An American Couple Hijacked at Sea - NIGHTMARE IN THE CARIBBEAN

RALPH HENDRY AND KATHY BRANDEL SPENT THE WINTER ISLAND HOPPING ABOARD THEIR YACHT. NOW POLICE SAY THEY'RE PRESUMED DEAD

- EMILY PALMER

Last November, Kathy Brandel and Ralph Hendry unfurled the sails of their 48-ft. catamaran Simplicity, caught a fair wind off the shore of Hampton, Va., and joined nearly 100 others for an annual armada of sailboats headed to the Caribbean for the winter. Among the tight-knit community of sailors, Brandel, 70, a retired real estate agent, and Hendry, 66, a financial adviser who worked from their boat, were known for their hospitality. After spending afternoons swimming, paddleboarding and hiking, the duo would return to their sailboat to host gourmet dinners at sundown. "They were a magnetic couple: very generous, endearing, always a lot of fun," recalls longtime friend Will Knoll, who sailed thousands of miles with them.