At 07h38 on Thursday 3 October, NSRI Port Alfred volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following reports of the yacht HLANGANA taking water and sinking with 7 crew onboard 4 nautical miles West of Boknes.
Leon Naude was taking Hlangana to Port Alfred, from Port Elizabeth, for routine repair when she ran into rocks on North reef of Bird Island at around 06h30 this morning.
NSRI rescue crew were put aboard the yacht to assist to bail water and a water extrication pump was transferred onto the yacht but by that stage the yacht was listing dangerously and the decision was taken for all crew to abandon ship.
“All casualty crew and our NSRI rescuers were transferred onto our sea rescue craft and the yacht keeled over on her side lying semi-submerged.
“On instructions from MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), in an effort to avoid a maritime navigational hazard, NSRI were instructed to attempt to sink the yacht but efforts were unsuccessful and a maritime navigational warning continues to be broadcast by Telkom Maritime Radio Services of the semi-submerged yacht floating at sea off-shore of Cannon Rocks.
Leon and his crew on Hlangana were a very familiar site offshore Algoa Bay when they acted as committee boat for national and local regattas. ABYC and I will always fondly remember Hlangana who has sailed to Rio de Janeiro and back as well as logging many miles up and down the South Africa Coastline.
A sad sad day for Leon – please join us in being thankful that there was no loss of life. Sterkte Leon.
Click here to read more and see an image of Hlangana on North Reef.
