Rescue mission
I read your article on the internet about the trimaran A Capella [French boatbuilder Charlie Capelle’s 1978 vintage 31ft trimaran, a sistership to
Loïck Peyron’s Happy].
Interestingly, you mentioned in May 1999 Acapella capsized and the US
Coast Guard pulled the crew off.
I was the rescue swimmer from the US Coast Guard helicopter who got them off. There were actually two of us but I got on board first and stuck the two in our rescue basket.
We were a crew in an HH-60J out of Cape Cod: we had to get the helicopter to Halifax and top up with gas as it was too far out from the Cape. We had one crew fly it there and we flew a Falcon jet to Halifax then took the helicopter on the mission – we were more fresh coming in than the first crew that had been duty all night.
We had to land on an oil rig 110 miles out of Halifax to hot refuel then fly the 200 miles from there to the vessel. It was all about triangulation to shorten the distance and fuel. The Canadians couldn’t do it themselves as their helicopters were too large to land on the oil rig.
I just remember going in the water and getting in the thing quick as we only had 20 minutes of fuel before we had to depart. As it was, on the way back with the survivors on board one pilot didn’t think we’d make it back to the oil rig Fortunately we did and eventually took them on to Halifax.
I was later awarded a medal citation for the rescue. Anyway, I was amazed to read the vessel was located and is still in service today. It made my day.
If you know any at time this boat might by chance go to the US, I’d love to see it now and talk with the owner.
Ron Eigenmann US Coast Guard (retired)
Our feature on A Capella is entitled ‘The invincible little trimaran’ and is searchable at www.yachtingworld.com