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Grounded yacht refloated from Santos Beach

A Finnish couple have been assisted after the 'Canape' drifted ashore in the early hours of Jan 21, 2025, at Santos Beach, Mossel Bay. At 08.16 a.m. the NSRI Mossel Bay duty crew was activated by the TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Mossel Bay Port Control, and Police Sea Borderline Control. The high tide had just turned at 08.02 a.m. when the yacht got stuck. The NSRI Mossel Bay lifeboat 'Spirit of Safmarine III', was launched while NSRI rescue swimmers responded to the shore side in an NSRI rescue vehicle. The TNPA harbour tug 'Arctic Tern' was placed on alert by Mossel Bay Port Control. Upon their arrival on the scene the rescuers joined an inflatable boat, the 'Blue Duck' of The Skippers Foundation of Mossel Bay, that was in attendance and assisted NSRI during the operation. The yacht crew, a husband and wife, from Finland, were sailing around South Africa, and the previous port of call was Richards Bay. They were at the swing mooring off Santos beach where in three meter high swells the yacht broke lose and drifted onto the beach. The Skippers Foundation of Mossel Bay inflatable boat assisted to transfer a towline from the 'Spirit of Safmarine III', where NSRI rescue swimmers, in cooperation with the yacht skipper, established a towline. Timing the swells that were washing ashore in the outgoing tide they were able to pull and turn the sailing yacht, that was initially lying side on - abeam - on the beach, to bow to the sea, and then attempts were made to pull the yacht off the beach in the shallow water, but the attempts were not successful. Later, they were joined by the 'Arctic Tern', onto which the towline was transferred. The tug was able to pull the yacht out to sea. The NSRI Mossel Bay rescue crew remained onboard, with the yacht crew, throughout the operation. The anchor, still deployed and dragging, was recovered manually once the yacht reached deeper waters. The 'Arctic Tern' towed the yacht into the Mossel Bay harbour where, once inside the port, the NSRI lifeboat went alongside the yacht, which was then safely moored at the Vincent Jetty at around 11.15 a.m. with no further assistance required. Report with photo: https://www.nsri.org.za/2025/01/a-foreign-sailing-yacht-that-drifted-ashore-has-been-recovered/