GBC
14-10-2008, 08:31 PM
Just had a call from a mate of mine who has been off sailing the world for 9 years. He was making one of the final legs back home to Brisbane when the 'life aquatic' decided to turn on him 2 days ago.
They (he and 2 crew) had been beating all day towards their anchorage in some pretty fierce weather. They ended up needing the motor to lay the leads due to the significant fetch in that part of the world.
Apparently the motor was making some wierd noises so he went below to check it out. The header tank blew up in his face. He nearly lost his left eye from debris impact and suffered major burns to his face and arms.
With no motor and only two crew, the decision was made to bear away to another anchorage downwind. He strapped his head and was given a heading as he couldn't see too well at the time. About two hours later approximately 40 nm from Nadi at around 2300 hrs the boat started surfing and foundered on a reef. Needless to say the heading was incorrect. He had time to issue a mayday call, only to be informed by the Gov't rescue service that they 'did not have enough diesel to respond'. Fortunately a fellow sailor who had been following a similar route through the Pacific and had shared anchorages with them heard the call and replied that he would attend.
They stayed with the vessel (golden rule #1) in the water as long as they could throughout the night but knew rescue would be impossible in their position on the submerged reef.
He made the decision at sunrise to cut away from the wreck and drift out to sea where his mate was concentrating his search. The decision was forced due to one of the crew being hypothermic. They were rescued at around 0900 hrs by the one and only vessel who had responded - a single handed yacht. They were dropped at Robinson Crusoe island(?) who arranged the transfer to Nandi.
Cam flew in tonight with a wet backpack containing a change of clothes, the boat papers and a soggy passport - all he has left. The boat was not insured. It never ceases to amaze me that regularly, when things go wrong at sea they go spectacularly wrong.
They (he and 2 crew) had been beating all day towards their anchorage in some pretty fierce weather. They ended up needing the motor to lay the leads due to the significant fetch in that part of the world.
Apparently the motor was making some wierd noises so he went below to check it out. The header tank blew up in his face. He nearly lost his left eye from debris impact and suffered major burns to his face and arms.
With no motor and only two crew, the decision was made to bear away to another anchorage downwind. He strapped his head and was given a heading as he couldn't see too well at the time. About two hours later approximately 40 nm from Nadi at around 2300 hrs the boat started surfing and foundered on a reef. Needless to say the heading was incorrect. He had time to issue a mayday call, only to be informed by the Gov't rescue service that they 'did not have enough diesel to respond'. Fortunately a fellow sailor who had been following a similar route through the Pacific and had shared anchorages with them heard the call and replied that he would attend.
They stayed with the vessel (golden rule #1) in the water as long as they could throughout the night but knew rescue would be impossible in their position on the submerged reef.
He made the decision at sunrise to cut away from the wreck and drift out to sea where his mate was concentrating his search. The decision was forced due to one of the crew being hypothermic. They were rescued at around 0900 hrs by the one and only vessel who had responded - a single handed yacht. They were dropped at Robinson Crusoe island(?) who arranged the transfer to Nandi.
Cam flew in tonight with a wet backpack containing a change of clothes, the boat papers and a soggy passport - all he has left. The boat was not insured. It never ceases to amaze me that regularly, when things go wrong at sea they go spectacularly wrong.