classic 21m US schooner NINA missing

[bluesketcher]

Much time passed after the missed call before the search started.

 

[tomas]

Anyone in NZ familiar with Keith Wright?
Does his opinion carry weight?

http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/news/nina-was-in-bad-shape/1937691/

Old Whangarei seaman Keith Wright says he wishes he had spoken to the skipper of the Nina as he claims the schooner, presumed sunk with the loss of seven lives, was in bad shape.

Mr Wright said yesterday that cracked paint on the topsides of the 21m Nina, when it was moored in Whangarei before sailing to Australia from Opua on May 29, had made it "perfectly obvious to anyone who knows yachts" that working [moving] planking on the 85-year-old classic schooner needed refastening or strengthening.

When the yacht came under strain with the high masts it would have parted company, said 85-year-old Mr Wright, who retired about five years ago after following his father Eric in decades of scow and sand-barge operation out of Whangarei.

Now that six people were presumed to have drowned along with skipper David Dyche III, Wright regretted not having spoken to him about the condition of the Nina. "There's no excuse for going to sea in a boat like that," Mr Wright said.

"He must have thought the Tasman is a millpond, but it can be mighty rough and nasty."

While the last message received from the Nina was on June 4 and the search for the missing yacht was called off at the weekend, Mr Wright said it was not impossible its crew could have survived.

He recalled how in 1989 the trimaran Rose Noelle and its crew of four washed up on Great Barrier Island after four months adrift.

And he knew of another case where a ship had lost its propeller and was missing for a year while its crew moved ballast forward to lift the stern clear of the water and somehow fitted a spare propeller.

All New Zealand-registered boats going overseas must be drydocked for what is called a Maritime New Zealand category 1 safety inspection before departure, but foreign yachts like the US-registered Nina are not subject to those rules. Maritime NZ media advisor Steve Rendle said the seaworthiness of foreign-flagged yachts would be assessed if MNZ was told of serious safety concerns, and a detention notice could be issued to stop vessels leaving the country.

 

[PAR]

I personally have seen this vessel, though a few years ago and it was clear the owners knew the yacht, serviced and maintained the boat and she was in excellent condition at the time. It seems unreasonable on the surface of it, that suddenly the yacht fell into disrepair, by the same, previously meticulous owners.

 

[tomas]

Now it seems obvious that people such as PAR should have been interviewed for his assessment, not Mr Wright.
(I can only guess at Wright's motivation for saying what he said)

Thanks again for weighing in with the credible opinion PAR.

 

[PAR]

I think the opinion of a retired garbage scow operator, should be taken with a grain of salt, possibly the whole salt shaker.

 

[Titirangi]

Par, I think your last comment is a bit unfair and dismissive of a man who has spent a life time on the water as a professional seaman. Whangarei is full of boatyards building timber yachts and the marina full of visiting yachts so most locals with boat smarts can judge a yacht's general condition. Many of the sand scows still working are timber hulls loaded on the beach with front end loaders that float off on incoming tide.
Common sense and practical seamanship is ingrained in these local guys that may not hang out a shingle but their opinion is every bit as credible as yours.

As to 'experienced' owners, I did a partial refit on the 76ft schooner remodelling the interior, repower and replacing both masts & standing rigging to owner's instructions.

After I surveyed the hull that appeared tight I recommended doing a full re-caulk or at least below the water line to stiffen it up. It hadn't been caulked for 4yrs incl. sailed from UK to Gib to Cyprus.

The owner in a hurry to deliver for a charter said no it was tight enough, but 30mins after launch it was taking on water so he had to beach before it got out of the harbour. Flooded the new engine, refitted galley and salon costing 60K euro and another two weeks to repair.

 

[bpw]

I hate to say it; for $500, an automatic EPIRB should be mandatory now when going more than a few hours offshore.

How often do you check your EPIRB?

Automatic epirbs are good on bigger boats, but on small boats a manual one mounted near the companionway makes sense. Mostly because of the problem of where to mount an automatic one on deck. Little boats take so much water on deck in heavy weather that loss or false alarms would be a real problem. Any attachment that allows the epirb to float free in a sinking is going to get wiped off in the first good blow.

I don't even carry my life raft on deck, after reading about so many small yachts getting there rafts torn off in heavy weather.

 

[PAR]

I don't know who Mr. Wright is, but I do know that news camera crews don't find the local surveyor, but the most colorful and willing to appear in front of a camera. These usually show themselves for what they are, as soon as they open their mouth and this set of comments, sounds just like what a TV news crew would be looking for - a crusty old fellow with an opinion on a boat he had a passing glance at, of course a controversial opinion, because they know what that does to "market share" for the evening news broadcast. Naturally, this speculation about him on my part, is probably about as deserving as his in Nina, but hey, good footage is always a treat - right.

 

[rwatson]

If I had to make a judgement on the condition of the boat from our limited information, I would tend towards Mr. Wrights assessment, just on one result.

How could the owner of such a substantial craft go down so quickly, with so little communication ? A well founded, well prepared boat of that size should have been able to survive, if not prosper in a big blow.

This may be a case of people trying to 'live' on boats for years, cheaply, and telling themselves how economical it all is, while important, expensive, maintenance goes begging.

 

[PAR]

This wasn't the case with these owners. They were well established and experienced cruisers, the boat well maintained and there's nothing economical, about living aboard a 3/4's of a century old 70' yacht.

 

[Titirangi]

Par -Your observation about a 'crusty old fellow' may be the case in the USA, but here people especially older professional seamen & tradesmen in our smaller towns tend to be a bit conservative non speculative souls who are usually reticent to come fwd with an opinion unless asked. So Mr Wright would not be attention seeking or grand standing the news opportunity simply stating what he thought obvious.

The other issue is the yacht, likely to have survived many storms should have been capable of batten down & hove too with a sea anchor and survived if the Capt was competent under the conditions.

If so then either the yacht was caught by a rouge wave pitch poled or beam rolled 360'd springing masts or she sprung planks, possible if already loose, or fastners failed or planking had been weakened by T worm in Pacific crossing - very likely unless the hull was sheathed.

 

[bntii]

Rest in peace- none know the desperate hour till it is upon them.

 

[rwatson]

Rest in peace- none know the desperate hour till it is upon them.

Amen .

 

[dskira]

Here we are. Since nobody knows the truth why not having a new law about the unknown.

All New Zealand-registered boats going overseas must be drydocked for what is called a Maritime New Zealand category 1 safety inspection before departure, but foreign yachts like the US-registered Nina are not subject to those rules. Maritime NZ media advisor Steve Rendle said the seaworthiness of foreign-flagged yachts would be assessed if MNZ was told of serious safety concerns, and a detention notice could be issued to stop vessels leaving the country.

I like the "was told" The retired barge operator will tell? the one who saw paint flakes? He is a very brilliant surveyor for sure He should stay in retirement and just enjoy it.

The truth is it is very easy to pass judgment on tragedy. Boat are prone to sink, the battle to keep water out is constant, weather can be overwhelming, the situation can turn deadly in no time.

I pray for them and the families.

 

[Titirangi]

Maritime NZ issued a statement yesterday about NINA.

Prior to sailing for Australia several other international blue water sailors moored at Whangarei raised concerns the NINA hull appeared warped, had no hydrostatic EPIRB on deck or an MF/HF radio. The owner's were not in favour of high tech equipment plus the life raft maintenance certificate wasn't current.

The yacht being foreign flagged was not required to pass a NZ Category 1 Maritime Safety inspection compulsory for NZ yachts but that law is about to be amended to include all visiting yachts.