Disappearance of Vagabonders... intentional?

If I were the insurance adjuster I'd not cut any checks for the loss of the M/V Lady Domina.

Just too many doubtful elements. Sure all can be easily resolved in favor of lawful intentions but at some point the list becomes too long not to be suspicious.

There is doubt as to who made the initial decision to sail from tropical waters to cold Norwegian waters. There is certainly doubt as to why a tropics oriented party boat might suddenly decide to sail "home" to Norway.

Would not a barnacle encrusted boat be careened in the tropics so as to save fuel on the trip to Norway? As well as to avoid the risks of being quarantined in some interim port? Cheaper to do it in the tropics anyway.

Why was a crew recruited in such a suspicious manner as to be misleading about duration of the voyage and interim ports of call? Is this simply common laziness in communication or does it bespeak a conspiracy?

Why was there an effort to recruit relatively inexperienced first timers and exclude those with experience and training to know a vessels soundness and position.

It is of course possible for a vessel to sink quickly and leave no debris field of cushions etc. but it is not common.

So conspiracy or accident: I don't know. Perhaps both. A conspiracy to make the vessel disappear during which voyage it actually did in fact disappear

I'd stop looking for debris but I'd not cut the insurance check.

Most popular boating site, CruisersForum, locks out all posts relating to the sinking of the M/V Lady Domina or to the crime of barratry in regard to the M/V Lady Domina.

One, repeat ONE article, in Danish, about the Lady Domina.

A virtual blackout of any English language coverage of the presumed sinking.

Can the insurance people be put into a position where they have to pay?

http://www.boatwatchnet.org/FullText.html

Yes... judges and juries do strange things sometimes but in certain cases the insurers prefer to sit back and wait to be sued rather than pay out on any claim.

In the case of the Lady Domina I've no idea if anyone will file a claim much less be able to collect. Norwegian owned, Portugese search and rescue, a strange course, a strange voyage.

I know that Katie Audrey Lee was not involved in any wrongdoing and the newly hired crew seem to have been selected for their inexperience which is strange but not unheard of. Sometimes yachts do go down without debris being found. It would seem unlikely that they are still afloat but they do have a high quantity of fuel and food and water aboard and it is primarily a motor vessel despite its sole foresail.

Shortly prior to departure Captain did purchase a VHF and a hand held GPS device but it is unknown if they had any warranty cards or if he sent them in or not.

Received information concerning financial data UK property management firm with properties in Manchester suburb enduring massive business closings and empty stores.

I now believe that the Lady Domina's recruitment of solely First Time Crew may have been a financially motivated measure and most likely was not an attempt to load the boat with those who might be ignorant in navigational matters. Norwegian Captain most likely was returning to Norway to aid in family financial discussions and his British-born, free-spirited girlfriend, Katie Audrey Lee, accompanied him after recruiting an inexperienced crew.

Reports of returning to port of origin under tow appear to have been erroneous.

Quote: Fleastiff

I now believe that the Lady Domina's recruitment of solely First Time Crew may have been a financially motivated measure and most likely was not an attempt to load the boat with those who might be ignorant in navigational matters. Norwegian Captain most likely was returning to Norway to aid in family financial discussions and his British-born, free-spirited girlfriend, Katie Audrey Lee, accompanied him after recruiting an inexperienced crew.

Just to clarify some matters that have arisen:

First time crew members PAY the yacht for their passage and usually PAY a per diem for their food as well. More experienced crew members get paid for the voyage but their wages are subject to a per diem for their food and modest adjustments for the types of watches and duration of watches that they stood.

Katie Audrey Lee has friends who are still contacting me with inquiries. All I can do is admit that very little was known, that most publicity was in the Norwegian media and that the Portugese Coast Guard is never likely to ever be particularly dedicated while performing a long distance search for a boat that is not registered in Portugal and has no Portugese citizens aboard. Most of Katie Audrey Lee's friends lead active lives and would be described as people who made money in the financial markets and in property development endeavors.

Regretfully, I can honestly state that if I worked as an insurance adjuster, I would indeed order the check to be cut if any applications were made for life insurance or vessel insurance claims.

WHAT do you say to a man who has lost his son and will never be the same. Its been so long and he still wonders about No EPIRB and possible intent of the Captain to hire inexperienced crew. I told him that Katie Audrey Lee was in fact the "ADMIRAL" and as always outranked the Captain despite no formal wedding ring. I also told him she would stand at the mast with a kitchen knife if she had to and defend her crew against armed pirates. I explained about UK laws and revealed some facts about the investigation.

But what do you say to a man who expected to be dead long before his son was and feels guilty that he is not dead.

I used the analogy of a death by some rebel firing squad: you either raised him to be a blubbering cry baby or you raised him to accept the cigar, wave away the blindfold and stand there like a man, silent and erect and facing death without fear.

Is this right? wrong? futile? I never know the right thing to say whether its someone's mother or someone's father contacting me. Some people just get unlucky.