Yacht damaged en route to ocean race reported to be safe

06 April 2016 - 13:24 By TMG Digital

The National Sea Rescue Institute’s (NSRI) St Francis Bay duty crew was on Wednesday preparing to guide a yacht damaged in heavy sea conditions between Plettenberg Bay and Oyster Bay. Rocket‚ which was en route from Cape Town to Durban to take part in the Vasco Da Gama Ocean Race‚ damaged its rudder in the four- to five-metre swells‚ and it was feared that it “could hole the boat if it broke free”‚ the NSRI said.There were nine people aboard.NSRI commends chopper pilot for rescuing stranded hikerThe Transnet National Ports Authority on Tuesday night placed the NSRI’s Port Elizabeth St Francis Bay and Oyster Bay stations on alert and the Plettenberg Bay and Oyster Bay stations on stand-by “to assist the yacht if it became necessary”.“The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre were requested to dispatch an all ships alert and‚ at 7.25pm‚ Telkom Maritime Radio Services broadcast an pan-pan safety radio message for vessels in the area to be on alert‚” the NSRI said.“Not declaring an emergency the yacht skipper reported all of the crew onboard to be safe but requested Maritime Rescue Authorities to be on alert fearful that the yacht could sustain catastrophic damage if the damaged rudder broke off or if it caused a hole in the hull.”NSRI appeals to ‘paddlers to stencil a contact number on their craft’The skipper was instructed to proceed at the “safest possible cautionary speed towards sheltered waters to drop anchor”‚ and the yacht was reported to have sailed “past Oyster Bay‚ reaching St Francis Bay by early morning and they have safely put to anchor outside of the St Francis Bay Port to await high tide early (on Wednesday) afternoon”.“The yacht crew have abandoned plans to sail to Durban for the 2016 Vasco and the yacht will stay in St Francis Bay for extensive repairs‚” the NSRI said...

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