Sailing Yachts Drift Ashore at Clifton 4th Beach

A sailing yacht run aground at Clifton 4th Beach is recovered safely, while a second sailing yacht self recovers after drifting into shallow water at Clifton 4th Beach.

Luke van Riet, NSRI Bakoven duty coxswain, said:

At 04h19, Wednesday, 29 January, NSRI  Bakoven and NSRI Table Bay duty crews were activated following reports of a sailing yacht running aground and listing at Clifton 4th Beach.

Almost immediately after the initial report it was established that all crew and passengers on two local charter sailing yachts were safe.

TNPA (Transnet National ports Authority) Table Bay Port Control were alerted.

NSRI Bakoven and NSRI Table Bay dispatched rescue swimmers to Clifton 4th beach, the NSRI Bakoven rescue craft Gemini Legend and the NSRI Table Bay rescue craft DHL Deliverer were launched.

On arrival on the scene one sailing yacht, with 3 crew onboard, was found aground in shallow water and listing at Clifton 4th Beach. A second sailing yacht, with 5 crew onboard, that had also drifted into shallow water, had managed to motor back out to sea and was standing off in deeper water safely at anchor.

It appears that both yachts were spending the night at Clifton and during the early hours of the morning, despite calm seas, but in increasing wind speeds, both vessels had dragged anchor and gently drifted towards shore.

NSRI rescue swimmers were deployed onto the vessel that was listing in shallow water.

The 2 passengers, females, were transferred onto NSRI Bakoven's rescue craft and transported to the second sailing yacht, further out, where they were transferred onto the second yacht safely.

Telkom Maritime Radio Services and MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) were notified.

2 NSRI rescue swimmers were deployed to the grounded yacht where they assisted the skipper to establish a towline from the casualty yacht to the NSRI rescue craft Gemini Legend.

The NSRI rescue craft gently towed the casualty yacht further out to sea.

At that stage the NSRI rescue craft DHL Deliverer was arriving on the scene.

It was determined that both yachts had sustained no damage and with 2 NSRI rescue swimmers remaining onboard the recovered casualty sailing yacht, both yachts were escorted to Granger Bay, by the NSRI Table Bay DHL Deliverer, where they were both berthed at their moorings and no further assistance was required.