Another yacht driven ashore, skipper saved by harness.

by Sail-World Cruising on 17 Apr 2010 Last week we reported on a yacht which had been intentionally run ashore on a beach to prevent it running onto rocks and save the crew.

That was here in Bass Strait. (See http://www.sail-world.com/CruisingAus/Yacht-beached-in-Bass-Strait-after-18-hour-storm-battle/68471!story).

Now in another incident which demonstrates the value of a harness, a yacht has been run aground to safe the life of the skipper, hanging overboard, this time in South Africa.

The South African National Sea Rescue Institute has reported that a woman crew member has run a yacht onto an Eastern Cape beach near Port Elizabeth before dawn on Friday to save its dangling skipper.

Spokesman for the Institute Craig Lambinon said the 26ft yacht Charisma had left Port Elizabeth in the early hours of Thursday, and had headed north.

The skipper, 65-year-old Brian Duggett, went over the side in gale force winds while he was trying to start the engine at around 3.30am on Friday.

'According to their report to the NSRI, the skipper was wearing his harness but did not have the strength to pull himself back onboard,' Lambinon said.

'He managed to hold onto the motor at the back of the yacht and yelled instructions to his crew to beach the yacht onto the nearest land in an effort to save his life.'

The crew, 21-year-old Deborah Robinson, had then steered the vessel onto Boknes beach, south of Kenton-on-Sea, at about 4 am.

'The area where they have come aground is protected by an approximately one-mile-long reef but somehow the yacht, and the skipper dragging behind the yacht, made it through the reef unscathed,' Lambinon said.

NSRI Port Alfred and NSRI Port Elizabeth were alerted shortly after 8am, and found the Charisma hard aground.

Neither Duggett nor Robinson, both of Port Elizabeth, were injured.

Lambinon said the NSRI had helped remove valuables from the yacht and was assisting in salvage efforts.

Editor's notes:

Lessons from this? Wearing the harness undoubtedly saved the sailor's life. Quick thinking also helped in coming to the dramatic solution. The good outcome was also achieved by the crew's ability to steer the boat past the reef onto the beach.

Question: Can YOU get back on board from a position of hanging over the side of your yacht?