Hahaha... what are you doing.. smuggling drugz..? They're the only people in that region of water
that don't really want to be found.

"Hypothetically" you'd have to take under consideration all types of radar (military ones pick out
small boats without much problem due to the different wavelengths of radar they use), SAR (Synthetic
Aperature Radar), infrared heat signature (hot engines flare brightly on sensor displays against the
cold black ocean).

Emission Control (EMCON) you'd have to ensure that you do not transmit anything by radio, turn off
your radar, cell phone, etc.

Since stealth technology is generally priced out of range for the average person, it helps by
removing the radar reflector. Greenpeace did this in the early 1980's and while keeping radio
silent, managed to sneak up and penetrate over 350 km into a restricted region in the south Pacific
that the French used to test nuclear bombs. They got close enough to the test site to see the bomb
suspended under the balloon. The moment they hoisted their reflector, their presence was detected
and the French navy reacted fast (and brutally).

I'm not sure how to use visual camoflauge.. perhaps to reduce visual detection by other ships would
be to paint the hull and sails a dull light gray. The "go-fasts" that regularly run that region are
painted black or dark green and operated at night for the most part. They use speed as their
primary way of avoiding interception.

Sail due east for a while then angle south. Unfortunately, OTHR (over the horizon radar) which can
accurately measure wave height and direction accurately works pretty well at detecting vessels of
around 10 metres in length and larger from over a thousand miles regardless of the hull material.
And there are at least two stations that provide blanket coverage of that particular region.

Hopefully a random search by regular drug interdiction patrol units in the south Gulf area won't
stumble upon the person. That is one of the most heavily surveilled areas of the USA and it
surprises me that people manage to get thru undetected. (actually many are detected but they are
unable to intercept). In the end, a certain amount of luck is required. And hopefully, no one will
call in a sighting when an "APB" goes out for such-and-such person and a sailboat matching some
description.

wrote
Here is a hypothetical question:

If somebody on a sailboat did NOT want to be found and had a 36 hour
head start leaving someplace like say the N. Florida Gulf coast, how
difficult would it be to find him.