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Djarraluda · 05-09-2015, 17:31

It was a bit of an ask anyway and you would expect to have a hard time on the trip.
The guys set out, with 30kn winds and 4m swells forecast for an overnight trip North along a stretch of coast with heaps of anchored bulkers awaiting access to Newcastle, then along a notorious stretch of dunes (read shoaling, sandy coast) to access Port Stephens.

TopHat · 05-09-2015, 18:26

Yes they would expect a tough Thursday although not a totally adverse forecast, until the predicted SW change occurred, which happened around 2100.
I don't know what the sea state was, but I don't recall large seas or swell then.
Bom observations Latest Coastal Weather Observations Newcastle Nobbys recorded at Nobbys WNW avg 15kts gusting 20-25kts Thursday arvo/evening....then Thursday night/Friday morning predominatly SW 10-15kts gusting 20-22kts.

Maybe an unnoticed thru-hull failure, before it was too late, pure speculation though.

Rustic Charm · 05-09-2015, 19:19

One of the men who died was the famous artist Piers Dudley Batman.

Still continuing search this morning for the yacht remains. Apparently they found a jerry can further along the beach but don't know if it belonged to them. One of the men were found with a life jacket on.

It's odd that it doesn't seem to be generating a lot of news..

**JPA Cate** · 05-09-2015, 21:34

Unless the little yacht or its remains are found, what news could we actually expect. I'm sure the survivors are stuck into funeral plans.

Besides, unless you're a fellow sailor, how much does it matter to you when a sailor who is a stranger to you dies?

Although the Top Hat is a small yacht, we know a couple who circumnavigated in one, and another couple who sailed one from Australia to Canada and return, via Mexico. They are not incompetent boats.

While it is true that from Newcastle, one sails almost due east to get to Pt. Stephens, but leaving from Pittwater, doing an over-nighter, one's course would take them outside all the drifting tankers and other commercial ships. If you take a look at what the EAC has been doing, you'll likely see that it has an eddy off Seal Rocks, and I personally doubt they would have had strong adverse currents. The wind waves would have carried them generally NW, so I would expect any wreckage to have wound up more or less with the bodies, unless it sank. If it sank, there will be little found in the way of evidence, I would think.

One of the men was nude. This suggested to us that perhaps he was asleep below when whatever happened took place.

I'm sure the families would like to know what happened, it's a tough row to hoe.

Ann

GILow · 05-09-2015, 21:47

Ann I think you captured it regarding the "news worthiness". I probably would not have given the news article more than a passing thought for the families left behind but for the fact that I will always harbour a small fear that the same could happen to me.

However, I hope, like me, that they were doing what they loved and I'd rather go that way than chained safely to my desk wondering "what if?"

My condolences to the families and I hope they take solace from the likelihood that the victims were doing something more than the mundane of day to day life in the suburbs.

Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Dieter Volga · 05-09-2015, 22:42

I live on the east coast of NSW. There was a bad weather front going trough with much rain and heavy winds.But no indication of a new Bermuda triangle. Still very tragic.
May god bless their souls.

**Jim Cate** · 06-09-2015, 00:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dieter Volga

I live on the east coast of NSW. There was a bad weather front going trough with much rain and heavy winds.But no indication of a new Bermuda triangle. Still very tragic.
May god bless their souls.

Dieter, the quote below that relates the observations at knobby's head show that there wasn't all that much wind, despite your statement. The Tophat is small, but a pretty decent sea boat. Those conditions themselves shouldn't have caused them much grief.

I hope that the boat is recovered, but at this time it is becoming less likely.
And being 77 myself, I can't help a small frisson...

Jim

Quote:

Bom observations Latest Coastal Weather Observations Newcastle Nobbys recorded at Nobbys WNW avg 15kts gusting 20-25kts Thursday arvo/evening....then Thursday night/Friday morning predominatly SW 10-15kts gusting 20-22kts.

billgewater · 06-09-2015, 02:22

Sad news, but probably the greatest Australian maritime mystery surrounds the loss of the Patenela a 19 m (in November 1988) steel boat that was regarded as "unsinkable" due to its over-engineering and multiple water tight bulkheads. It was "lost" in calm seas off the NSW coast with no answers except a lifebuoy that turned up much later. Check it out on the internet. Scary stuff indeed.

**Wotname** · 06-09-2015, 02:41

Yes, the Patanella was (is) a true mystery.

El Pinguino · 06-09-2015, 02:54

Patanela was most likely run down by an Australian flag geared bulk carrier..... I could give you her name but I shan't.

That is a pretty busy bit of water the yacht just lost was sailing through.... I bet they will be having a pretty close look at what ship was where at about 0300...the approx time the crew's cell phones ceased to function.