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Photo: CP 20 tow. Caption. Big following seas create demanding tow conditions for ‘Cottage Point 20’

A young crew from Marine Rescue Cottage Point battled strong winds and rough conditions to rescue a boater whose 36 ft cruiser was without power and wallowing heavily in the ocean off McMasters Beach on Saturday (September 1).

Rescue vessel skipper David White praised the professionalism and safety focus of crew members, LC (Leading Crew) Luke Andrews and youthful colleagues Luke Hogarth (17) and Jackson Barry (16) throughout the testing five-hour operation.

“The experience they gained from this task has advanced their skills and further proves the importance of continuous training drills,” he said.

While the conditions on the first day of spring kept most boaters ashore, the crew was carrying out navigation drills on board Cottage Point 20 (CP 20) on Broken Bay when the NSW Police Force Marine Area Command tasked them at 2.15pm to assist the stricken vessel.

The cruiser was suffering engine troubles 12 nm away. With a passage covering 7nm of open ocean to the north east of Lion Island, CP 20 made relatively quick time through the large south east swell and winds of up to 25kts, arriving on the scene about 3.15pm.

Although the mountainous seas were a challenge for passing a towing line, Luke Andrews demonstrated his skill by reaching the vessel with his first throw and the line was quickly secured.

As the conditions were too rough to recover his anchor, the cruiser skipper attached a float and slipped his anchor line so the tow could get under way.

The challenging tow south was undertaken 1.5nm seawards for safety to avoid the bounceback effect of the seas from the rocky shoreline and clear the hazardous east and west reefs.  Seas of up to 4m limited safe passage speed to only 4-5 knots, making for a slow and uncomfortable trip.

After clearing Box Head, the course was set towards the entry channel to Brisbane Waters.  With the big seas now astern of the tow, close attention was needed to ensure the vessel did not yaw or overstretch the towing line as it raced down the following waves.

Once the two vessels entered the channel at Little Box Head, the effect of the big seas subsided and the tow line was shortened to manoeuvre through the tight Half Tide Rocks bar area and north into the relative calm of Brisbane Waters.

CP 20 passed the tow to Marine Rescue Central Coast vessel Central Coast 20 for safe passage to Woy Woy before returning to base by 7.30pm.