this mtgoat666. I have some friends who crew on the Andrea Lynn, and I understood they also crewed on the Erik. Hope they are ok.

Woooosh - 7-5-2011 at 10:55 AM

Highlights of The Today Show lead story on the Erik: A deck Hand was interviewed who said the Harbormaster TWICE told the Captain not to leave the dock because the harbor was closed do incoming weather. One survivor said all passengers had life vests and they were definitely not aware the Harbormaster had warned the Captain not to leave the dock. It would seem the Captains' bad decision played more a role that the boat itself or the two 40 foot waves they say capsized the boat.

bufeo - 7-5-2011 at 10:57 AM

I think EPIRB and SPOT are for two different uses. Yes, EPIRB is all the Goat says it is, but I believe D-Bull is suggesting that maybe a client could have activated a personal SPOT unit and at least some distress signal could have been sent.

One has to remember that this incident with Erik happened fast. Winds at Punta Bufeo have been reported (an e-mail forwarded to me) to have gone from 8mph to 68mph in less than 10 minutes. And they didn't last long...but long enough.

Had the Erik been equipped with an EPIRB there would have been the automatic signal, but I don't think EPIRBs are the norm among U.S. boaters, let alone Mexican ones. We had one on our trawler (44') but not many of our neighbors in the Santa Barbara harbor had them at the time. That was 1999, so habits may have improved since then.

Allen R

Capsized Boat's License Was Suspended

BajaNews - 7-5-2011 at 11:24 AM

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Capsized-Boat-Not-Li...

Boat company's business license was suspended before the accident

Jul 5, 2011

A fishing boat that capsized on July 3 should not have been conducting business.

Baja Sportfishing's business license had been suspended, the California Secretary of State website says. The website did not say when or why the license was suspended.

The boat, which is named the Erik, plunged into the Gulf of California in the middle of the night after a flash storm upended their boat, killing one U.S. man and leaving seven others missing. Authorities are still searching for the missing fishermen.

By early Monday, 19 of the tourists and all 16 crew members had been picked up by the navy or other fishing boats after clinging to coolers, rescue rings and life vests for more than 16 hours.

A fisherman who's been chartering with Baja Sportfishing for over a decade says he's never had any qualms.

"I can't really say this is an unsafe operation. I've done it many times. I've felt comfortable on it. The weather is unpredictable, but I'm still in shock over hearing about the sinking of the boat," said George Ruble, a former passenger of Erik.

The company didn't respond to an interview request. It said in an announcement posted on its website Monday afternoon that all trips have been canceled.

However, the company is participating in rescue efforts.

"We have been working with Mexican Navy authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard in the search and rescue," Baja Sportfishing Inc. said in a brief statement e-mailed to The Associated Press. "Right now our main concern is making sure that everyone is accounted for."

Rescue efforts are still underway, as the warm water may be the saving grace of the missing fishermen.

Three helicopters from the navy, the state of Baja California and the city of Mexicali were searching Tuesday morning, Baja California state Civil Protection Director Alfredo Escobedo Ortiz told the Associated Press.

Escobedo said authorities are considering requesting deep-water divers from Mexico and the U.S. who can search the wreckage, which is in water more than 200 feet (65 meters) deep.

Mexican navy Capt. Benjamin Pineda Gomez said that with the warm weather and water temperature in the Gulf of California, it's still possible that the missing tourists are alive.

"A person who casts away can survive many days. That sea is calm," he said.

San Martin man among those rescued from capsized Baja fishing boat

BajaNews - 7-5-2011 at 11:30 AM

http://www.insidebayarea.com/top-stories/ci_18411071

By Mark Gomez, Troy Wolverton and Lisa Fernandez

07/05/2011 (updated)

Murphy Ikegami had no idea that her husband's fishing expedition had taken a tragic turn when the phone rang late Sunday night. Her husband, Lee Ikegami, was calling his wife in San Martin to say his group's boat had capsized in a sudden storm and that he was safe.

However, Lee Ikegami told his wife that two of their friends were missing.

"I was in such shock," said Murphy Ikegami, who lives in San Martin.

Lee Ikegami, 66, told his wife that a "freak storm" hit the boat suddenly Sunday about 2:30 a.m. and flipped it over, Murphy Ikegami said. Her husband was tossed into the water and found himself very close to a life raft.

"There's an angel on his shoulder," Murphy Ikegami said.

Lee Ikegami was among the 37 people pulled out of the water; 27 people on the boat were American passengers, many from Northern California. One person was killed and seven people remain missing after the Erik, a 115-foot vessel owned by Baja Sportfishing, capsized in the Sea of Cortez. The U.S. Coast Guard, which is assisting the Mexican Navy in search and rescue efforts, was launching a C-130 aircraft from Sacramento early this morning to fly above the waters.

The Mercury News learned Tuesday that Baja Sportfishing's business license was suspended by the Franchise Tax Board on Feb. 1, 2001, according to records filed with the California Secretary of State's office. However, Baja Sportfishing and Diving does have a fictitious business license out of San Diego County that's valid until April 2012, according to the county clerk's office there.

Today, the fishing company's website said "due to events occurring at this moment, all further trips are canceled." A request for comment sent to the company by email Tuesday morning was not immediately returned.

Lee Ikegami was on the fishing expedition with a group of friends, including Don Lee of San Ramon, who organized the annual trip, Murphy Ikegami said. Lee is one of the missing.

The friends chartered a boat with Baja Sportfishing and set sail Sunday from San Felipe on the Gulf Coast for a six-day excursion. Murphy Ikegami said it was the first time her husband was planning to sleep on the boat; in previous trips, the group would stay in coastal motels and make day trips out to sea.

The boat was hit by a sudden storm about 67 miles south, according to Rear Adm. Jorge Bustos of the Mexican Navy. A huge wave capsized the boat and a second wave soon after caused it to overturn, said Alfredo Escobedo Ortiz, director of the civil protection agency for the state of Baja California. The boat sank about four minutes after being overturned, he said.

Mexican rescue teams, assisted by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, searched for survivors all day Monday and planned to continue Tuesday. After initially saying that they would switch to searching for bodies rather than survivors, Mexican authorities said late Monday that they would widen the search area. With the warm weather and water temperature, it's possible those missing are still alive, Mexican Navy Capt. Benjamin Pineda Gomez said.

Among the survivors was Charles Gibson, a police officer with the Contra Costa Community College District. People on the boat were awoken by other passengers and the crew as it began to sink less than 2 miles from shore, Gibson said.

"We are devastated by this tragedy. Every effort is being made to assist the authorities in the search. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families," Baja Sportfishing said in an emailed statement Monday.

Some of the survivors spent 15 or more hours in the water before being rescued, said Leah Allen, vice consul with the American citizen services unit for the U.S. consulate in Tijuana. Of the 43 people on board, 27 were passengers, all of them U.S. citizens, Allen said. Most of the passengers were from Northern California. The man who died and the men who are missing are all Americans, Allen said.

Among those who remain missing was Russ Bautista, a retiree from the Sonoma County city of Penngrove. Bautista is an avid fisher but not an avid swimmer, friends said.

This was Bautista's third or fourth trip fishing for yellowtail in the Gulf of California. He enjoyed it so much that he convinced his friend Pius "Pete" Zuger, 74, of Novato, that it was worth the long drive to Mexico, said Zuger's wife, Jacqueline Zuger. The two frequently took fishing trips together off Bodega Bay.

Zuger was rescued from the capsized ship late Sunday night and made it to shore safely. No one knows what happened to Bautista.

"We're worried about Russ and his wife is quite upset. I just hope he's on that truck coming back," Jacqueline Zuger said. "They won't leave without their friend."

Another man still missing is Mark Dorland of Twain Harte. Kristina Bronstein, Dorland's fiancee, heard about the accident from the trip organizer's wife on Monday morning. Dorland, 62, was one of the first people to fall into the water and wasn't wearing a life vest, Bronstein was told. The couple plan to be married next month.

"I'm beyond concerned," Bronstein said.

Dave - 7-5-2011 at 12:02 PM

There it is!
Quote:
Originally posted by BajaNews
A fishing boat that capsized on July 3 should not have been conducting business.

Baja Sportfishing's business license had been suspended, the California Secretary of State website says. The website did not say when or why the license was suspended.


Is ANYONE surprised? :rolleyes:

Ken Bondy - 7-5-2011 at 12:05 PM

What authority does the California Secretary of State have over a Mexican sportfishing business? Does that mean they can't operate in US waters?

Woooosh - 7-5-2011 at 12:06 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Bondy
What authority does the California Secretary of State have over a Mexican sportfishing business? Does that mean they can't operate in US waters?

It probably means he hasn't kept his corporate paperwork up to date or paid the fees.

KASHEYDOG - 7-5-2011 at 12:21 PM

Baja Sportfishing is just a booking agency in San Diego. It has nothing to do with when or how the boat operates in Mexico. Do you really think "The California Secretary of State" has anything to do with a Mexican fishing boat ?..:?:..:lol:..:lol:

Jeez, next thing you know, you guys will have the Mexican Army seizing our U.S. Navy vessels for not having a Mexican licence to operate in the Pacific Ocean. ..:lol:...:lol:..:lol:



[Edited on 7-5-11 by KASHEYDOG]

Dave - 7-5-2011 at 01:06 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Bondy
What authority does the California Secretary of State have over a Mexican sportfishing business? Does that mean they can't operate in US waters?


This was most likely a corporation set up in California to collect revenues and was suspended for not paying taxes. It would follow that collections were also not reported to Mexican tax authorities. Probably just the tip of the iceberg. I'd suspect that most permits and legal/fiduciary documentations are missing or were obtained through corrupt practice.

mtgoat666 - 7-5-2011 at 01:11 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Dave
Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Bondy
What authority does the California Secretary of State have over a Mexican sportfishing business? Does that mean they can't operate in US waters?


This was most likely a corporation set up in California to collect revenues and was suspended for not paying taxes. It would follow that collections were also not reported to Mexican tax authorities. Probably just the tip of the iceberg. I'd suspect that most permits and legal/fiduciary documentations are missing or were obtained through corrupt practice.


dave, you speak out of your butt. where did you learn that party trick?

i suspect the opposite. a mexican business doing substantial business is a large target on the radar -- they were probably in compliance with mexican law.

Dave - 7-5-2011 at 01:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mtgoat666
dave, you speak out of your butt.


The better for you to hear.

Understanding...I can't help you with.

krafty - 7-5-2011 at 01:47 PM

Why would the US Coast Guard be brought in?

dizzyspots - 7-5-2011 at 01:54 PM

USCG frequently will participate and assist in searches..borders not withstanding...

toneart - 7-5-2011 at 03:04 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Woooosh
Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Bondy
What authority does the California Secretary of State have over a Mexican sportfishing business? Does that mean they can't operate in US waters?

It probably means he hasn't kept his corporate paperwork up to date or paid the fees.


I think this is correct. Corporation set up in San Diego for booking. Probably didn't report or pay taxes to State Franchise Board.

Mexican National owning Mexican Fish Boats in Mexico? The suspension in California would have to do with taxes on booking. The operation of the boat in Mexican waters is a separate issue.

The boat did not even originate the trip in San Diego. It was operating in the Sea of Cortez.

If it had it's Mexican operating license pulled it would be by Mexico; not the U.S....... This would have nothing to do with the State of California.

Safety issues? Insurance issues? More probable as a reason for citing, by Mexico, if that happened at all. :?:

KASHEYDOG - 7-5-2011 at 03:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by krafty
Why would the US Coast Guard be brought in?



At the "request" of Mexican authorities Sunday morning. They needed help.

EPIRB questions

O.G. - 7-5-2011 at 03:34 PM

Quote:
and epirb works better than spot, because epirb is automatically set off in sinking situation like this.
spot does not float, spot is not automatic, spot is not registered to a specific vessel, spot is not rugged/waterproof, spot is not linked to noaa sarsat.

in the US a USCG-licensed vessel like this would have had an epirb -- required by USCG.


I have an epirb on my boat but have not had it activated to see if it would save my life. However, I also have an epirb (the newer 406 frequency) on my plane and let me tell you what happened recently.

Last year, while taxing to depart Ensenada airport, I heard an unfamilar sound on my radios while talking to the tower. Didn't know what it was and mentioned it to the tower with no helpful feedback. Filed a flite plan from Ensenada and flew to San Felipe and got a room, etc. Next day happened to contact my wife who said all hell broke loose; SAR from Florida called my emergency contacts (in laws); who called my wife; who was told that my epirb went off SOMEWHERE in Mexico and that my plane was lost SOMEWHERE in Mexico.

It turned out to be a faulty installation of the new epirb and it activated and was transmitting all that time. However, no one knew where I was -- remember, a Mexican flite plan was filed from Ensenada to San Felipe. Just to make matters more complicated, after I called SAR in Florida and removed the battery from the faulty epirb, they were STILL getting an epirb signal from San Felipe -- another airplane transmitting?? They knew the other signal was from San Felipe, but had me listed as lost and possibly down somewhere in Mexico.

I'm glad I wasn't down for real and expecting an immediate rescue just cause I had an epirb... .

bryanmckenzie - 7-5-2011 at 04:27 PM

I didn't see that this news video had been posted anywhere, including survivor interviews, map & animations ... http://abcnews.go.com/Health/missing-erik-fishing-boat-capsi...

Woooosh - 7-5-2011 at 05:31 PM

Quote:
Quote:
Originally posted by O.G.
and epirb works better than spot, because epirb is automatically set off in sinking situation like this.
spot does not float, spot is not automatic, spot is not registered to a specific vessel, spot is not rugged/waterproof, spot is not linked to noaa sarsat.

in the US a USCG-licensed vessel like this would have had an epirb -- required by USCG.


I have an epirb on my boat but have not had it activated to see if it would save my life. However, I also have an epirb (the newer 406 frequency) on my plane and let me tell you what happened recently.

Last year, while taxing to depart Ensenada airport, I heard an unfamilar sound on my radios while talking to the tower. Didn't know what it was and mentioned it to the tower with no helpful feedback. Filed a flite plan from Ensenada and flew to San Felipe and got a room, etc. Next day happened to contact my wife who said all hell broke loose; SAR from Florida called my emergency contacts (in laws); who called my wife; who was told that my epirb went off SOMEWHERE in Mexico and that my plane was lost SOMEWHERE in Mexico.

It turned out to be a faulty installation of the new epirb and it activated and was transmitting all that time. However, no one knew where I was -- remember, a Mexican flite plan was filed from Ensenada to San Felipe. Just to make matters more complicated, after I called SAR in Florida and removed the battery from the faulty epirb, they were STILL getting an epirb signal from San Felipe -- another airplane transmitting?? They knew the other signal was from San Felipe, but had me listed as lost and possibly down somewhere in Mexico.

I'm glad I wasn't down for real and expecting an immediate rescue just cause I had an epirb... .

so always pack a signal mirror anyway? We pay for technology to increase our chances, not waste them. :saint:

bajaday - 7-5-2011 at 05:43 PM

Just back from a day down to Punta Bufeo area. Army had several truck load of troops there, some just arriving. We counted 3 boats, one appeared to be working combing the rocks, 2 on stand-by. Also, mexican divers were suited up. C-130 was flying its rounds.

We headed back north and saw the 130 drop two flares in fairly close proximity at Huerfanito, 1 boat responding to each flare. While watching at the turnout, a truck stopped to ask if we knew what was going on. One passenger was the son of one of the missing men just in from Sacramento to search for his father, equipped with flyers with pictures of the missing men.

Continue your prayers for rescue, and at the very least, the recovery of these individuals. It was a humbling experience to talk to the young man about his dad..he had such strength!!! Our hearts surely go out to all and we hope for the best possible outcome.

Woooosh - 7-5-2011 at 05:56 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajaday
Just back from a day down to Punta Bufeo area. Army had several truck load of troops there, some just arriving. We counted 3 boats, one appeared to be working combing the rocks, 2 on stand-by. Also, mexican divers were suited up. C-130 was flying its rounds.

We headed back north and saw the 130 drop two flares in fairly close proximity at Huerfanito, 1 boat responding to each flare. While watching at the turnout, a truck stopped to ask if we knew what was going on. One passenger was the son of one of the missing men just in from Sacramento to search for his father, equipped with flyers with pictures of the missing men.

Continue your prayers for rescue, and at the very least, the recovery of these individuals. It was a humbling experience to talk to the young man about his dad..he had such strength!!! Our hearts surely go out to all and we hope for the best possible outcome.

The last I heard, the reason Mexico wanted to call off the search for the missing people earlier today was they believed the victims were still in the sunken boat. I'm sure I'd search and make flyers too- to keep my mind from getting ahead of the facts.

[Edited on 7-6-2011 by Woooosh]

Diver - 7-5-2011 at 06:37 PM

Amazing to me as I look at the picture;
As has been said before, the Eric was one of many converted shrimpers.
It originally had a small 2-story superstructure forward.
The 3-story guest living quarters was added after the last hull painting.
If you look at the photo, you can plainly see that the forward water line has risen; the aft has deepened.
The center-of-gravity has been moved aft and upward making the boat much less stable than originally designed.
The highest deck was the open area where most of the crew sleeps in hammocks - adding more weight to raise and destabalize the CG at night.
It was an accident waiting to happen.

Pescador - 7-5-2011 at 07:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Diver
Amazing to me as I look at the picture;
As has been said before, the Eric was one of many converted shrimpers.
It originally had a small 2-story superstructure forward.
The 3-story guest living quarters was added after the last hull painting.
If you look at the photo, you can plainly see that the forward water line has risen; the aft has deepened.
The center-of-gravity has been moved aft and upward making the boat much less stable than originally designed.
The highest deck was the open area where most of the crew sleeps in hammocks - adding more weight to raise and destabalize the CG at night.
It was an accident waiting to happen.


No, it was a boat that was bought in Holland and transported to the Sea of Cortez. It has been significantly altered since being in San Felipe. I have been hearing negative stories about this boat and operation for years, but there are also some very positive things said about this boat, so who knows, but you are right, it has been significantly modified since it first came over from Holland.

mtgoat666 - 7-5-2011 at 07:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Diver
As has been said before, the Eric was one of many converted shrimpers.


really? where was it said?
Quote:
Originally posted by Diver
The 3-story guest living quarters was added after the last hull painting.


really?

Ceres man confirmed dead in Baja boat mishap

BajaNews - 7-5-2011 at 08:14 PM

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/05/...

By Erin Allday
July 5, 2011

A 65-year-old Ceres retiree is the first confirmed death from a fishing boat excursion in Mexico that ended in tragedy early Sunday when a sudden, unexpected storm capsized the vessel and tossed dozens of Americans tourists, most of them from the Bay Area, into the turbulent water.

Leslie Yee was identified by the Mexican Navy today as the man whose body had been found on shore after the boat sank. Yee had worked for The Chronicle for 37 years before he retired as a transportation manager in December 2009.

"His friends have been bugging him to go on this trip for the past few years, but he's always been busy with work and kids and that kind of thing," said Yee's daughter, Lauren Yee of San Francisco. At his retirement party, co-workers gave him fishing supplies because they all knew it was his passion, said his former boss.

"I kind of encouraged him to go this year, because he's a workaholic and not one of the adventurous types," Lauren Yee said. "Life is too short and I thought he should do everything and see everything. He was excited to go."

...Mandy Lee, daughter of missing boater Don Lee, said her father organized the trip of close friends, who were all experienced fishermen. She said the Mexican Navy would call off the search by Friday at 2 a.m.

"We're holding onto hope very closely right now," Lee said. "There's a few islands out there they could wash up on, and we're just hopeful that they'll find my dad and his friends, maybe on one of those islands."

BajaNews - 7-5-2011 at 09:11 PM

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gOwC4BAdjz...

Below is the list of passengers and crew on the fishing boat Erik that capsized in the Gulf of California, according to the Mexican Navy.

Confirmed dead:

Leslie Yee
___

Missing:

Don Lee
Russell Bautista
Mark Dorland
Brian Wong
Al Mein
Gene J. Leong
Shawn Chaddock
___

Rescued:

Roman A. Amador Farias
Jose Maria Diaz Ordonez
Marco A. Villa Bejarano
Azor Quintana R.
Charles Gibson
Cary Hanson
Michael Kui Min Ng
Jim Miller
Steven Sloneker
Richard Ciabattari
Lee Ikegami
Gary Wong
Craig Wong
Glen Wong
Pius Zuger
David Levine
Jerry Garcia
Bruce Marr
Adolph Joseph Beeler
Marcelino Morales Villegas
Robert Higgins
Ross Anderson
Crispin Contreras Montes
Alejandro Bermudez E.
Miguel A. Lima Toledo
Miguel Camacho Rubio
Joel Castro Castro
Carlos Miranda Gutierrez
J. Rodrigo Romero Fernandez
Hector M. Rubio Quintero
J. Jesus Sillas Ruiz
Jesus Alfredo Cesena
Miguel A. Alcantara Castro
Dennis Deluca
Warren Tsurumoto

Fiance missing at sea, woman holds on to hope

BajaNews - 7-5-2011 at 09:18 PM

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/07/05/eveningnews/main20...

July 5, 2011
By Ben Tracy

...Kristina Bronstein says she's "devastated beyond belief." Her husband was onboard. He's still missing, but she thinks he's alive.

"I'm just going with my gut instinct in that I think he's somewhere. I don't think he's doing well. I don't think he's passed," Bronstein said.

...Richard Ciabattari believes he swam 8 miles to shore after being tossed into the water. He called his wife Jan Askew from a pay phone.

"I asked how he was doing. He said he was ok but that the boat had sunk," Askew said. "I was of course in shock."

...Mexican authorities are now working to get the rescued home. Most drove to Mexico from San Francisco. Their car keys and passports are now at the bottom of the ocean.

Nappo - 7-5-2011 at 10:18 PM

As a long baja fisherdude for over 30 years along with many friends stuff happens. We have experienced the death of baja friends this past Nov in a plane crash, another baja pilot crashed and died from Hisperia, and Debra from SFQ died in a plane crash in Ensenada. Also a great guy was killed in the kitchen at SFQ while barefoot and touching a wire. We that don't live in Baja like many on these posts, look forward to traveling to a land and its culture that we can't find here in CA. My friends and I will continue to schedule trips to Baja. Ironically we recently booked a trip on the Tony Reyes boat for next year as we all had that on our bucket list. Stuff happens in Baja, and I just wish people on this board would embrace the Baja spirit that my friends and I and others on this board have found. Stop analyzing what's wrong and look forward to what is right. If you think a boat is unsafe, the roads are unsafe, the cities are unsafe - just stay home and, excuse me SHUT UP! and stay off this board. Go get involved in tax reduction, street lights, sidewalk repair, or something that you can actually change. Baja is Baja and those of us that love it will continue to embrace it!
Our thoughts and prayers should be focused on the tragedy and families involved and nothing else!

Diver - 7-5-2011 at 10:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Nappo
....excuse me SHUT UP! and stay off this board.


NOT !

Although I'm sorry that these folks are going through this mess, it's well worth stating the facts about the condition of the boat so others may become more aware.
My information about the boat's origin came from other CA fishermen who have been aboard this boat many times.
My information about the boat's condition in the photo comes from years of naval architecture classes and experience and a simple observation of some extremely obvious problems.

bullmello - 7-6-2011 at 01:49 AM

Best wishes to the missing and their family and friends. There is still hope.

The Erik was a seaworthy boat when I was on a trip on it in about 1991 from La Paz to Socorro Island. As others have mentioned, with the timing and severity of the storm, even a seaworthy vessel not battened down or with a crew not prepared for any and all contingencies could be vulnerable. It is worth mentioning that even with all contingencies prepared for nature can still overwhelm. Maybe someday the facts of how and why this happened will be known. Since the ever present charm of Baja coexists with less than modern technology and legal aspects such as they are, the truth may never be fully known in this case.

As mentioned previously I was on the Erik during an extremely rare instance of a mothership trip from La Paz to Socorro. I believe only a couple of such trips were run by Gustavo Velez or Tony Reyes. The high adventure and low misadventures of that trip should be made into a movie someday so I hesitate to divulge the complete details lest someone be tempted to beat me to it.

Here are a few of the highlights and lowlights. The boat was a bait and switch. At the last minute after arriving in La Paz, most by car, we were told the ship we paid to go on, the Capitan Villegas was unavailable and our only choice now was the Erik. (Having been away from the Baja scene for a while, I wonder if the Villegas was later renamed the Tony Reyes, since he did own the Villegas at that time.) Already paid up and in Baja, we elected to go on the Erik, a lesser ship than the promised Villegas. The fishing was not great, but some of us still caught our first big game fish ever, wahoo, tuna, sailfish and more. We saw whales, rays, a sparse yet beautiful scenery of a rather remote island. The first night or two our meals were ok, afterwards fish we caught was the main entree of menu. All the steaks and beef brought along was never served. The rumor was that the operators owed crew members back pay and the food was taken in lieu of pay. The condition and upkeep of the vessel was not the best, but the trip through mostly fair weather was uneventful in that regard.

There were other unsavory aspects to this trip that lead me to believe that it is very surprising that Gustavo Velez is still operating a sportfishing business, even in Baja. Most of the crew were really good people who did the best job they could under the circumstances.

I have a ton of pictures from this trip that I am trying to locate. It was my first trip to Baja and I fell in love with the country and the people. The next ten years or so I went to Baja several times a year with friends and I miss going there now.

Gustavo Velez will never be my favorite person on this planet and some of his business practices may have helped contribute to a lack of preparedness for such an event. I'm sure nobody expected something like this to happen.

Again, my sympathy is with the family and friends of the missing and hope that good luck and survival skills may prevail.

bullmello - 7-6-2011 at 02:06 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Nappo
As a long baja fisherdude for over 30 years along with many friends stuff happens. We have experienced the death of baja friends this past Nov in a plane crash, another baja pilot crashed and died from Hisperia, and Debra from SFQ died in a plane crash in Ensenada. Also a great guy was killed in the kitchen at SFQ while barefoot and touching a wire. We that don't live in Baja like many on these posts, look forward to traveling to a land and its culture that we can't find here in CA. My friends and I will continue to schedule trips to Baja. Ironically we recently booked a trip on the Tony Reyes boat for next year as we all had that on our bucket list. Stuff happens in Baja, and I just wish people on this board would embrace the Baja spirit that my friends and I and others on this board have found. Stop analyzing what's wrong and look forward to what is right. If you think a boat is unsafe, the roads are unsafe, the cities are unsafe - just stay home and, excuse me SHUT UP! and stay off this board. Go get involved in tax reduction, street lights, sidewalk repair, or something that you can actually change. Baja is Baja and those of us that love it will continue to embrace it!
Our thoughts and prayers should be focused on the tragedy and families involved and nothing else!


I think you are confusing the charm of a different way of living with not learning from our mistakes and trying to prevent them in the future. There is something to be learned from the cooling venturi effects of the palapa while at the same time finding a way to prevent barefoot people from being electrocuted in a kitchen. A happy medium would not involve removing electricity to go back to being more quaint. Most shipwrecks can be prevented and should not be included as part of a fishing trip in Baja or anywhere else.
Agree with toughts and prayers for the tragedy and the families.

i knew many of whom you speak

capt. mike - 7-6-2011 at 08:13 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Nappo
As a long baja fisherdude for over 30 years along with many friends stuff happens. We have experienced the death of baja friends this past Nov in a plane crash, another baja pilot crashed and died from Hisperia, and Debra from SFQ died in a plane crash in Ensenada. Also a great guy was killed in the kitchen at SFQ while barefoot and touching a wire. We that don't live in Baja like many on these posts, look forward to traveling to a land and its culture that we can't find here in CA. My friends and I will continue to schedule trips to Baja. Ironically we recently booked a trip on the Tony Reyes boat for next year as we all had that on our bucket list. Stuff happens in Baja, and I just wish people on this board would embrace the Baja spirit that my friends and I and others on this board have found. Stop analyzing what's wrong and look forward to what is right. If you think a boat is unsafe, the roads are unsafe, the cities are unsafe - just stay home and, excuse me SHUT UP! and stay off this board. Go get involved in tax reduction, street lights, sidewalk repair, or something that you can actually change. Baja is Baja and those of us that love it will continue to embrace it!
Our thoughts and prayers should be focused on the tragedy and families involved and nothing else!


bad losses.

i went to PSFO a few weeks right after Miguelito was electrocuted. He was such a nice kid! it was heartbreaking to learn, and ditto for Debra the sharklady. plus all the volunteer pilots who have died doing good deeds over the years....

baja is a tough place for sure. The unadventurous need not apply.

David K - 7-6-2011 at 08:19 AM

Just read the thread... and not surprised, as the wind that hit us (20 miles south of San Felipe) Saturday evening was way way strong and lasted all night... It was easily over 50 mph where we were.

Driving south to Gonzaga Bay Sunday mid-day we saw nothing unusual... no copters, no troop trucks, normal military inspection at Gonzaga Bay check point.

Very sad...
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