Yacht ordeal recalled

Press, 5 January 1987, Page 1

Yacht ordeal recalled

JOHN HARFORD

A faulty radio on board the Southern Huntress stopped her crew from letting others know they were safe when they were overdue on a trip to the Chatham Islands.

The yacht was due in the Chathams on December 30, after leaving Lyttelton on Boxing Day. An R.N.Z.A.F. Orion began searching for the yacht on Friday because there had been no radio contact. Contact with the 11m yacht was made on Friday, and she sailed into Lyttelton about midday yesterday. The boat’s skipper, Mr John Sinclair, said the radio developed a fault soon after the yacht left Lyttelton on Boxing Day.

He had established a schedule of calls to make each day before he left Lyttelton. The first message was sent as he left the harbour. The response from shore has been garbled as if they were not able to tune the radio properly. From then on they were able to receive calls from Bluff and Auckland, but could not pick up calls from Lyttelton. Mr Sinclair said they continued to radio their position and distance covered as scheduled in case it could be heard.

The yacht soon ran into a series of storms with up to 7.5 m seas. Most of the four men aboard were sick, and no-one ate for several days. They decided to heave to for a day.

A radio message told

them another storm was approaching from the south and would reach them in about six hours. "We had the choice of going on or turning back. Understandably we decided to turn back,” said Mr Sinclair. The Southern Huntress ran before the storm until she was north of Wellington. Mr Sinclair radioed their position to Wellington, but did not receive a reply. He sailed the yacht until it was off the Wellington heads and made "several calls, none of which were answered. ■ The yacht’s 12 h.p. diesel engine then broke down as she sailed towards Kaikoura. While nearing Kaikoura the crew heard' a news report on a transistor radio about the search for

them. One of the crew, Mr Kevin Williams, a radio technician, then wired an emergency battery to the ship’s radio. He had been sick until then and unable to attempt a* repair. They were able to make contact while skm off the Kaikoura Coast, and the search was called off. The other crew members were Messrs Steven Oakley and Patrick Paynter. Mr Sinclair said yesterday he was surprised the search had started so early. The early start was a “wonderful service” which would have been appreciated if they, had been in trouble. Mr Sinclair said his yacht had been marvellous during the trip.