At 20h40 on Monday the 19th of January, NSRI Agulhas received a call from NSRI HQ following reports from the skipper of the 42 foot yacht SUNDAY STAR, with five people on board, en route from Durban to Hout Bay but experiencing steering and electrical problems and decided to head for Struisbaai. By 21h00 they reported that they were on emergency power but still making their way to Struisbaai.The NSRI Agulhas duty crew were activated and VODACOM RESCUER VII was prepared to be launched. In the meantime the rescue crew made sure that SUNDAY STAR was on the right course staying clear of reefs.By 01h30 on Tuesday the 20th of January, SUNDAY STAR reported that their motor had failed. Fearing that they would be pushed onshore, VODACOM RESCUER VII was launched and took them in tow ten miles out of Struisbaai.By 05h30 the yacht was safely towed into an area that they could drop anchor to effect repairs.At 06h15 we received an urgent call from the skipper to inform us that he was dragging anchor and was being pushed onshore. The crew who were now on their way home turned around and launched VODACOM RESCUER VII to assist along with rescue swimmers from the shore side. After doing everything possible and the outgoing tide hampering the situation we could not pull the vessel off the sand and we evacuated the crew to safety. No one was injured.The yacht is on the beach and the owners will arrange to try to get it back out to sea in the Spring high tide.
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