off Bermuda -- and then found it was safely moored on the other side of town.

An emergency radio beacon on the yacht, berthed at St. George's Dinghy and Sports Club, had been accidentally set off.

The distress signal was picked up by a satellite, sent thousands of miles through space to an air base in Illinois, then relayed to coast guards in New York before being passed to Harbour Radio.

Rescuers at one point believed the signal was coming from about seven miles off the East End, but were puzzled because they knew of no boats in the area.

A US Navy helicopter began searching, and discovered the signal was strongest in St. George's harbour.

A quick call to the club revealed an American skipper had inadvertently set off his emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB).

"We had a day racing around for an EPIRB that was set off by mistake,'' said a Harbour Radio spokesman. "It took nearly eight hours to nail it down.'' He said the incident involved an old-type EPIRB, and illustrated the need for captains to invest in the newer type, which gives a more precise location.