Cooktown couple Robert and Gay McDonald saved by cat’s meow as liveaboard boats sinks

A FNQ couple are considering living in a tent after their uninsured sailing boat that they called home for 23 years sunk.

A Far North Queensland couple now face living in a tent after their uninsured sailing boat that they called home for 23 years sunk.

Cooktown pensioners and live-aboard owners of Dancing Dolphin, Robert and Gay McDonald, say it was their Siamese cat Ari who saved the day when the sloop started taking on water last week.

“It was our Siamese cat Ari’s 10th birthday and I was standing beside the bilge compartment and she climbed up my leg attacking me,” Mrs McDonald said.

“I heard the urgency in her voice and saw the floorboards were awash.”

It was Ari' the cats 10th birthday when she alerted Gay and Robert McDonald their beloved home Dancing Dolphin moored at Cooktown, was taking on water. Picture: Supplied.

Despite using a hand bilge pump and efforts of the coastguard who used a petrol pump supplied by the Cooktown firefighters, the boat couldn’t stay afloat.

“We don’t know what happened as we had only pumped the bilge five minutes before,” Mrs McDonald said.

“I screamed to Rob ‘We were in big trouble’.

“For about four hours I stood in water halfway up my knees trying to keep up with the flow and then the coastguard came by with the fire brigade’s big petrol pump.

“It is still very raw, just about everything has been lost and every time I talk about this, I remember something else that has gone, like our wedding album.”

Robert McDonald wearing the hat his wife Gay managed to salvage when their beloved home Dancing Dolphin sunk after it took on water while moored at Cooktown on February 16, 2023. Picture: Supplied

The 63-year-old couple are still searching for accommodation.

“We thought we might have to live in a tent,” she said.

“We are fortunate, the owners of the Bargain Barn and Gungarde Community Centre gave us vouchers, Russell and Monica Bowman have been amazing, it restores your faith in humanity.”

She said repairing the hull would cost little but the same could not be said for the rest.

“We are not sure if we can make it but we will give it a red hot go,” she said.

Australian Volunteer Coastguard QF16 Cooktown deputy commander, Nick Davidson said it was an all hands on deck effort.

“Robert spent the night pumping water to keep it afloat to no avail, more water was coming in than out, options became limited and we liaised with Maritime Safety,” he said.

A GoFundMe page was created by Russell Castner on their behalf.

“Tragically, the Dancing Dolphin was uninsured,” he posted.

“Our beautiful friends have lost absolutely everything.”

Originally published as Cooktown couple Robert and Gay McDonald saved by cat’s meow as liveaboard boats sinks