The Patanela Strange Disappearance
The final trip of the Australian vessel Patanela, which vanished in 1988 without a trace.
The “Patanela” set sail from Freemantle, Australia on October 16, 1988 on a month-long journey to Airlie Beach, on the opposite side of the country. The owner of the 63-foot schooner, a wealthy businessman named Alan Nicol, was on board. Nicol was accompanied by an experienced captain, 52-year-old Ken Jones, his wife, 50-year-old Noreen Jones, and their daughter, Ronnalee. Nicol also recruited two crew members for the voyage: Michael Calvin, age 21, and John Blissett, age 23.
The Panatela was equipped with numerous safety equipment, including radar, satellite navigation, watertight components, lifeboats, and a 48-hour-capable emergency radio beacon.
Alan Nicol disembarked at Esperance because he had to return to Perth for business. Ronnalee abandoned the yacht in Port Eyre, South Australia, due to job obligations. Panatela travelled toward the east, transmitting her whereabouts by radio on a regular basis.
Keith McLennan, a radio operator with the Overseas Telecommunications Commission (OTC)…
