Yacht Assisted: Mossel Bay

Andre Fraser, NSRI Mossel Bay station commander, said:At 13h19, Saturday, 18th January, NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew were activated following eye-witness reports of a yacht appearing to be washing towards the shore at the anchorage area off-shore of Santos Beach.While preparing to launch sea rescue craft a Mayday distress call was received from the yacht.The yacht owner, sailing from Richards Bay to Cape Town and moored at Mossel Bay to wait out increment weather forecast for Cape Town, he had gone ashore on a tender boat to replenish supplies and while on the shore, at the Mossel Bay Yacht Club, he noticed the swing mooring had broken loose from its anchorage causing his yacht to start drifting ashore. The yacht owner had returned to his yacht with members of the Yacht Club and they broadcast a Mayday distress call.Our Sea Rescue craft Rescue15, already launching at that stage, arrived on the scene and we found the yacht caught up in the rope lines separating the yacht mooring area from the swimming area of Santos Beach.NSRI, assisted by a private boat, Blue Pointer, assisted to get the yacht free of the separation ropes and Blue Pointer assisted to manoeuvre our sea rescue craft into a position to be able to assist in amongst the rope that was line lying in the water.The yacht was freed from an entanglement in the separation ropes and the owner and yacht club crew who were assisting him were able to start the yachts motor and under her own power they were able to head away from danger and moore the yacht at safe moorings.NSRI commends the crew of the private boat Blue Pointer for their assistance.TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONE