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U.S. Coast Guard officials say the missing captain of the Nova Scotia-built replica tall ship HMS Bounty could still be found alive because of a combination of warm water and air temperatures.

Robin Walbridge has been missing since Monday morning, when the crew of HMS Bounty decided to abandon ship in high seas brought on by Hurricane Sandy off the coast of North Carolina. Walbridge didn't make it to a life-raft with the rest of his crew.

Petty Officer 1st Class Brandyn Hill, of the U.S. Coast Guard command centre in Portsmouth, Va., told CBC News the water temperature in the search area is 25 C and the air temperature is 19 C.

"It was reported to us that the captain of HMS Bounty was wearing a survival suit andin 5.5-metre seas.

The Bounty sank several hours after the evacuation.

The 16 crew members of HMS Bounty tried to get to covered life-rafts but three of them were washed overboard in the process. One of the three people made it to the life-raft and was among the 14 people hoisted onto helicopters and taken to shore.

Captain was trying to get around Sandy, says wife

Walbridge, 63, and deckhand Claudene Christian, 42, were swept overboard and didn't make it to the life-rafts.

Christian was located by an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter on Monday evening and taken to Albemarle Hospital in Elizabeth City, N.C., where she was pronounced dead.

CBC News spoke to Claudene Christian's mother on Monday morning as the rescue efforts began in the Atlantic Ocean. She said her daughter was "truly and