Last Thursday, Aug 20, at 0500 UK time [1800 Tonga time] the Santana's emergency beacon [via satellite] was activated by David sailing mate - one Alexander McDonald; a 65 year old NZer with VERY limited sailing experience - and, I believe picked up in Falmouth, UK. His GPS location was established and the NZ Maritime Search and rescue were alerted. I contacted them [NZ Rescue] by phone on Sunday afternoon London time and had a bit of a chat. The boat is in the main Tonga harbor and Mr. McD is to be reinterviewed by an inspector on their Monday morning - since then, no more news - telephone, fax and e-mail communications are a sometimes thing there, it seems. "The engine was broken and the sails were broken" - which suggests a storm and presumably the boat was towed into harbor there. Meanwhile, I have set things in motion to get more data and, as and when I hear more, I'll send it through. I was told of all this last Sunday morning when in Sussex [by strange co-incidence] - from Peter Leicester. The info took 3 days to find its way to him and onward.

So - no body [and I doubt there'll be one]; no funeral but a memorial will, I'm sure, be set up through the RM. As you say, God knows, I hope his passing was quick and painless [though I doubt it was peaceful].

I'd love to hear from anyone who can contribute and I'd like to compile some sort of chronology / time-line / obituary for David - the various parts of his life were quite separate and some quite secret - but, he certainly touched a lot of folks lives round the world and, I suspect, many people would like to know more. By the way, he had a bunch of friends in France - did you know any? I need to tell that section of his friends-list what has happened.

His round-the-world voyage began about Oct 2006 - so don't feel bad about losing contact with him - we all did even though the occasional e-mail came through - very short in length and news.

Best wishes, Chris Parkinson. In NJ, USA