A LONG WEEKEND WITH MANY ENGINE FAILURES Around 09:45am on Saturday 5 October, the volunteer duty operator at the Central Coast Marine Rescue Base at Point Clare received a phone call from a lady seeking help for her handicapped nephew out alone in his small motorised runabout. She explained that he was stranded on a sandbank between Saratoga and Paddy’s Channel and had a problem communicating. Rescue vessel, Central Coast 021 located the vessel and was able to navigate into the shallow water and move both boat and passenger to deeper water, where the nephew was transferred to another rescue vessel, Central Coast 020. Both the man and his boat were taken to a private jetty at Saratoga where they were met by a grateful Aunt and Uncle. During Saturday afternoon, about 4:30pm, a young couple on board a 6.0m Half-Cabin called for assistance. Their vessel had an engine failure and they asked help to get back to the ramp at Lions Park. Central Coast 020 skippered by Terry Reynolds was tasked to assist and quickly completed the job. On Sunday October 6, the Point Clare radio room received a call from the skipper of a 4.0m runabout with engine failure between Noonan’s Point and Paddy’s Channel. The vessel, with three men on board, was towed to safety at the Gosford ramp. Cruiser under tow from Flint and Steel in the chop on Broken Bay. After lunch on Sunday, about 1:20pm Central Coast 020 was tasked to go to Flint and Steel near the entrance to the Hawkesbury River to take over a tow from Marine Rescue Cottage Point. A 10.0m motor cruiser with engine failure and four people on board was towed for about 2 hours before those on board were happy to pick up the mooring at Saratoga about 4:00pm after a rough trip across a very choppy Broken Bay. Yacht under tow by CC020 near Kourong Gourong Point No sooner was that tow completed when, at 4:05pm the rescue boat was sent to location between Kourong Gourong Point and Half-tide Rocks to assist an 11.3m ‘Bavarian’ yacht with engine failure. The two on board had anchored the yacht but needed help to get back to Booker Bay for mechanical assistance. The tow was tricky because of the run-out tide and strong gusty winds, but the crew on Central Coast 020 reported the job done safely. Crewman Denis Byrne checks the tow line during the tow from PatongaOn Monday 7 October, the boat crew were training in Broken Bay aboard Central Coast 020 when, about 11:00am they were diverted to Patonga to assist an 8.6m cruiser with engine failure. The owner of the cruiser requested that he and the boat be taken to Empire Bay Marina for repairs. The tow was completed about 2½ hours later to the relief of the hungry boat crew.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Oct 2013 20:01:41 +0000
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