A lone Dutch navigator, who was trying to cross the Atlantic in the «Algea», a sophisticated rowing vessel, was rescued by a Portuguese Navy ship while sailing 55 miles (102 kilometers) southwest of Cabo de São Vicente.
The operation, which lasted around 35 hours, began in the early evening of December 18, coordinated by the Lisbon Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC Lisbon), in conjunction with the Captain of the Port of Portimão.
The alert was given by the Captain of the Port of Portimão, who was contacted by a friend of the solitary navigator, who left Portimão on December 17, bound for South America (French Guiana). The friend reported that the man was on board the vessel, but "adrift due to a problem in the vessel's steering system."
Immediately, the Portuguese Navy ship was sent to the site. NRP Candido Hyacinth, who made contact with the vessel just after 3:00 am on the 18th.
After arriving at the site and verifying that the navigator “was in good physical condition”, the ship remained in the area, “in order to guarantee the safeguard of human life and the signaling of danger for navigation during the night arc”.
In the morning, the NRP Candido Hyacinth towed the vessel, as it “was in an area where fishing vessels pass through and the presence of a vessel of this nature adrift would put the surrounding navigation at risk,” explains the Navy.
The trailer started at 15:49 on the 19th of December, and ended yesterday at 07:35 at Praia da Baleeira, in Sagres. the lifeguard SR-33 it transferred the crew member to the Navy ship and proceeded to dock the vessel in the port of Baleeira.
Operation video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_4UuWl3e3ZiRVZNMmpydzRMUWs/view?usp=sharing
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