the Ghost Yacht Three days earlier we’d been blessed with perfect conditions sailing between Wirrina Cove and Boxing Bay, Kangaroo Island. Upon arrival we tethered Arriba to the mooring in the western side of the bay in calm conditions and happy that it was secure, two family members and I went ashore where we enjoyed the next two days on land. Each evening I would check that Arriba’s anchor light shone brightly and each morning I would check that Arriba was still tethered to the mooring. By the third morning we were getting low on food supplies so decided to set out for Kingscote twenty minutes away by road. As we drove past Boxing Bay I glanced out to reassure myself that Arriba was where we had left her the day before. A storm had blown in late the previous day and winds had howled all night long. While the winds had subsided the weather was still foul with an overcast sky and rain clouds hanging ominously offshore. I estimated visibility offshore was less than a mile. As I cast my eyes over the bay, I could not believe what I was seeing - or what I was not seeing. Arriba was not on her mooring. In fact neither Arriba nor the giant yellow mooring buoy were anywhere in sight. It was 10:30 am. There is no phone reception at Boxing Bay so we continued south along North Cape Road.
At 10:40 am there was finally mobile phone reception, albeit patchy, and I pulled over and called 000. “What is the nature of the emergency?” the female operator answered. “I’d like to report a maritime emergency. My yacht is adrift somewhere off the north coast of Kangaroo Island.” “Where exactly?” “I don’t know exactly but somewhere north of Boxing Bay.” “Is anyone on board?” “No.” “It’s not a search and rescue matter then. I’ll notify the Police. They’ll call you back.” I queried “Should I notify the Australian Maritime Safety Authority?” “Yes, that’s a good idea.”
They hung up and a few minutes later I duly called AMSA. While a boat adrift in a shipping lane might seem like an emergency to its owner technically it is not. AMSA informed me that they would however issue a maritime sécurité (say-cureit-tay) alert to notify passing vessels. They also suggested notifying the SeaLink ferry service and asking them to keep an eye out. A few minutes later, at 11:01, I received a call from SA Police Water Operations. They confirmed the details of my earlier conversation with the 000 operator and explained that since it was not a matter for search and rescue, it was a matter for maritime salvage. I would need to contact a salvage operator. “Who does salvage on Kangaroo Island?” I asked. “Let me get back to you,” he kindly offered. While waiting for the call from the Police I called my insurer and was immediately routed to voicemail. I tried again two minutes later, this time punching in different options, and reached a person. She explained they were short-staffed due to the long weekend but helpfully offered to find someone to assist me.
The Police called back at 11:24 am and suggested I contact Jamieson Marine for salvage. Jamo’s, as they are affectionately known, operate the island’s sole marine service centre. In fact, I’d purchased an outboard engine from them two years earlier but hadn’t realised that they were in the salvage business too.
A few minutes later I received another call from the Police. Using simulation software they predicted Arriba’s location estimating her position to be approximately six miles due north of Boxing Bay. I was ecstatic that Arriba was still relatively close to the north coast of Kangaroo Island albeit adrift in a shipping lane.
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I was about to call Jamo’s when at 12:04 I received a call from Peter with the local Coast Guard which on Kangaroo Island is entirely staffed by volunteers. He explained that as there was no threat to life technically they were not in a position to send out a vessel. He advised however that there might be some ‘options’ once the vessel’s precise location was known. At 12:30 I called Jamo’s and spoke with Brad. He reiterated what, by now, I knew: with the poor visibility they would need precise coordinates otherwise it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. They offered to call around to see if someone else might be up for the challenge but there were no takers.
By then word of a catamaran adrift in Investigator Strait was getting out. At 12:36 pm I received a call from a friend, Andrew, who was anchored at the Cutter Patch near Troubridge Island on the other side of the strait. “I heard over VHF that a cat was adrift in Investigator Strait. I don’t suppose it is yours?” he queried. “Sadly, it is. And with the mooring attached too!” I replied. “At least the weight on the bow should help keep Arriba pointing into the wind.” “Can you keep an eye out for it? It is headed your way”, I replied, only half joking. I was becoming increasingly frustrated but there was nothing I could do. I couldn’t fault a single person as everyone had been very understanding. The harsh reality was that in such poor conditions nothing could be done without a GPS fix. We continued on to Kingscote and completed our errands. At 1:52 pm I received a call from Nick my insurer’s assessor. After briefing him he said “The important thing right now is to find your vessel.” “Sounds good. How do we do that?” I asked. About then I cursed myself for crippling Arriba’s AIS just one week earlier. The unit’s GPS had been acting up so I’d taken it in for a service. Had the AIS GPS been transmitting I would have known Arriba’s precise location. “Leave that to me. We just need a break in the weather,” he reassured me. An hour later I called the Coast Guard back with an update, well, to say there was no new information.
At 3:28 pm I received another call from the Water Police with an updated position estimate. Fortunately there had not been strong east-west tidal flows and they estimated that Arriba was still approximately due north of Boxing Bay. Peter from the Coast Guard called again at 4:35 pm asking if anyone had reported a location. He suggested I call Adelaide Airport and request they notify the airlines. After hanging up I called Adelaide Airport who fobbed me off to Air Services where I was dropped into voicemail. I left a message but was not confident it would be heard anytime soon so decided to contact a pilot friend, Simon.
“Simon, what’s the best way to get the word out to pilots flying into and out of Adelaide,” I asked. “That would be the Adelaide Airport control tower. They routinely communicate with pilots in their airspace.” “I tried calling Adelaide Airport but they routed me to Air Services.” “No, you need to talk to air traffic controllers in the tower. Let me see. Yes, I have their number. Texting you now”. Pilots normally communicate with air traffic controllers over VHF radio but they have a phone in the tower too. They kindly accepted my call and offered to get a message out to pilots to keep an eye out for Arriba and report her position. Nick, the insurance assessor, called back at 7:21 pm. “Has anyone reported Arriba’s position?” he asked. “No and according to the police’s model she is somewhere in the middle of the strait,” I replied.
