Missing Florida fishermen’s empty boat found. What is a Freeman 42?
Two Florida men, a 57-year-old Fort Myers attorney and his 33-year-old nephew, on a fishing trip, went missing Dec. 19 off Naples. The 42-foot Freeman boat they were on was later found about 70 miles off the coast with no signs of the fishermen.
Attorney Randall Spivey, 57, and his nephew Brandon Billmaier, 33, were reported missing at about 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, said Luis Garcia, supervisor on watch for the Coast Guard sector in St. Petersburg.
One of the largest searches in Southwest Florida history ensued, with a small cutter, multiple aircraft, ground crews and a large community turnout.
The Freeman boat named “Unstopp-A-Bull” was found by the USCG upright in the Gulf, running and in gear, about 70 miles off the coast of Naples near Marco Island and Flamingo. But the missing men were not on board.
As the search continued Monday, Dec. 22, the Coast Guard announced it is scheduled to suspend the search at sunset, pending new information.
Who are the missing Florida fishermen?
Attorney Randall Spivey, 57, and his nephew Brandon Billmaier, 33, were reported missing at about 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, said Luis Garcia, supervisor on watch for the Coast Guard sector in St. Petersburg.
Spivey is a board-certified civil trial attorney in Fort Myers and founder and president of Spivey Law Firm where his wife Tricia is also an attorney. Billmaier is an attorney for the Shiner Law Group. Both men are avid fisherman, Tricia Spivey said.
“That’s their love,” she said. “My husband’s been fishing for over 30 years. They love fishing. He’s the most safety-prone person.”
“Spivey is a white male, 6’1”, 245lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes,” the Lee County Sheriff’s Office posted Saturday on Facebook. “He was last seen wearing khaki pants and a dark in color shirt. Billmaier is a white male, 6’2”, 250lbs, with strawberry hair and brown eyes.”
Fort Myers attorney Randy Spivey, left, and his nephew, Brandon Billmaier have gone missing off the coast of Naples during a Dec. 19 fishing trip.
Where did the Florida boaters go missing?
Spivey and Billmaier went on a fishing trip about 102 miles off the coast of Naples in Southwest Florida, Tricia Spivey said. They left early Friday morning and were scheduled to return at about sunset that day.
The men were in a 42-foot Freeman boat named “Unstopp-A-Bull,” said Luis Garcia, supervisor on watch for the Coast Guard sector in St. Petersburg.
Using GPS coordinates from the boat’s spot tracker, the Coast Guard later found the boat floating upright in the Gulf about 70 miles off the coast of Naples near Marco Island and Flamingo, Tricia Spivey said, but there were no signs of the missing boaters.
“The boat was in gear,” said Riley Perkofski, a public affairs specialist for the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast District, “We deployed a swimmer, and then the swimmer deployed the vessel’s anchor so that it wouldn’t keep moving.”
“They know the exact path of the boat,” she said. “We have coordinates of where the boat is and we also have coordinates of where it veered off course when it was coming home last night.”
What boat were missing Florida fishermen on? What is a Freeman 42?
Spivey and Billmaier were on a Freeman Boatworks 42LR named “Unstopp-A-Bull.”
According to the manufacturer’s website, “The Freeman 42LR not only features a beautifully-appointed, oversized cockpit, but boasts our largest fuel capacity ever. Known as sportsmen’s “go to” long range fishing platform, the Freeman 42LR comfortably cruises at 45 knots – ideal for exploring untapped fisheries. And with class-leading performance on the open water, this model is sure to leave the competition in its wake.”
Every Freeman Catamaran is constructed with Biaxial and Triaxial fiberglass and vinylester resin using closed cell structural core, the website reads.
“When you want to blast through an angry ocean at top speed nothing provides a better ride than a well-designed and built powercat, and the Freeman 42LR certainly fits that description,” according to a review of the Freeman 42 by saltwater fishing website BD Outdoors.
The Coast Guard found a 42-foot Freeman boat, named “Unstopp-A-Bull,” floating upright in the Gulf , but no signs of the missing boaters, attorney Randall Spivey, 57, and his 33-year-old nephew Brandon Billmaier.
“In fact, rigged with quad 350s the 42LR can cruise at a hat-stripping 55 mph and tops out at an eye-watering 71.6 mph. Just as shocking is how fuel-efficient the boat is at these speeds, maintaining close to one mpg at cruise and never dropping below 0.5 mpg even at top speed.”
As for angling advantages, BD Outdoors’ website states, “If you want to go fishing come hell or high water, there’s no boat in this size range more competent and able to handle serious sea conditions.”
“The powercat design brings the boat’s full beam all the way forward, which doubles the useable (sic) bowdeck fishing space. With 800 gallons of fuel capacity, there’s literally no fishing grounds that will be off-limits, because you’ll enjoy over 600 miles of range running at 55 mph and that’s allowing for a 10-percent fuel reserve. Draft is just two feet, which means the 42LR can run through much shallower waterways than many boats of its size.”
Freeman 42 specifications:
LOA : 42’0″
Beam : 11’9″
Draft : 24″
Dry Weight w/ engines : 14,500 lbs
Ready to fish : 17,500 lbs
Bridge height : 9’6”
Trailer height (radar) : 14′ 3″
Dash : 53” x 20”
Freshwater Tanks : 40 gallons
Fuel capacity : 800 gallons
Max Power : 1800hp
Typical Cruise* : 45mph @ .95 mpg
*Numbers may vary depending on conditions
According to Google, prices for a Freeman Boatworks 42LR range from around $800,000 to over $1.4 million, depending on age, condition and options.
Freeman 42 safety
While there are no official safety ratings for boats like the Freeman 42, various online publications and independent reviews note its offshore capability and safety-oriented design, while others share safety concerns.
The Freeman 42’s catamaran hull provides enhanced stability compared to monohulls, reducing roll and improving comfort in rough seas, according to a Boatmart review.
Boatmart reviews highlight the use of advanced composite materials and structural integrity designed for offshore conditions.
Additional Boatmart and Jupiter Magazine reviews tout:
High Freeboard: Helps keep decks dry and secure.
Gemlux Hardware: Heavy-duty cleats and rod holders for secure tie-downs.
Steering Systems: Mercury Joystick Piloting and hydraulic steering options improve maneuverability.
Optional Gap Tower: Offers elevated visibility for navigation.
A godownsize.com review notes a steep learning curve for catamaran handling over a traditional V-hull as well as struggles with tracking and handling in heavy weather:
Catamarans can wander in rough seas, requiring constant steering adjustments or autopilot tuning.
Motors may “hunt” to maintain straight tracking in stormy conditions.
Safe operation demands experience and speed adjustments for changing sea states.
Additionally, independent Boatmart reviews note the lack of toe rails on deck, which some anglers consider a safety feature for secure footing, along with the lack of an anchor cradle, requiring extra care when anchoring offshore.
How to help with search for missing Florida boaters
Anyone with information about the missing boaters is asked to contact the USCG at 866-881-1392 or the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at 239-477-1000, or 911 as applicable. You may also call SWFL Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS to remain anonymous.
In a Facebook post Sunday night, Brandon Billmaier’s wife Deborah asked anyone with vessels capable of a 225-mile range to help with an offshore search. Volunteer searchers should text 239-634-3400 with
Departure location
Vessel name
Captains name and cell number
First mate’s name and cell number
Vessel range
She said vessels will depart from their own location (ranging from Fort Myers to Marco Island) and search grids would be assigned after updated information is received at 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 22.
The USCG warned against uncoordinated boaters in the search area as that “can create unsafe conditions and hinder response efforts.” Boaters willing and able to help should coordinate with this effort or the USCG to avoid confusion.
“Thank you to all the local heroes who are working to bring my husband Brandon and uncle Randy home,” Deborah Billmaier said in her post. “They have not yet been found, but we are staying positive.”
