An American sailor has been reported missing after his sailboat was found abandoned on a remote beach in Australia. Hartwell Champagne, a veteran sailor, was embarking on a one-man journey from Vanuatu to Australia before his Ocean Rambler washed up unattended on Cape Bedford Beach on Saturday, 10 days after he set sail. The last entry on the ship’s logbook was made on Sept. 10, three days before the vessel washed ashore. Acting Police Detective Inspector Cindy Searle said authorities have contacted Champagne’s family in Texas, who said they were “expecting him to reach land in Australia and they were not aware there were any issues,” and had been in contact with him “as much as you can when you’re traveling on the open ocean.” Champagne, 62, was described as a highly experienced sailor with “lifelong boating experience,” and authorities are speculating whether bad weather was responsible for his disappearance. “Any of the theories people could come up with at this point would be almost quite reasonable, so I wouldn’t be willing to suggest there was bad weather or he was near the shore,” Searle said, adding that authorities are hoping to glean information on his whereabouts from the electronic devices found on the boat.
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