Snapped rudder and flat batteries cause Mayday in 'new' yacht
by Sail-World Cruising on 21 Apr 2010
Sequilla being towed through the Southport Seaway - photo by Mike Batterham SW
A broken rudder, lost steering and flat batteries were the cause of a 10 metre 'new' yacht calling a Mayday off Point Danger on the border of Queensland and New South Wales this week. The four sailors, who were rescued by the Southport Volunteer Marine Rescue, said they were still happy with their newly purchased yacht.
They had set off from Brisbane in the yacht, the Sequilla, intending to deliver it to Melbourne, but disaster struck soon after midnight while they were sailing off the Gold Coast.
Crewman Roly Delange was struck in the face by a swinging boom. He told the Gold Coast Bulletin that 'all hell' broke loose when the rudder snapped, and they lost steering. Then they found that they could not start the engine because the batteries on the just purchased boat were flat.
Skipper John Spicer said that he had feared that they would not make it through the night.`The waves came up and the wind was really blowing so it was pretty hairy,' he said.`You have all the things in your head that you're not going to get back here.'
Southport Volunteer Marine Rescue found the men about 11 nautical miles of Point Danger the next morning and towed them back to their base on the Broadwater.
Despite the drama Mr Spicer said was still upbeat about their new boat. ``We started off on the wrong foot but it can only get better,' he said.
The four sailors said they would continue on to Melbourne, but maybe they would freight the boat instead of sailing it.
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