Never to be slept in again - Historic Yacht Lost

by The Herald/Sail-World Cruising on 9 Jul 2008 This luscious looking cabin will never be slept in again, after the historic yacht Tho Pa Ga, normally berthed in Ibiza, tragically sank off the coast of France this week. A Plymouth-based ferry came to the rescue, saving the crew from the ocean after the historic yacht sank off France.

Brittany Ferries’ Pont Aven diverted its route to pick up five Spanish crew who were aboard the Tho Pa Ga, from a liferaft. Subsequently three of the crew were picked up and flown to hospital by a French helicopter.

The ferry, which was going from Santander in Spain to Plymouth, got a rescue call from the Tho Pa Ga which was sinking off Brest in France.

The Tho Pa Ga, a 1924-built yacht, was sailing to Brest for a yachting festival when at around 1.30am early Tuesday, crew reported seawater coming into the boat and alerted rescue services.

Captain Gilles Quere of the Pont Aven, said: 'There was no choice about turning back. We had to go and help.' The Pont Aven diverted 25 miles to the yacht. By the time it arrived the yacht had sunk amid 25 knot winds and four to five metre high waves.

The Captain added: 'Our crew are trained for such situations. It was an efficient and well-managed reaction.'

One holidaymaker aboard the ferry said: 'It was all happening around us, very exciting. The rescue was extremely quick.'

All crew are safe and well.

The Pont Aven was about an hour and half late arriving in Plymouth. Organisers of Festival Brest 2008 thanked the crew of the Pont Aven.

Vale - about the Tho Pa Ga:

THÖ-PA-GA was an historic fore-and-aft Schooner. She was well-known at the beginning of the last century as a Mediterranean 'pailebot' and was used to transport general cargo sailing between Ibiza, Spain, France & North Africa, carrying an average of 230 tons of freight per trip. Until 1984, the schooner carried general cargo between the French Caribbean Islands.

The boat was built in 1924 by the shipyard of the Navarro Brothers in Spain and for this reason she was originally named 'Tres Hermanos' (The Three Brothers). She was constructed of pitchpine cut at the full moon and dried for 30 years in the shade. Her lines, profile and speed have always been envied and admired.

This wooden schooner was famous in Western Europe as being the only sailing ship with her cargo hall still in prime condition. Cargo capacity was 100m³, with a cargo hatch that offered an opening of 18m² on deck and was sealed with the original wooden hatches.

After being converted for the tourist trade, accommodation was for 10 guests in 3 Double cabins with Washbowl, and 4 Single berths in the convertible Saloon.

She had been berthed at her original location, the old harbour of Ibiza (Balearic Islands).