AFTER DRIFTING at sea for several days, Clarence 'Moses' Moxam and his three-man crew aboard the 'Miss Rita' returned safely to Jamaica yesterday morning.
Mr. Moxam and his crew had left Cuba on Friday morning for Jamaica when the boat developed engine trouble and was set adrift for three days, giving rise to concerns for the men's safety.
In an interview with The Gleaner from aboard his boat, one hour out from Black River yesterday morning, Mr. Moxam said when the boat left Cuba only one of the two engines was functioning; then it gave way, leaving them without an immediate option.
Mr. Moxam's troubles began during the passage of Hurricane Ivan in September when he was aboard the 'Miss Rita' while his son, Hursley Moxam and a crewmate Rohan 'Junior' Rexburn were aboard his second boat, 'Ocean Queen', off the coast of Black River.
The two boats were pulled from their anchorage and set adrift. 'The Ocean Queen' and the two young men on board have not been seen since.
Mr. Moxam was rescued from the 'Miss Rita' by a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) helicopter off Cayman Brac a few days after the passage of the hurricane.
The boat then drifted into Cuban waters where it was secured by the local authorities.
He travelled to Cuba seven weeks ago to retrieve the boat, and it was while on his way back to Jamaica that it ran into further difficulties.
