Motor cruiser taken in tow

The volunteers on radio watch at the Marine Rescue Point Clare Base received a call from the owner of a 7.5m motor cruiser anchored at Lobster Beach at around 12:30pm on Tuesday, December 3.

He reported that his near-new 225HP engine would not start and sought help to return to the boat ramp in Gosford.

The duty crew, Roger Palmer and Ian Radford, was called in and rescue vessel Central Coast 20 was despatched to assist.

The vessel was located and taken in tow.

An inquiry determined that the vessel was taking water rapidly through a broken cock fitting on the vessel's toilet.

The owner indicated that he could not stem the incoming flow.

The Marine Rescue crew said that they would tow the vessel quickly to a sandy beach near Lions Park at Woy Woy.

By the time the vessel was beached, there was water ankle deep in the cockpit.

The owner and his wife were, by this stage, at Woy Woy but their car and boat trailer were at Gosford.

The rescue crew transported the owner to the wharf at Gosford so that he could drive to Woy Woy to retrieve his stricken vessel.

The crew returned to base at 3:10pm for a late lunch.

Media release, 3 Dec 2013

Ron Cole, Marine Rescue NSW Central Coast