Visit our Popular Forums

bruce in oz · 16-09-2009, 21:34

I was shipwrecked near the Zuytdorp Cliffs, Western Australia last week. During the incident I activated my GME 406 epirb and it and I were ultimately washed ashore as my yacht started breaking up on a reef at False Entrance. GME have offerred to replace it. Has anyone encountered any other epirb manufacturer who offers this level of support simply because the epirb was activated in a legitimate emergency?
cheers
bruce

MarkJ · 16-09-2009, 21:43

Thats great service!

What happened to you and your boat?

Glad your safe

**David M** · 16-09-2009, 21:51

Yes, tell us your story!

cdennyb · 17-09-2009, 07:36

post pictures if you can get ahold of some... tell us, tell us. Enquiring minds want to know.

bruce in oz · 17-09-2009, 23:03

the Western Australia cruising guide reckons "respite" can be taken at False Entrance, in view of the 100nm of coastal cliffs that come after that bay, dropping the pick and having a kip seemed like a good idea (solo sailor). Weather got progressively worse that night, realized later my anchor lines had snapped, the sound of something hitting rock (0545) was enough to encourage me to grab my grab bag and climb overboard. i could feel rock beneath me and swam/crawled ashore through the surf at first light 0615.

how the incident could have been prevented? to get a better idea of my history and some snaps have a look at my blog madenz.blogspot.com

weather: several yachts had been waiting in the immediately previous safe port 'Denham' & further north 'Carnarvon' for up to a month for a good weather break to tackle this notorious piece of isolated coast heading south. the prevailing southerly wind was forecast to turn west and average 15-25knots for a 2 day window. i met friends in the immediately previous safe 'Shelter Bay' who had been waiting a week, the day i arrived there. they (a couple) left that night, i left the next morning. they later told me it was the roughest weather they had encountered in their circumnavigation.
steeppoint.com.au for a better idea of this part of the coast.

yacht: this international voyage has lasted 5yrs without an engine, physically no engine, my choice. i could have motored out of this problem.

solo sailing: i would have been at least 5nm off the coast had i been sailing with crew.

things that prevented my possible death:
my inflatable tender was secured to the yacht with two bow lines, they both broke and i later found it on the beach. had they not broke i would have got in the thing when the waves started breaking over the yacht at 0100 and ridden it ashore, i probably would have drowned doing that.
i was wearing a full survival suit which protected me whilst in the water and crossing the reef.
the grab bag floated; it only contained 2flares, handheld vhf, phone, wallet, specs, muesli bar, 700ml water.

a 20l water container floated off the deck and ashore.

epirb? activating it didnt achieve anything, sea rescue was too late to save the yacht and the weather was too rough for them to take me off the beach. after sea rescue 'abandoned' me on the seriously isolated beach no one from maritime safety contacted me to see if i was ok. this may have happened without my knowledge.

insurance? didnt have it, always expected to die with the yacht.

MarkJ · 18-09-2009, 01:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruce in oz

100nm of coastal cliffs ..
..
5yrs without an engine, physically no engine, my choice. i could have motored out of this problem.
...
insurance? didnt have it, always expected to die with the yacht.

What a bugger. The not dieing with your yacht, bit... I mean thats a bit inconsiderate of fate?
Mind you, better to keep going than to climb the cliffs and jump.

Glad to hear you are safe and well!

I suppose, looking on the bright side of life, this is a whole new opening door for you.

Good luck

Mark

bruce in oz · 18-09-2009, 03:40

yeah bugger fate, i've already had two dinner engagements and am advertising for local mining & construction companies to host their safety meetings with a local shipwreck survivor.

and looking for anyone with a vacant beneteau that requires a boat-sitter for the cyclone season.

svstrider · 19-09-2009, 06:33

Glad you survived. Condolences on losing your boat. I enjoyed reading your blog. However, the idea of doing 11 nm in 11 hours is not my idea of fun. But I guess after 5 yrs of similar days, one would learn to go with the flow. I laughed reading how when you arrived at an island in the middle of nowhere and found some other bugger there continued sailing to the next island. LOL That's what I call solo sailing.

Good luck finding that empty Beneteau

bruce in oz · 19-09-2009, 15:45

chortle-chortle as it happened the yacht at Prudoe Island were the same friends I met further down the coast at Dampier, little did we know we were both about to be attacked by the same crocodile

Thanks for reading the blog Paul. I had the good fortune (yesterday) to be offered a short term $$contract at a remote mine, might get my own Beneteau.

**Paul Elliott** · 02-11-2009, 10:57

My PLB was activated in an "illegitimate non-emergency", while it was stowed inside my PLB. Apparantly I had leaned against something that punched into the activation button (although there was no evidence of this when I later inspected the PFD). This took place about 1000 miles from the nearest shore, so the Coast Guard (and my wife) were somewhat concerned.

Anyway, I later sent the PLB to ACR for them to examine, and they found the damage to the button. This was not their fault, but they replaced the PLB free of charge.

In case you are suffering from AOS (Acronym Overload Syndrome), PLB = Personal Locator Beacon, PFD = Personal Floatation Device, and ACR = ACR Electronics, the manufacturer of the aforesaid PLB.