DOVE II

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Yacht abandoned in Atlantic

On Dec 21, 2016, the s/y "Tilly Mint" rescued the crew of five of the "Dove II" which was damaged by a storm off Martinique. At 7.30 p.m., the CROSS AG was contacted by its French CROSS counterpart, relaying the distress call of the English sailboat which had lost its rudder in the middle of the Atlantic. She was located about 1000 km east of Fort-de-France. The weather conditions were particularly harsh with a swell of up to six meters. There were two children on board, and the 17-meter sailboat was drifting helpless in the storm. The skipper was in contact with the English maritime authorities who provided moral support and technical advice. The CROSS diverted the cargo m/v "Newseas Jade", underway to Lagos, to the yacht. She arrived non Dec 18 at 1:20 a.m. The weather conditions during Dec 19 make evacuation attempts very delicate and several attempts failed. The vessel agreed to remain close to the sailboat in order to act as a breakwater and to monitor the development of the situation. The CROSS then asked the "Asia Pearl V" to assist too. She arrived on zDec 20 at 7:30 a.m. Protected by the other freighter, she attempted several maneuvers to approach the yacht in very hard sea conditions. These failed too, and the CROSS then asked the merchant ships to stay in the area until another sailboat, the "Tilly Mint", reached the scene. Protected by the two cargo ships, the crew of the "Dove II" embark on their liferaft which was immediately recovered by the "Tilly Mint". None of them required medical assistance. The "Dove II" was left adrift, and the two cargo ships have resumed their initial voyages after their help help to safeguard the lives of the five boaters. The "Tilly Mint" should arrive with the family on board in the Caribbean arc for Christmas. French report with photo: http://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/martinique/5-plaisanciers-dont-2-enfants-sauves-du-naufrage-mer-caraibes-427505.html