Salona motoring to Southport now Pan-Pan resolved
by Lisa Ratcliff on 27 Mar 2007
Salona - 2007 Audi Sydney Southport race SW
At 5pm yesterday afternoon, Audi Sydney Southport entrant Salona, a Sydney boat owned by Phillip King, radioed a Pan-Pan to signal an onboard emergency that has since been resolved.
When they made the distress call they reported they were without a working engine and believed the boat’s mast was going through the deck, which meant they could no longer sail the boat.
A vessel from Volunteer Marine Rescue (VMR) Brunswick Heads went and stood by them while they drifted south of Cape Byron. VMR had planned to remain with the vessel until morning when the situation could be assessed, however at 9pm tonight the crew advised they had managed to start their engine and were motoring to Southport.
The engine failed to start due to the fact that salt water had got into the fuel tank. The crew drained the fuel and managed to successfully separate the water from the diesel, allowing the engine to start.
Salona is currently travelling northwards at 5-6 knots and is due into Southport in 5-6 hours, between 2am and 3am tomorrow morning, Tuesday 27 March.
At the time of the incident, the crew advised they were in no immediate danger and that the breeze was 25 knots and the seas were heavy.
Ian Thomson’s Queensland boat Identity Crisis, the last boat in the Audi Sydney Southport fleet, was also monitoring the situation and had offered to assist if required.
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