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Yacht capsize off Kurnell near Sydney

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Created by Trek > 9 months ago, 24 Sep 2018
lydia
1659 posts
24 Sep 2018 6:32AM
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Guys
Wasn't that boat on the site here a few months back.
New owner was posting.
From memory it had been purchased in Batemans Bay maybe.

Ramona
NSW, 7403 posts
24 Sep 2018 8:40AM
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This is "CC Rider", a Van de Stadt 29 that left Greenwell point 0500 yesterday. Terry the bloke that drowned was a little wiry bloke in his mid seventies. I did not meet the young woman that was with him. He was on his way to Bundaberg and I was a little surprised he was heading offshore with that forecast but I guess he thought he could take advantage of the fresh Southerly. He seemed experienced from conversations I had with him and seemed competent when I assisted him with a tow when the boat had shaft problems. He had apparently just done a delivery from Geelong to Sydney. The boat has a hard top over the cockpit which I reckon should have been removed but some people like that sort of thing.
This yacht was built in Wollongong in the seventies and was a successful offshore racer. Very well made hand laid fibreglass hull and deck and well fitted out. The photo is from last year with the previous owner on the bow.



twodogs1969
NSW, 1000 posts
24 Sep 2018 9:11AM
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That is the same one several on here were trying to sell for someone isn't it?
I sailed from Jibbon to botany bay yesterday aswell granted it was earlier but conditions we good 20+ knts small seas averaged 6.4 knts with only the head sail.
I thinks capsized may be a bit more then what happened would have been some damage to rigging and sail if that was the case.

Ramona
NSW, 7403 posts
24 Sep 2018 10:25AM
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twodogs1969 said..
That is the same one several on here were trying to sell for someone isn't it?
I sailed from Jibbon to botany bay yesterday aswell granted it was earlier but conditions we good 20+ knts small seas averaged 6.4 knts with only the head sail.
I thinks capsized may be a bit more then what happened would have been some damage to rigging and sail if that was the case.


I have been contacted by a couple of TV stations. One bloke who was at the site reckoned it was still rough and windy. He was of the opinion they had struck the reef.

This boat had two previous owners. Both bought off Gumtree. I can remember this boat featuring in an article in I think Seacraft in the seventies and I think it was one of the entries in the trans Tasman solo races of the period.

twodogs1969
NSW, 1000 posts
24 Sep 2018 11:49AM
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Ramona said..

twodogs1969 said..
That is the same one several on here were trying to sell for someone isn't it?
I sailed from Jibbon to botany bay yesterday aswell granted it was earlier but conditions we good 20+ knts small seas averaged 6.4 knts with only the head sail.
I thinks capsized may be a bit more then what happened would have been some damage to rigging and sail if that was the case.



I have been contacted by a couple of TV stations. One bloke who was at the site reckoned it was still rough and windy. He was of the opinion they had struck the reef.

This boat had two previous owners. Both bought off Gumtree. I can remember this boat featuring in an article in I think Seacraft in the seventies and I think it was one of the entries in the trans Tasman solo races of the period.


If he hit the reef that would be off boat harbour where it washed up. This is well inside cape Bailey he would need to turn right angles and sail a couple of mile to round it.
Will be interesting to here the full story.

Stockie
NSW, 343 posts
24 Sep 2018 12:33PM
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What a shame, Sounds like the news people have their info arse about. They are quoting the owner as we now know as Terry bought the yacht in QLD 4-months ago and this was his first time out.
However Boat Harbour in a Southerly is pretty much were you will end up if you are foundering in Bate Bay, that area with the reef is a good place to give a wide berth to in today's conditions. The two of them must have had a pretty horrendous night if they set off from Greenwell point on Sunday.
Cheers Richard

Bowsprit
1 posts
24 Sep 2018 11:06AM
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Stockie said..
What a shame, Sounds like the news people have their info arse about. They are quoting the owner as we now know as Terry bought the yacht in QLD 4-months ago and this was his first time out.
However Boat Harbour in a Southerly is pretty much were you will end up if you are foundering in Bate Bay, that area with the reef is a good place to give a wide berth to in today's conditions. The two of them must have had a pretty horrendous night if they set off from Greenwell point on Sunday.
Cheers Richard


Hi Stockie, I am a journalist looking at this story. Can you let me know if Terry was sailing to QLD? Do you know who his crew was or if she was a friend or family member? Thanks, F

UncleBob
NSW, 1199 posts
24 Sep 2018 1:12PM
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Bowsprit said..

Stockie said..
What a shame, Sounds like the news people have their info arse about. They are quoting the owner as we now know as Terry bought the yacht in QLD 4-months ago and this was his first time out.
However Boat Harbour in a Southerly is pretty much were you will end up if you are foundering in Bate Bay, that area with the reef is a good place to give a wide berth to in today's conditions. The two of them must have had a pretty horrendous night if they set off from Greenwell point on Sunday.
Cheers Richard



Hi Stockie, I am a journalist looking at this story. Can you let me know if Terry was sailing to QLD? Do you know who his crew was or if she was a friend or family member? Thanks, F


Hi, I reckon that Ramona, who posted earlier may be a good contact for you.
While you'r at it how about a piece on the ridiculous 90 day/28 day use limits in NSW waters.

Ramona
NSW, 7403 posts
24 Sep 2018 1:38PM
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Select to expand quote
Bowsprit said..

Stockie said..
What a shame, Sounds like the news people have their info arse about. They are quoting the owner as we now know as Terry bought the yacht in QLD 4-months ago and this was his first time out.
However Boat Harbour in a Southerly is pretty much were you will end up if you are foundering in Bate Bay, that area with the reef is a good place to give a wide berth to in today's conditions. The two of them must have had a pretty horrendous night if they set off from Greenwell point on Sunday.
Cheers Richard



Hi Stockie, I am a journalist looking at this story. Can you let me know if Terry was sailing to QLD? Do you know who his crew was or if she was a friend or family member? Thanks, F


Terry was sailing to Bundaberg. I have no idea who the 24 year old young lady is I never met her.

brett221
QLD, 128 posts
24 Sep 2018 2:02PM
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Looks like the bottom was not cleaned or the motor and autopilot fixed in the time she was at Greenwell Point.
Hope the young lady on-board recovers quickly and sail on Terry.

Sydney88
NSW, 108 posts
24 Sep 2018 2:06PM
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Prop appears to be pretty wrapped up with rope in this video www.9news.com.au/national/one-dead-cronulla-boat-capsized-wanda-beach/43b56b56-f096-4cf6-80d9-737af6e3c445

Ramona
NSW, 7403 posts
24 Sep 2018 2:24PM
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brett221 said..
Looks like the bottom was not cleaned or the motor and autopilot fixed in the time she was at Greenwell Point.
Hope the young lady on-board recovers quickly and sail on Terry.


The bottom was just scraped clean before he left. The engine exhaust was fixed by the previous owner and Terry had replaced the shaft flange. The tiller pilot was not working and I'm guessing why he had the young lady a long as crew. If he was solo I'm sure he would have kept clear of the coast. I guess we will get the full story from the young lady in due course.
What I find strange is no one seems to know his surname. I just called him Terry and had no need to know his full name!

twodogs1969
NSW, 1000 posts
24 Sep 2018 5:17PM
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Ramona said..

brett221 said..
Looks like the bottom was not cleaned or the motor and autopilot fixed in the time she was at Greenwell Point.
Hope the young lady on-board recovers quickly and sail on Terry.



The bottom was just scraped clean before he left. The engine exhaust was fixed by the previous owner and Terry had replaced the shaft flange. The tiller pilot was not working and I'm guessing why he had the young lady a long as crew. If he was solo I'm sure he would have kept clear of the coast. I guess we will get the full story from the young lady in due course.
What I find strange is no one seems to know his surname. I just called him Terry and had no need to know his full name!


By the shots on the news I'd would not employ that diver again huge clumps of growth.

Ramona
NSW, 7403 posts
24 Sep 2018 5:31PM
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twodogs1969 said..

Ramona said..


b




By the shots on the news I'd would not employ that diver again huge clumps of growth.


The young woman sailing as crew did the hull cleaning. Apparently she was along for the experience!

sirgallivant
NSW, 1529 posts
24 Sep 2018 5:35PM
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Stop this ridiculous spreading of fantasies or unfounded accusations guys!

Respect the departed for what he was and do not under any circumstances give ideas to newsmen of any sort.
Button your beak and mourn the departed, silently.

Vale Terry and CCRider!


Karsten
NSW, 331 posts
24 Sep 2018 8:11PM
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Yes, when you read about the Golden Globe sailor being rescued in the middle of nowhere at the moment, it is really tragic that Terry could loose his life in such seemly familiar surrounds.

Looking at the photos of the beached boat, you have to say that if you were to be blown onto a lee shore, such a benign, rock-free, wide beach would be one of the better locales.

Perhaps we can learn something from this tragic turn of events for Terry - what would be the best action if you were blown leeward onto a sandy beach like this ?

Stay with the boat (in cockpit or below ?).
Or jump over the side with your lifejacket and make your way to the beach via the surf.
Or hang on to an inflatable or surfboard and drift onto the beach ?

southace
SA, 4758 posts
24 Sep 2018 9:22PM
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Karsten said..
Yes, when you read about the Golden Globe sailor being rescued in the middle of nowhere at the moment, it is really tragic that Terry could loose his life in such seemly familiar surrounds.

Looking at the photos of the beached boat, you have to say that if you were to be blown onto a lee shore, such a benign, rock-free, wide beach would be one of the better locales.

Perhaps we can learn something from this tragic turn of events for Terry - what would be the best action if you were blown leeward onto a sandy beach like this ?

Stay with the boat (in cockpit or below ?).
Or jump over the side with your lifejacket and make your way to the beach via the surf.
Or hang on to an inflatable or surfboard and drift onto the beach ?


The yacht survived. Stay with the yacht do not depart, if it losers the keel as social media and news feeds are speculating well it might be a rather more difficult but I doubt this is the case in the latest tragedy .

Bundeenabuoy
NSW, 1239 posts
25 Sep 2018 5:20AM
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Do we know whether they were wearing lifejackets?
In hindsight, should they have been tethered to the boat?

keensailor
NSW, 699 posts
25 Sep 2018 6:28AM
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southace said..

Karsten said..
Yes, when you read about the Golden Globe sailor being rescued in the middle of nowhere at the moment, it is really tragic that Terry could loose his life in such seemly familiar surrounds.

Looking at the photos of the beached boat, you have to say that if you were to be blown onto a lee shore, such a benign, rock-free, wide beach would be one of the better locales.

Perhaps we can learn something from this tragic turn of events for Terry - what would be the best action if you were blown leeward onto a sandy beach like this ?

Stay with the boat (in cockpit or below ?).
Or jump over the side with your lifejacket and make your way to the beach via the surf.
Or hang on to an inflatable or surfboard and drift onto the beach ?



The yacht survived. Stay with the yacht do not depart, if it losers the keel as social media and news feeds are speculating well it might be a rather more difficult but I doubt this is the case in the latest tragedy .


Staying with the boat does seem the most sensible thing to do as you say. But after thinking about it and talking with people from hobart who are temporarily moored near us in Callala Bay for repairs after a bad knock down in bass straight it has its hazards as well. Particularly when the boat is violently jerking around, how do you brace yourself and protect your head.

Chris 249
NSW, 3215 posts
25 Sep 2018 7:10AM
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I'd hop off just outside the break and swim in; having done basically that many times windsurfing in big waves I know it's pretty easy if you can swim well in rough water.

Ramona
NSW, 7403 posts
25 Sep 2018 8:20AM
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I had a fairly exhausting day yesterday with constant phone calls from the media and they all seemed obsessed on who the past 2 owners were! I did not pass this info on and see no point. Their research seems to be purely Google based which led them to my GP yacht facebook page and then to this thread on Seabreeze so we have picked up a few extra listers. The TV news coverage on all the channels last night was fairly good. Not sure why the young lady has not been identified. From what I have gleaned from conversations with these people is the yacht ran aground, the woman swam 30 metres to the beach to go for help. Terry stayed with the boat. When help arrived they found Terry's body close by.
Looking at the photo it's possible Terry tried to anchor and or motor to clear the beach and fouled the anchor rope. Small two bladed prop would not have been very effective in that sea condition. Terry from what I can gather was an experienced sailor and if he was sailing solo would have stood offshore in those conditions. My theory and it's just a theory is that he was aiming to get some shelter in Botany Bay for the crew to recover from sea sickness and got confused with his position. The accident was early, about 0300 I think. Terry was 72, fit looking little bloke but like all blokes that age don't have much strength and endurance so it would have been a struggle in the surf. Life jackets were not worn.
We are not likely to know what really happened till we hear from the young woman.



Ramona
NSW, 7403 posts
25 Sep 2018 8:23AM
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Looking close at that photo it might have been a 3 blader!

Karsten
NSW, 331 posts
25 Sep 2018 12:54PM
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Chris 249 said..
I'd hop off just outside the break and swim in; having done basically that many times windsurfing in big waves I know it's pretty easy if you can swim well in rough water.



Select to expand quote
southace said..

The yacht survived. Stay with the yacht do not depart,


The thing is, if the sea is rough and the keel hits the ground, the yacht will probably lean over as it is being driven ashore and end up with the cockpit nearly vertical, so it would be difficult to hang on in the cockpit. And staying down below, where soon a couple of tons of water will be sloshing around, also sound somewhat risky.

(Note: my remarks relate to what the best course of action may be, not to what happened to Terry.)

FelixdeCat
NSW, 234 posts
25 Sep 2018 5:41PM
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Sail on Terry

72. All his faculties. Against his will. Doing what he loved. May we all be so lucky.

Ramona
NSW, 7403 posts
25 Sep 2018 6:02PM
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FelixdeCat said..
Sail on Terry

72. All his faculties. Against his will. Doing what he loved. May we all be so lucky.


Exactly!

TornadoALIVE
NSW, 45 posts
25 Sep 2018 8:28PM
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I would also say don't discount the possibility of a heart attack as the cause of death.

What ever happened, it is tragic. RIP Terry and hopefully the young lady recovers both physically and mentally from this experience and sails again.

MorningBird
NSW, 2644 posts
26 Sep 2018 5:03AM
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I'll recount a story here that Ramona might remember.
In the early 1980s we were flying Navy S2G Trackers on patrol around the Bass Strait oil rigs to detect any suspected terrorist activities (pre the modern type of terrorist) and/or wayward shipping.
On one patrol the aircraft was called to aid a yacht in trouble near Pt Hicks. The aircraft tactician, a close mate of mine, was talking with the yacht on VHF as it drifted into the beach near the rocks. It was getting dark and the yacht getting nearer the rocks. The crew decided to get in the water to swim to shore. The Navy aircraft returned to base to find the next morning that the yacht had been taken by the rip around the rocks and was safely on the beach to the east of the Pt.
All the crew drowned. My mate was devastated of course that the bloke he was just talking with had died and the yacht was safe.
The old sayings that 'your boat is a better life raft than a life raft' and 'step up into a raft' are pertinent, as is the 79 Fastnet rescues and deaths, stay with the boat as long as you can.

Bundeenabuoy
NSW, 1239 posts
26 Sep 2018 5:55AM
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I am sure I saw him looking for crew in the last two months on 'findacrew.net'.



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"Yacht capsize off Kurnell near Sydney" started by Trek