Cat mystery at the 'Top End'

[Bergalia]

News just in (11.00 hours EST Australia - 20/4/07).
A large catamaran has been found floating off Darwin (the 'Top End') and when coastal patrol boarded her found no sign of the crew. No SOS received, no emergency beacons set and adding to the mystery - like all the best sea mysteries - fresh food was on the table and a lap-top computer still running. All gear seemed to be in good shape and no signs of a struggle. It's the stuff Tristran Jones' are made of. I'll keep you all posted.

[Bergalia]

Can now clarify the above. Location was incorrectly given - so here's an update:

An unmanned yacht has been found drifting off the north Queensland.
The 12-metre catamaran was first spotted by a coastwatch aircraft on Wednesday near the outer Great Barrier Reef after leaving Airlie Beach on Sunday.

A rescue helicopter identified the yacht overnight and confirmed there was no one aboard.

Police have confirmed three men are missing.

Emergency Management Queensland spokesman Jon Hall said crews were puzzled by what they found because "everything appeared normal".

"They got on board and said the engine was running, the computers were running, there was a laptop set up on the table which was running, the radio was working, the GPS was working and there was food and utensils set on the table ready to eat, but no sign of the crew," he said.

Mr Hall said crews returned to the boat on Friday morning, around 80 nautical miles off Townsville, to check if anyone was trapped inside.

He said they retrieved the boat's GPS system to analyse data for clues to the mysterious disappearance of the crew.

"That will now enable us to track backwards where this yacht has actually been in the last few days, and we're hoping that can pinpoint the search area for the missing crew," he said.

A massive sea and air search spanning Airlie Beach and Townsville is underway.

A police spokesman said it was not yet known where the boat or crew was from.

[marshmat]

Abducted by E.T.?
This one's just plain weird if you ask me. I've heard of boats breaking away from moorings and just drifting, but with engine and computers running and food on the table?

[Bergalia]

And today the inquest opened on a 'less mysterious' disappearance here in Australia:

The Malu Sara – an Immigration Department vessel that sank with the loss of five lives in October 2005 – was visibly taking on water days before it set out on its last fateful voyage, according to a witness statement from Immigration officer Ann-Maree Titasey.

Miss Titasey – who was the office manager of the regional Immigration headquarters on Thursday Island at the time – said that at a workshop and training exercise on Saibai Island the boat was already raising concerns.

She said she spoke with two Immigration officers who had returned from a patrol "and they raised their concerns that there was too much water being taken on the boat and it was over their ankles .*.*. the boat they were on was the Malu Sara".

Two days later, at 12.30pm on Friday, October 14, the Malu Sara set sail for its home base of Badu Island, but became lost in bad weather and eventually sank at 2.30am on Saturday.

At the inquest which is currently underway it was alleged the skipper of the Malu Sara had asked his superior officer to delay the voyage because of grave concerns he held about the boat's seaworthiness and poor weather conditions. But Skipper Wilfred Baira's superior, the Torres Strait regional manager Garry Chaston, refused the request, according to Baira's fellow immigration officer Patricia Mooka.

Miss Mooka said the request came the day after she had been out on a training exercise around Saibai Island with Baira and others on the Malu Sara.

The exercise nearly ended in disaster after the boat started taking on water fast and flooding the main deck.

Miss Mooka said that the following day she had heard Baira asking Chaston: "Is it possible I could spend another night here on Saibai until the weather calms down before I can go back to Badu?"

"And Garry said, 'The department can't afford to pay you another night here on Saibai.' So Wilfred just stopped quiet. He didn't answer back to Garry," she recalled.

Mooka said the next morning, Friday, October 14, 2005, as they were driving along, Baira said to her: "I'm not confident going back to Badu, travelling in weather like this."

Counsel for Chaston, Michael Fellows said Chaston would deny the alleged conversation with Baira.

I'll keep you posted on this one too.

[Poida]

Has the Bermuda Triangle moved?

[safewalrus]

heard a rumour Jack Frosts in your area lookout!

[Bergalia]

Saturday 21/4/07 - the story so far:

The daughter of one of the missing men said her family was hoping the three were in a dinghy and that the catamaran had drifted away because they forgot to anchor it.

“That’s what we are hoping, that they forgot to anchor it (the catamaran) and it’s drifted off — the three idiots — and (they have) not been able to get back to it,” Keryn Grey, daughter of James Junstead.

But emergency officials said a dinghy was found on board the catamaran, along with its emergency beacon and three life jackets.

The catamaran’s sails were up, but the headsail was “shredded,” according to Warwick Bracken of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

There was no indication of any other damage.

The crew — Australians aged 56, 63 and 69 — had set out Sunday, and was planning to sail around northern Australia to Western Australia state, according to Sharon Davidson of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

Miss Grey said the trip was supposed to take six to eight weeks.

“They were just going to stop every night, anchor close to shore all the way back around the top and down the coast,” she said. “It was going to be their trip of a lifetime.”

Greg Connor, a forecaster with the Bureau of Meteorology, said the sailors would have faced moderate southeasterly winds of about 22 mph, typical weather for this time of year.

“It would have been excellent sailing conditions,” he said. “There’s no reason to believe this is a weather related incident.”

Picture courtesy of AP

[safewalrus]

there's two threads running on this, might be an idea if they were combined? Jeff?

As I said on the otherone obviously something to do with the shredded foresail but what? Only pure guesswork will get anywhere near unless something else comes up? I know one thing tho' pound to a pinch of 5h1t they are dead! not interested! defunct etc

[Poida]

Another theory is that they were on shore and the boat broke anchor. It is hard to believe they were all washed overboard. Maybe they are making their way back to civilisation as we speak.
Poida

[Bergalia]

Originally Posted by Poida

Maybe they are making their way back to civilisation as we speak. Poida

Home to Australia you mean. Let's hope so.

Jeff, I agree (for once with Walrus) maybe best to combine both threads. But it's an intriguing story and I think worth following to the end.

My final note in this thread is that:The air search for three Western Australian crewmen missing from a catamaran off Queensland has been called off.

Police believe the three men fell overboard six days ago in rough seas.

The vessel, the Kaz II, was found abandoned and adrift on the Great Barrier Reef on Wednesday.

Any further updates will be added to thread: 'Seamanship etc'

[Poida]

Chief Superintendant Roy Wall said, "obviously they've become separated from their vessel."

With cops as smart as that on the job it won't take them long to work out the mystery.

Poida

[Wynand N]

[Roly]

I read somewhere there were fenders tied to the rub rails?

NZ Herald

There were only minor signs of trouble on board - a ripped sail and a marine radio that wasn't working. Experts remain baffled as to why the yacht's fenders, which are generally used when another vessel pulls alongside, were down.

It is the only paper that had this information.............maybe left by another boat that got spooked.........
Last steered 6 days ago...
When are the "experts" going to reconstruct their trip?
It doesn't bode well........

[rayk]

I am skeptical that any thing 'happened'.
To me it looks like a set up.

[hansp77]

three on this side,

and it looks like one on the other (maybe?)


its very strange.

Sails still up, and the headsail blown out, autopilot on, engine running in nuetral, laptop running, table set...


If they were super lazy sailors and hadn't yet brought in the fenders after leaving the marina... maybe they got the sails up, put the auto pilot on, set up to have some luch, and while all leaning on the lifeline having a chat and looking at something- hit something? sandbar, whale... and managed to all fall off at the same time (not wearing lifejackets as it appears).

Apparantlyt the police forensic investigation revelaed no clues. I would like to know what they were looking for.
I think the conclusion at the moment is that they came to trouble in bad weather very soon after leaving, about six days ago (as this was the only time strong weather was around).

It is not looking good for them.

Fingers crossed though, that they get found floating on one of the pontoons out there on the great barrier reef (or something).