Missing Man’s Boat Found Off San Diego

A missing 32-foot ketch that belonged to a Corte Madera man was found by a research vessel 450 miles west of San Diego with no one aboard, the Coast Guard said Monday.

The ketch Lara was found Sunday by the research vessel New Horizon, of San Diego’s Scripps Institute, Coast Guard spokeswoman Alice Sennott said here.

Fred Walters, 54, was not on the vessel even though there was still food, water, clothing and a life raft aboard, Sennott said.

The last entry in the ketch’s log was made at 7:05 p.m. on Aug. 23, when it was noted that the vessel was 104 miles south of the Farallon Islands in rough weather.

Walters was reported missing by his wife in late August after he failed to return to Sausalito from what was supposed to be a qualifying solo sail, the Coast Guard said. He was attempting to sail his vessel 100 nautical miles out and back so he could gain membership in the “Single-Handed Sailing Society.”