‘Unleashed’ Being Tracked by USCG

Marianne Armand of Club Nautique reports this morning that Unleashed, the Hunter 41 that was allegedly stolen from its slip at Ballena Isle Marina on Tuesday, was apparently spotted early this morning by a fisherman about 50 miles off Half Moon Bay. Police believe Christopher Maffei, 43, forced his way into his ex-girlfriend’s house and abducted their children — ages 2 and 3 — around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, and later abandoned a rental car at the marina when he stole the boat.

"He was circling and a fisherman approached to ask if he needed help," Armand says. "The man on board asked if he could get some fuel from the fisherman, but he didn’t give the man any." The fisherman recognized the boat from Coast Guard-issued marine bulletins and contacted the authorities. The boat had previously been seen near Vallejo on Wednesday. Investigators noted that Maffei had previously expressed a desire to sail to Monterey and Mexico. 

Coast Guard spokesman Tom McKenzie could only say that the Coasties are actively searching for Unleashed, but the South San Francisco PD reports that a C-130 is surveilling the boat as Coast Guard vessels move to intercept.