Schooner Nina
There are “grave concerns” over the fate of the historic American schooner Nina, missing with its crew of seven en route from New Zealand to Australia, Maritime New Zealand said Thursday.
The 70-foot boat left Opua, north of Auckland, bound for Newcastle, north of Sydney, on May 29. It was last heard from on June 4, when it was about 370 nautical miles (425 miles, or 685 kilometers) west-northwest of Cape Reinga in northern New Zealand, Maritime New Zealand said. The distance from Opua to Newcastle is more than 1,100 nautical miles.
The American schooner Nina and the seven people aboard have been missing since June 4.
According to Maritime New Zealand, the people on board are six Americans—three men and three women—and a British man.
The vessel is equipped with a satellite phone, a spot device that allows regular tracking signals to be sent manually and an emergency beacon. The emergency beacon hasn’t been activated.
The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand began a communications search on June 14, broadcasting alerts into the area seeking a response from the Nina or from vessels that had seen it. No sighting has been reported by any other vessel since June 4. Two extensive area searches have also turned up nothing.
