Breaking News - Yacht in distress.

tdw · #1 (**permalink**) 10-23-2008

Nothing in the mainstream media as yet except for a radio report I've just heard but apparently there is a 36' yacht with six people on board in danger of sinking off Sydney's Palm Beach near Barrenjoey Heads.

Sydney has been subject to unseasonably bad weather the last few days, very cold for this time of year with big winds and heavy seas.

Sydney Coastal Waters, Broken Bay to Port Hacking and 60nm seawards:
Strong Wind Warning.
Thursday until midnight: Wind: S 25/33 knots, easing to S 20/30 knots in the evening and to 15/20 knots overnight.Sea: 2 to 3 metres, abating to 1.5 to 2 metres overnight. Swell: S 2 to 3 metres. Isolated thunderstorms.
(Bureau of Meteorology)

It's easing off today but why these people are out there I have no idea. This weather has been around for a few days now.

The Pittwater water police are trying to get the crew off of her, she is supposedly listing badly and in danger of founding. That's all I know right now.

Pittwater btw is around 17nms north of Port Jackson (aka Sydney Harbour)

camaraderie · #2 (**permalink**) 10-23-2008

Keep us posted fuzzy...wishing all best to them.

chall03 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-23-2008

The last report I just heard, they had them off the boat, and ' the vessel was about to sink'....

tdw · #4 (**permalink**) 10-23-2008

Not terribly good footage but...

Video | ninemsn news

tdw · #5 (**permalink**) 10-23-2008

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/stupid...4351433198.html

chall03 · #6 (**permalink**) 10-23-2008

Hmmm. Poor Buggers. The smh article is fairly scathing of the sailors, but perhaps deservedly so to a certain degree I guess....On Seven News they said that the Keel had partially broken away, from vision it looked like a production boat but I couldn't quite figure out what it was.

Ilenart · #7 (**permalink**) 10-23-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdw

Sydney Coastal Waters, Broken Bay to Port Hacking and 60nm seawards:
Strong Wind Warning.
Thursday until midnight: Wind: S 25/33 knots, easing to S 20/30 knots in the evening and to 15/20 knots overnight.Sea: 2 to 3 metres, abating to 1.5 to 2 metres overnight. Swell: S 2 to 3 metres. Isolated thunderstorms.
(Bureau of Meteorology)

I would'nt of called these conditions particularly bad, certainly not enough for a well found yacht to start breaking up. Be interesting to find out what happened.

Ilenart

sailingdog · #8 (**permalink**) 10-23-2008

25/33 knots of wind, 6-9' seas... doesn't sound like horrific conditions IMHO... I sail in those conditions regularly.

What caused the keel to break away? Did they hit something? Why didn't they have the mainsail up with two reefs in it. That would at least give the boat a bit more stability. Were they motoring, since the sail cover is on the mainsail, and had the engine fail on them??

The article was pretty harsh, and didn't give much in the way of details.

TDW- what is the coastline there like, is it shallow and comes up pretty quickly from deep water, or is it fairly deep there?? I don't have charts for Oz.

Ilenart · #9 (**permalink**) 10-23-2008

A few more details

'Mayday, mayday. We are sinking' | NEWS.com.au

camaraderie · #10 (**permalink**) 10-23-2008

Thanks for the updates guys. Interesting story. It appears as if the boat was not in the condition the byer thought it was.