Yacht Missing down Bluff way

[Pelagic Mountie 4]

I spent 5 weeks down there in February surveying Chalky and Preservation for a nautical chart update. There's a good safety network with the fisherman and Meri (Bluff fishermans radio) is such a star reading out the weather every evening and doing a role call of all the boats in the area. Everyone looks out for each other. Sounds like the skipper could've made a bit more use of this. It's a beautiful and stunning area but so extremely exposed outside the Inlets. Worth a look if you go about it carefully.

[GregW 28]

BTW Munetra was made up using the letters of the original owners' children.

 

There was a nice double page picture in NZ Boating when they wrote a feature about small boats and cost effective cruising whilst we were starting in a SIMRAD race. (Modest, friendly, nice, good looking fellow on the helm with the owner doing all the work. We were both a few years younger. Just my humble opinion, you understand. )

 

Munetra was also the subject of the original Sea Spray Raven 26 boat test back in 1971 or so. I've sailed a few Ravens and always felt safe on them. They are good solid boats, but all that counts for nought if the skipper is inexperienced or just plain stupid.

[Chewing Gum 17]

I spent 5 weeks down there in February surveying Chalky and Preservation for a nautical chart update.

You mean like this

[Pelagic Mountie 4]

Yep, that's us. Sweet place for a job, but I would've rather been cruising as you were. Think I remember seeing your boat, maybe in Lake Cove or North Port.

[Chewing Gum 17]

Yes - we were in both those places. The whole area is pretty amazing, like nothing else in NZ, wild, remote and pretty well untouched. Of course as well as wet, windy, cool and lots of bities. But as long as you are geared up for it, special.

[Guest]

Debris washed up?

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/1001481 ... hes-ashore

[wheels 543]

Goes to show how Debris can scatter far a wide. Interesting there was a Liferaft, sad it wasn't able to save them.

[Guest]

Bugger, this is panning out as suspected. That's a real shame.

[wheels 543]

I think She sank, because there is no debris as in bits of wood and smaller items etc. Although it's possible there is and just haven't been found yet. I also thought wow what a spread of debris, but actually when you look at the map, Debris starting from near the entrance to the Sound could spread in a direction taking in Stewart Island as well as the Mainland shoreline where the squab was found.

It is sobering to think that with all the searching, no one saw a Liferaft floating.

[Guest]

Very sad that no last position or even general location known. I note that Meri said in the media that last known position was Centre Island ... if they went west from here and foundered quite feasible debris washing up on Rakiura and in the Colac Bay / Pahia area. Still very sad.

[too_tall 15]

It is sobering to think that with all the searching, no one saw a Liferaft floating.

 

 

Indeed it is - and with the price of an eprib, why the hell do people not have them? We have 3 on the yacht - a couple of small personal ones and a large, "typical" type... All are GPS based ones too so locating them should be a lot easier...

[Guest]

So Sad for everyone involved must be terrible for the familys in Europe with no closure,I wonder if the liferaft had been inflated or if there was any sign they had boarded it.?

[wheels 543]

I have been thinking about the situation that the Radio operator asked him to call when he reached his destination. But she didn't follow up on the fact that he didn't call, because he was like that. Not a lot of point asking if you don't then follow up on the lack of a call. Whether that would have saved anyone, no one is ever going to know of course. But I do think that maybe She should have followed up on that.

[Fish 0]

I have been thinking about the situation that the Radio operator asked him to call when he reached his destination. But she didn't follow up on the fact that he didn't call, because he was like that. Not a lot of point asking if you don't then follow up on the lack of a call. Whether that would have saved anyone, no one is ever going to know of course. But I do think that maybe She should have followed up on that.

No, I don't think she was obliged to do anything.

If he had asked her to call for help if he didn't report in, then yes. Or if he filed a trip report and didn't close it, yes definitely. But she was trying to convince him to do those things. She can quite rightly assume he just didn't want to call back.

[erice 732]

all those shear mountains down there

 

and he only had a handheld vhf?

 

would that be enough to remain in contact

[wheels 543]

No, I don't think she was obliged to do anything.

If he had asked her to call for help if he didn't report in, then yes. Or if he filed a trip report and didn't close it, yes definitely. But she was trying to convince him to do those things. She can quite rightly assume he just didn't want to call back.

Yes good point.

Another thought and pure speculation...... I suspect his Liferaft was obtained either with the Boat when he purchased it, or was obtained due to some other cheap deal. The reason I wonder this is because of the type of Boat he has and his lack in other equipment, such as using a HH VHF for his main radio. He seems to be a budget boater and it surprises me he has a Liferaft. So my point is, I wonder if the Liferaft was up to date? And a rather sobering thought that perhaps the Liferaft was deployed but did not inflate.