Fears for missing yachtsmen
DURBAN MAN ON OVERDUE CATAMARAN
THREE yachtsmen, including a Durban man, have been missing for more than a month after setting out on a delivery trip in the catamaran Sunsail RC044-978 from Cape Town on December 14.
Reginald Robertson, 59, Anthony Murray, 58, and Jaryd Payne, 20, were sailing to Phuket, Thailand. The delivery was for Tui Marine, a leader in the world maritime leisure business based in Florida, in the US, with representatives in Cape Town.
The skipper of the yacht, Murray, who is from Joburg but is based in Cape Town, has more than 25 years’ experience at sea, including multiple catamaran deliveries to destinations including Abu Dhabi, China, Austria, the Caribbean, the US and more.
Durban’s Robertson is also an experience yachtsman, and is a member of the Royal Natal Yacht Club.
This was Payne’s first long trip.
Payne’s mother, Lisa Green, said her last communication with her son, who is from Cape Town, was on January 15, when he told her that the weather had been unfavourable but sailing was good, though challenging.
“He ended the text by saying ‘your wonderful son’, and right now I just wish he would come home,” she said in a voice filled with emotion.
The trio were supposed to reach their destination on February 2, but 10 days later Murray’s family reported to the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) in Cape Town that the catamaran was overdue.
Their loved ones are anxious because the yacht was officially carrying enough supplies for 65 days, but as of yesterday it had been at sea for 79 days.
“No one knows where they are because their satellite phone is not working. The last we heard from them was on January 18,” said Murray’s sister-in-law, Diane Coetzer.
Communication from the yacht via a satellite phone was regular from the date of departure. This included regular texts to family and friends.
Murray also reported regularly to Tui Marine’s representative in Cape Town.
Based on the yacht’s co-ordinates at the time of their last communication – in international waters around 2 190 miles north-north-west of Perth, Australia – the estimated arrival date of the vessel in Phuket was February 2.
On February 12 an “all ships broadcast”, seeking sightings reports, was activated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Amsa.
“It (the Australian authority) has further stated that the urgent broadcast to shipping will remain until March 31st, when it will be re-evaluated,” the families said.
Safety
MRCC Cape Town told Murray’s family that the broadcast was also going out in the maritime safety areas of Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and India.
“We have been getting support from friends, family, Tui Marine, MRCC – and Matthew Thomas has been helping us in establishing their whereabouts as well,” said Coetzer.
Thomas is an experienced yachtsman who was the search and rescue co-ordinator of the civilian search for Moquini, a yacht that went missing during the 2005 Mauritius to Durban yacht race.
“Their last known position is over 2 200 miles from Australia and Thailand, so they could be anywhere in the Indian Ocean. All ships have been alerted, but the reality is that you seldom see a ship when you are sailing around that part of the world,” he said.
Thomas said the sailors could still be alive and possibly forced to make their way home slowly because of either winds or mechanical problems.
By the end of the day yesterday, the yacht’s emergency position indicating radio beacon (Epirb) had not been deployed. The radio beacon is deployed by the skipper when the boat encounters trouble and needs to be rescued urgently.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has told the families that it responds to circumstances as they present themselves, and that officers in its Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre are not constrained to the setting off of the Epirb only.
“Unfortunately, if they are not in the water, the question is where they might be. There are numerous small islands around, but until we know the likelihood of their whereabouts then it becomes hard to dispatch a helicopter to search for them,” said Thomas.
The families now believe that increased awareness of the yachts’ missing status is a necessity. Tui Marine is approaching a number of companies for a satellite-facilitated online search.
“Our concern is that they are in need of rescuing, but no ships have caught sight of them,” said Green.
Those who wish to contact the families can do so via a Facebook group, Searching for Anthony, Reg & Jaryd.