Townsville boat owner Ben Farrugia’s dream to take terminal mum on one last sail shattered

A Queensland man who bought a boat to take his terminally ill mum on one final adventure has been left shattered after losing her a few weeks before ex-cyclone Kirrily destroyed the boat.

A Townsville man who bought a boat to take his terminally ill mum on one final adventure has been left shattered after losing her a few weeks before ex-cyclone Kirrily arrived and destroyed the boat.

Ben Farrugia woke up on Friday to the grim reality that his recently purchased 40-foot Fortuna yacht had been destroyed after its mooring broke when Kirrily descended upon Townsville’s coast.

He had only purchased the boat a few months ago in the hopes of taking his mother Carmen sailing around Townsville after she was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

“It was a dream we had that we were both looking forward to, but unfortunately, mum ended up passing away before she could see it happen,” Mr Farrugia said.

The 40ft Fortuna yacht was destroyed when ex-cyclone Kirrily hit Townsville on January 25. Picture: Supplied

When news broke that his mother’s illness was terminal, Ben put everything on hold — including organising insurance for the boat — and flew to Melbourne to be by her side in late November.

Ben and Katherine with their late mother Carmen Farrugia. Picture: Facebook

He was left devastated when she passed away shortly after, and he returned to Townsville.

“It shattered our family,” he said.

“Knowing she never got to going out on the boat as we planned, I was looking forward to taking my sister out on her behalf so we could share that together, but the cyclone hit before we could.”

The 40ft Fortuna yacht was destroyed when ex-cyclone Kirrily hit Townsville on January 25. Picture: Supplied

Mr Farrugia said he was disappointed to see people have started stealing items from the boat while he tries to organise for it to be salvaged.

“You wouldn’t believe it, people are already stealing stuff off it on low tide,” he said.

“They’ve gone in and taken the solar panels off and all the hardware on the mast.

“What people do that on someone else’s misfortune?”

Originally published as Townsville boat owner Ben Farrugia’s dream to take terminal mum on one last sail shattered