Yacht sinking off Nambucca Heads

[chrisr]

Marine Rescue report ;

"A yacht that had lost its steering and was taking on water off the Mid North Coast in the early hours of the morning has been abandoned and is sinking.
The six people who had been on board the 47 foot yacht have been transferred to Marine Area Command - NSW Police Force vessel Vanguard.
A crew from Marine Rescue Coffs Harbour was tasked at 1.45am when the yacht's skipper called for urgent help 20nm south of Coffs Harbour and east of Nambucca.
On arrival on scene, the crew of rescue vessel Coffs 30 found the boat's rudder was jammed hard to port.
Vanguard was deployed from Coffs Harbour to assist, taking the yacht under tow but it began taking on too much water and was abandoned.
The MR Coffs Harbour radio base is now broadcasting warnings to alert other boaters in the area to the potential navigational hazard posed by the sinking boat."

hear via other sources that boat's name is "Salty" and recall seeing her heading north recently from Newcastle (i think it was ?)

sounds like damage rudder bearings allowing water in ? maybe hit a whale ?

anyway, sympathy to those onboard and thanks to water police & marine rescue

cheers,

[silkie]

My first thought was a loose propeller shaft blocking the rudder.

[chrisr]

possible i guess...and a leak through the stern tube would also explain the flooding (although bilge pumps can usually cope with that)

however no idea whether the yacht had a shaft or sail drive ?

cheers,

[Jim Cate]

A sad story, much of which is yet untold. I received the following from a friend who lives aboard in the Newcastle YC marina, and thought it might add some info to the discussion.

*****
Here is a little background to this particular yacht . The yacht is a Bavaria 46 that spent it's early life in the Mediterranean as a charter yacht. It came to Australia vis cargo ship and was based in Lake Macquarie moored at Marmong Cove Marina. About 3 months ago she arrived in Newcastle at the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club were we met up with the owners. We spoke on a number of occasions. The yacht was then lifted out and placed in the corner of the yard. Both keel and rudder were removed and some considerable time was spent on rebuilding the interior keel support structure. The cast steel keel was pellet blasted and epoxy undercoated. The rudder having been removed was worked on but the full extent of the work preformed by the yard was not known by me. The keel was reinstalled as was the rudder and the antifoul applied. The yacht was relaunched and motored back into a marina pen just opposite us on the marina.

I don't remember if it was last Saturday or Sunday that I waved to the crew as they departed the marina and wished them a good sail. I didn't know what direction they were heading but later on I did check on marinetraffic and found that they were heading north. I knew that Lake Maquarie was not possible as the depth is only 1.4 to 1.6 at the drop over.

The above information was provided by the boat yard manager and by my conversations with the owners plus my own observation.

*****

Certainly are a lot of possible ramifications to all that work having been done, and I bet the yard is scurrying!

Jim

[LLCoolDave]

Wow, if it is a Bavaria 46 named Salty I crewed on this boat across the atlantic. It was bought out of charter in Greece by an Aussie taking a sabbatical and he sailed with various crew back to Aus. and it was sold in Sydney. I crewed for two months and learned a ton on this boat.

Here is a listing from a couple years ago.

https://www.yachtandboat.com/listing/bavaria-46-11/


I'd appreciate any additional info. Thanks.

[leboyd]

It amazes me that some people can read a short article and come up with the reason the incident occurred. I’m not picking on anyone who has suggested a wild-a$$-grab-your-bu44-and-tell-us-what-happened in this specific example, but every time it happens.

Experts in a field wait for the facts. If you’re not an expert, you only prove it by you wild guess. Yes, yes, you may get it right, but please spare us your great intelligence and expertise.

God bless the owners of the boat and I’m glad it appears everyone was rescued safely.

[skipperpete]

Any thoughts on the possibility it might have hit the Nambucca FAD, it sits about 6½ nm off the coast east of Nambucca heads?
Pete.

[JPA Cate]

It is not much in the news, skipper pete, so I really don't know.

Ann

[Wanderlust141]

Sad To see SALTY sink. I bought this boat in Greece in January 2016 I renamed from ADMIRAL 2 to SALTY and sailed back to Australia via Panama and arriving in July 2017. I planned to keep this boat forever and even after arriving in Sydney spent $30,000 on engine, refrigeration pumps, mooring etc, you know the story if you own a boat! Things changed and I sold SALTY in February 2019 to the current owners and SALTY has resided in the Newcastle area.
Just a couple of things I would like to add to this thread. The worst experience I had with this boat was selling through a broker in Pittwater, besides getting everything and I mean everything wrong ( except their invoice).. I didn't ever meet the new owners. I have owned and personally sold many boats, there was a good amount of emotion and stories connected to SALTY as many nautical miles (19,100) and many friendships were formed on this boat. I used cruisersforum.com to get crew and am still good friends with 16 of the 18 crew I had aboard for the journey across the world and additionally the many other cruisers and people we met at the stops who added to the experience. Great stories were told and created and many fish were caught.

Also, I would like to add that no one should speculate on what events took place for SALTY to have a jammed rudder and be taking on water. Let's wait for the real story to come out. I hope the owners have a good insurance experience as I know many boaters who have not.

Bye SALTY thanks for all the good times. Geoff

I hope to get some news through this forum.

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

A sad story, much of which is yet untold. I received the following from a friend who lives aboard in the Newcastle YC marina, and thought it might add some info to the discussion.

*****
Here is a little background to this particular yacht . The yacht is a Bavaria 46 that spent it's early life in the Mediterranean as a charter yacht. It came to Australia vis cargo ship and was based in Lake Macquarie moored at Marmong Cove Marina. About 3 months ago she arrived in Newcastle at the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club were we met up with the owners. We spoke on a number of occasions. The yacht was then lifted out and placed in the corner of the yard. Both keel and rudder were removed and some considerable time was spent on rebuilding the interior keel support structure. The cast steel keel was pellet blasted and epoxy undercoated. The rudder having been removed was worked on but the full extent of the work preformed by the yard was not known by me. The keel was reinstalled as was the rudder and the antifoul applied. The yacht was relaunched and motored back into a marina pen just opposite us on the marina.

I don't remember if it was last Saturday or Sunday that I waved to the crew as they departed the marina and wished them a good sail. I didn't know what direction they were heading but later on I did check on marinetraffic and found that they were heading north. I knew that Lake Maquarie was not possible as the depth is only 1.4 to 1.6 at the drop over.

The above information was provided by the boat yard manager and by my conversations with the owners plus my own observation.

*****

Certainly are a lot of possible ramifications to all that work having been done, and I bet the yard is scurrying!

Jim

[Wanderlust141]

Originally Posted by silkie

My first thought was a loose propeller shaft blocking the rudder.

SALTY has a sail drive.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Wanderlust141

I used cruisersforum.com to get crew and am still good friends with 16 of the 18 crew I had aboard for the journey

You did better than I did. I had two great crew members, not related and two very difficult self indulging crew members, so 50/50 for me.

I'm really glad all the crew got off Salty ok. Anything could have happened.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Wanderlust141

SALTY has a sail drive.

Yes, it hurts to loose a boat even after you have sold it. The bond and memories are always there.

Curious to hear more about weather conditions and sea room from a lee shore.

Was it not possible to rig a bow sea anchor to keep head to seas until winds let up and rudder freed.?

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Yes, it hurts to loose a boat even after you have sold it. The bond and memories are always there.

Indeed. I sold a very special to me Rib to a Dutch guy who wanted the fuel tank filler moved. He employed a local welder to use a stick welder on the built in empty petrol tank with predictable results. Welder went to hospital for a week and the what was left of the rib to land fill. So sad, it was a brilliantly balanced and sweet handling rib in big waves.

I even commissioned a water colour painting of the first time I made a trip to a foreign country, France. That was quite adventurous in an open boat back then and sleeping on board for a week.

Pete

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Yes, it hurts to loose a boat even after you have sold it. The bond and memories are always there.

So true, so true...I sold my Ingrid 38 (Faiaoahe) to someone who sailed it to Mexico then to Hawaii. The reality of maintenance caught up to him. He asked me if I wanted to buy her back with a ripped main and some other maintenance issues for a really good price. Some individual got wind of the deal and bought her and insured it. Not long after, she broke her mooring and ended up on the rocks...apparently a total loss.

That's the part that hurt. It felt like I had let her down.

[Wanderlust141]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Yes, it hurts to loose a boat even after you have sold it. The bond and memories are always there.

Curious to hear more about weather conditions and sea room from a lee shore.

Was it not possible to rig a bow sea anchor to keep head to seas until winds let up and rudder freed.?

Here I am banging on about not speculating... but what else do I have to do at the moment!

SALTY was also taking on water. One of the posts says that she had had her rudder and keel off in the last couple of months. The rudder post enters the hull above the waterline when not underway. When making way it is submerged.
Something to think about.. Cant wait to get the skippers version.