Dinghy Safety - More to think about

by Kim Klaka on 5 Sep 2014 A strong offshore breeze at Rottnest Island odd Fremantle West Australia represents a significant risk to people going to and from shore or between boats.

Here courtesy of Fremantle Sailing Club's Cruising arms is a media report of a fatal incident from almost a decade ago and their current recommendations..

A dinghy belonging to missing couple David and Kathleen Walters has been found floating upside-down at sea, but there has been no sign of them.

They were last seen rowing the dinghy toward their yacht, moored off Rottnest Island just off the West Australian coast, on Monday evening.

Dr Walters, 70, an experienced yachtsman, and Mrs Walters, 69, had a meal with family members on the popular holiday island, and left in the dinghy about 9.45pm (WST).

The yacht, Bird of the Morning, was moored just 75 metres offshore in Thomson Bay.

A massive air and sea search was launched on Tuesday evening after the couple were reported missing, and police were alerted on Wednesday morning that the dinghy, Tinker, had been located by a crayfisherman overnight.
It was found floating upside down about 20 nautical miles north of Rottnest Island.

Acting Inspector Mark Platt of WA's Water Police said the discovery of the dinghy was not a positive sign.
'That news does not sound too good at all. Before, we were looking for a boat and hoping they were in it, and drifting along,' he said.

'We are missing two elderly people and we are trying desperately to locate them. It is hard to put a figure on [their chances of survival] - we just hold grave concerns for their safety.'

Initially, two fixed wing aircraft and 15 boats were involved in the search for the couple, taking in an area of about 1200 square kilometres from Rottnest Island to Lancelin.

Following the discovery of the dinghy, the search area has been scaled down, with police divers now searching the waters immediately surrounding the yacht.

Inspector Platt said conditions in the area on Monday night when they disappeared were rough, with winds of about 25 to 30 knots.

One theory being considered is the winds made it impossible for the couple to get back to the yacht, and one or both may have fallen out of the dinghy. They were never found.

Readers might be interested in the Fremantle Sailing Club Cruising Section's protocol on dinghy safety. It is not perfect but it's a start:

A strong offshore breeze at Rottnest represents a significant risk to people going to and from shore or between boats. Tenders should be equipped with:

• Life jackets (1 per person)
• Oars
• Hand-held VHF radio and/or Mobile phone
• Personal EPIRB
• Water-proof torch
• Small anchor plus 10m of line.

Use a buddy system watch out for each other, especially at night time. Leave your yacht’s anchor light turned on if you might be returning in the dark.