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US Boater Missing off the Coast of Baja California
Ralph "Jeff" Peak, 59, aboard the 32-ft woodie Richmond II. The double-ender, built in 1934, is a flush deck cutter with a cream hull and white sails. Peak was reported to have left Puerto Salina — just northof Ensenada — around February 1, bound for Cabo San Lucas. His shoreside contact, Stuart Adkins, expected to hear from him by Valentine's Day but he has yet to make contact. If you have any info on Peak or Richmond II, contact Adkins at (740) 745-2010.
Jeff set sail in the Richmond II on February 1, 2008 departing from Salinas, Mexico (in between Tijuana and Ensenada) in route to La Paz. He had planned to stop in Cabo San Lucas to purchase provisions. This trip would be just a leg of his journey to and through the Panama Canal and up to the Gulf of Mexico.
by Stuart Adkins
We need your help! A very special person is missing in the pacific ocean off the coast of Baja, Mexico. The U.S. Coast Guard has ceased their participation in the Search and Rescue, turning everything over to the Mexican Navy.
Unfortunately, I have the feeling that presently there is no “ongoing” search and rescue operation. That is why I am turning to you. With the proper coverage perhaps enough interest could be created to persuade the decision-makers to devote the necessary resources to resume the search and rescue operations for Ralph Jeffrey Peak. It’s been easy to be calm up until now. From my earlier dealings with the Coast Guard I learned that the coast of Baja is a desolate place. Only a few Mexican fishing villages exist and you would have to go miles to find a phone. I have confidence in Jeff’s ability to sail as well as his mechanical knowledge and ability to resolve problems.
However, a recent entry in a sailor’s blog (here is the link), talks of sighting a flare. Their notes talk about how it probably came from a life boat since there was nothing indicated on their radar. This information has been forwarded to both the US Coast Guard and my contact at the US Embassy in Cabo San Lucas with the hopes of being forward to the Mexican Navy but at present I have not been notified that any action has been taken. If Jeff has been floating around in a life boat for weeks, then this would explain why all of the call-outs by the Coast Guard and other sailing vessels were unsuccessful.
Jeff set sail in the Richmond II on February 1, 2008 departing from Salinas, Mexico (in between Tijuana and Ensenada) in route to La Paz. He had planned to stop in Cabo San Lucas to purchase provisions. This trip would be just a leg of his journey to and through the Panama Canal and up to the Gulf of Mexico. This was his dream, to sail.
In January of 2007, we lost my sister and nephew in a tragic automobile crash. She was just finding her groove in life and he was enjoying everything your 20‘s can offer. Sheila was instrumental in getting the family through the loss of our brother to cancer in 2002. She was the strength, the rock of the family. The one you just assume would always be around. Jeff took this loss very hard. He had just turned 58 and the realization that tomorrows are not guaranteed created concern. His life’s dream was to sail around the world. He recounts stories of his childhood reading Popular Mechanics magazine and seeing plans for a small sailboat.
Long story short, we juggled finances and purchased a 32 ft wooden sailboat. Jeff has spent his life as a carpenter and truly appreciated wood as a craft. The Richmond II had history. Commissioned in WWII, she save several sailors downed in the English Channel. Built in 1935, it had weathered many a storm and Jeff immediately fell in love. He spent a month in Marina Del Ray. Then his first major sail, to Catalina, where he spent a few weeks. From Catalina to San Diego and from San Diego to Puerto Salina where he docked in order to return home to work and save for the next leg, to La Paz.
Please, help get this message out. Help find Jeff! You may contact me at the email address below with any questions. I fear that time is of the essence!
Sincerely,
Stuart A. Adkins
FindJeffPeak@windstream.net