At 09h02 on Sunday 16 September NSRI Table Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from the 12 meter yacht Toy reporting to have mechanical engine failure and no wind in which to sail and requiring a tow to the Royal Cape Yacht Club (RCYC) from off-shore of Oudekraal.
Pat van Eyssen, NSRI Table Bay duty coxswain, said that the yacht with 7 male crew onboard had departed from the RCYC yesterday to sail to Simonstown but encountered windless conditions and unable to sail then experienced mechanical failure of her motor and hung around, in limbo, off-shore of Oudekraal, between Camps Bay and Llandudno, for 12 hours and when wind conditions remained flat they called NSRI requesting a tow back to RCYC.
NSRI Table Bay launched Spirit of Vodacom and on arrival on-scene took the yacht under tow and the yacht was brought to Port in Table Bay and safely berthed and no further assistance was required.
Then at 10h22 on Sunday 16 September, NSRI Bakoven and NSRI Hout Bay’s volunteer sea rescue duty crews were activated following an urgent request for assistance from the 11 meter pleasure craft Seagull reporting that her two 200 litre fuel tanks are suspected to have sprung a leak causing the fuel onboard to leak into the boats bilges (the hull) over a short period of time and apart from being fearful of the risk of a fire the 6 crew were now also obviously stranded onboard and adrift off-shore of Llandudno.
Brad Geyser, NSRI Hout Bay station commander, said that fearing that the boat could ignite at any time NSRI Bakoven responded their sea rescue craft Rotarian Shipper and on arrival on scene all 6 crew of Seagull were taken safely off their casualty boat and taken aboard NSRI Bakoven’s sea rescue craft in order to get them clear from harms way and away from the potential hazards that the casualty boat posed.
NSRI Hout Bay’s sea rescue craft Albie Matthews then arrived on-scene. An NSRI volunteer was put aboard Seagull and NSRI then towed the casualty craft to Hout Bay harbour where they were met by Fire and Rescue vehicles from Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services (A fire tender from Hout Bay and a foam tender from Roeland Street) who stood by where the casualty craft was berthed (as a precaution for fire hazards) and the Cities Anti Pollution team inspected the craft to evaluate the pollution risk.
Pollution Services determined that there was no pollution threat and Fire and Rescue teams then used gel packs to soak up the fuel and all fuel was safely removed from the casualty boat and safely disposed of by the Fire and Rescue Services.
All 6 crew members of Seagull, 2 adult males and 3 teenagers (2 males and a female) and 1 male child, have been brought safely to Hout Bay harbour aboard NSRI Bakoven’s sea rescue craft Rotarian Shipper.
There were no injuries in either of these two incidents.
