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The ships are now reportedly 340 nautical miles east of the New South Wales coast of Australia, although they were said to have come as close as 150 nautical miles from Sydney at one point.

Lee, who hails from Rancho Cordova, was discovered missing at 6:45 a.m. last Tuesday while the Waesche was conducting a routine counter-drug patrol around 300 nautical miles south of Mexico.

Mexico argues the US cannot legally change the Gulf's name because UN rules dictate that an individual country's sovereign territory only extends up to 12 nautical miles out from the coastline.

Flying Fish Arctos had been sailing approximately 30 nautical miles east/south-east of the NSW town of Ulladulla, the organisers said.

For another month, he and his crew will continue their search, covering more than 1,500 square nautical miles of uncharted ocean.