I’m attending a memorial a memorial service for my uncle this weekend. He set sail a year ago to fulfill his life long dream of sailing around the world alone.

I’m attending a memorial a memorial service for my uncle this weekend. He set sail a year ago to fulfill his life long dream of sailing around the world alone. He did not have the required experience or reliable enough equipment. Some months ago his wife received distressing text messages, sent via a cumbersome satellite communications system, indicating he was boarded by pirates. In fact we believe now he was suffering delusions from dehydration after his water purifier failed. We received no further communications. The Coast Guard coordinated a search based on his last known location in the Pacific. Nothing was found of him or his ship. A judge later reviewed the communications and letters from experienced sailors, and signed a death certificate. And now this is the second story about someone lost at sea being rescued that I’ve stumbled upon today. It’s a good read, thanks for sharing. I suppose it’s good to be able to have some hope that perhaps my uncle could show up on a remote island one day, though it’s also hard. At a certain point though you have to accept the odds, find a way to grieve. Sadly, I already have experience with this as a cousin of mine went spear fishing alone one day in the ocean and never returned to shore. That was years ago and no sign of him has ever been found/identified since.