Despite pleas from Marine Rescue to keep supplies of boat fuel stocked over the recent long weekend, a 6.3m Bar Crusher nearly became a shipwreck on Friday, January 26.
The pleasure craft, valued at about $150,000, almost struck tragedy off Box Head peninsula, south of Pretty Beach and Hardys Bay when it ran out of fuel.
A mayday call came from the skipper of the vessel with four people on board advising the craft was being drawn to the rocks east of Box Head on Friday afternoon.
Reports from maritime sources suggest conditions on Brisbane Water were 20–25 knots, powered by nor’westerly winds and half-metre seas.
Marine Rescue’s main rescue craft Central Coast 21 was dispatched from the Point Clare base immediately, reaching the distressed vessel within 25 minutes.
When the crew entered Broken Bay, the wind had shifted to a sou’westerly blowing around 20-25 knots, the tide was ebbing and the seas were 2-3m on the bar and 1.5-2m in Broken Bay.
The ship was located about 300m east of Box Head and a line was attached before it was towed to the leeward side of Lion Island, where it waited for about 10 minutes to be handed over to another boat from the Hawkesbury Marine Rescue Unit, which took the vessel south of Brooklyn, back to the Parsley Bay ramp.
In other incidents over the long weekend, a father and his two daughters were set to enjoy the sights of Waterfall Bay by canoe.
Unfortunately, the wind picked up, preventing paddle power from adequately pushing the trio of adventurers to return to Woy Woy Bay.
Marine Rescue Central Coast’s Rescue Watercraft unit, CC10 and CC11 were dispatched to the site and towed the adventurous trio to safety.
A small yacht ran aground on the western side of St Huberts Island, requiring Marine Rescue Central Coast ‘s help as rescue watercraft vessels (aka professional jet skis) and CC22 saved the day by pulling the yacht out backwards.
Marine Rescue Central Coast is currently looking for new volunteers and will be holding an information evening on Thursday February 8, with a second set for Saturday February 10.
For more information, contact the Point Clare base on 4337 9600 or read the MRCC Facebook pages.