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Sail-World.com : Ocean capsize for catamaran - registered beacon meant quick rescue

Ocean capsize for catamaran - registered beacon meant quick rescue

'Anna Valdivia - abandoned, now a navigation hazard, floating upside down'    .
Two cruising sailors have been rescued from stormy seas off Niue, one of the most remote inhabited islands of the South Pacific, after their catamaran capsized yesterday. Rescuers said later that, even though the catamaran capsized in very remote waters, the fact that the EPIRB was registered contributed to their swift and efficient rescue.

The American skipper of Anna Valdivia, a 17m catamaran, and his New Zealand crewman were about 125 nautical miles west of Niue when they set off their emergency locator beacon about 4pm.

Local weather reports indicated heavy seas and storm conditions. Repeated efforts to contact the yacht were unsuccessful, despite Anna Valdivia having a range of communications equipment on board.

Nuie location -  .. .  
An Air Force P3 Orion located the men, one still on board Anna Valdivia, and one in an inflatable dinghy, about 11pm and watched over them until cargo ship Forum Pacific picked them up at 6am.

Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) spokesman Mike Roberts said the fact the beacon was GPS-enabled had greatly assisted the men's rescue.

'We were able to accurately pinpoint the location of the vessel and send the Orion directly to the scene. Given the stormy conditions, the speed that we were able to reach the men made a huge difference to their safety,' he said

'Furthermore, the fact the beacon was registered meant we were able to contact the skipper's home and obtain information as to who was on board and what kind of equipment they had with them.'

The sailors were now safely on board Forum Pacific en route to Niue.

The catamaran is still floating and is a navigation hazard. A navigation warning had been broadcast to other vessels advising of the location of the capsized catamaran, Roberts said.




by Sail-World Cruising round-up

  

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10:20 PM Sun 1 Aug 2010 GMT



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