Darren Zimmerman, NSRI Simonstown station commander, said: At 01h16, Thursday, 13 January, NSRI Simonstown duty crew were activated following a request for urgent assistance from a cruising Catamaran reporting that their mooring had parted and they were adrift through the anchorage at Simonstown harbour. They reported that they had collided with a fishing vessel that was at anchor.
At that stage it was unknown who was onboard the cruising Catamaran and it was unknown who was making the distress call but it was evident that this incident was unfolding and urgent.
Our NSRI SImonstown duty crew and all available NSRI Simonstown crew were activated.
While responding to launch sea rescue craft we determined that a family of 5, a husband, his wife and 3 children, were on the casualty cruising Catamaran. The skipper of the casualty cruising Catamaran had reportedly jumped onto the vessel that they had collided with, in an effort to assist to fend off the 2 vessels scraping against each other, but in so doing he had been left behind on the vessel at anchor (that he had jumped onto).
The dad had managed to start the casualty cruising Catamarans motor and he was now motoring the casualty vessel out to sea (without the skipper onboard) but although he managed to start the motors the casualty vessels battery was off and they had no lights, no radio and no steering, making the vessel dead in the water despite motoring towards deeper seas and away from colliding with more vessels that were at anchor.
The sea rescue craft Donna Nicholas and Spirit of Surfski II were launched into gusting to 40 knots South Easterly winds and rough seas.
On arrival on the scene we rescued the skipper from the fishing vessel and then raced to catch up with the casualty cruising Catamaran.
We reached them off-shore of Glencairn. The skipper was transferred onto the casualty vessel to assess the damage and he at first attempted to motor the vessel, without steerage towards Simonstown harbour, using the motors alternatively in an effort to assist in the steering, but it quickly became evident that this was not working in their favour with the casualty vessel unable to make headway against the strong South Easterly winds.
We established a towline but while establishing a towline the casualty vessel surfed over the towline and fouled around their stern drive.
They were now drifting closer to shore when we re-established a towline bow to bow and we stern towed them away from danger and into Simonstown harbour where they moored at the FBYC (False Bay Yacht Club) emergency mooring.
Once safely moored the crew of the casualty vessel were medically assessed and they were not injured.
The family and their skipper are from Durban. They are assessing any damage caused before continuing on their voyage.
Cape Town Lens: Kalk Bay