Emergency crews puzzled by yacht find Yacht Lead

[cooper]

Latest News..........Family members not happy at the calling off of the search. They believe that the crew may have been kidnapped...........sighting fishing line out ,fenders out, and no sign of disaray (cant have been that rough) as reasons........

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by cooper

Latest News..........Family members not happy at the calling off of the search. They believe that the crew may have been kidnapped...........sighting fishing line out ,fenders out, and no sign of disaray (cant have been that rough) as reasons........

I agree there's something "fishy" about the whole thing. If it had happened in the Atlantic, 200 miles from U.S. coast, we'd be hearing "Bermuda Triangle" references.

But alas, the authorities seem to think they can write it off. The world may never know ...

[dana-tenacity]

They were abducted by aliens and are now being anally probed in a zoo on the planet Tralfamadore.

[mudnut]

Between everybody here there are two outcomes to this mystery.Collectively we have the story of what happened,OR,we don't.
Pirate's are out of the scenerio,we don't have that crap here yet,so,out of the three 1 could'nt swim,1couldn't swim so great but the third one could.

This might sound silly,but,no weirder than anybody elses idea.#1 falls in,#2 jumps in while #3 puts engine in neutral.Sees #2 getting pulled down by #1 and thinks it's better to dive in an help.After all he's got the boat in neutral and things arn't looking to good.
What happens after that?Who knows.But there wasn't food on the plates,there were just "Settings".And the boat is exactly as the PO sold it,as stated by him in local news.
I really hope they are,but,unless one of them are found alive,the sad truth is ,We just will never know.That will be the hardest thing for the relatives.Mudnut.

[mudnut]

PS.The boat was found with motor running,BUT,in NEUTRAL.Mudnut.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by cooper

Latest News..........Family members not happy at the calling off of the search. They believe that the crew may have been kidnapped...........sighting fishing line out ,fenders out, and no sign of disaray (cant have been that rough) as reasons........

Always told any one on my boats that no one goes over the side................ unless they have a hook in them.

Dave

[Boracay]

If it is a Cloud 10 (does look very similar) then the boat would look like this.

[GordMay]

Hope Himing, the niece of an Australian captain whose yacht (“Kaz II”) was found drifting off the Great Barrier Reef with its sails up and engine running said Tuesday she believes he and his crew may have been kidnapped.

Police maintain they probably drowned. Skipper Derek (Des) Batten, 56, and brothers Peter and James Tunstead, aged 69 and 63, were last seen April 15 leaving the northeastern town Airlie Beach, the first leg of a two-month trip around Australia's northern coast.

Photo: Queensland Police ... Kaz II with no crew on board
(it does look to be a Cloud 10)

[mudnut]

Sorry Gord & May,Kiddnapped my ar*se.If the neice believes that then she knows more than she is letting on.

Here is another "Scenerio".New owner buys boat he carn't afford.Three people leave boat to circle safely but safely get marroned.Sale of story of survival sells and pays for said boat.If these people have worked in a "Kiddnapp theory"they are going for bigger bucks.But stranger things have happened.These fellows might be found alive,and,It just might not be a scam after all.But Kiddnapp on the low seas(It wasn't that far out).Not here in OZ.Mudnut.

[GordMay]

My guess would be that the family’s “kidnaping” scenario is more emotionally satisfying, than they just “fell off”. It may be easier to accept that they were victims, rather than just inept & unlucky.
There are enough unanswered questions, that almost any hypothesis is somewhat plausible.
I don’t see them setting up a sensational adventure story (for later sale), nor an insurance scam as the likeliest scenarios for their reluctance to accept the “official” theory.

[Sandero]

I think we need to know more about the people on board... The conditions of the found boat do not seem to suggest that they went over board. If one fell overboard you would think that they would have at least tossed a long line over board secured to a strong cleat so that the MOB could grab the line. Even if one jumped into recue the MOB doing the line thing would probably be the first thing they would do.

If these men were trying to disappear because they had financial or other troubles... they did it. There may be no pirates reported in AU but this could be the first time... there's always a first time.

As odd as it sounds it could have been a dispute... a fight and a murder and maybe a suicide after that. But with the fenders out.. I think another vessel is involved and who knows what they wanted. Settle a score? Or were they simply priates.

It's a very weird story.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by defjef

I think we need to know more about the people on board...
It's a very weird story.

We need to know more than a little about the people aboard (tho’ that, too).

I think that all of the proposed theories are mere unfounded conjecture - it’s a “mystery” because we mostly have circumstantial, and little direct evidence.

We seem to need answers. Many people cannot accept “not knowing”, and find it psychologically easier to hypothesize ~ hence many of the super/supra/extra natural explanations for otherwise inexplicable phenomenae.

It’s, indeed, a weird and interesting story ...

[slomotion]

Well, of course it's all conjecture. But, I think the motivation is 'could this happen to me'? What, if anything, did these guys do wrong? Would I have done the same thing?

Having said that, it is also true that everyone loves a mystery - especially involving an activity that they think they know something about. Personally, I think some of the more farfetched theories are more likely than the idea that 3 guys could be swept off a boat simultaneously, or that 2 of them would comit serial suicide by jumping in after an overboard comrade.

One thing that puzzles me is what seem to be some strange lines near the front of the deckhouse of this boat (admittedly poor resolution photo). At first I thought the jenny was winched out, but now I'm not so sure - does it have an inner forestay?

[slomotion]

OK, just looked at Chris31415's link to a Simpson Cloud 10 - yes, it has an inner forestay. Kind of seems to disappear in the photo of Kaz II. Still don't know what the other line next to the deckhouse is. Also, I see that the Cloud 10 has its fenders deployed while underway. Maybe the Kaz II crew saw the same photo and figured it was a good idea.

[Benny]

The lifelines are clearly visable as is the lifering - undeployed - that is strange in a MOB situation - Fenders out? - possible boarding or other boats alongside or they just didn't secure them.

Engine running in neutral suggest they stopped for some reason - MOB or other boat alongside

Plates on table and laptop on table suggest fairly calm conditions even if it is a cat - it wouldn't take too much swell for a laptop to slide off a table. It would also suggest at least one crew member was below when the undetermined incident occured.

The only damage known at this point is a torn genny - could happen if left to flog - even in light to moderate wind conditions.

So either they were very inexperienced and careless boaters or they were part of or victims of a deliberate act. I don't care how inexperienced you are, not all crew will jump in the water to save someone and remember, the boat changed course shortly after leaving port so if there was an emergency, the VHF would most probably have been used.

Due to the condition of the boat and the apparent suddeness of the situation, I believe either they were victims of a boarding - why - who knows or they were part of a deliberate plan to abandon the boat and make it appear they were lost - again why - who knows.

It will be interesting if any more info surfaces on this event. Until then, we can only speculate.