PORTSMOUTH, Va. — “Out in the Cape, you can expect choppy seas with waves generally ranging from 3 to 5 feet,” says retired fisherman Brian Cunningham. “There’ll be northeast winds and a strong possibility of a Small Craft Advisory due to potentially strong gusts; conditions can quickly change depending on weather systems, so always check the latest marine forecast before heading out.”
The water temperature in Cape Hatteras averages about 50 degrees, and if you find yourself in the water, you’ll want out soon enough.
The United States Coast Guard rescued three mariners Thursday, 12 December 2024, from a ship beset by weather 154 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras.
At 3 p.m. on Wednesday, 11 December 2024, Coast Guard Sector Charleston notified watchstanders at the Fifth Coast Guard District Command Center that the 59-foot sailing vessel TIME-AUT was caught in heavy weather and at risk of capsizing.
At first, the mariners aboard the vessel stated that they were not in distress. However, early Thursday morning, the mariners aboard the TIME-AUT requested to abandon their boat, prompting watchstanders to direct the launch of an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, and the Coast Guard Cutter Richard Snyder crew.
The Hercules and Jayhawk crews arrived on the scene at 9:30 a.m., and the Jayhawk crew successfully hoisted all three mariners from their vessel at 10 a.m. No injuries were reported.
The vessel had life jackets, life rafts, an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, and Starlink communications.
The weather on scene was reported to have 17-23 mph winds with 6-10 feet seas.
