VIVIERAE II

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Yacht waiting for tow to Merauke

The 'Vivirae II' remained stationary anchored on the south side of Komoran Island, about 300 km from the port of Merauke without any passengers and was in preparation for being towed to the Merauke Pier in the next few days in the Arafura Sea, after getting a rope entangled in a propeller, causing the engine to overheat on March 2. The six passengers Jean Pierre van Wyngaard (South Africa), Taylor Marie Loehrer (USA), Shahinaz Al Sibahi Alarnaout (United Kingdom), J-Dean Shane Van Der Westhuisen (South Africa), Matthew Robert Gyorffy (Canada) and Olivia Di Velice (Canada) were evacuated to Australia on March 6. The 'Vivirae II' had departed from Marshall Island on Feb 26 bound for Sorong, West Papua Province. Reports with photos: https://www.tagarindonesia.id/kepala-sar-merauke-penumpang-km-vivie-rae-ii-dievakuasi-ke-australia/ https://www.bairdmaritime.com/work-boat-world/maritime-security-world/naval/ships-naval/royal-australian-navy-destroyer-assists-distressed-yacht-in-international-waters/

Five passengers evacuated from board

The five passengers of the 'Vivierae II', which was disabled and adrift due to an engine failure in the Arafura Sea in vicinity 09 00 09 S, 137 48 36 E since March 5, were safely recovered on March 6 by an inflatable boat, which was deployed from the HMAS 'Hobart'. They have been taken to Thursday Island. The yacht remained drifting and was waiting to be towed towards Merauke in the South Papua province.

Yacht adrift on charter tour

On March 2, 2023, the 'Viverae II' was disabled by a rope wrapped around the propeller, and went adrift in the Arafura Sea north of the Gulf of Carpentaria. The warship KRI 'Tarakan' was deployed from Ambon, Maluku, to aid the disabled yacht. Ajoint SAR team was compelled to postpone the operation of evacuating the yacht, due to unfavourable weather conditions. The joint SAR team using the navigation ship 'Merpati' returned to the Merauke navigation pier on March 5 at 2 a.m. LT, since the arrival in the waters of Habee Island, the sea conditions had become more extreme. The 'Merpati' was still waiting for the weather to improve before continuing the rescue operation. The yacht, which had sailed from the Marshall Island on Feb 26, to Sorong with six tourists comprising two South African citizens, one American, two Canadians, and one Briton. The yacht was currently located south of Komoran Island, some 300 kilometres from Merauke.