Sad news from Australian East Coast

[GILow]

Two bodies wash up on beach north of Newcastle after yacht goes missing - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

I found this in the news this morning.


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[PortClydeMe]

Originally Posted by GILow

Two bodies wash up on beach north of Newcastle after yacht goes missing - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

I found this in the news this morning.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Sad story. Sometimes, it feels that the east coast of Australia is the new Bermuda Triangle. The Kaz II story has always intrigued me. Very odd.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaz_II


Then there's the 1928 Schooner "Nina".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBpS3gAg3tE

[JPA Cate]

It is sad, Matt.

The survivors are not having a nice day.

Ann

[JPA Cate]

On a different note, the Nina was lost somewhere in the Tasman Sea, between New Zealand and Australia, and a completely different type of deal..

The decedents were on an overnight delivery in a small boat, presumably fiberglass, not timber like the Nina.

The East coast of Oz is currently experiencing a lot of shark activity: the sharks have followed the food supply in closer to shore than usual, and there have been a number of incidents involving surfers and sharks over the last two months.

Ann

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

The East coast of Oz is currently experiencing a lot of shark activity: the sharks have followed the food supply in closer to shore than usual, and there have been a number of incidents involving surfers and sharks over the last two months.

Ann

Yes, not thrilled about this either as I am redoing my PADI license in a few weeks off the NSW coast.


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[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by GILow

Yes, not thrilled about this either as I am redoing my PADI license in a few weeks off the NSW coast.


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Matt, make sure there is no Barbeque sauce on your wetsuit!

Jim

[Wotname]

Not much detail yet, anyone local know the weather conditions at the time?

Possible single MOB followed by second MOB trying to assist the first???

Only clue is that dinghy was also washed ashore.

[PortClydeMe]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

On a different note, the Nina was lost somewhere in the Tasman Sea, between New Zealand and Australia, and a completely different type of deal..

The decedents were on an overnight delivery in a small boat, presumably fiberglass, not timber like the Nina.

The East coast of Oz is currently experiencing a lot of shark activity: the sharks have followed the food supply in closer to shore than usual, and there have been a number of incidents involving surfers and sharks over the last two months.

Ann

I'm very familiar with the sad "Nina" story. I was merely pointing out the "New Bermuda Triangle" aspect of it all.

John

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Not much detail yet, anyone local know the weather conditions at the time?

Possible single MOB followed by second MOB trying to assist the first???

Only clue is that dinghy was also washed ashore.

None of the observations I can find show significant wind at the time, but they are all shore based observations, I don't know the East Coast at all well, so don't know how relevant they are.

I wonder if the "small dinghy" was launched as a life raft from a sinking boat. If the dinghy was an inflatable it would still be washed ashore if the occupants had been unable to stay in it. I imagine an inflatable small enough for a 26 footer would be difficult to stay in on the open ocean.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by GILow

None of the observations I can find show significant wind at the time, but they are all shore based observations, I don't know the East Coast at all well, so don't know how relevant they are.

I wonder if the "small dinghy" was launched as a life raft from a sinking boat. If the dinghy was an inflatable it would still be washed ashore if the occupants had been unable to stay in it. I imagine an inflatable small enough for a 26 footer would be difficult to stay in on the open ocean.

Well I do like to speculate…

Small yacht (26'), short coastal passage, two crew >70, probably remained reasonably close to shore, thus coastal observations should suggest similar weather for vessel.

Most (all?) Aussie boats carry the required EPRIB but this apparently not activated therefore suggests either sudden catastrophic loss of boat or progressive MOB's. Perhaps one launched dinghy to assist the other and then it went pear shaped.

Whatever happened, it is sad and a reminder that bad outcomes do occur.

[DumnMad]

Daily Mail report says big waves. Not big when looking at "passage weather" but they could be steepening up and irregular close to shore and therefore big for a small boat.
Sad ending to a good adventure.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by DumnMad

Daily Mail report says big waves. Not big when looking at "passage weather" but they could be steepening up and irregular close to shore and therefore big for a small boat.
Sad ending to a good adventure.

Possibly encountered a spot of strong east coast current (northerly) set against southerly weather???

But hard to imagine that would cause sudden sinking but might cause MOB.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by PortClydeMe

I'm very familiar with the sad "Nina" story. I was merely pointing out the "New Bermuda Triangle" aspect of it all.

John

Your 'new Bermuda Triangle' is a bit of a stretch.

Nothing unusual that is not explained happens on the East Coast.

It's simply another sad story the rest of us can heed to the safety lessons, yet again.

[PortClydeMe]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

Your 'new Bermuda Triangle' is a bit of a stretch.

Nothing unusual that is not explained happens on the East Coast.

It's simply another sad story the rest of us can heed to the safety lessons, yet again.

My statement was tongue-in-cheek. Not making light of this sad story, yet the unexplained Kaz II incident has always intrigued me.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by PortClydeMe

My statement was tongue-in-cheek. Not making light of this sad story, yet the unexplained Kaz II incident has always intrigued me.

I had not heard of it before until you posted. It is intriguing based on the wiki article. It looks like the authorities did a thorough task in investigating it thought. no doubt in the end just one mistake after another.