13 hour towing operation to move vessel stranded for 12 days

A VESSEL stranded in Cawarral Creek for 12 days was successfully towed back within city limits at the weekend, taking 13 hours to reach its destination.

A VESSEL stranded in Cawarral Creek for 12 days was successfully towed back within city limits on the weekend, taking 13 hours to reach its destination. Yeppoon Coast Guard were able to assist the owner of "Coral Cay", a 11.6m steel motor yacht weighing 16.5 tonnes, after the vessel suffered propulsion system failure.

A VESSEL stranded in Cawarral Creek for 12 days was successfully towed back within city limits at the weekend, taking 13 hours to reach its destination.

Yeppoon Coast Guard was able to assist the owner of “Coral Cay”, a 11.6m steel motor yacht weighing 16.5 tonnes, after the vessel suffered propulsion system ­failure.

The owner had called for assistance on December 29 to relocate the vessel to the Fitzroy River within city limits, however it was decided after discussions to wait for more suitable weather and tide conditions.

These conditions were represented on Friday with Coast Guard Keppel Sands starting its tow of the vessel at 7.50am, just before high tide. The group was escorted by Coast Guard Yeppoon for safety until the tow exited Cawarral Creek when Yeppoon Rescue 1 returned to the Rosslyn Bay base.

The tow continued without incident until entering the Fitzroy River via the North Passage when, with a following sea, the tow line snapped but was soon re-established.

The vessels anchored upstream of McKenzie Island at 12.20pm to wait for the ­incoming tide and Coast Guard Rockhampton rescue vessel, “Bluefin Sports Rescue” to take over the tow.

Bluefin Sports Rescue recommenced the tow at 4.30pm once the tide commenced to flood. Guidance on the changing sandbars in lower reach of the river was provide by a local professional fisherman.

The vessels arrived at the city reach of the river without incident at 9pm.