Weather Forces Pair To Abandon Sailing Vessel

March 8, 2014

Two people aboard the sailing vessel “Bull” bound for Bermuda were rescued today [Mar 8] by a nearby merchant vessel after abandoning the boat when it started taking on water in rough seas.

The cargo ship “Crown Sapphire” was diverted to the sailing vessel by Harbor Radio and the two people on the sailing vessel safely abandoned their boat and climbed a cargo net onto the ships deck without serious injury.

Harbour Radio staff were kept busy with other incidents including a boat that parted with its moorings, a boat sinking at its moorings, issuing notices about an abandoned boat drifting off Bermuda and watch keepers are monitoring a Bermuda bound sloop which has suffered damage and is continuing on its way to the island with steering problems.

A Bermuda Maritime Operations spokesperson said, “Due to today’s inclement weather it proved to be a busy time for the watch-keepers at Bermuda Radio when gusts in excess of 50 knots made for treacherous conditions out at sea.

“Sailing vessel “Bull”, en-route to St Georges from Stuart, Florida, got into difficulty around 100 nautical miles to the SW of Bermuda.

“The Swedish registered 33ft vessel with two persons on board, began to take on water and activated their EPIRB [Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon] at approx 3.45pm, with Bermuda radio receiving the distress alert a few minutes later.

“A 10,000 ton refrigerated cargo ship was located using Satellite tracking and re-routed to assist the stricken vessel, while the US Coastguard also dispatched a C-130 fixed wing aircraft equipped with life rafts that can be parachuted into the area if need be.

“Merchant vessel “Crown Sapphire” arrived on scene a short while later but was unable to dispatch a life boat due to strong winds and rough seas, but instructed the crew to abandon into their liferaft which was then towed alongside the Merchant vessel.

“Both persons were rescued without serious injury as they scaled a cargo net onto the ships deck to safety above.

“Bermuda Radio is also maintaining contact with the 53ft Swiss registered sloop “Ketupa” which is bound for Bermuda from Miami. The vessel with 3 persons on board has suffered steering problems due to rudder failure and has lost her boom. The vessel is making headway towards the Island on her foresail, and should arrive sometime on Monday.

“Bermuda Radio was also busy with local incidents when a 31ft Mainship parted its moorings in Hamilton harbour and was rescued by on lookers as it hit the outer wall of the Royal Hamilton Dinghy Club.

“EPIRB activations were received from a vessel that sunk on its moorings in Hungry bay, and another vessel that had previously been abandoned and was drifting around 170 nautical miles North Bermuda.”

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Category: Accidents and fires, All, News

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  1. Swedish Pair Back On Land After Boat Rescue | Bernews.com | March 12, 2014
  1. bluebird says:

    Wrong time of the year to be sailing the north Atlantic in a small boat DAH!

  2. wow says:

    I hope this was not the one parked in St Geo Yesterday by the docken stool. that was such a nice craft.

  3. Raymond Ray says:

    After having to abandon a 30ft. sailing vessel,(an Islander design)off of the coast of Antigua after a 10 day passage back in 1986 having encountering foul weather..We were 5 days outside of Bermuda and having to make a choice of going on or turning back but we’d obviously chose to go on and ultimately had made the wrong chose :-(
    During this passage we’d burnt out 2 “Tiller-Masters” (auto pilots) leaving no choice but to man the tiller doing 6 hrs. watches,(myself and one other person)The seas and wind became progressively worse as each day passed from the 4th day to 10th day when we were, (unfortunately) shipwrecked on Cages Barrier Reef off of the East coast Antigua South of English Harbour.
    My point, there isn’t any right time to make transatlantic passages…the weathers can and do change,(literally) in a blink of an eye.