RICHARDS BAY – SEA EXPRESS II safe:

UPDATE: SEA RESCUE RICHARDS BAY:In a 23 hour operation NSRI Richards Bay's volunteers have brought Sea Express II safely into Richards Bay harbour.SPIRIT OF RICHARDS BAY rendezvoused with SEA EXPRESS II at approximately 19h00 on Monday 22nd April, and found all three men onboard to be safe. A tow-line was rigged and the SEA EXPRESS II was towed to Richards Bay without incident.At 06h30 this morning, Tuesday 23rd April, SPIRIT OF ROUND TABLE was launched to rendezvous with the rescue operation, which was at that stage 29 nautical miles North of Richards Bay, to deliver a fresh NSRI crew, to relieve the crew of SPIRIT OF RICHARDS BAY, and at the same time food was taken to the three crewen aboard the casualty craft.The casualty craft was brought into Richards Bay at approximately 11h15 and safely moored by 12h00. The crew of the casualty craft will effect repairs before continuing on their voyage to destination Cape Town. It is not concluded what caused the vessel to lose all motor and electrical power.Pictures are available for media download on Sea Rescue's Flickr page. Sea Express II safely in Richards Bay. Picture Brynn Gericke. Sea Express II crew James Boyce, Ross Cole and Errol Derrick with Sea Rescue volunteer Dagny Du Toit. Picture Brynn Gerricke. Spirit of Richards Bay and Spirit of Round Table are dwarfed by Sea Express II in Richards Bay harbour. Picture Brynn Gericke Original Report:At midday on Monday the 22nd April Richards Bay duty crew were called out to assist the 50 ton, 25 meter, private boat SEA EXPRESS II, reporting to be without power and adrift at sea 70 nautical miles north of Richards Bay, approximately 20 nautical miles off Sodwana Bay.Cornel du Toit, NSRI Richards Bay station commander, said: 'She sailed from Pemba, Mocambique, for Cape Town. The three men on board are reporting to be fine and in no imminent danger, but without power to their boat.'Our volunteers launched SPIRIT OF RICHARDS BAY at 13h00 with special preparations for a long range rescue operation (extra fuel, food and water) and in a following wind are expected to reach the casualty boat at approximately 20h00 tonight.'Further update to follow. Expected return time, towing the casualty boat into an oncoming wind, will be tomorrow morning. The Spirit of Richards Bay.