Schooner Nina - MERGED 3 THREADS

[marc2012]

If they sunk hope crew made land.marc

[JPA Cate]

G Captain:

David old Jersey posted this number: HF DSC 005030001, from an MRCC report on page 8, IIRC. Hope it helps.

Ann

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by dan360

Latest BBC story "presumed sunk". BBC News - Missing yacht Nina 'presumed sunk' off New Zealand

That "presumed sunk" headline is reported by the BBC to have come from the RCCNZ and they seem to have been talking to "Search leader" Neville Blakemore (in quotes because I have no idea if that is his job or his title).

The RCCNZ website makes no mention of "presumed sunk". Reading the BBC news is a bit like reading the old Pravda , yer gotta read closely to try and work out WTF they are saying and why! A mix of lazy journalism and headline seeking coupled with ignorance is the norm for the Beeb news.

Methinks that headline is simply an extraction from the RCCNZ saying it is a possibility that needs to be considered when they take SAR action (and that they have already been - yer don't search the NZ coast if you only think they are happily off the Oz coast) - and not that the RCCNZ think Nina having sunk is a slam dunk with no other plausible explanations (as the headline implies)........obviously I stand to be corrected. and of course events may prove the BBC right, but not on the basis of today's headline.

If the 25/26 date calculated earlier from the last known position (as a revised ETA) was ballpark, then whilst 3 or 4 days late is not a great sign nonetheless it is not way out of the ballpark as a delay for a passage over several weeks, especially in the cr#ppy weather that they have been experiencing. Not sure whether the Aussies have been searching their coastline / approaches as well, but even if so not impossible to miss a (relatively) small vessel in a storm. Another week and no sign would of course be a different matter........

[hoolie]

I'm puzzled that a "presumed sunk" conclusion can be drawn from the RCCNZ failure to find Nina in the vicinity of the NZ coastline. The boat left NZ a month ago and even without power the strong easterlies would have pushed them towards the Oz coast. Surely they should be looking much further west?

Have the Oz SAR been actively searching?

[rfnk]

I agree that much of the reporting of this in the media has been ridiculous. Sadly, the BBC's not been the only offender!

Under agreement between NZ and Australia, NZ is the coordinator of this search. So the Australian services act on the advice of the NZ RCC. All Australian services have been alerted and AMSA has put out a call to all ships to look out for Nina. NZ's west coast has many uninhabited sections and a boat could easily go ashore unnoticed there. With the exception of the far north, Australia's east coast is more populated and it's unlikely that a boat could go ashore unnoticed. I do hope the SAR includes a search of the Great Barrier Reef as there has to be a chance that Nina has drifted that way.

The NZ RCC seems to be doing a good job of communicating progress in this search.

Rick

[Albro359]

Current from Australia

Maritime Safety Information current at 300000 UTC JUN 13
Issued by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC Australia)
Part 1. Distress, Urgency, CQ and Safety Messages:
PAN PAN
FM RCC AUSTRALIA 260143Z JUN 2013 AUSSAR 2013/4000
TASMAN SEA
RCC AUSTRALIA REQUESTS INFORMATION REGARDING SIGHTINGS OR COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE WHITE AND GREEN 60FT SCHOONER RIGGED VESESL 'NINA'. THE VESSEL HAS 7 POB, AND WAS ON A VOYAGE FROM OPUA NEW ZEALAND TO NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA, LAST KNOWN POSITION 33-50S 169-41E 04 JUNE 2013.
REPORTS TO THIS STATION OR RCC AUSTRALIA VIA TELEPHONE +61262306811 INMARSAT THROUGH LES BURUM (POR 212,IOR 312), SPECIAL ACCESS CODE (SAC) 39, HF DSC 005030001, EMAIL: rccaus@amsa.gov.au OR BY FAX +61262306868.
NNNN

[Albro359]

Current from NZ

29 June 2013: 5.30pm
An extended shoreline search for the crew of the historic American 21m (70ft) schooner Nina missing en route from Opua in the Bay of Islands to Newcastle, Australia, has been undertaken for a second day today (29 June) without success.
The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) today tasked a helicopter to perform a coastal search from Port Waikato to New Plymouth. The Tauranga-based Phillips Search and Rescue helicopter departed at around 11.30am and was on scene at around 11.45am. "The helicopter crew searched the area for two hours, without success," said RCCNZ Mission Controller Neville Blakemore.
Today’s search followed an extensive aerial shoreline search undertaken along the northern west coast of New Zealand, an area determined by RCCNZ based on drift modelling from the last known position of the yacht on 4 June.
RCCNZ is liaising with Rescue Coordination Centre Australia (RCC Australia), and will continue to review search options. RCC Australia is assisting RCCNZ with broadcasts on coastal radio. New Zealand Maritime Radio is continuing to conduct broadcasts in New Zealand’s search and rescue region. Mr Blakemore said a debrief would be held overnight, before a decision on the next stage of the search operation.

[opusnz]

I just talked to RCC NZ. They just confirmed to me that the last known (best) position is the one further west at S33 54 E 165 18. This matches the media reports of them last being 370 nautical miles from NZ and the media releases from their own webpage.

So something doesn't add up with the official last known position coming out of Aus. This position is much further east at only 160 nautical miles from NZ.

Hopefully they clear it up....they said they would look in to it but it is bloody frustrating when mistakes are made like this....

[Friend of Nina]

Update, Orion a/c will fly northeast of NZ for rafts or wreckage. PS, it's easy to be a Monday morning quarterback! Cherie

[Friend of Nina]

I'm hoping you are right, Nina limping back to port!! Cherie

[Rangiroo]

Air Force joins search for missing yacht - National - NZ Herald News

Still searching.......

Air Force joins search for missing yacht

2:17 PM Sunday Jun 30, 2013

An Air Force plane is today searching for any sign of the American schooner Nina in the ocean off the North Cape.

The seven-strong crew of the classic 21-metre racing yacht, which was sailing to Australia from Opua in the Bay of Islands, was last heard from on June 4.

Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) spokeswoman Sarah Brazil said an aerial search today was looking for a life raft or debris from the yacht.

Previous sweeps, including a two-hour helicopter search yesterday, were looking for the schooner itself.

Ms Brazil said an Air Force P3 Orion left Whenuapai air base about 7.15am and arrived at the search area about 8am.

"They've been conducting a visual search of an area looking for any signs of a lift raft or debris."

The Orion was searching a 3300 square nautical mile area, about 125km east-northeast of the North Cape, in sweeps of two nautical miles.

It was not known how long today's search would take to complete.

Yesterday, the Tauranga-based Phillips search and rescue helicopter performed a two-hour coastal search from Port Waikato to New Plymouth.

It followed an extensive aerial shoreline search along the northern west coast of New Zealand - an area determined by RCCNZ based on drift modelling from the last known position of the yacht.

The 84-year-old wooden vessel, owned by American David Dyche, 58, was heading for Newcastle, Australia.

Mr Dyche was travelling with his 60-year-old wife, Rosemary, their son David, 17, a 35-year-old British man and well-known maritime technology expert Evi Nemeth, 73.

An 18-year-old American woman and 28-year-old American man were also on board.

They left the Bay of Islands on May 29 and their last communication was a text on June 4.

- APNZ

[David_Old_Jersey]

Latest update from RCCNZ - Sunday, 30 June 2013: 6.45pm (NZ) / 6.45am (GMT/UTC) .....NZ is 12 hours ahead of GMT/UTC.

Grave concerns for missing schooner: update 5 - Maritime New Zealand

"30 June 2013: 6.45pm

An aerial search for the crew of the historic American 21m (70ft) schooner Nina missing en route from Opua in the Bay of Islands to Newcastle, Australia, has been undertaken today (30 June) without sucess.

The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) today tasked an RNZAF P3 Orion to search an area to the north-east of Northland. The P3 Orion arrived at the search area at around 8am and searched until approximately 4pm. The search used visual and radar methods to look for any sign of the missing schooner or its life raft.

“Today’s search covered an area of 4,830 square nautical miles. Visibility was good, but unfortunately there was no sign of the missing life raft or schooner,” said RCCNZ Mission Controller Mike Roberts.

Today’s search followed an extensive aerial shoreline search undertaken along the northern west coast of New Zealand, an area determined by RCCNZ based on drift modelling from the last known position of the yacht on 4 June and two days of coastal searching.

RCCNZ is liaising with Rescue Coordination Centre Australia (RCC Australia), and will continue to review search options. RCC Australia is assisting RCCNZ with broadcasts on coastal radio. New Zealand Maritime Radio is continuing to conduct broadcasts in New Zealand’s search and rescue region. Mr Roberts said the search is under review and a debrief will be held overnight, before a decision on the next stage of the search operation."

No mention that they think the Nina can only have sunk (which the BBC reporting yesterday implied)......nonetheless they are covering that possibility .

[slipstreamcat]

Hi David re BBC they may have picked up from Neville Blackemore on TVNZ 1 when he was giving an update he said we believe a catastrophic event has happened but we must still have hope.The Orion they are using in the search is the very latest upgraded one & they have told Ted if a sub put up a scope they would see it.The fixed wing had a pilot plus three trained observers on board & could stay up for 7 hours.We will get an update in the morning to the next steps,at the moment there are a few very sad people here in Opua me one of the most as I took Evi to Nina & dropped her at the dock before she sailed.Cheers Tony.

[Friend of Nina]

Ok does anyone have anymore new ideas for RCC? They can only do so much unless new information or senarios. Cherie

[Blue Stocking]

I am "willing" that Nina brings them home. She knows how to do it.