Well-known South African sailor Jon Marshall may go down in history as the world’s unluckiest skipper — and the luckiest.
On Friday last week the 69-year from Durban was rescued for the second time in three years from the same stretch of ocean, after the same yacht race. He and three fellow crew were plucked from their life raft after their yacht hit a submerged object, presumably a container. The crew were on their way back to Durban from East London after competing in the annual Vasco da Gama Ocean Race, the oldest coastal ocean race on the local sailing calendar.
Three years ago Marshall and four fellow crew members were rescued in almost exactly the same place after Marshall’s previous yacht, Majimoto, lost a rudder in rough conditions. It ran aground north of Kei Mouth.
This time Marshall’s yacht ran aground near Coffee Bay with gaping holes in the hull.
The latest rescue proved even more dramatic than three years ago and made history of its own — the longest Rigid Hull Inflatable Craft operation by the National Sea Rescue Institute.
The NSRI rescue team left Port Edward and travelled 79 nautical miles until eventually recovering the crew drifting in their life raft at 1.30am off the coast of Coffee Bay. “All four crew were found to be safe and not injured despite being a bit cold and thirsty,” the NSRI said in a statement.
“They were provided blankets and hydration.”
The search was hampered by difficult weather conditions, swell and current that caused the stricken yacht and life raft to drift down the coast a substantial distance from the estimated accident site.
Marshall said the crew was able to send the rescue team 15-minute updates via a mobile phone as they continued to drift along the coast in their life raft “so that they could estimate our drift and our position”.
“When the rescue craft was in the vicinity they talked to us on the radio. They said they would put up a flare.”
Marshall did the same.
“From that they found us relatively easily. It was a stressful time, but all in all pretty well controlled I think. Everyone is fine, everyone is fit — no major issues.
“As soon as we had the raft deployed we knew we would be safe. The last man got on just as the boat got down to the level of the raft, so it was a pretty tight-run thing,” Marshall said.
Barry Boorman, vice commodore of the Royal Natal Yacht Club, said the Vasco da Gama race organising committee helped co-ordinate rescue efforts. “The stuff they (the crew) went through was quite scary — we all know the Wild Coast and what it can offer,” Boorman said.
“We suspect it was a container that they hit — you can’t see them because they sit just below the surface.”
“The NSRI was outstanding. They knew exactly what was going on and were constantly communicating between themselves — it was really an impressive thing to be a part of.”
The NSRI has cautioned marine traffic to beware of a navigational hazard in the vicinity of the accident.
“It remains unknown where the floating container that caused the accident may have originated from — that warning to vessels in that area remains valid — to be on the lookout and to proceed with caution based on the collision that occurred at sea with the sailing yacht Tipsy,” the NSRI statement said.
Robin Hulley, commodore of Durban’s Point Yacht Club of which Marshall is a member, commended rescuers for their life-saving efforts: “Your quick response undoubtedly prevented a potential tragedy,” Hulley said in a Facebook post. “Our community is deeply appreciative of the collaboration and heroism displayed.”
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