Charles D. Wilson, 56, vanished from Honolulu in the autumn of 2007 after living aboard a 27-foot sailboat, the H20I.Q., moored at a slip in Keehi Boat Harbor. He was last seen at the harbor on either October 9 or 10 and intended to move the vessel to Waianae Boat Harbor when his slip permit expired on October 10. He was a Vietnam War veteran classified as disabled and reportedly lived a reclusive life aboard the boat.

On October 17, 2007, the Coast Guard located the H20I.Q. adrift about 30 miles west of the Waianae Coast. The mast was broken, the sail was in the water, and the engine was not operational. Several personal items belonging to Wilson were aboard, including his wallet, watch, cellular phone, and driver’s license; six life vests and a pack of flares were also found, with one flare missing. An extensive search of the surrounding ocean turned up no trace of Wilson.

Investigators noted Wilson was not an experienced sailor and had bought the boat mainly to live on, though the vessel had been reported in good physical and mechanical condition when inspected in April 2007. The circumstances of the damaged, abandoned boat and the absence of Wilson remain unexplained. Did anyone in the area see the H20I.Q. or Wilson between October 9 and the discovery on October 17?