[Stratosphere Found]

I have send a mail to editor@crew.org.nz with some picures and more information. I hope that it will be posted here. I don't know how to post the pictures by My self.....

Mette

[Stratosphere Found]

Hi again

Yes, I do have a lot of Photos, but They are in an old fashioned paper version. I will have some of Them scanned. My ex boyfriend, Henrik, Who also was member of the Crew will also have some pictures. And yes, we have an interesting story to tell.

 

On the journey we where told, that Geoffrey, Called Jerry owned the boat appearently together with the dictator Marcos ....The boat was destined to sail in the Philiphine islands to spread the Christian word and make the muslims Christians!

 

It was not Imelda Marcos that Came to supervise the boat at Christmas Island, But it was Jerry's philiphine wife.

We had a little Contact with the islanders after we left, and They told a little about it.

And yes, the wreckage Can be seen on Google Earth, a little South of Poalnd village!

 

I do not know if the wreckage might have been avoided. I Think so actually, if we have had an engine..then we might have avoided the deconstruction of the rudders etc?

But I know that Jerry sacked the hired captain Tom and took over by himself. Rieb the fifth Crew member WHO claimed to be captain later, was not!! He had a Danish Passport, but surely he was German or Dutch. How he Got that passport I do not know..he was "Best friend"with Jerry and was supposed to repair the boat. He later fled from the Island to Tahiti or Fiji or ?...we never Saw Rieb and Tom again since we flow to Honolulu. Tom flew immediately to Fort Lauderdale.And Jerry abandoned us in the AirPort ......with no money or fly tickets as was the deal. But we found him later and Got it!

 

I will return with Photos.

Mette

[Stratosphere Found]

Hi

I just Found this discussion about finding the catamaran

Stratosphere.

I was member of the Crew on the journey from Panama , headed for the Philipines, and we ship wrecked at Christmas Island in november 1982

I also found the Facebook site, where the owner Geoffrey also is seen as a connection.

 

There was a long dramatic journey until the ship wreck. Two months...with a broken boat, no food and two weeks with less than one liter of water for every person Each Day- and an owner who from the first brake Down of the Engine did not want to let it be repaired at the Marquesas. After that the rudders and the keels also broke, one after the other. We ended up in the Doldrums for 4 weeks unable to manouver. When we came Near Christmas Island we were in alarm, and the Hawaian. Coast watch was contacted with a Pan Pan. They offered to help, but the owner declined. He was not able to steer and we ended on the coral reef.

 

The next Day the boat was drawn up on land,but it was already damaged. The Engine was removed just before the sea water Filled the hulls.

 

I have Papers Photos of the journey and the boat on land and the 14 days stay on the Island before we could fly to Honolulu. Where the owner by the Way just left us in the AirPort with nothing, cheating us for the money We had earned.

We found him and Got our wages and tickets back to Panama. Some months alter we arrived safely back in Denmark.

 

Best wishes,

Mette

Copenhagen

Denmark.