Dramatic sea rescue near Green Island. Not my lot thank goodness but it stands as a reminder it can happen so always be prepared.

www.ulladullatimes.com.au/story/7532725/dramatic-sea-rescue-near-green-island/

Three crew on board an 11 metre catamaran en route to Bermagui had a dramatic rescue today after their vessel, purchased just days earlier, began taking on water after hitting a sunfish13 nautical miles east of Green Island near Ulladulla.
The crew of the catamaran sent out a Mayday at 1255 and activated their EPIRB, climbing into two dinghies to await rescue.

Marine Rescue Ulladulla rescue vessel UL30 was responded, and with guidance from a Royal Australian Navy helicopter from HMAS Albatross that had been deployed to assist, and the signal from the crew's EPIRB, quickly located the striken vessel. The Naval helicopter remained after their arrival with life rafts ready to drop should they have been required.
Arriving at the stricken catamaran just after 2pm, UL30 took the crew of three on board and then delivered them safely back to dry land at Ulladulla, with all on board safe and well.

A securite is current for all ships in the area advising a navigational hazard from the sinking vessel at 35 17.427 South 150 46.656 East.
The crew on UL30 were Skipper Lesley Kelly, Warwick Haslam, Mark Squires, Clive Woodward and radio operator Allan Dean and Watch Officer Keven Marshall.

On their way down the East Coast last week my son said he saw a sunfish around the Ulladulla area as they passed a few miles off the coast.

What is the likely damage they sustained to result in losing the boat, broken rudder or saildrive? I can't imagine hitting a fish would punch a hole in a hull.

A sunfish is not a "fish" rather an immoveable slow moving mass up to 2.3t................

oceana.org/marine-life/ocean-sunfish/

There are numerous boat sinking events from sunfish interaction at speed - torn out rudders, collapsed hulls, more...........

www.pressure-drop.us/forums/content.php?8021-Sunfish-Sinks-Hollywood-Boulevard

I can't get over the fact they just left that boat to sink! One of the problems of insured boats is people just step off them.

My catamaran friends tell me that catamarans always float when holed but it looks as if one hull has well and truly sunk with no flotation and if the other hull had been holed the boat would be gone. I guess because catamarans don't have heavy keels to support their hulls are very thin. A couple of watertight bulkheads up forward like some cats have might have saved them however.

Agree it should not be left to sink as it may not sink until its run over by a ship.

A slow tow could get that back to land....... maybe

Yes cats have positive buoyancy and will float in most cases.
I hope to never find out but its said they are more stable when floating with the stick point down

Anecdotally, I have been told one of the reasons why multihulls insurance costs are higher is they don't sink as often. The salvage cost and combined payout costs of multihulls are on average higher than the total loss payout of sinking yachts.

A seaman would have taken that inflatable dinghy canister floating near the stern of the good hull and placed it inside the holed hull about the centre and inflated it!

Not sure how a sunfish could punch a hole in both hulls on a catamaran that's obviously motoring on an extremely nice day.

It seems to me that the vessel itself is very fragile if that is all it takes to sink it, hitting a fish, I get they are large fish but they not immoveable and sharp like a rock.

You can understand a dedicated racing boat suffering catastrophic damage by having an impact at speed with a large animal but a cruising boat in mild conditions should be stronger than that.

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cammd said..
It seems to me that the vessel itself is very fragile if that is all it takes to sink it, hitting a fish, I get they are large fish but they not immoveable and sharp like a rock.

You can understand a dedicated racing boat suffering catastrophic damage by having an impact at speed with a large animal but a cruising boat in mild conditions should be stronger than that.

I have encountered plenty of sunfish in that area and it's surprising how fast they react to boats close by. Especially boats that are motoring.

Select to expand quote

cammd said..
It seems to me that the vessel itself is very fragile if that is all it takes to sink it, hitting a fish, I get they are large fish but they not immoveable and sharp like a rock.

You can understand a dedicated racing boat suffering catastrophic damage by having an impact at speed with a large animal but a cruising boat in mild conditions should be stronger than that.

Maybe sideways there would be flex in a sunfish but hit on top...there would be practically zero. Then you have point loading. Definitely plausible.

There must be a bit of a congregation in that area as we hit one about 10 days ago a bit further out to sea from the same spot.
Was on Brindabella doing about 8 knots no obvious damage. Sunfish a bit dizzy though.