A 12m catamaran missing for two days was found on Thursday after sparking concern when a life jacket was spotted floating near the Plettenberg Bay coastline, said the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI).
Ray Franham, NSRI station commander in Plettenberg Bay, said the institute was alerted by the family of the crew who had not been in contact with the Abalone for two days.
The catamaran is a commercial fishing craft from Mossel Bay and was carrying a crew of eight.
”The vessel reported by the owner to be somewhere between Mossel Bay and Plettenberg Bay had left Mossel Bay approximately Tuesday to fish between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay and was expected back in Mossel Bay yesterday [Wednesday].
”Although the owners reported that they don’t usually have contact with the vessel during such a trip, all their efforts to raise the vessel by cellphone and radio had failed, and with the rough sea conditions, concerns were being raised,” Franham said.
He said the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre was alerted. The NSRI Plettenberg Bay crew was put on full alert and NSRI Mossel Bay, Wilderness and Knysna were alerted to be on standby.
At 4.58pm, the NSRI Plettenberg Bay crew conducting shore patrols along the coastline spotted a life-jacket floating about 800m off-shore of Robberg Point.
They immediately launched rescue craft into the rough sea, but failed to find the life jacket.
Further searching for the vessel led to it being spotted 15 nautical miles from Mossel Bay at about 6pm.
”At that stage we were relieved to see the vessel upright and under way, having feared the worst,” said Franham.
When the crew arrived in Mossel Bay, they reported having run into a violent storm, which led to structural and equipment damage, and knocked out communications and an engine.
None of the eight crew members was injured. — Sapa