Megwyn 2 Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Sunday to Tuesday - Is a diesel fuel tank normally that full? 20km East of Mayor Island - that's about 10nm right? Swells have been predominantly NE the last week or so. Is there a current out the other side of the Mayor? I know there is one on the Western side that takes you south. But I cannot think of anything NE of the Mayor where he would be dropping his anchor. They say they found a dingy 'some distance away' also. Hope he turns up ok. M Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Rocket Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Aldermans, Slipper are possible - no way I would park at Mayor heading from Tauranga to Paihia - the anchorages at Mayor aren't that flash and it is out of the way (and too close to Tauranga). My guess would be Aldermans - though I can't remember which way the wind was blowing. A boat can drift a long way in two days. Dinghy loose suggests he was trying to get back on board that way - maybe couldn't get into dinghy? A few months ago in the middle of a crowded anchorage at Kata Beach I saw a guy step off his boat into his dinghy and flip it. It sunk and he was left hanging onto his boat without the strength to pull himself out of the water. His wife was tugging on his arm but she was having no effect. Two of us nipped over and pulled him into our RIB and got him back on board, righted his dinghy and collected his floating stuff. We were one of the outermost boats, he was very tired, without us it might have been messy (it was beer o'clock). Can happen very quickly... Link to post Share on other sites
Megwyn 2 Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 My guess would be Aldermans - though I can't remember which way the wind was blowing. Sunday morning (8am) there was (I was told) 2m at the A buoy to the Tga entrance - the bar entrance here (Bowentown) was covered in breakers - meaning the Matakana Raid had to go back the inside. The wind started in the SE, and cycled around to the NE by afternoon. It has been NE to NW since. (from memory - hey - I don't go out there much when it is raining!). I have noted the sea looks lumpy - which from my limited experience means that there is about 1 1/2m swell, maybe more - but that is nothing for an 11m yacht under sail with an experienced skipper. They have not yet confirmed the dingy belonged to his yacht, though it does seem likely. Maybe he stopped 'at one of the beautiful islands for lunch'. M Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Rocket Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 I understand he makes this trip regularly Struggle to believe he would stop for lunch - sugest boat has drifted mostly south (average northerly wind). Hence I wouldn't be looking on Mayor I would go further north... I would start with the Aldermans (say Middle Island) as Slipper really doesn't have an overnight anchorage you could drift out of (land up on the Manaia Reef if parked in South Bay). Same goes for the Mercs pretty hard to drift out of Home Bay... Link to post Share on other sites
Grinna 2 Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Hard to understand anyone anchoring so close to the starting point of a coastal passage like that unless conditions were snottier than expected or something like that. Wonder if the anchor became unsecured while sailing? .... might lead to the dude going forward in a hurry (i.e. not clipped on or not wearing a PFD) to rectify the situation and going over the side. Just a thought. Link to post Share on other sites
Fogg 427 Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 I understand he makes this trip regularly Struggle to believe he would stop for lunch - sugest boat has drifted mostly south (average northerly wind). Hence I wouldn't be looking on Mayor I would go further north... I would start with the Aldermans (say Middle Island) as Slipper really doesn't have an overnight anchorage you could drift out of (land up on the Manaia Reef if parked in South Bay). Same goes for the Mercs pretty hard to drift out of Home Bay... The CG sounded pretty confident and upbeat on the radio this morning that they were looking in the right places but have you considered sharing your thoughts with them Rocket? Who knows, it could make a difference and couldn't do any harm. Link to post Share on other sites
Megwyn 2 Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Wonder if the anchor became unsecured while sailing? .... might lead to the dude going forward in a hurry (i.e. not clipped on or not wearing a PFD) to rectify the situation and going over the side. Just a thought. Good point Grinna. But why would the motor be running if that were the case? And the sails down? Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Rocket Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Have sent them an email AC Link to post Share on other sites
Fogg 427 Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Megwyn - because to run an anchor windlass often requires the engine to be running to give it power (although not in gear). Anyway, rather than speculation about how it happened, back to my previous post about where it might have happened, the text below from the Maritime NZ website suggests they are not looking in the areas that some of you (e.g. Rocket) think they should. So is someone who knows this area feeling like calling up the search authorities and sharing their opnion in case it helps? From Maritime NZ 15 February 2012 - 11.30am An aerial, land and on water search is continuing in the Bay of Plenty this morning for missing yachtsman Richard Rusbatch. The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) began the search for Mr Rusbatch, 56, with assistance from Western Bay of Plenty Police, around 9am yesterday, after a member of the public reported his unmanned 38 foot, single-masted yacht, the Honfleur circling about 11 nautical miles east of Mayor Island. “Today’s search is focusing on and around Mayor Island and an area out to the east, as this is where our search modelling predicts he is most likely to be” RCCNZ Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator John Ashby said. “We currently have two LandSAR teams combing Mayor Island for signs of Mr Rusbatch, with a Coastguard vessel searching the shoreline, and a fixed wing aircraft searching an approximately 900 square kilometre area from Mayor Island out to the East.” Aircraft spent much of yesterday looking for the missing yachtsman, focusing on a large area between Mayor and Motiti Islands. The search continued overnight, with the New Zealand navy vessel HMNZS Pukaki carrying out a shoreline search of Mayor Island with the aid of searchlights, and a search further offshore. Mr Ashby said evidence indicated it was likely Mr Rusbatch was intending to anchor off Mayor Island in an area called Honeymoon Bay, hence the focus of the search in that area today. Weather conditions in the area remained favourable for searching, he said. For further information contact: Maritime New Zealand Media Line Phone 04 499 7318 Link to post Share on other sites
Fogg 427 Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Have sent them an email AC Well done. Maybe give em a call too? Link to post Share on other sites
Megwyn 2 Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Megwyn - because to run an anchor windlass often requires the engine to be running to give it power (although not in gear). Thanks for that AC. I keep forgetting the big keelers have windlass's. M Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Rocket Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 I tried that AC (the phone call). Straight to voice mail, rang national office 5 minutes of non-human options then I just held and eventually got an operator who transferred me to the Eastern area admin person. They weren't "reponsible for rescues" and referred me to the guy on voicemail who I have left a message for previously (and emailed). Not that helpful as I really don't think my thoughts justify a 111 call... Maybe they should have a number on their website that takes calls - do they only operate on VHF - not very user friendly... Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Rocket Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Spoke to Tauranga Police (the guy running the SAR) the GPS was running so they know where he went, and he went to Mayor... Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 I guess it's still possible that he WAS wearing a PFD Link to post Share on other sites
Grinna 2 Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 AC, I agree that speculation doesn't assist in finding the guy (and I don't want to detract from that effort in any way), but I raised the thought because there was a possibility that the assumption of "anchoring gone wrong" may not have been the only scenario. From the sounds of it though, the GPS track info makes the "anchoring gone wrong" scenario the most likely. At the moment, the priority is to find the guy ... or to at least find out what happened. At some stage later on, it may be instructive to go over what went wrong and how it can be avoided so that we can at least learn from this incident. Link to post Share on other sites
Fogg 427 Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Spoke to Tauranga Police (the guy running the SAR) the GPS was running so they know where he went, and he went to Mayor... Well done for persisting and finally speaking to someone more useful. On the radio this morning the spokesman talked about the engine running, anchor down and "other evidence" suggesting he had tried anchoring there... sounds like the GPS track history was part of the evidence. Either way, I'm sure they appreciate any suggestions from informed people who know the area. Fingers crossed that there's still hope yet... Link to post Share on other sites
Battleship 100 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I don't think Mayor was the best option for him with the Easterlies we have been having there would have been a bit of a lift, Often at Mayor you have to move 3 times a night just to stay out of the swell. If he fell from the boat while anchoring he would have been easily within swimming range as the Bays are very small, doesn't bode well at this stage. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 It just sounds too simple an explanation to be realistic. Surely he could swim and surely the drift wouldn't have been that pronounced?....especially dragging an anchor......and there is always SOMETHING to grab hold of around the stern of a yacht that size. Just doesn't really add up.......unless he became somehow incapacitated..... Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Rocket Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Contest29 you need to go to the movies. There isn't always something to grab - many high wooded boats with flush sterns have absolutely nothing to hang onto. Can't see the stern in Herald photo but it may well have ntg... Scenario could be either incapacitation of fall overboard try to climb the anchor chain while boat drifts out to sea (out of swimming range). Eventually too tired to hang on. Link to post Share on other sites
morspeed 1 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I never saw Richard wearing a pfd in the years i watched him run his charter business but he kept his boat in great condition and seemed to be very competent running his often busy boat owner/ operator style with out additional crew. Never saw him drink or do stupid stuff on the water in the years i lived in Russell ( i was working as charter skipper in the Bay during this time) but only had an occasional passing chat with him so couldn't say i am a great judge of his character/ability. His boat "Honfluer" is a Bene with a open walk through transom and if my memory serves me correct he purchased it offshore many years ago and sailed it down to NZ. Link to post Share on other sites
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