Account
Oct 11, 2022
Jan 05, 2024
John
Anstess
72
55
69 inches
160 lbs
White / Caucasian
Male
On December 8, 2006, 55-year-old John C. Anstess, an experienced British sailor, was on the final leg of a monumental journey. He and two other men were delivering a 44-foot catamaran, the "Cat Shot," from Cape Town, South Africa, to its new owner in Seattle, Washington. After a stop for fuel and provisions in San Francisco, California, they headed back out to sea, bound for their final destination. Anstess, known to friends as "Oggie," made his living delivering yachts around the world and was a seasoned skipper, having survived many treacherous seas. However, the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oregon would soon present a challenge that would lead to a lasting mystery. The "Cat Shot" and its three-man crew sailed into a violent storm about 10 miles off the coast of Cape Blanco, Oregon. The storm was one of the worst to hit the coast in over a decade, with sustained winds of 40 to 50 knots and immense swells that later reached 30 to 40 feet. The last entry in the vessel's logbook was made at 3:00 a.m. on December 11, noting that the crew had lowered the sails and deployed two sea anchors to ride out the storm. Sometime after this final entry, disaster struck. The luxurious catamaran, worth approximately $600,000, was later found washed ashore about 120 miles north of its last recorded position. The vessel was capsized, de-masted, and there was no sign of John Anstess or his two American crewmates, David Rodman and Richard Beckman. In the aftermath, the U.S. Coast Guard initiated a search and rescue operation involving aircraft, helicopters, and boats, but no survivors were found. The investigation revealed a critical detail: the boat's Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, a device designed to automatically signal for help, was discovered locked in its box inside the wreckage, unable to be activated. The official search for the crew was eventually suspended. The case remains a heartbreaking tale of experienced sailors on a transoceanic voyage who were ultimately overcome by the immense power of the sea. The disappearance of John Anstess, David Rodman, and Richard Beckman is a somber reminder of the perils of maritime journeys, as the three men are presumed to have been lost to the Pacific during the severe storm.
Dec 08, 2006
Cape Blanco
Oregon
Curry County
No
119840
Grays Harbor County Sheriff's Office
Montesano
Washington
Grays Harbor County
98563
100 West Broadway Avenue, Washington
3602493711
County
Law Enforcement
07-324
Grays Harbor County Sheriff's Office
Brown
Blue
Blue
No
06/01/2026
