Darla Jean Missing Again?

Just when you thought it was over, the saga of Darla Jean continues.

Jerry and Darla Merrow left the Bay last fall aboard a Rudy Cheoy catamaran dubbed Darla Jean. Just outside the Gate, the deck around the mast step "tore off," Jerry Merrow reported later. The couple pulled into Moss Landing where they esentially traded the cat for a 48-ft motorsailer. They transferred all their belongings from Darla Jean I to Darla Jean II, including a certain parrot named Gulliver and a new puppy named Snickers, and in a matter of days took off for Hawaii.

Ninety-four days later, they wrecked on Fanning Island, abandoning their boat and animals. We covered in detail the heroic efforts of complete strangers to rescue the two pets, both of whom are happily living in new and caring homes in the U.S. But what happened to the Merrows?

We’d heard rumors that they found another boat and were going to take off again but nothing beyond that. Last week, we received a call from the Coast Guard asking if we had any info on the couple. According to the Coast Guard, Darla’s sister contacted them for help in locating Darla Jean III, as they were supposed to have left the Bay on June 17 and she hadn’t heard from her sister since.

Unfortunately, no one seems to know what kind of boat Darla Jean III is, nor where they were heading. If you have any information about Jerry and Darla Merrow, the boat or their destination, please contact USCG Search and Rescue at (510) 437-3701.