A catamaran that capsized more than 5 months ago was discovered off the National Marine Sanctuary «Cape Lookout». A local fisherman spotted the vessel 25 miles from the Cape and alerted authorities.
The tug Sea Tow Crystal Cost transported the wrecked multihull to Beaufort. Sea Tow Crystal Cost personnel identified the catamaran's location and contacted the Miami Coast Guard, who in turn notified the owner.
The catamaran Atlantic 57 Leopard capsized 400 miles north of the Dominican Republic on November 21, 2016. The vessel was en route from the Chesapeake Bay to St. Maarten.
There were three crew members on board, all of whom were experienced sailors. They were picked up 10 hours after the incident by a merchant vessel. One of the crew members suffered minor injuries.
«There was almost no warning. I didn't even have time to press the standby button on the autopilot next to me," recalls Leopard skipper Charles Nethersole. - Everything around us roared, the boat suddenly lifted off and flipped over. It was more like a sudden drop in pressure than a gust of wind, as there was no boat acceleration. It was very strange, this had never happened to me before».
The next morning the crew and support crew returned to the site of the capsize to try and recover the vessel but were unable to locate it.
The vessel was designed by Chris White Designs, Massachusetts.
