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Onlookers at Airlie Beach’s Whitsunday Sailing Club witnessed a spectacular save on Sunday when a catamaran broke free from its mooring and was pushed by rough seas straight toward the rocks, saved at the last second by the quick thinking boatie on board.
Commercial skipper Tony Ritter was watching from the Sailing Club with other parents as their children’s junior sailing session had been moved indoors.
The group was discussing the catamaran which had been slowly drifting towards the shore and was now approximately 400m from it’s original mooring, but didn’t realise anyone was on board.
The vessel’s owners were indeed away, but Whitsunday Sailing Club regular Andy had offered to check out a broken tender, so was on board at the time of the squall.
The wind swelled to 38 knots and rain began to pour, as the boat suddenly broke free.
Tony describes how Andy jumped into action, getting an engine started at the last second, steering the catamaran away from the rocks.
With just one engine kicking in, the boat swung around to settle on the pontoon where Andy could regain control, instead of hitting the concrete boat ramp. It was a gutsy move, that may well have saved the boat from wreck.
“People online are always quick to criticise. They say ‘why was it out there’, but there’s always a story,” Tony said.
“It happened so fast. Andy had 30 seconds to a minute to get the engine started and make a decision, with adrenaline pumping.
“He’s a generous, humble, quiet man, always around the yacht club, who would do anything to help anyone. He calmly stepped off the yacht afterward, like getting out of a supercar that had just rolled.”
Andy has now moved the boat to safe waters. Tony captured a video of the incident which can be viewed on his Facebook page.
facebook.com/tonezone88
CAPTION: 1- The unmoored boat, heading for the rocks as seen from the Whitsunday Sailing Club.
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