Volunteers from Marine Rescue Eden have safely returned a solo sailor and his 10-metre yacht to Twofold Bay following an epic two-part, 21.5-hour mission.
At 2am Friday, 28 March, radio operators at the Marine Rescue Sydney State Communications Centre received a call for assistance from a distressed skipper on board a yacht somewhere on the Far South Coast beyond Green Cape.
Marine Rescue Eden was tasked with the mission, with Unit Commander Roger Barson managing radio communications while a volunteer crew was deployed at 3am on board Marine Rescue NSW boat XRAY 30 to search for the distressed vessel.
“Radio contact was initially loud but broken,” said Marine Rescue Eden Unit Commander Roger Barson.
“Coast Guard Mallacoota radio also responded but experienced the same broken transmission. Radio communications then ceased, and calls to the skipper’s mobile went unanswered.
“XRAY 30 proceeded to Green Cape, searching the rugged coastline to the NSW/Victorian border, but no lights were seen, nor was a vessel located,” Barson said.
At 5:30am, XRAY 30 turned and continued the search north, back to Green Cape, before returning to Eden to refuel.
Unit Commander Barson said radio contact was re-established with the distressed yacht just after 11:30am, with the skipper confirming his location off Black Point, four nautical miles (7.5 km) north of the border.
“Marine Rescue Eden was tasked again, with XRAY 30 departing Snug Cove at 1:30pm.
“The distressed yacht was, thankfully, sighted by our crew an hour later.
“The XRAY 30 crew conducted a welfare check on the skipper, who informed them that he was out of fuel and his mainsail was jammed.
“With conditions deteriorating and a gale warning forecast for Saturday, the disabled yacht was taken under tow, with the return trip to Eden limited to five knots (9 km/h).
“Sea conditions were unfavourable, with two-metre swells, and there were numerous challenges with the towline. However, after an eight-and-a-half-hour tow back to Eden, the disabled yacht and its skipper were safely returned and anchored in Twofold Bay at 11:40pm Friday, 28 March.
“This was an extremely long and challenging rescue mission for the six crew members and three radio operators involved in both legs. It began in the dark and finished in darkness 21-and-a-half hours later. Our training held us all in good stead, leading to a positive outcome in the end,” Unit Commander Barson said.
Marine Rescue NSW is a volunteer based not-for-profit professional organisation dedicated to keeping boaters safe on the water and supporting local communities.
