Marine Division surveyor to inspect ketch

Press, 14 March 1985, Page 5

Marine Division surveyor to inspect ketch

A Marine Division surveyor will travel to the, Chatham Islands to inspect a ketch involved in a nearfatal incident off the Chathams earlier this month. The surveyor would

travel from Christchurch to the Chathams as soon as possible, said the division’s southern regional surveyor of ships, Mr W. S. Mockett. The division planned to ensure that the ketch Lee Breeze II now berthed at Waitangi was seaworthy, he said.

A Government representative in the Chathams had already prepared a report on the incident, which happened on March 2 when the yacht was about 200 nautical miles south-west of the Chathams.

Jeffrey Steenson, aged 25,

stopped breathing after falling into the sea when the mast of the 15m ketch broke.

He regained consciousness after receiving intensive mouth-to-mouth and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.

Mr Steenson, who is now back in Christchurch, has since criticised the condition of the yacht.

The other four members of the crew decided to fly back to Nev; Zealand rather than continue the voyage.

The Lee Breeze II was involved in another incident in December, when she turned back to New Zealand several days after setting out on a voyage to Chile and the United States.

Her crew later spoke of “domestic difficulties” aboard.