On June 22, the SSCA HF Radio Service confirmed having received an SOS from a ship’s Personal Locator Beacon (PLB1). Then there was silence. The Radio Service confirmed that the message came from the TRANAVIS, a trimaran sailing between St. Martin, French Antilles, to Barranquilla, Colombia. Aboard the TRANAVIS was Rocco Acocella Roverndom, a well known Eco-Friendly Tour Guide, on his way to Ecuador to meet a tour group of Europeans. Rocco is a biologist, and is fluent in Italian, French and English. He has not been heard from since June 29th, and his family is frantic.

Rocco has sailed two other solo cross-Atlantic voyages, and is described by his family members as “very experienced, with high nautical skills.” The TRANAVIS is 30-feet long, and flying under a British flag. It was understood that Rocco had several security devices aboard, but only his PLB alarm was triggered, and it went silent after 24 hours, probably having run out of battery charge. Rocco is originally from Salermo, Italy, and is 32 years old.

The SOS message was relayed to the Colombian Navy, who immediately dispatched search and rescue boats, but the rescuers found no sign of either Rocco or his trimaran. The family is urging the Colombians to resume the search, as is the Italian Embassy, and Panamanian, Nicaraguan and Costa Rican navies have been updated on Rocco’s disappearance and possible travel route. The OIJ put out a Missing Person Bulletin on Wednesday. Many experts feel that the epicenter of the search should be Puntarenas, Costa Rica, factoring in for drift and tides.

All three coastlines should be considered possible beaching locations for the TRANAVIS. There are atolls and inlets where Rocco could be stranded, virtually invisible. Those coasts are well known pirate refuges, further worrying Rocco’s family and friends.
Said Glenn Tuttle of Seven Seas Cruising Association, “The trimaran TRINAVIS would probably float, even if it turned turtle. It is very possible that the captain Rocco Acocella is still very much alive and in his dinghy or clinging to the overturned trimaran. The TRINAVIS may be overturned and barely visible. The Captain Rocco Acocella is a very seasoned transatlantic cruiser, and an extremely fit person.”

The fact remains, however, that a journey which was to have taken ten days, has taken over a month. There has been no word from Rocco Acocella since he left St. Martin on June 17th. A Facebook page has been established by Rocco’s mother, hoping to attract more support for the hunt for her son. See “Rocco Acocella Missing”, for more photos and updates. His friends and family have not given up hope.