Today's update: The Huntress has been refloated and the head of the Aboriginal Land Council on the island is furious, but this ABC article states the likely legal outcome:
www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-09/sydney-to-hobart-yacht-huntress-salvage-fight-indigenous-claim/101836372
It's an insurance matter, ownership is not challenged, Salvage rights did not pass from the Crown to some local inhabitants who claim "native title"
and all's well that ends well.

Thanks Fab
Great she refloated, next to no environmental damage hopefully

No doubt because of this bull**** we will an extra exclusion on our insurance policies or have to buy extra cover for the bass strait islands

A farce!! What did the land council think they were going to do with it? In it for a buck is all I see.

And some people will vote to give them a "Voice" in parliament. Sorry if this is political.
Reasonable costs for the salvors, and ownership is never in jeopardy: just a matter between the owners, insurance and the salvors, who rescued the yacht before the ocean could smash it to rubble. Not all washed-up yachts are so lucky.

www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-09/sydney-to-hobart-yacht-huntress-salvage-fight-indigenous-claim/101836372

My question is , why wasn't it taken under tow at first available chance?

So the local land council want a minority third share ownership of a racing vessel, sounds like a windfall opportunity for the majority owners to reduce their running costs by a third??

Complete contrast to Sail Exchange. When their rudder broke, the crew stayed on board, maintained watches, meals, nursed the boat to Binalong bay anchoring before receiving a tow to civilization.

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ChopesBro said..
www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-09/sydney-to-hobart-yacht-huntress-salvage-fight-indigenous-claim/101836372

My question is , why wasn't it taken under tow at first available chance?

Because it is very remote. With a population of about 1000 and just a handful of police, once lives were no longer at risk, worrying about a yacht would be extremely low on their priority list.

Australians Sailing to accomodate the electric motors has made a small but very worrying change in the rules for ocean races which i n turn changes the way people think.
You no longer have to motor to a port of refuge if disabled , that is you save yourself, now you only to motor towards rescue for 4 hours in short.

This is completely at odds with the ethos of ocean sailing i grew up with.

Your taxes at work

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Andrew68 said..
Complete contrast to Sail Exchange. When their rudder broke, the crew stayed on board, maintained watches, meals, nursed the boat to Binalong bay anchoring before receiving a tow to civilization.

We used to call that seamanship.

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Ramona said..

Andrew68 said..
Complete contrast to Sail Exchange. When their rudder broke, the crew stayed on board, maintained watches, meals, nursed the boat to Binalong bay anchoring before receiving a tow to civilization.

We used to call that seamanship.

Now we call it Seamansick

But better to be safe than lost at sea

I'm super curious why the CYCA let a yatch participating in its gold standard event just float away into 'the environment' this is so out of touch with community expectations and their clearly stated position on environmental impact.

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SoloCMV said..
I'm super curious why the CYCA let a yatch participating in its gold standard event just float away into 'the environment' this is so out of touch with community expectations and their clearly stated position on environmental impact.

My guess is towing a rudderless yacht 80 miles in steep 5 to 6 metre seas and 40 knots is not as easy as it sounds.

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cammd said..

SoloCMV said..
I'm super curious why the CYCA let a yatch participating in its gold standard event just float away into 'the environment' this is so out of touch with community expectations and their clearly stated position on environmental impact.

My guess is towing a rudderless yacht 80 miles in steep 5 to 6 metre seas and 40 knots is not as easy as it sounds.

Bet you they would have found a way to press on if they were in the middle of Pacific 1000 miles from land

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cammd said..
My guess is towing a rudderless yacht 80 miles in steep 5 to 6 metre seas and 40 knots is not as easy as it sounds.

Darned right - towing it in open water would be a picnic compared with down there. The tides run pretty fast and the tow would have to be timed just right, as well as have reasonable weather.

My old tub was pushed along by 5 knots of tide when I went through that area. Pretty wild speeds for a Compass 28!

Cheers, Graeme

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cammd said..

SoloCMV said..
I'm super curious why the CYCA let a yatch participating in its gold standard event just float away into 'the environment' this is so out of touch with community expectations and their clearly stated position on environmental impact.

My guess is towing a rudderless yacht 80 miles in steep 5 to 6 metre seas and 40 knots is not as easy as it sounds.

You are not trying to make way just hold position until the sea drops and it always does and you never need to make you final destination first go.

From the Huntress Sailing page:

Wow, this could get ugly!