Yacht owner swims to shore after yacht’s mooring breaks near Wellington

A man was forced to abandon ship and swim to shore near Wellington, New Zealand, after his yacht’s buoy chain broke on Wednesday evening.

Chris Bassett was preparing to go to bed on board when the wind picked up and he realised his yacht, Major Wright, had gotten into trouble.

He called for mayday and contacted local police as the mooring broke, before choosing to abandon ship and swim to safety near Scorching Bay.

Once on dry land, police officers drove him to his car and on Thursday at midday, Major Wright was towed to nearby Chaffers Marina.

With the boat on its side, Bassett was unsure how much damage there was to his “home” but explained that the whole experience was unsettling.

Spanning 10.6 metres (35 feet), the long cruiser/racer designed by Alan Wright has belonged to Bassett for around three years.

A police spokesman said it received a report of a boat washing ashore at Scorching Bay at around 10:10pm but that nobody sustained injuries.

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Source: Stuff NZ

March 28, 2024
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