On Saturday, July 4 around 4:30pm, the volunteers on watch at Marine Rescue Central Coast received a call from the owner of a North Shore 33 yacht abeam Avoca Beach.
The four people on board had been enjoying the fine day on the water when they discovered the yacht had engine trouble. Rescue vessel Central Coast 22 was tasked to assist. Skipper, Mr Mark Sheehan and his crew, Mr Jim Robertson, Mr Paul Hanlon and Mr Bruce Lorking located the yacht east of Little Box Head.
In failing light, the vessel was towed to the safety of its mooring in Booker Bay. Central Coast 22 and CC22 returned to the Point Clare Base at 6:15pm. On Sunday, July 5, Central Coast 22 was engaged in a training exercise when the crew discovered a huge log, telephone pole size, floating between St. Huberts Island and Woy Woy.
It was semi-submerged and covered in weed. It was lucky the Marine Rescue crew spotted the log, as any craft hitting it at any speed would have been in great danger, especially at night. The boat crew attached a line and the log was slowly towed the log to shore for safe removal.
Media release, 5 July 2015
Ron Cole, Marine Rescue
Central Coast