Fly-bridge cruiser rescued

A 32-foot fly-bridge cruiser was assisted in Broken Bay by volunteers from Marine Rescue Central Coast, when it struck trouble south east of Little Box Head at around 2pm on Saturday, February 5.

The vessel had two people on board and was disabled with a line wrapped around its propeller.

Around 4:30pm, after a long tow, the crew on the Central Coast Lifeboat had the vessel back to its mooring in Booker Bay.

By then the Point Clare radio base had two boats waiting for the volunteers, a 25 foot Searay cruiser between Lobster Beach and Half Tide Rocks and a 5.7m Bowrider, at the north end of Paddy's Channel heading to Iguanas.

Marine Rescue Cottage Point advised that it had a vessel in Broken Bay so the lifeboat was tasked to assist the 25 foot cruiser and it was towed to Hardys Bay.

The Bowrider was located about 5pm with three people on board who requested to be taken to Bayview after they were told Iguanas was undergoing renovations.

Central Coast Lifeboat towed the vessel out into Broken Bay and rendezvoused with Marine Rescue Broken Bay.

The distressed vessel was then towed back to the Bayview ramp.

Around 6:15pm as the hot and weary crew were heading past Blackwall returning to the base they were flagged down by a 31 foot yacht aground near the channel.

The lifeboat crew passed a line to the two people on board and were able to tow the yacht back into the channel.

Media release, 6 Feb 2011 Ron Cole, Central Coast Marine Rescue