Serenelli

Daniel Serenelli

Latest News
Translated from Spanish by Phil Scantlebury

December 15 2004
Hello Friends, In a few days my father will be back in Argentina where he will publish a day by day description of his journey on the web page, so people know the weather conditions during the 12 days and during the rescue. To answer if he's ok after the knocks he received and his weight loss of almost 7kg, he feels fine now, having been hospitalized after the rescue. Diego Serenelli (son)

December 14 2004
Given the weather conditions with gusts of between 90 and 120 km/h, my boat capsized twice overnight, I feel it necessary to abandon my boat. The sea conditions are huge and I'm risking my life if I stay as the forecast is worse. Last night when my boat rolled it was like being hit by a cyclone. I may use my maritime rescue system (EPIRB?) so I have everything packed, I've written Rafael's number all over for when the boat is recovered. I will use the rescue system and leave the beacons on if I don't find a fishing boat that can recover me and my boat.

December 13 2004
I feel down today, the winds I'm experiencing are terrible, from the west at 15-20 knots. When I row, i stay in the same place but when I stop I go backwards. Last night at 19.36 GMT I was at 25 09'36''N, 18 46'20''W. Now at 9.25GMT I'm at 25 36'32''N, 18 36'54''W. I'm told these winds will continue until Friday (17th). I'm being carried towards the coast of Africa, where are the tradewinds please?! It's very unusual but only the 4th & 5th days had favourable winds, it gets me down when I see my efforts don't pay, more during the night when I rest and go double the distance backwards that I've advanced during that day. The ocean is worse than ever, with huge waves of 8-10 metres. At the moment I'm attached to the boat by my safety harness with a neoprene suit on, the beacons* on (?), what's coming next is a big storm.

* I don't know what he means when he says he has his beacon on, if he means his EPIRB (if it is an EPIRB) is armed or actually transmitting. I'd guess the former but there's no way of knowing. I've written to his son asking but with no reply. Regards Phil


November 22nd 2004
My boat is in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, I am organizing everything so that I can set out again in a couple of weeks. I’ve fixed my Sat phone, a local engineer is fitting my HF radio and I am buying a new GPS. I will improve various things on my boat including covering the scuppers with rubber from the outside so that water can get out but not in. It is incredible but this unforeseen break has let me improve a lot of things, I feel physically fine and lively, my boat will be more seaworthy and y communications more effective. I will take 2 reliable GPSs, my emergency beacon was tested and works fine. It is because of this that it has been =positive that I am back on land again. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank The Guardia Civil station at Valverde, El Hierro, The Island Government of El Hierro, The Real Club Nбutico de Tenerife and its members, Real Club Nбutico de Las Palmas de Gran Canarias and Naviera Armas (ferry company). These organizations and their people made it possible for my boat to be transferred to Gran Canaria without costing a penny. Thank you very much to all of them. Daniel Serenelli

November 14th 2004
THANKS! I would like to thank Mr Pablo Lobo Gianelli and Fernando Bravo, the Argentine consulate in Madrid for their work. On Friday 12th November the necessary certificate was issued to the Captain of the Tenerife maritime authorities, reducing the payment from 6000€ to 600€. Next week my boat will be transported to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria where I will carry out some repairs. Firstly, my BLU HF will be sorted out by friends of Rafael del Castillo, it will be very important to have this radio in good condition. Secondly, through trying out the boat during the 3 days of rowing I learnt that the boat has a good displacement but the thing which has to be improved is the permanent rolling- It is very annoying. In the Club Nautico in Las Palmas we will try and resolve this problem by making a small change. It will be a much more comfortable ride in the boat without so much movement. Thirdly we will cover the scuppers from the outside with rubber so that water can escape but not enter as it does now. There are other small details that will improve life on-board. Last week a storm developed with winds from the West of 40 knots. This would have blown me back to La Gomera, so it was a great help being on land and not having to fight these head-on winds, impossible to overcome with my boat. I view this involuntary stop as more positive than negative. One always learns something, the important thing is to carry on and if the tradewinds are more favorable in the meantime then we will set off again soon. I would like to thank everyone Daniel Serenelli, the Captain

November 6th 2004
I want to thank you all for your support and solidarity. If I manage to recover my boat I will change certain safety elements before I set off again. If this had happened 200 miles not 25 miles into the crossing and I found myself without communication I wouldn’t like to say, but it’s no joke. The anxiety and desperation of knowing that no-one knows where you are and if you’re alive is indescribable. I’m happy to be well and telling you this, 3 days in the ocean made me reflect on many things. I want to cross the ocean, now more than ever, but not at the cost of the life of my family. I hope everything will sort itself out, on Monday the struggle begins with someone much stronger than I am and considered to be intransigent. I hope this strength changes to comprehension and justice prevails with the truth about the events which happened. I trust in the truth and I hope to have good news next week. Best wishes to all Daniel Serenelli.

November 5th 2004 (abridged)
I set off from San Sebastian, La Gomera at 9.00. It was hot, the sea was calm and very light winds. I rowed for 7.5 hours without stopping to get away from La Gomera as quickly as possible. An error in my GPS meant I deviated from my desired course the whole day. The following morning a German catamaran asked me if I was sure of my course so I asked them if I could check my GPS data against theirs. There was an error in my direction indicator. I checked my second GPS which was functioning correctly. Having rowed against currents the whole previous day, my hands were blistered so now I wore loves. I continued in the right direction with favourable wind and currents. From now on it would be routine, now I only had one GPS for the whole crossing, I would have to check it often to verify my position which I did every ½ hour, noting it in the log. Happy with how the boat was going, at 7 am on the 3rd day I decided to ring my father to tell him everything was ok. After extending the aerial, I dialled the number and as it started to ring the boat jolted and the signal had gone. The telephone then requested a new PIN of which I had no idea so I checked with the manual which said that after 10 incorrect attempts the phone would be blocked. I decided to call on 3 HF frequencies, one of which was Rafael de Castillo in Gran Canaria who I could hear clearly so I tried to call him , to ask him to get in touch with the man in Algeciras who rented the telephone to me but I couldn’t get him to hear me. I decided to call on my VHF and was immediately answered by a man on El Hierro. I told him I was ok, the boat too, I just needed someone to put me through to Algeciras to get the number for the sat phone. We changed from Channel 16 to 14 and continued. The man told me not to worry and that if necessary he would come and get me. He started a 3 way call with the coastguard. 15 minutes later a helicopter flew over me, I thought, to pinpoint my position for a boat. On the contrary, a rescue diver was lowered and told me to throw myself into the water. At first I refused to leave my boat adrift and he told me very curtly that he saved human lives not belongings either go up or he was leaving. Faced with suddenly being placed in a castaway situation I decided to throw myself in the sea after closing up the boat, I put on the harness and they hauled me upto the helicopter, my boat left adrift luckily without much wind. The crew told me someone was coming to get her. We arrived at the airport on El Hierro and because I didn’t have my documents I had to wait on the apron, unable to enter the airport lounge. Up till then they were treating me like someone without papers. They gave me dry clothes and when the officer of the Guardia Civil arrived, he already knew who I was. I went into the airport building and was offered food and drink. To be honest I wasn’t in a condition to eat or drink anything. An hour ago I was a happy man and now I was shipwrecked, I didn’t really understand what had happened. I asked the highest ranking crewman in the helicopter for the number of a fisherman from the area that could get the boat I would pay. I made various calls from his mobile and finally spoke to the people who were going to get my boat. They told me it had been found and was being towed by the Maritime Rescue Service, I knew it wouldn’t be easy from now on. These rescues aren’t cheap and always result in difficulties. Canarian law says that to save a life doesn’t have a price but a boat does. My boat arrived at Puerto de la Restinga on the southern end of El Hierro and they told me to take my belongings but the boat was being kept by the Guardia Civil. I took anything of value and my boat was left guarded there. The same day I took the 8pm ferry to Tenerife, arriving at daybreak and today, 5th November, begins the process of trying to get my boat back. Apparently I have to pay 6000€ (approx £4000) to recover it and they allege I made a Mayday I never did and so they told me I needed a lawyer to help me. In reality I am my own lawyer and it will be them that have to prove I did make a Mayday call. Next Monday, I’m starting anew on something which I never thought would happen, it will be a very intriguing episode really I don’t understand. I want them to know I am thinking of going back to sea, that is my wish- I don’t know how it is going to end, what has really only just begun- I want you all to know the situation, I’ll keep you informed of any developments. Best wishes to all and thank you for the breath and the help that I’m given every day. Daniel

November 4th 2004 From Diego (Daniel’s son)
Hello friends, I have to tell you that because of problems with his 2 GPS units and the satellite phone my father was rescued and he’s now on the island of El Hierro, trying to sort out his communication and satellite navigation problems. It is a delay which may last at least 12 days. When I have any more news I will post it on this page.