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Emergency services were notified at about 11pm after the yacht struck rocks at Motukawiti Island, about 4 km offshore from Matauri Bay in Northland.


 


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Coastguard vessels and the Northland Rescue Helicopter responded to the incident and the yacht was located at about 1am 500 metres North of Motukawiti Island.


 


When the rescue vessel arrived the yacht had sunk, with only mast and sails above the water.


 


There was no sign of the skipper who was the sole occupant.


 


The search continued for the skipper, and at about 1.30am he was found by the Manaia Rescue vessel swimming in the sea.


 


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11391684


 


hopefully we'll find out;


 


- how he got to hit the rocks


 


- how the mayday call went out


 


- why he wasn't in a tender of some sort


 


- if he had a lifejacket, strobe etc


 


- if they found him swimming towards the island or being carried off by the current...


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hopefully we'll find out;

- how he got to hit the rocks

- how the mayday call went out

- why he wasn't in a tender of some sort

- if he had a lifejacket, strobe etc

- if they found him swimming towards the island or being carried off by the current...

 

I just read this too and a bunch of similar questions went through my mind. The article seemed to raise more questions than it answered.

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great follow up in today's herald

 

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http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11391768

 

apparently he thought he could take his classic, logan mullet,for the first time through the cavailli inner passage with no gps or sounder, at night with just the chart and lights on shore to guesstimate position

 

didn't work and he ran up on rocks

 

he put in the mayday, was able to stay with the boat, with life jacket on, shining a light on to the sails for the 2 hours it took coastguard to get a boat next to him 

 

then swam across to their boat 

 

Screenshot_2.jpg

 

the pickmere atlas shows the area better than the chart above

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Mr Stemson said that after the capsize, he clambered up the mast and perched on the spreader, shining his torch on the sail for his rescuers.

He blamed the topographical map he had for showing a "totally insufficient outline of what was there".

"In fact, I sailed into a minefield of small rocky islands, which just weren't clear on the map at all.

"I think it's a significant short-sight of the hydrographic department. The minefield was indicated to be further north; it was actually further south."

He also blamed a lack of lighting on the east coast of Northland for his misadventure, but conceded he did not have sonar or an electronic GPS system on his yacht.

"I had charts and good experience, but I hadn't actually been through that channel before."

I hope Celox is retrievable.

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Mr Stemson said that after the capsize, he clambered up the mast and perched on the spreader, shining his torch on the sail for his rescuers.

He blamed the topographical map he had for showing a "totally insufficient outline of what was there".

"In fact, I sailed into a minefield of small rocky islands, which just weren't clear on the map at all.

"I think it's a significant short-sight of the hydrographic department. The minefield was indicated to be further north; it was actually further south."

He also blamed a lack of lighting on the east coast of Northland for his misadventure, but conceded he did not have sonar or an electronic GPS system on his yacht.

"I had charts and good experience, but I hadn't actually been through that channel before."

Can't help but think this guy must be extremely arrogant making a comment like this... Having never sailed through this passage before, he tries to go through at night, with a Topographical Map and thinking he would be able to rely on lighting from the islands? I'm hoping he means marine chart rather than Topographical Map...

 

Does anyone here try to sail through a narrow passage known to be full of rocky outcrops for the first time in the dark?

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Make that a damn sight *LESS* charitable view... in fact a jaundiced and cynical eye might even think he was trying the same thing again... except without the possibility of burning someone to death...

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Make that a damn sight *LESS* charitable view... in fact a jaundiced and cynical eye might even think he was trying the same thing again... except without the possibility of burning someone to death...

He was uninsured.

Seems like hes just a dick

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seems his personal radar

 

is bit skewiff

 

leading him to a life of rocky shores

 

eg blaming the charts

 

when it seems more likely 

 

he simply wasn't where he thought he was

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 I met this guy last night in New World car park, he saw the sign writing on the side of my ute and started talking (non stop for 30 minutes). The long and short of it all, he used a cell phone to call 111 and was up to his chest when they got all his details. I asked him why he went through that gap (which I wouldn't do in day light) he said it was so that he could see the rocks in the moonlight. He seemed more interested in focusing his story on the lack of lights in the area and the issues he had as a result of his decisions rather than the decisions themselves.

 The boat, as a result of a poorly executed salvage, is now in 2 halves and it might be back in Opua. He had owned the boat for 3 years and apparently it is full of worm holes and rot. He is going to offer it to the Maritime museum in Auckland.

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